A little posting on my experiences with other stock sites i haven't mentioned very much, if at all, to date.
Yaymicro:
A nice clean looking site. Haven't had any problems with them and their upload process is smooth and easy. No sales but after getting over 50 images approved i am starting to get more views. AR 100% so far.
3DStudio:
Sells 3D images as well as 2D, textures, stock illustrations and photos. Uploading has been fine and their method is for your image to become 'live' and viewable as soon as it's uploaded where it has the status of 'editorial only' until it is reviewed and, if good enough, will then go into the 'RF - can be used commercially' category.
No sales there yet but a massive amount of views (over 4000) so there is certainly a lot of activity there. AR 100% to date.
Featurepics:
A nice site. Friendly communications and a healthy number of views per image. No sales to date but 100% AR.
ScandinavianStockPhoto:
I haven't had any problems here but i think their site needs a little fine tuning. It looks a bit simple and lacks character. Their FAQ only contains 5 questions/answers and views per image are few and far between. I will continue to upload images though as it's an easy process. AR currently 100%.
StockphotoPro:
All i can say about SPP is that i submitted my initial 10 images (to be accepted as a contributor) upon registering on the 27th Jan this year and its now 14th March and they are still pending review. Doesn't inspire confidence.
The site looks and feels ok although there are pages such as 'my images' in the 'quick links' menu that are extremely slow to load for some reason. We are talking minutes. (In fact i timed it at 3mins 31secs for the page to load.) Perhaps it doesn't like Firefox but as other pages are generally ok i am assuming for now it's down to the site and not my imac or browser choice.
I'll post an update if/when my images are ever approved/rejected.
ShutterFarm:
I have views on SF although no sales to date but my main problem with them is that their system doesn't automatically read meta data therefore i have to manually type in title, description and keywords (up to 20 max). This is very annoying and time consuming as well as leaving open the possibility of making a typing mistake. This happened recently and for the life of me i couldn't figure out how to edit the title (where the error was) so emailed SF via their online form to find out how to do so. I also asked when they would support automated EXIF/IPTC data retrieval. That was a good week ago and no reply from them as yet.
I'll continue to upload for now but they are currently way down the list of priority sites to add to.
ImageStoreUK:
Having problems with this site. Getting logged out every time i try to edit an image (after submitting and getting an initial four sample illustrations approved.) I think their site is a bit 'wonky' but i have emailed them for advice/suggestions. Could be a firefox and/or camino problem. I'll update when i know more.
WorkingTitleImages:
Got approved as a contributor after submitting initial 3 sample images and although i have tried to upload the bulk of my portfolio i am unable to do so due to an error page popping up. The site is still in BETA stage and obviously has some teething problems and i know from an email received at the end of Jan that their official site launch could be delayed.
I have tried to contact them using their 'contact us' link but that too gives an error message of 'email not sent' so it seems their site has a way to go before it's up and running properly. I'll up date if the situation changes.
MostPhotos:
I nicely laid out site. No problems uploading but i feel more of a photo community rather than a site that's going to bring in a great deal of sales. It's good to see comments on your images and fun to leave feedback or click 'like' on other peoples images you admire and enjoy viewing. Having said all that there are sales to be had and as it's an easy site to use and navigate i suspect i will continue to add my illustrations there. I'll let you know if i ever get sale.
That's it for now... there are a few others i am registered with but I'll save those for another post. :-)
Showing posts with label 3d. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3d. Show all posts
Blender 3D magic
OK, so this is the last book on the subject of creating images (in one form or another) that i wanted to share with you folks. Unless i buy another book (which does happen on occasion, honest!) this will be the last book review for a while.
Blender is open source (meaning free) 3D software for budding graphic artists and professionals. Actually it is touted as a viable alternative to commercially available software and although i am but a novice and have no training as a 3D or graphic artist of any kind all i can say is that Blender certainly has the 'feel' of a very professional piece of kit.
This means that it 'feels' complicated and yes, it is, but that doesn't mean it's not for beginners. It just means, like me, you have to be methodical and take your time to learn all it's innumerable variations.
