Just getting started and wanting some help getting on track.

[XenoZiden]

Yeah, so long title aside. I've just started getting into 3D Modeling. I started with the Tutorial Series on Maya 8 from Lynda.com (http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=329) and I got up to Part 5 (rendering) which I'm planning on continuing tomorrow, but after an entire night doing 00-04, I decided to take a break and Try what I learned. I modeled the Environment on my DA page and I started a Simple Spaceship, but took a break from it since I couldn't figure something out.


Anyway I'm sorry for the rambling, but over all I'd like to know what I should do to Progress in modeling?

Thanks to everyone who answers =)

[YdoUwant2know]

Just keep modeling.

Modeling with 3d is an art and a skill. The only way to get better is to do it. strive to make each model better than the last and just keep moving forward. reading/watching tutorials, can help, especially with some of the more complex things, but as long as you are modeling something, your knowledge and skills will improve.

Don't dismay if your early models are not perfect, just make sure you learn from them. My first models sucked, a lot. but with each model I continued to get better and better. I guess that is about it, if you want to get better at modeling, just keep modeling.

[omnicypher]

as long as you dont get ahead of yourself and try not to get frustrated you should do fine. keep it simple at first with spaceships, weapons, and simple objects like oil barrels, crates, cell phones, ect... solid simple mechanical hard body stuff. then work your way towards organic modelling. you could always work up the food chain too, by starting with simple creatures like a fish, then a cat, then a monkey. but if you want to be a character modeller, you have to be able to model a human proportionally and with good topology. even though your using maya, when your ready to model humans you should check out the ben mathis video tutorials. and jumping in on forums like this and joining thier competitions really help. you usually get the good constructive criticism necessary to progress to where you want to be. once you learn the software until you can see through it to what your really trying to do, thats when youll learn the most about the art of modelling.

[ShadyD]

Like the 2 above me said,
Practice Makes Perfect.

Keep at it and you will get better.
Modeling with 3d is an art and a skill.

Just like drawing. Everyone here wasn't born a modeler :).. except for a few maybe ..
They all started somewhere. Be it worse than you or better, they kept at it and now they are pretty much in the industry providing kickass models for kickass games!

It's hard to stay motivated at times, that's where these forums come in (For me).
When I see the excellent work posted here, it motivates me to work harder to one day achieve that level of quality and skill.

I hope you can get inspired here too :)!
Oh and
Welcome to Game Artisans.org :)