What are some of the best sources of inspiration and reference for your 3D modeling projects?

Pinterest is my go-to website for Inspiration. Because it shows pins from all Image Sharing websites. So everything from Artstation, Behance, Or any website most probably will be there. I can create Unlimited Moodboards from Anatomy References to Design References etc. It has a very advance algorithm, so once you've searched for something you'll be in a rabbit hole of Image Surfing, It's That good.

Study the works of other artists. There are so many on Art Station, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Read short stories, or even long ones. Watch movies and TV shows and try to study what might be real and what is computer generated. How might you approach modeling these things found in other people’s work? What would you do differently?

Surrounding yourself with art that you're interested in is such an underrated way of getting inspiration. Follow artists on various social medias that you enjoy and want to do similar styles of, look at art on places like Artstation and Pinterest, go outside and look at nature around you, take photos, play your favourite games, gather art books etc. Find what you enjoy artistically and find ways of bringing it into your life so you can constantly look at it and think of ways to recreate it or try something new! You never know, looking at that art book or seeing speed paint videos may give you an idea for something you want to make on your own.

One of my best models to date has been a from-scratch model of my college room complete with all of my furniture, posters, carpet textures, and more. To me environment modeling brings immense satisfaction due to the immersive capability. I remember finishing the project while sitting in that same room. It was like looking through a 3 dimensional mirror. This type of mirror modeling in my opinion is best for practices in photorealism as one can constantly compare their results to reality. For anyone getting started in 3D modeling or looking to increase their skillset, I'd strongly recommend modeling your room, your house, your backyard, or perhaps even your city with some procedural tools (unless you like monotonous work).

There are some great tools for creating 3D environments, and you don't even have to create the models from scratch! Look to Quixel Mega Scans for an excellent library of realistic models that can be pieced together to create amazing environments. Another great resource is Kitbash3D which provides beautiful architectural models set to different themes and genres. The different marketplaces for Unity & Unreal Engine are also stocked full of wonderful pre-built environments and plugins to help you envision your dreamscape. If you're a Blender user, check out Blender Market and Blenderkit for some truly affordable assets. All of the listed resources also give out select FREE high-quality content.

References you cannot obtain in real life, look for online. If modelling a single prop, you can search for target object is marketplaces as sellers tend to provide detailed photographs of them from all angles. For environments, seek for concept arts and real footage, then composite based on both reference.

Some artists draw inspiration from their own cultural backgrounds. It's a great place to start. Sometimes, however, you might find that someone else's culture is more interesting, and that's ok too! For historical references, pick up a book for the time period you're interested in or watch a documentary or a movie or two about that time period. Study and observe the costume designs, technology, furniture, architecture, food, hairstyles, language, etc. These insights will help you create appropriate models for the specified era.

Consuming media doesn't have to be 100% passive! Every time I watch a great movie or show or see a well-done commercial on TV, it becomes a source of inspiration. Observe and study everything around you, especially the works of other people. "Steal" (or borrow) from other great artists because, I guarantee you, they stole it from someone else! I believe that 99.999% of visual works you might come across is a derivative work -- that is, a collection of ideas and inspiration from other existing works and artists. Yes, you should definitely put your own spin on anything you model or just flat-out copy something. The important lesson is that you learn something in the process and that you NEVER EVER claim credit for someone else's work!

Draw inspiration from media that inspires you. If possible, find any development material the developer may have published publically and take notes while learning what you can from it. Practice and follow base guidelines to create your own takes of genres of art that you are interested in.

The Internet is a wonderful thing! These days, you have YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, etc., all at your fingertips, anywhere, anytime. There is no shortage of free and paid online tutorials, blogs, schools, and universities whereby you can learn 3D modeling and just about anything else, sometimes completely FREE! Andrew Price aka Blender Guru (donut guy) makes really great Blender tutorials. Ian Hubert is a Blender legend so look him up. Chip Walters, and Imphenzia are also great modelers who can teach you efficient ways to model either SUPER complex things, or super low-poly things. There are many others!! FYI, I primarily use Blender because it is currently the most accessible 3D software at the low cost of FREE.

I recommend listing resource websites in your browser bookmarks and seperating them by nature and use. For example, you are likely to be in need for textures after modelling is done, so in this instance, you would bookmark websites for general materials, raw texture maps and possibly HDRi files. This is applicable to any domain of 3D design, so be tidy and be sure to organize your workspace appropriately. Not only will this make you more efficient in your work, but also you will more than likely produce better quality content all the while feeling less of a hassle in doing so.

Don't feel discouraged if where you work, you aren't really getting to express your own style. This is reality. In general, when you are working for a client/employer, there are check-boxes that you need to check off and often times, that doesn't warrant you going crazy with your own ideas. Your own style generally gets developed outside of client work, and you should always be developing yourself outside of your every day duties. Never stop learning, and never give-up on telling your story.

Coming up with original content is TOUGH! But don't fret. You just need to do your due diligence in studying and observing everything around you. Don't be afraid to PAY for learning content that is worth your money. Support artists who are giving away "Free" stuff, and surely they will give back to you in a HUGE way. Once you've captured enough good data into your brain, you can start thinking of ways you could innovate. It's normal to be stuck or have artist's block -- sometimes, this lasts for days or even years! But keep trying. Set some ideas aside for later, scrap the ones that just aren't working out, and don't be afraid to stay up past midnight. You might be surprised how much better your brain functions at such an ungodly hour!

Coming up with your own ideas and inspiration can be super difficult, and its important to realise that ideas don't come from nowhere. Everyone mixes and matches various ways to get different ideas, and what one person does may not work for another. But a good way of coming up with ideas is just looking at other people's work and trying to come up with different angles to it, and experiment with ideas others have. Talk to your friends and bounce ideas. Coming up with ideas from your own imagination is more taking a combination of everything and storing it for later, then looking through how to uniquely do it, but just remember that almost ever idea isn't a new idea, and it's okay to just play around with different ideas and run with it.

This is about confidence in balancing your imagination and client's desires. Wherever client sets boundaries and sets parameters for how they want something done try to respect and do it. Elsewhere feel free to use your own imagination and feel free to let your creativity flourish.

As someone deeply interested in the art of 3D modeling, I find that each source of inspiration has its unique benefits. Does anyone have suggestions on how to balance inspiration from such diverse sources without sacrificing originality?

You may find a references which inspire you, and yet you are overwhelmed by the detail and don't know where to begin? Solution is to simplify the process by seperating the visual into more elements and then prioritize which you will do and when. Every element should be treated as a individual entity but follow the same art style as "middle" for the scene in mind.