If you look at the book reviews on amazon (click the image below this post and it will take you to the Amazon.co.uk page) you will notice that, for the most part, the main complaint regarding this book is the very poor quality greyscale images that accompany the lessons and tutorials. This is true. The images are next to useless and although it detracts from the book design it should not put you off teaching yourself how to use Blender like a Pro.
To explain: this is not the kind of book you would (generally) read in bed or on a train without your computer screen right in front of you. If you are serious about learning Blender and dedicated then the fact that the image previews are so very bad won't make any difference as you will have the book propped up in front of your computer screen (with a fizzy drinks can and a jar of marmite if you are like me) whilst you are learning and when the book says move "x" here or press button "y" there, you will see the result on the screen in front of you.
Then the poor quality images in the book that is trying to show you the same result will be evident (and of course not needed because you just did the same move on the screen!)
My advice after playing around with Blender for a couple of months last year is to take things very slowly and don't bite off too much too soon. As you learn a new keyboard shortcut (those shortcuts are essential by the way if you eventually want to work at a fairly good pace) then write it down on a large piece of paper and pin it up next your computer. Each day learn a little bit more.. and i emphasise a little bit more.
Once you have learnt something new don't simply move on but go over what you have learnt. Each day, learn something new even if it's just pressing a couple of buttons and moving the mouse slightly. But once you have that in your head and you sit down the following day for an hour or so then go through (again) what you learnt the previous days. (Remembering to write down each new method on your piece of paper that's pinned up on the wall in a short and concise sentence.) Eventually this repetition will start to sink in and you will no longer need to look at the book but will do it all by yourself.
Start with the simple basic stuff like this cube i made with a star background for instance:
Once you are confident you know exactly why the cube is that shape (instead of a sphere), how to re-size it, move it and change aspects like colour and shading then (and only then) move on to something a little more complicated.
Also, don't forget to make the most of what the internet has to offer including tutorials on youtube (some are better than others) and any other resource to help you learn a little bit more each and every day. The blender site itself should be your first port of call though: Blender.org
Blender has real potential in the right hands to create amazing images or just subtle images that look very natural like grass for instance:
Yes i know, my grass needs cutting as well as some lawn feed to make it thicker. I'm working on it! ;)
I realise i haven't really talked about the Blender book specifically like chapter titles and content etc but really there are plenty of reviews on amazon about what the book contains and my thoughts in writing this post were not to go into that which has already been covered by others but to hopefully reassure those that may have been put off by the concerns regarding the book images that you shouldn't worry too much about the lack of pretty pictures in "The Essential Blender Guide" but go for it regardless. If you want to learn 3D software and are willing to put a little effort in each day even for just half an hour then you will progress and who knows what you will one day create.
You probably have more knowledge about graphic design/art than i have but i managed to start creating more complicated images following this book and a few tutorials online. Like this guy for instance:
Yes he needs work too and a professional 3D artist might have a lot to say to me about anatomy but I'm still learning and hopefully i will have a decent looking guy in his own 3D world that i made for him.
So why i am looking at 3D more than 2D these days? Because 3D seems to be more and more popular on the microstock sites. At least that's what it looks like to me. Also, once you have created your 3D image you can move it around or adjust it's colour or texture, take a jpeg and upload it for approval a lot faster than 2D. Maybe you think otherwise and that's OK if it works for you as you might be (probably are) more competent than I at getting those 2D images via inkscape or another platform churned out.
For me though i struggle to get 10-15 images ready for adding to my microstock portfolio a month and that is just too slow for my liking. That's why i am looking more closely at sometime in the near future at producing high quality and saleable images via a better understanding of Blender. I'll keep you posted on any progress made.
In the mean time i hope this post has made you think more about the potential of Blender in relation to image creation and microstock possibilities and that although initially it may seem a daunting prospect (it was to me) that with a little patience and methodical work you can learn what at first glance seems a complicated program.
Don't forget to check out these useful tutorials which really helped me progress much faster than i otherwise would have: DavidAllenWard.com
Good luck and enjoy!
Blender is open source (meaning free) 3D software for budding graphic artists and professionals. Actually it is touted as a viable alternative to commercially available software and although i am but a novice and have no training as a 3D or graphic artist of any kind all i can say is that Blender certainly has the 'feel' of a very professional piece of kit.
