Hey everyone - completely new here so I don't know if off-topic posts are even allowed, as there is only one folder named "General". Anyway - feel free to delete if necessary.

I'll keep it short.

I'm kinda old. 28 years old. I worked as a videographer and in sales up until now.
I'm starting university this year with the goal in mind to becoming a 3D Artist. I'm not entirely sure where I want to go but what itches me the most would be to become a concept artist as the likes of Alex Senechal, fausto de martini or Edon Guraziu.

Anytime I read articles or listen to interviews of 3D-Artists - 100% of the time so far they all started around age 20.

I'm just kind of wondering... is it even possible to step foot into the industry when starting so late? It does make me nervous that there seems to be NO living proof to tell me otherwise.
I know about the hustle of learning 3D and how hard it is - I do NOT underestimate it.

Its just... this whole industry is so cryptic the way it's structured that I can't see a clear path for my ambitions.

so..

TL;DR: At what age did you start 3D and is 28 too late to have a career?

Thanks in advance

So all at https://www.artstation.com :)
https://www.artstation.com/acms
https://www.artstation.com/guraziu
https://www.artstation.com/faustodemartini

I believe there is no age for start 3D / 2D : only enthousiam is necessary!

Bon courage!

Take a look at this one : more diversified than robots or weapons! ;)
https://www.artstation.com/pao

Hi,

As Pilou said, 2D/3D isn't reserved for young or more old peoples.

If you want to do something, Do it !

Modeling is more a research on "How to do" and practice more and more. Analyse and resolve problems to reproduce shapes.
For me, it's like programing software. Analyse the needs, resolve the problem to find how to do something.

I understand, you could have a doubt about how to be engaged as professionnal in an entreprise as you begin at 28.
But your age gives you experience in more domains.
If you really want to do it, believe in you.

But you have to practice more and more.
Talent exists, but without working and practice, it's not enough.

... And please, don't model always weapons and robots as many people do...
We have so many other subjects to model...

"I'm kinda old. 28 years old. I worked as a videographer and in sales up until now."

Wow, I'm shocked to hear that 28 is "kinda old".

Most of my life has been spent programming computers. Every few years the computer languages change, the emphasis changes, everything changes.

At 21 I was programming very low level stuff - disc controllers for computers.
At 23 ish I was programming test software for process control computers.
At 26 I was a Team Leader for a CAD programming team.
At 28 I moved to another country working freelance on a system I had never worked on before using a programming language I had never seen before.
At 29 I changed to another job, evaluating software and giving presentations in another country.
At 30 I had a new job programming at a very low level - databases.
Then I moved to another job working for the company that made the databases - all low level stuff.
Then they asked me to go on a training course and I switched from low level programming to building database applications and teaching other people.
Then I changed to a new job writing computer applications for a mobile phone company.
Then I changed to another job writing complex stuff for delivering packages using a language I had never used before.
Two years later I changed job again working on something different.
Eight years later I was using differrent languages and doing all kinds of stuff including web design.

I was probably 35 or 36 when I started playing with a program called Lightwave 3D. I played with it ever since, off and on, now I have MOI 3D.

In the meantime I have worked with perhaps 30 or more new clients, changing what I do all of the time.

The world is changing fast, what you learn today will be obsolete very quickly, but will help you move to something new. That will be the pattern of your life.

It shocks me that you think you are too old at 28 to learn new things. I have done that all my life and still do.

NEVER think you are too old to do new things, never.

I also think that most 3D artists have never set foot in a University.

Good luck!

I was 19.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Construction_Kit

I started with more than 40. Meanwhile I am more than 60.

My first CAD was AC 95 light.

Than Blender and C4D; a lot of years Turbocad until I discovered MOI.

Now I want to explore Blender once more. This is a great challenge.

Thanks to everyone!
I understand that its not too late to LEARN the programm just for the sake of learning it though. That wasnt my point.

My thought was directing more to the professional side of things...

Hi Deckard, I started out at around age 20 myself back a long time ago on the Amiga computer with Sculpt-Animate 3D and Turbo Silver.

I would not think that 28 is by any means too late to start but there is quite a lot of information to absorb and skills to gain across many areas. So it takes a while to become proficient.

- Michael

"My thought was directing more to the professional side of things..."

I have never been asked my age. As a freelancer I rarely meet my clients these days.

It's what you can do that counts, not what age you are.

It takes time to grow a skill.

I once worked in a design office, I would guess at that time I was about 15-20 years older than most of the people, probably older than the boss. I used to leave at about 6.30 to go home but one day I said I'd be leaving earlier because it was my daughter's birthday.

The boss asked "How old is she?".
"18" I said.

I watched a cartoon depiction of a jaw drop on this guys face.
"18? you have a daughter aged 18?"
"Yes, that's right.."

..I didn't mention her brother who was 21..

You are 28. Work towards what you want to do. Age is not a barrier - don't make it one. I don't work professionally in 3D but generally the people who do my job can be as much as 40 years younger than me. I don't care and neither do my clients. It would be different if I didn't freelance, but most 3d artists are employed either short term or freelance.

Don't be 28 going on 58. Don't be 58 wishing you'd given it a go at 28.

I'm 36 years old ,just started 3D for 6 months.

but I'm working as a programmer for 15 years.

let me tell you something: as a professional programmer, most of my time are used those skills I already known, repeated it again again and again.

you need focus on how much time they spend on learning to reach their level. not on total years they working in the industry.

I think your concerns are understandable and it
makes sense to think carefully about something
like this. But are chances so calculable ?

My thoughts, as an old starter, was:
No one can guarantee me success.
"If I try, I will have a change that is greater than zero.
If I don't even try and do nothing, my change will be zero.


