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3D Resource Groups!

Journal Entry: Wed Jun 16, 2010, 5:13 PM

Well, I'm leaving for Europe in a few days, and though there's no weekly contest until I get back, here's something to tide you over. With dozens upon dozens of groups now popping up all over DeviantArt, it can be a bit hard to wade through and find relevant ones. Here's a list of groups which provide resources 3D artists can use, organized by type of resource. Hopefully some of these may be useful and save some search time!



3D Specific Resources
These groups specifically cater to 3D artists.
  • :iconmodelsheetcentral:
    While relatively new on the scene, this is a great group for 3D modelers to practice from. The group contains model sheets and concept art which is all available under some sort of free use license. Some amazing 2D concept artists have submitted work which means there's lots of potential for 3D modelers to get some amazing work done. The gallery is sorted by model sheet type, with sub folders sorted by permissions.
  • :icon3d-magazine:
    Here you can find some of the most prominent 3D artwork on DeviantArt and the web. If you're looking for inspiration, this is the place to go, hosting the best of the best. Their gallery is split into different types of models, and they even have some great tutorials.
  • :icon3dtutorialgroup:
    Another small group, but a good one. This groups contains tutorials and resources for various 3D apps. It also has a bunch of free models, resources and model sheets you can use.
  • :icon3d-step-by-step-help:
    This group encompasses all areas of 3D resources. While relatively new, it is founded by the same deviant who runs The 3D Artist Club and is rapidly growing. Their gallery is split into tutorials for various apps, and general resources.


General Tutorials
These groups offer tutorials across multiple mediums and applications. While you may wonder why these would be useful to 3D artists, most 3D artists have to be proficient over a variety of artistic mediums. The more ways you know how to express your creativity, the better an artist you will be.
  • :icontutorial-central:
    This group has a lot of tutorials and even some resources. While it has a 3D section, don't head straight on over. Traditional art skills are important for any 3D artist and this group has a lot of tutorials for that too. Their gallery is split by purpose, spread over a wide range of artforms.
  • :icontutorialsclub:
    This one's quite similar to the above, with tutorials spread among various artforms and techniques. Again there's a 3D folder here, but there's some really great stuff other than 3D to take a look at. The gallery is spread into artforms, with some extra galleries for specific types of resources.


Stock
These groups focus on stock images. Stock is really useful for reference, background and even some texturing.
  • :iconcreative-commons:
    This group has been around for a bit, and it's a bit of a pity it never quite kicked off the ground. It's a group for any and all creative commons work which can be submitted to the group. While not very prominent at the moment, watch this space, hopefully we'll see some explosive growth :)
  • :iconclear-cut:
    This is quite an interesting group, the idea behind it is to have clean stock with either transparent backgrounds, layers etc which allow easy use. If you want some clean images for your work, this is a great place to try. Their gallery is sorted by content type.
  • :iconresurgere:
    This is a really interesting stock group. The idea here is that the stock is sorted into packs and you can download themed packs to use. There's some unpackaged stuff and a number of their packs have been given Daily deviations. Their gallery is a little difficult to navigate, as it's sorted by packs and Daily Deviations as opposed to content.
  • :iconstockresources:
    This group features a variety of stock and resources, including photos, brushes, patterns, tutorials etc. They run weekly contests to create art using stock from the group. While this group doesn't have a huge member base, it does have a large group of watchers and is relatively up to date. All the stock is organized by resource type, which can make it a little difficult to browse if you're after a particular theme.
  • :iconone-stop-stock:
    This is a big group, with super status which they fully take advantage of to help sort their artwork into subcategories. The group has a lot of pose and character references and interesting props and scenery to work from. Their gallery is split into material subject with subfolders which allow for more specific groupings.


Pose Reference
Pose references are really useful for animators and even those looking for a realistic pose for their models. These groups offer pose and anatomy reference images.
  • :icondaposes:
    This group is very specific with their content, being just for figure poses. This makes it really easy to browse through and find something appropriate. The gallery is sorted by gender, grouping and body parts which makes it an excellent resource for 3D character modelers.
  • :iconequine-resource:
    This may seem a strange addition to the list, as this group features stock of horses, horses and nothing but horses (well almost, they do zebras, mules and other equine animals). This is a fantastic resource for quadruped anatomy, featuring different body part closeups, age comparisons, movement guides and a lot of other fantastic information. Quadrupeds share a similar shape which makes this a good resource for many animals, not just horses. This group's gallery is sorted by action, body part, equine type and age, making it very easy to find things.


