I've been playing around with 3D design for over ten years.  I can call myself a hobbyist with mediocre skills.  In the beginning I wanted to make a living at it and started a company (business license, cards, a computer, and big ambitions) - and that first year I made about $300!  About enough to upgrade a few softwares.

My first job was designing a sword for a local band's CD cover.

My second job was not 3D related, but instead, Photoshop - blowing up and stitching together a panorama of a mall for a court case. 

That was it.  A few years ago I printed my 3D landscape and wildlife art, made custom frames, and sold them for $100 each at craft shows.  I think I sold maybe 5 of so... not a killing by any means.

So my questions is, who has made either a living or a second job from their 3D design skills?  And specifically - if Carrara is your core tool, how is it used?

I find it interesting how many different avenues one can take to market and sell their art and design work.

Thank you,
OP

I've been commissioned to do many animations and video promos. I mainly use Carrara and D|S now. I would say it accounts for a good 20% of my business. (producer/editor and web developer being my main business)

 40% of my work is sold for 3D business in video industry or e-books, 60% of my work is for graphic design and print. None of tools are industry standard. For 3D I use Carrara, 

Unfortunately its only my first year  after i graduate my studies at design college, so no big deal made yet. 

 I've run an illustration/design studio for over 20 years. Carrara is my core 3D tool for many projects. Some projects aren't a good fit and I do use alternatives like Vue, Modo, C4D and Poser. 

I can tell you that Carrara, especially if working with pre-rigged content is important, is the most flexible. Projects that cause me to switch to c4d, modo and Vue usually use features unique to those programs or involve animation work requiring a commercial render farm.

Without sharing details, I can tell you that Carrara has been used on several televisions shows and for Super Bowl bumpers. It's no slouch. ;-)

 I am a millionaire in the world of dreams and that's a good start.
I'm optimistic ;)

Love of craft and optimism is defininately what you need. Add in a good dose of perseverance and a whole lot of luck and you're good to go!

 I use Carrara for whatever visuals I make up in my work as a communication designer. I recently added C4D to my toolbox because more people use it, so I can let others finish my work, or otherwise contribute, but Carrara has been at the base of a lot of images and illustrations.  I have used it for animation as well. Per version it is getting better!

It is just a tool, and I am in the position to decide to use it, and now I have new hardware it is a really fast way to deliver sketches or final art.

Selling framed images and such is a whole different ball game. A game that is not about how you made it (the tools/software) but what you made. That comes down to talent and inspiration I guess :)

It seems if selling 3D models is the thing, there are two obvious approaches: the highball lotto (just need one person willing to spend that much) and then the lowball Wallmart approach (have bargain prices and hope for plenty of buyers). It's also reasonable to split the difference. The thing is that I've seen the quality differ too much even at different price points, so I can't honestly say it's directly a quality vs. quantity aspect. It seems more like you need to figure out a formula comparing experience in what the market will bear for similar items vs. your own reputation among potential buyers.

Now if you're doing custom one-off jobs and renders rather than selling 3D models to a general audience then the below comes into play:

The tool doesn't matter as much as how you are able to apply it. And there's been plenty of evidence that Carrara is capable as any. (The problems that come up on the business end is more of a hardware issue, and that has to do with rendertime vs. deadlines. Which can be hard when starting out if working with old stuff while the budget is too tight for computer upgrades. And this is true for any 3D software - even free ones like Blender.)

(However, the thing about the tool isn't as true if you plan on working under somebody else's roof. A lot of companies have bought into industry marketing hype and put a lot of money into certain software and support packages, and want you to know how to use what they have despite how ugly and hairbrained the UI, workflow, or hardware requirements are. It means you're left out unless you can learn to use something that barely runs on your desktop computer because it fits somebody else's renderfarm pipeline. Sucks, but it's true.)

I think another aspect of it isn't just what you know, but who you know. It's very hard to do business if people keep blowing you off. And if you don't like doing cold-calls and such, that doesn't make it any easier. And since it seems more than competitive enough these days, the establsihed folks tend to stay mum when you ask for leads since they want to keep clients and don't want to risk their rep by association or having an upstart do too much undercutting. Unless you've got a friend who'd trust you with some clients or the luck to run into somebody with a glut of extra work they'd not mind handing off... (Or more likely, "problem" clients they're dumping.) It's tricky at best.

The hardest part of all is perhaps staying self motivated and keeping focus when little has happened. (Pretty much the ol' adages "Hang in there." and "Keep on keepin' on." etc, have some truth to them.) As an artist, this means figuring out how to keep the muse from going on vacation and taking the inspiration with her. And this is the time when you need make something worthwhile to put into a portfolio - and then there's figuring out what exactly to put into a portfolio, etc. This is because it's always good to have something to show once somebody responds. Afterall it only takes is one good client to recommend you to another client, etc. in order to get the ball rolling and helping you achieve critical mass in the business sense.

