Is it really possible to earn money with 3d modeling?

What I am talking about, is being able to earn part-time wages working part-time. I know there is some money in it, but can I at least get part-time?

 

Other people are doing it. Take your work to polycount or artstation, post it, get feedback. Maybe you are good enough that you could start selling stuff right now or apply to freelance jobs. Maybe you need a year or more of training. There is very few "is it possible questions" left in the universe. The question is, "how?"

 

Yes you could. But it takes time too.
A good thing to do, is to make a youtube and vimeo channel, or other etc.
And everytime you finish a new 3d model, wait a day or two, then post a
new vid update, of the model you completed, showing it from different angles etc.
It's another good way to advertise and show off your work to others.
And show, what other customers, are buying from you.

And this info below, was mentioned in a few other topics.
Custom made models, seem to be what alot of game devs, are looking for
these days.

 

If you are good and people want to buy your stuff and/or pay you to build stuff, then sure. Lots of people do make money doing this full time and part time.

 

Be ready to support your stuff for a long time though, and please use Standard shader as much as possible

 

Really depends. The asset store is really only only one option. You can also get a fair bit of work doing custom art.

 

Yeah very true. We have bought some stuff from various artstation guys. I havent needed it yet, but I expect good support from them if I ever need it.

It's important to know its your name on the line, many artists especially on the unity asset store completely ignore this which is super strange to me. I always update my reviews with 1 star if support i lacking even for assets that used to have good support, if you stop supporting it, atleast take it down from the store so only existing customers are affected.

 

By supporting it, you mean update it along with unity3d?

 

Well, if you buy a 4.x asset that hasn't been updated since then you have little hope of anything. But still if they sell it they should respond to email support.

 

I have motivation to continue developing my art skills now. I was starting to think that my efforts where going to be in vain, as I was going to be unable to reach my goal. I need to find motivation other than money, and it's been hard finding anything.

 

Yes, this is what i do for example. For me it started as part time, now i work full time as freelance 3D character artist. If this is what you love, investing time to learn will eventually pay off. But love is the key, cause this is not easy.

 

I love 3d artwork, and character modeling is what I have my eye on. After learning how to digital paint I now I have a love for it. The parts I do not like is topology, and putting a texture on models.

I had a teacher tell me that with every job, there is always a part that is disliked.

 

It's possible, but it includes all of the usual caveats of any art-related job. Basically, everyone is going to want the product of the work you do, but no one is going to want to pay you to do it. Seriously, dealing with a lot of clients is like pulling teeth. More often than not, you'll spend more time interacting with and managing clients than you actually do working on art.

ALWAYS CHARGE HOURLY. It is a rookie mistake to charge on a per-project basis. Never quote based on how much you think something should cost, always quote on how long you think it will take. Also, pad that time out, and make sure the client knows you will charge extra if they request additional changes that take more time. Follow these simple guidelines and you can keep your cash-flow positive. It will mean some significant headaches, but it will pay the bills.

I transitioned out of the artistic industry specifically because I hate dealing with clients. Working a tech job allows me to draw a salary with far less mental anguish, and lets me focus more on the work. Also, people complain a lot less when they are dealing with programmers. Everyone assumes that art is easier than it looks, and have a strong tendency to undervalue artists. This results in a persistent reluctance to pay artists for their work. For anyone not familiar with programming, technical professionals are arcane wizards. I have never seen the same reluctance towards payment when it comes to programming work.

 

Wow! That advice reminds me so much, of the advice given by more
experienced computer repair people, to computer repair rookies.

 

That is very true.

 

I guess if you create really good stuff and market it properly you can indeed make some money doing so.