3DTotal’s latest book provides an attractive, in-depth guide to skills that will prove essential to any 3D artist, says Fernando Caire
Just because you work in 3D, it doesn’t mean 2D art should take a backseat in your design process. In fact, having lousy Photoshop skills will probably hurt your renders more than anything else: an issue 3DTotal addresses in its new book Photoshop for 3D Artists Vol. 1, which features Andrzej Sykut, Fabio M. Ragonha, and Zoltan Korcsok.
The book is broken up into seven chapters, each one covering quite a bit of ground on its appointed topic, including previsualization, texturing, post-production, post effects and 3D paint-overs.
The first three chapters cover basic skills like concept work, texture application, and texture correction. A 3D model will only be as good as the initial design, so the first chapter, which focuses on how to add originality to your work, is a truly helpful one. The next chapters cover a lot of ground but start off gently by texturing a barrel, before moving onto a full 3D character: in this case, an orc-like figure.
Chapters four through seven go into the techniques needed to polish up a render in some depth. Layer masks, touch-ups, render passes and lighting effects are all covered in the fourth chapter alone. This part of the book includes a lot of technical information that will be extremely helpful for any 3D artist.
A subsequent breakdown chapter shows the finished project alongside thumbnails tracing its progress from model to final image, while the final two chapters will give you complete projects to finish.
A must-buy for any aspiring 3D artist
The quality of the training is matched by the quality of the presentation, with plenty of large images of the work in progress – and, as always, 3DTotal provides free downloadable content in the form of textures, scenes and brushes so readers can follow along with the lessons. Together, they make Photoshop for 3D Artists essential for anyone looking to improve their techniques and create better art.
Buy Photoshop for 3D Artists Vol. 1 from 3DTotal (Price £29.99)
Buy Photoshop for 3D Artists Vol. 1 from Amazon.com (RRP: $49.99)