I am making this post to show some older 3D models (created 2013-2104) that I did using Maya and Mudbox. Now, I will be the first to admit these models are not necessarily good. They were a start to learning rigging, UV mapping, and polycount (which I admit, got quite high). I also learned the importance of watertight models, as I 3D printed these models and discovered very quickly the errors you get when your model is NOT watertight/has flipped normals/etc.
First model is a lizard I created for a volunteer project. The model is not very fancy or detailed, but I was able to rig it and create a UV map that I pulled into Illustrator/Photoshop to give it a cartoony material. Also had loads of fun 3D printing this little guy:
Second model is of a Triceratops, which I did in my spare time. I like to draw animals quite a lot, however, this was my first attempt at creating a 3D model of any sort of creature- I went to school for architecture, so I learned to 3D model environments and buildings. Again, this model isn’t top notch, and when I look at it now, I see things I want to change. However, at the time of creation, I was pretty happy with it. I also learned a new software, Mudbox, which I had never used before:
The last model is of an angler fish (which scare the living crap outta me)- but I thought it would be fun to create one to learn low poly modeling. I also created the UVs/materials and rigged the model. I used particles to create an underwater environment, which I thought was pretty nifty at the time. The swim cycle isn’t perfect, and now watching it, the fish seems rather stiff and not realistic. The biggest takeaway for this is to use references always. Just because you have a static image doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also be looking at videos of how a creature swims/walks/moves:
I Can 3D Print That 