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The Hardest Part of Being a Self-Taught 3D Artist No One Talks About

Learning 3D art independently is an adventure filled with excitement, frustration, and countless hours of trial and error. If you're anything like us at Cryorbis Studio, your journey probably started with a simple dream—to create breathtaking, high-quality 3D models for games. But as we quickly realized, mastering 3D art is much more complicated than following a few YouTube tutorials.




The Endless Categories of 3D Art

Making anything in 3D is an art form, and just like traditional art, it has multiple disciplines that require deep understanding. Modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging, material shaders, animation—each one is a specialized skill on its own. Professional artists follow structured pipelines and workflows that streamline these processes, but as self-taught artists, we had to figure them out the hard way.

The YouTube Illusion: Copying Without Understanding


When we first started, we turned to YouTube, searching for tutorials that promised to teach us how to model specific objects. We followed them step by step, thinking we would end up with a professional-looking model. But the reality? Our models looked like a child’s drawing compared to the polished work in the videos.

Why? Because while professionals knew what they were doing, we were merely imitating without truly understanding the fundamentals. Sure, we copied every action, but we didn’t grasp the reasoning behind those actions. That lack of understanding meant that as soon as we tried making something on our own, we were completely lost.

The Relentless Grind: Faking It Until We Made It



At first, we hesitated to import our own creations into our game—simply because they looked awful. But like most self-taught 3D artists, we had no choice but to keep pushing forward. Every single day, we set aside time to practice, making models that we knew wouldn’t be good enough. The goal wasn’t perfection; it was experience.

We firmly believe that learning to model isn’t the hardest part of being self-taught. While difficult, it’s a problem that can be overcome with time, practice, and dedication. What, then, is the real challenge?

The Hidden Struggle: Workflow

Here’s the truth—our biggest struggle wasn’t just making 3D models; it was learning how to work efficiently.

A well-structured workflow isn’t just about making a model look good—it’s about solving problems in the most efficient way possible. The way polygons are shaped affects how they reflect light in-game, how well skeletal meshes bend, and how easily models can be edited later. Without a solid workflow, even a beautiful model can be a nightmare to animate, texture, or integrate into a game.

And the real kicker? Unlike basic modeling techniques, professional workflows aren’t freely available. The industry values them highly, and finding in-depth guides on efficient, professional-grade techniques often comes with a hefty price tag.

The Value of Professional Workflow


Mastering a professional workflow doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, practice, and real-world experience—along with feedback from clients, players, and fellow artists. Most professionals keep their workflows closely guarded because they are what make their work stand out.

But here’s the good news: once you start adopting better workflows, everything changes. Attention to detail becomes second nature. Your models start looking better, not because you spent more time on them, but because you built them with better techniques. And suddenly, all those frustrating early attempts start making sense.

The Journey Continues

Being a self-taught 3D artist is a never-ending learning experience. We still have a long way to go, and every new challenge pushes us further. But if there’s one lesson we’d share with aspiring 3D artists, it’s this: Don’t just focus on learning individual skills—learn how to work smarter. Because in the end, mastering the right workflow is what separates a struggling beginner from a professional artist.

At Cryorbis Studio, we’re still on this journey, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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