So, this year i started making blender models and scenes, i spent (and i keep spending) some my free time making models and (some) scenes. But now, a question is surrounding my head…
Ever snice i felt my models are (somehow) mediocre, i thought, hey, why am i bad at modeling, perhaps i am too young and i have a lot of things to do in my life than just making virtual, nonexistent things?
So, i have 14 years, i use blender (not that bad, but not that good), and i make my studies and home tasks.
Am i too young to use blender and making models/scenes with it?
EDIT: I realized this category might be the wrong one, if it is the wrong one, please let me know
Never too early to start! I first got into 3d about that same age, and 20 years later, I’m doing it professionally now.
It will take time to figure everything out, but don’t worry too much about your quality at this point. Figure out the fundamentals, don’t get addicted to tutorials, and practice, practice, practice.
You’re not too young, but as with any other skill: practice, practice, practice. That’s the only way you’ll get better at anything, and that takes time, and you’ll get older, and you’ll be better at “the thing you are practicing” but you’re better at it since you practiced for a year, not because you aged a year.
Also don’t forget failure is part of the game, the people who are better at something, just have found more ways how not to do something.
I’ve heard about people who started at 14 and later won Gold medals in competitions.
I guess what will give you an edge in 3D is that you also practice composition and space when you shoot pictures with your phone. Try to pay attention to how light produces shadows, volumes. And from there you can try replicating that into 3d space, downloading models (simple models at first), and then from there… see what you like and keep practicing (modeling, texturing, shading, animation, etc…) just take 1 step at the time.
I think it’s great to learn 3d at 14. If you fell artblock or stuck in progression, just grab some game!
Yep the beautiful about 3d is even if you playing the game you still learn or get inspired from game(but must wise in time management).
References is good but don’t force too much to be perfect as quick as possible.Take your time, pick tutor & references you like, yes references!
If you are interested in something, it’s never too early or too late to start learning. Of course, starting early gives you an advantage because you’ve got more time to learn, less stuff to worry about and your mind is still very prepped for absorbing information, so even better!
Just follow where you passions and interests take you and never feel like you are too young or old. Remember that no matter how good you get, there will always be more to learn and discover, so try to keep your mind open.
Hello @Alan_Wonderworld !
First of all, I want to tell you that I discovered Blender at 13 and I’m actually almost 15, and I can tell you that beginning young is a very very good advantage. (and I’m French so sorry If my English isn’t perfect )
In first (as say many others) you can take you time to learn before becoming professional, if it’s that you want.
Second, you have more time also to get inspiration and practice, test things, ideas that come to your mind.
And third, I can tell you that some (maybe many) would rather giving feedback to a 14 years old person, passionate by Blender rather an 30-40 years old starting it (pls don’t take it as an insult, it’s juste an experiment that I was able to observe )
So don’t think that it is your young age (funny because I talk to you like that but I’m only one year older than you ) who disadvantages you, just have fun and be passionate by Blender
By the time I was 12 I had built two small boats that actually worked and I took out to lakes and paddled around. I had been working with my hands, with wood with painting, with metal and all kinds of mechanics most of my life. Built hand puppets and all kinds of crafts before I was even 10.
Too young to use Blender?
You are guessing I am going to say… yeah man great! Never too young.
Nope. I spend most of my time correcting modelers who are so out of touch with the real world that they have never even hung a door or window or applied a wrench or sand paper to anything.
The most painfully obvious things to me are completely missed on them because they have not given thought to how things are made.
But it goes beyond that. It is experience in real life. Everything we do these days is centered around computers.
Get out and live your life. Get dirty, making stuff. Learn how stuff is made. Get the hell away from a computer during these formative years of your life!
Learn to photograph and shoot video. Learn to paint, to draw.
Then come back to Blender. It will make so much more sense.
Totally true, but i fear a 14 year old doesn’t want to hear this ( did you when you was 14??)
Anyway: Nobody was born perfect, sometimes you just have to learn something to have the correct words/knowlege for describe others what you already saw/felt/knew before because you have some talent.
So blend on dude. Have fun, if it’s look wrong, think a bit about what is wrong. Don’t just work with blender, be open minded, don’t let you tell whats wrong or right, think about it, don’t believe, be convinved.
Or shorter answer to @Alan_Wonderworld : No.
You are never too young to learn… Same thing the other way… never too old to learn. I’m not good at it yet, but I work on blender most days and I’m 75. I am learning so am not that good yet but I work at it and I really enjoy it. I do use some tutorials to learn some things… Enjoy what you do … the more you do, the better you will get… Good luck to you …
Sometimes you just gotta take a stance. Stick with it. Everyone has an opinion here. You have mine.
Get the F away from computers. Most kids already spend all their time with computers. It is a strange social infliction.
I was at this amazing resort on an Island a few years ago. Open air club, band was playing. Group of 20 somethings from some country come walking in, sit down, head into their phones the entire time.
I agree with you that this is the case for a good part, but rememeber, all the kids aren’t the same : a good part of them do like sports, and everything that goes around it, so if you don’t stay hooked all the time, but do a sporting activity or just get some fresh air every now and then, there’s can be no harm to that
There are 2 things I hate to hear most in the world.
One) that someone believes they are too young to begin learning a new skill. I started learning 3D modeling when I was 9. 7 if we want to get technical but I want to exclude CAD from the equation. The important part when you are young is that you dont use it to avoid physical exercise or time with friends. Especially now where I do this professionally, it is a sedintary job and as someone working in it, I have to find ways to incorporate physical activity in a way to do more in my job, not less. Similarly, as a kid, It is super important to get up, go out, and move. Thats not a bad thing. Just find ways to use it to find inspiration and get references for models and materials.
Two) and this may be a bit unrelated to your post but I will tie it in. I hate hearing that you have to be ““good”” to work as a computer animator professionally. I was too young and ignorant to know that I wasnt good when I first started taking jobs but I was so excited and had so much faith in my ability to learn what I needed to know that I got that experience needed to get good by just going out and BEING a computer animator. I didn’t get good so I could be one, I was one to get good. Fake it til you make it can be a great way to get experience if you target the right clientel. Dont be afraid to sorta cold email people and just get yourself out there and just say, hey, I need experience and portfolio work, could I make you something for X thing, or put together a proposal for them and see if they like it. Chances are with this kind of clientel they are going to print it on a crappy desktop printer with a half missing ink cartridge and stick it in their window for you to be embarrassed by but for better or worse, you are now a computer animator. If you wait to get good youll be waiting a long time because theres always more to learn.
The world is a different place. Were I young and resourced, I’d travel the world, looking at the arts as my inspiration, technology as the school to be in and people as my number one study.
I would repeat my wanderings in photography; I’d want to learn how to work on a car and build things with my dad; I would add teaching my dad about a cnc and how blender and blendercam can help us make things.
I do know that my vision of the future would be ‘enhanced’ with the knowledge of Blender at hand.
Recognize it as a tool, not a religion; you found this spot to converse with others - be sure to find other places of conversation; practice what you’ve learned in all your disciplines as that is where you will find your inner peace and drive.
Your age is irrelevant. Live and learn.
Robert
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) who disadvantages you, just have fun and be passionate by Blender 