This means that it 'feels' complicated and yes, it is, but that doesn't mean it's not for beginners. It just means, like me, you have to be methodical and take your time to learn all it's innumerable variations.
If you look at the book reviews on amazon (click the image below this post and it will take you to the Amazon.co.uk page) you will notice that, for the most part, the main complaint regarding this book is the very poor quality greyscale images that accompany the lessons and tutorials. This is true. The images are next to useless and although it detracts from the book design it should not put you off teaching yourself how to use Blender like a Pro.
To explain: this is not the kind of book you would (generally) read in bed or on a train without your computer screen right in front of you. If you are serious about learning Blender and dedicated then the fact that the image previews are so very bad won't make any difference as you will have the book propped up in front of your computer screen (with a fizzy drinks can and a jar of marmite if you are like me) whilst you are learning and when the book says move "x" here or press button "y" there, you will see the result on the screen in front of you.
Then the poor quality images in the book that is trying to show you the same result will be evident (and of course not needed because you just did the same move on the screen!)
My advice after playing around with Blender for a couple of months last year is to take things very slowly and don't bite off too much too soon. As you learn a new keyboard shortcut (those shortcuts are essential by the way if you eventually want to work at a fairly good pace) then write it down on a large piece of paper and pin it up next your computer. Each day learn a little bit more.. and i emphasise a little bit more.
Once you have learnt something new don't simply move on but go over what you have learnt. Each day, learn something new even if it's just pressing a couple of buttons and moving the mouse slightly. But once you have that in your head and you sit down the following day for an hour or so then go through (again) what you learnt the previous days. (Remembering to write down each new method on your piece of paper that's pinned up on the wall in a short and concise sentence.) Eventually this repetition will start to sink in and you will no longer need to look at the book but will do it all by yourself.
Start with the simple basic stuff like this cube i made with a star background for instance:
Once you are confident you know exactly why the cube is that shape (instead of a sphere), how to re-size it, move it and change aspects like colour and shading then (and only then) move on to something a little more complicated.
Also, don't forget to make the most of what the internet has to offer including tutorials on youtube (some are better than others) and any other resource to help you learn a little bit more each and every day. The blender site itself should be your first port of call though: Blender.org
Blender has real potential in the right hands to create amazing images or just subtle images that look very natural like grass for instance:
Yes i know, my grass needs cutting as well as some lawn feed to make it thicker. I'm working on it! ;)I realise i haven't really talked about the Blender book specifically like chapter titles and content etc but really there are plenty of reviews on amazon about what the book contains and my thoughts in writing this post were not to go into that which has already been covered by others but to hopefully reassure those that may have been put off by the concerns regarding the book images that you shouldn't worry too much about the lack of pretty pictures in "The Essential Blender Guide" but go for it regardless. If you want to learn 3D software and are willing to put a little effort in each day even for just half an hour then you will progress and who knows what you will one day create.
You probably have more knowledge about graphic design/art than i have but i managed to start creating more complicated images following this book and a few tutorials online. Like this guy for instance:
Yes he needs work too and a professional 3D artist might have a lot to say to me about anatomy but I'm still learning and hopefully i will have a decent looking guy in his own 3D world that i made for him.
So why i am looking at 3D more than 2D these days? Because 3D seems to be more and more popular on the microstock sites. At least that's what it looks like to me. Also, once you have created your 3D image you can move it around or adjust it's colour or texture, take a jpeg and upload it for approval a lot faster than 2D. Maybe you think otherwise and that's OK if it works for you as you might be (probably are) more competent than I at getting those 2D images via inkscape or another platform churned out.For me though i struggle to get 10-15 images ready for adding to my microstock portfolio a month and that is just too slow for my liking. That's why i am looking more closely at sometime in the near future at producing high quality and saleable images via a better understanding of Blender. I'll keep you posted on any progress made.
In the mean time i hope this post has made you think more about the potential of Blender in relation to image creation and microstock possibilities and that although initially it may seem a daunting prospect (it was to me) that with a little patience and methodical work you can learn what at first glance seems a complicated program.
Don't forget to check out these useful tutorials which really helped me progress much faster than i otherwise would have: DavidAllenWard.com
Good luck and enjoy!
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