February 29, 2012

Computer graphic artists must have a good understanding of basic principles of lighting. Observational drawing helps artists understand how to depict the phenomena of light that we see in the natural world. However, designing a lighting scheme that looks good on a page or screen is quite a different skill than creating a representation of an existing lighting situation.

To show off their work most effectively, computer graphic artists must apply the lighting techniques developed in studio portraiture, theater, photography, and cinematography. This article outlines the basic concepts of lighting theory, and how to implement some real-world lighting techniques using the tools of 3D graphics software. It is an introductory article written to help emerging CG artists light their scenes effectively and with an eye for aesthetics.

January 2, 2012

The process of animation can be complex, so it’s critical to have a solid plan before you begin. If you don’t have a clear idea of where you're headed, it’s very difficult to get there.

Pre-production involves scriptwriting, storyboarding, and production planning. One important document in the planning phase is a shot list. A shot is an unbroken sequence of images that we see as continuous. Each shot begins and ends with a transition, such as a cut or a dissolve. A shot list is simply a spreadsheet that lists each shot, along with its camera, duration, description, and other pertinent information.

July 29, 2011

Now you can learn the essentials of the Maya or 3ds Max interface in any language! Thanks to YouTube, video subtitles can be translated automatically into the language of your choice.

The most popular video series from Digital Arts Guild are 3ds Max Basics and Maya Basics. We’ve transcribed each of these hour-long series into English, and YouTube does the rest!

To enable closed captions, click the “CC” button in the YouTube player. Then you can see subtitles in English. To choose another language, click “Translate Captions”. In the dialog box that pops up, click and scroll down to select your language. That’s it! Now you can learn the language of Maya or Max more easily than ever.