I looked at the age of 46 for a job as a vector graphic designer,
because i have a passion for graphics. And almost every one
of my "friends" said to me, "You're too old to get a job." Well,
they didn't say "in this graphics field," they generally said I was
too old to find another job.

I didn't even have a plan for what to learn and what I needed to learn.
In the years leading up to this job, I just soaked up everything from
this field that fascinated me. And so accumulated a solid knowledge
over the years.

I ended up getting a very good and very well-paying job in the field
i wanted because of my solid, self-acquired knowledge in that field.
And the big point is that I never thought about the fact that i might
be too old for it. Maybe because i am a blue-eyed person ?
Or I was lucky ?

I wouldn't say that my friends are dumb people. They will have their
reasons for thinking that way. But if i had acted on those reasons,
I wouldn't have even tried to find a job in the field i wanted.

Deckard112,

28 is the perfect age to set out on a new career. More important though is to reflect upon the strength of your desire (or "itch") to become a 3D-artist.

I believe success boils down to a couple of things: First, believe in yourself because you have an incentive to do so, no one else really does (other than maybe your family). Second, identify and develop your own objective standards and then measure your accomplishments against those standards; when you identify an area to improve upon, challenge yourself and do so. (btw, someone else's accomplishments don't make very good objective standards)

We've all walked different paths, and most of us end up changing paths many times in life. Work hard to become as good as you can at whatever you do, and when it comes time to change, those earlier skills and experiences will likely help with the next path.

Go for it & good luck!!

--Larry

Thanks to all, I really appreciate that a lot !!!

I know what I enjoy doing but besides that I have no other hint on what is possible in the 3D world / industry. I certainly can't gamble on just doing Sci-Fi weapons / armor / structures for a living since.. well. That's kind of naive. I mean I don't think its impossible but its more of a dream to work towards, not to build a reliant income on.

What are other examples where 3D Artists are needed, besides gaming and VFX obviously.

I often hear product design and the medical field, but how would that play out? I certainly dont want to model coca-cola cans on upwork for the rest of my days. I'm interest in ArchViz but I heard the market is esepcially underpayed and unstable for that.

Can someone give me more specific examples of maybe their past jobs as a 3D Artist?

You have all the field of "real" artist for the real world and not the digital ;) Sculpture, Monuments, Design, Furnitures ...

"I'm interest in ArchViz but I heard the market is esepcially underpayed and unstable for that."

From what I hear from the LW groups..

All forms of 3D modelling/visualisation can be badly paid and there is a lot of competition for work. If you can find a niche and good client/employer it can pay well, but mostly not, particularly when you aren't known.

Allied to 3D work are a ton of related disciplines - motion graphics for example , where you can be making advertising and TV graphics, etc.

Really the field is huge, competition is fierce and pay can be poor.

Wonderful as MOI3D is (it is), ask questions in the mainstream modelling visualisation groups, or even just read the posts there - you will come across interesting posts about the industry.

You are likely to be doing very mundane stuff at the start. You are not going to be well paid from the start.

You mention university - ask them about the employment prospects of their graduates and how many are employed in the field one year after graduating.

Here's a POV.

Imagine yourself sitting in a room with 50 other people working on something as a group. What are you doing? Everyone in the room is a great 3d artist/designer. Nobody is saying oooo. Ahhhh. Ooohhh. At your work...

"Celebrity" artist are usually presented to you in a (not up front) marketing campaign. We all say "wow" but he designs for a gaming house or owns the marketing company and is promoting his own showcase.

I will use the NHL as an analogy. There are millions of people with aspirations every year to be there. There are something around 750 seats at the big show. :o

How you get there has many aspects other that being really good.

Your goal can't be "a 3d artist making good money". You must define it on a more finite level. "Where do you want to work and doing what while there" is a good start.

Hi Deckard112,

I suspect that the advent of inexpensive computers and software have impacted the illustration field a bit like phones and photo software have impacted photography: few people value photographers anymore. A standard career in design may be similarly devalued, however...something to chew on for a bit: consider what your key strength is, what makes your approach different from the next person's. Rather than thinking about "what" you're modeling, perhaps consider "how" you're presenting it and in so doing, differentiating yourself from others. Design and illustration is about communication. There are a good many people out there with ideas that they have a hard time communicating, maybe you can develop the skill to listen and understand, and from there illustrate their ideas. Maybe as you do this you also develop the skill to give feedback on their ideas. You become something more than just an artist/illustrator/draftsperson and become a valued collaborator. It doesn't happen overnight, and you don't learn it in school, but it will differentiate what you have to offer from the rest of the pack.

My own background is in IT rather than 3D design so I don't have a personal experience to offer as an example, but I do have a successful career as a consultant based upon listening and offering solid advice in the technical fields.

--Larry

I was a plumber until I turned 35 and found 3D. Been doing it professionally ever since. There is no to old is this industry. Atleast, not that I have seen.

Ha, funny question - the age is not as important but the year was 1986 - with VersaCAD followed by ARC+...

Cheers,

Diego

In 1995 i bought my first real graphics program. Ray Dream. It was 3D. I was roughly 34 years old...

Don't worry, you have plenty of time.

My suggestion or advice would be that today, it is more of a "specialists" market.

So pixar for instance, hires someone to do "3D stereoscopic" work. Someone else (or a team of course) to do texturing. Someone in that texturing team may be a ""palette coordinator" or that may even be a standalone management position....

Etc. Etc...

The caveat to this statement is a freelance person. But hey, they are business management, payroll and accounting, catering, sales and all around jack... that fits many...