You could probably tell that I'm on the "hanging on by a thread" end of the spectrum, but I try to stay positive. You'll have to keep the day job until you get that break or two. Persistence means not giving up when other's have shown that it's possible.

Quote - It seems if selling 3D models is the thing, there are two obvious approaches
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 but I try to stay positive. You'll have to keep the day job until you get that break or two. Persistence means not giving up when other's have shown that it's possible.

An excellent feedback, from my point of view !

;)

In my small studio, up until now I've created the majority of my content and done the 3D work in Lightwave.  I added Carrara into my arsenal late last year and its flexibility and speed esp. with premade content mean that it is here to stay in my studio. Indeed, for the mainstay on my illustration work, Carrara has become my goto tool for 3D. 

I still do all my modeling and high end special FX in Lightwave(though w/bullet & the expansions for C8 who klnows what the future will bring).  I also use Vue 8 complete as my main natural environment package and Particle Illusion for some 'midrange; fx tweaks and touches. I edit in DFX+, After Effects and Adobe Premiere, sound in Cubase VST, Acid, and FruityLoops.

All that being said - in direct answer to your question. I have done a ton of illustration work (trade mags mostly), a few TV commercials (toys) - and all of them used my modeled 3d assets and/or my photography.  My main income has been from web design and corporate flash animation. Its been a roller-coaster as far as money, but highly rewarding in a personal sense.

Whatever you decide, good luck out here!

I work at a division of one of the best known corps in the world (the one that starts with a K).

We make a group of products that is entirely unique from the rest of the company, so we do a lot of our own training media in house, training seen by field service and customers.

Our product designs are done in Solidworks and I transform the SW files to a format that Carrara can animate.

Solidworks can make animations the same way that windows “Draw” can compete with Photoshop.

I tend to render the anims as frames and usually do some further editing in After Effects and or Vegas (the best video editing software “period”).

I’m also the goto guy for all things video.

About 75% of my output is done in C6 Pro.

I have animation being used world wide and some playing at an international trade show (IPEX).

The stuff at IPEX is used on marketing videos, my part is only about 10 seconds worth but the rest probably cost 50k plus to produce and took a team do while my part I did in 8 hours at my desk all by my lonesome.

I must admit apart from making about 12k less than I should I have a cool dream job.

I'm a permanent Noob when it comes to 3D, I dabble here and there and learn as much as I can when I can.  Never going to make money from this hobby. 

I'm better with Photoshop and even then, I may make $100-$150 a year selling one off prints for friends and friends of friends.

So if I was going to rely on my artwork, I would be a starving artist.

I recent;y submitted some of my work to our Excutive Producer and she was excited at the posibilities that I bring to the table using Carrara 6 Pro, 7 Pro and now 8 Pro. They, the producers at the station I work for, have used the traditional tools of the trade i.e. After Effects, Motion, Premier Pro, Final Cut, etc... They have never used 3D apps to bring more depth and realism in their work. Though I still work overnights and I have other work to perform, I did recieve a small promotion to Assistant Producer and this came on the heals of layoffs several months that the station went through, because of the economy. Good for me that though I still babysit Master Control I also do some computer tech work, minor engineering and now animated production for the station and though I am thought of as a Jack of All Trades and Master of None. It has certainly added to my job security.
So heres to Carrara and Mark Bremmer's Video Tutorials at VTC for helping to make my love of 3D into a well paying job,.......... Here-Here!!!!!

Quote - I recent;y submitted some of my work to our Excutive Producer and she was excited at the posibilities that I bring to the table using Carrara 6 Pro, 7 Pro and now 8 Pro. They, the producers at the station I work for, have used the traditional tools of the trade i.e. After Effects, Motion, Premier Pro, Final Cut, etc... They have never used 3D apps to bring more depth and realism in their work. Though I still work overnights and I have other work to perform, I did recieve a small promotion to Assistant Producer and this came on the heals of layoffs several months that the station went through, because of the economy. Good for me that though I still babysit Master Control I also do some computer tech work, minor engineering and now animated production for the station and though I am thought of as a Jack of All Trades and Master of None. It has certainly added to my job security.
So heres to Carrara and Mark Bremmer's Video Tutorials at VTC for helping to make my love of 3D into a well paying job,.......... Here-Here!!!!!

WOW!!! Hats off to you for parlaying a hobby into a well deserved promotion and a stable job.