Feedback and Critique
While there is no group as of yet for critique on 3D specifically, these are a few groups which will give you general critique. This can be just as if not more useful than critique from other 3D artists, as you can discover problems with composition, form, color and a variety of other general artistic principles here.
  • :iconconstructive101:
    This is a great group for getting focused critique. You can request critique on different aspects of your artwork, and even ask for red-lining (where someone draws over your artwork to show you what to fix). The gallery is really well sectioned off into critique focuses, so that submissions can be made based on what critique focus is requested.
  • :iconcritique-it:
    Slightly less organized, this group allows you to submit deviations and ask for specific critiques. There's one big lump folder to submit your deviation to for critiquing and the submission rules are a bit long, but it's a sizable group which should offer some helpful advice.
  • :iconcritiques-requested:
    This group has a nifty tutorial on how to request and write critiques without having a subscription on DeviantArt. While a small group, every little bit of advice helps and it's always good to get as much feedback as possible. The gallery is one bulk folder with everything in it.


Application Dependent Resources
While these resources are not specifically for 3D, they can be immensely useful when texturing. Brushes, patterns and actions can make your life much easier and your workflow faster when you are trying to finish 3D models and make them look realistic.
  • :iconphotoshopfreebies:
    For those of you that use Photoshop, this is a great resource. You can find a multitude of stuff in here, from brushes, to styles, templates to brushes, and everything's neatly organised by type of resource.
  • :iconfree-vector-graphics:
    This is a small group but has the benefit of only supplying vector graphics....well sort of. There's a lot of non-vector stuff on here, but everything's a resource and quite useful and it bears taking a look at. The downside is that everything's heaped into one main gallery which makes it a bit hard to browse.
  • :icondigital-brush-depot:
    This group has a huge collection of brushes, for various apps, including Photoshop, The Gimp, PaintShop, and Corel Painter all organized by the application they have been created for.
  • :iconbrushes:
    This group also does brushes, but only for PaintShop Pro and Photoshop. Despite the name, there's also a few other resource packs and things in there, but unfortunately the gallery is organized by resource type, so you have to fish through to make sure you have the resource for the appropriate application.


Textures
Textures are really important for any great 3D render and you can't always take photos of everything yourself. These texture resource groups can really help save time in finding appropriate textures
  • :iconseamlesstextures:
    This group was recently founded, but is a fantastic resource. The group only deals in textures which are completely seamless which is great for 3D artists for texturing! Though it's still rather a small group, almost every deviation in the gallery is useful and everything's neatly organized by material type.
  • :icontexturize:
    This group's for great texture resources. They're not all seamless but you will find a wide variety and lots of packs you can use. It's got a lot of great stuff in it that's well worth a look. Here everything's neatly organized into materials which makes finding things a snap!
  • :icontexture-central:
    This group has a number of great textures which can be put to a variety of uses. As the saying goes, he (or she) who dies with the most textures wins, so hopefully you'll find something here to add to your repertoire. As other texture groups, the gallery here is sorted into material types.


Other Resources
These groups offer a variety of resources, most sacrifice tidiness for diversity but they can be really useful when you're after something specific. You may even be able to ask in various groups and see if you can get hold of what you need.</i>
  • :iconweloveresources:
    This group deals with resources of all kinds, including stock, brushes, textures, scripts, tutorials etc. Unfortunately, here you sacrifice organization for variety, and everything of the same resource type is lumped in together.
  • :iconmusic-deviantart:
    This group is a fantastic resources for those looking to do animation. Here you will find both stock music which can be used in your work and dozens of deviants who you can negotiate collaborations with. Good audio is at the heart of a good short film, and this group is really helpful! There's a folder for each type of submission (music, cover art etc) which may make it a little hard to find royalty free stuff, but at least it's all in one place!
  • :iconworld-of-resource:
    Combining stock resources, tutorials, and application specific things, this is a big bumper group of resources! Everything in the gallery is neatly organized by subject which makes it a relatively hassle free process to find what you're after.


Requests
This is just one group, but it could potentially be a good one. Requests can be really helpful for 3D artists to collaborate with 2D artists and make great art!
  • :iconrequestsdonefree:
    This group is not huge, but you can make requests for artwork, so you can probably get some help with concept arts and model sheets here on request. While the gallery is not so relevant for browsing through, it gives you an idea of the work artists who complete requests are capable of, as the gallery is sorted per contributing artist.


If you have suggestions for any other groups that could belong on this list, please feel free to comment here or note me.


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:iconeyecatchers:
EyeCatchers Featured By Owner Aug 20, 2006
I have some 3D artwork in my gallery, have a look if you'd like
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:icon3d-asuarus:
3D-Asuarus Featured By Owner Aug 23, 2006
wow, you've got some gorgeous stuff,
i particuarly like your glass demon, love the detail!

if you would like to be a member of this club and the chat room, then watch this profile and i will make you a member, it would be great to chat to you in the chat room, :glomp:
Reply
:iconmoniqueamber:
moniqueamber Featured By Owner Aug 20, 2006
woohoo, 3D rocks!! D
Reply
:icontomerm:
TomerM Featured By Owner Aug 23, 2006
Definatly.
Reply
:iconll-tek-ll:
ll-Tek-ll Featured By Owner Aug 19, 2006  Professional Digital Artist
coming together right on
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