   Getting started in Visual arts for games ?
  Hi,I''m bascially a programmer using c++/DirectX for about a year now but I''ve always been interested in making the arts myself and being good at it beacause I really prefer the visual aspect of gamimg. Coding is too abstrct for me  Can anyone give me some advices on how to start and where can I begin learning how to be a great 2D/3D artist ? Let me precise that I have absolutely no experience in that field and I draw like my 8-years old sister if worse Any help would be ver apreciated. Thank you.Dark Psi  
  Well you have several choices. first. decide 2d or 3d. i reccomend starting 2d with something like photoshop or paint shop pro. learn that tool because more than likely when you hit 3d youll use it for skins, textures, whatever. When you feel your ready (and have the patience) for 3d. Get a free modeler for start. milkshape, anim8or, and 3d canvas are good ones (dont expect much of a help file for 3d canvas, its all on tutorials online). after that learn that tool by either experimenting, going to the website and reading documentation, or searching for some tutorials. dont jump into heavy 3d high poly modeling of the starship enterprise or anything if you barely can make a cube and rotate it in the modeler. just practice. resources online are exceptional for most modelling programs. ******IMPORTANT******keep your headbe patientpracticepracticeuse your imagination (if you have one)practiceask for helppracticemore practice ------------------------------I shall fart in your general direction. - I said so------------------------------  ;  ..is art something you can practice?  I mean, u either have it or you don''t.  Can art really be taught, like programming?  ;  yes. y do you think there are art classes in highschool and middles school. heck im sure they teach art in elementary/primary. you dont TEACH art you teach the methods and principles and the different techniques. you can practice art. but what your really practicing is those techniques and your perfecting them to your style whether you know it or not. however, in some rare cases, art itself CAN be tought.  ;  yes. y do you think there are art classes in highschool and middles school. heck im sure they teach art in elementary/primary. you dont TEACH art you teach the methods and principles and the different techniques. you can practice art. but what your really practicing is those techniques and your perfecting them to your style whether you know it or not. however, in some rare cases, art itself CAN be tought.    ------------------------------I shall fart in your general direction. - I said so------------------------------  ;  Betty Edwards, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain"solid basis for everything else - it´ll get you out of the 8 yr old stage pretty fast.  ;  Thank you all for your advices I will start some reasearchs and practicing ;  Don''t worry about whether you have "the gift" or not. Just practice. It''s all practice. Drawing is all about practice. Practice, practice, practice. There is nobody who is any good who hasn''t drawn and drawn and drawn and drawn and... well you get the idea.It''s good to try and draw copies, not trace, of art you like or want to emulate. But draw your own pictures and find your own style.At some point you might want to get a drawing tablet. I recomend Wacom.    ----Steve  ;  If you''re interested in 3D art check out http://www.discreet.com and look around for gMAX.  It''s their freeware version of 3D Studio MAX, which remains the most often used program for creating 3D graphics in video games.  There are some very good tutorials on it available at that site too if I''m not mistaken...  ;  Thank you for all your help !  Hase : Where can I find/buy this book ?I think I''ll start with 2D before going in to 3D modeling and stuff but I will surely make good use of the links you game me Shinkage.Thx.-Dark Psi    (I know I know its all about practicing) ^_^  