Chapter Five. Digital Modeling Methods

An interesting fact in the digital modeling world is that no two artists use the same techniques when creating a digital model, even when the two modelers are working from the same reference material, producing the same final mesh. Consider this example: When I had classes of thirty students working on the same robot model, I never saw any two working with the same method. This just goes to show that there is no set way to work, and that artists are free to work with whatever method(s) they feel most comfortable with.

When first introduced to 3D software, I began creating digital models by building everything using common primitives like boxes, spheres, discs, cones, and so forth. Using this primitive modeling method, I was always able to successfully create just about anything I was tasked with, but I still felt there had to be a better approach for the organic meshes I was making.