Image source: Pixartimes.com
I write about 3D art all day, and every once in a while I paint myself into a corner. I start with an idea, and that idea leads to another idea, which leads to another idea. Five paragraphs later, I’ve moved onto a completely different topic, the entire article is nonsensical, and I have to start over from scratch.
As much as that sucks (and believe me, it sucks), it isn’t nearly as bad as working on a 3D art project for days only to realize that your basic idea was crummy and you need to start over.
Art is very prone to false starts because it’s so organic and malleable. You can easily start off thinking that you’re going to make one thing and end up with something completely different. I don’t know if this is true for everybody else, but the main reason why I find myself in artistic dead ends is because my starting idea somehow gets lost or swallowed up during work. The artistic process is, after all, a process. That means that while working on a piece of art you can encounter unexpected paths and short cuts as inspiration strikes. If you take enough of these paths, you’ll end up so far away from your intended destination that you don’t know how to trace your way back.
Image source: 3oneseven.com
Getting lost in a piece of art isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes you can end up with something unexpectedly great, and other times you’ll end up with a product that isn’t up to snuff.
The best way to avoid artistic false starts is to throw yourself into concept art. Concept art is incredibly useful because it gives you an opportunity to scout out the artistic path ahead without spending too much time on it. Here’s the question, though: when should you create concept art?
It all kind of depends on the situation. The general rule of thumb is that the longer a project is , the more critical concept art becomes. I know some artists who actually dislike creating concept art for short term projects because they see it as a waste of time. Sure, they occasionally paint themselves into a corner, but the time lost in those instances isn’t nearly as much as the total time lost creating concept art on every single project. Is it better to lose an hour brainstorming before every single project, or is it better to lose half a day of work once or twice a month? Is there value in brainstorming or should workers just get to work?
Image source: Game-artist.net
Concept art is a tool, and like any other tool you need to know when to use and when not to use it. Lots of small projects encourage diving right in, while massive long-term projects practically demand concept art and intense creative sessions. Also, you have to take deadlines into consideration. Can you afford to start over from scratch four hours from now? If the answer is no, the you really should scratch out a few test models on paper first so that you start off on the right foot.
There’s one big exception to the rule: If you’re creating work for a client, it’s a good idea to create some basic concept art and get a thumbs up before working in earnest. The last thing you want is to spend a few days working on a 3D model only to deliver it to a disappointed client who says, “This isn’t what I wanted!”