The short answer is: yes. While 2D is still a very popular art style and animation technique, it is also now considered more “traditional”. But across all sectors of the media industry from gaming to animation to advertising to films, the demand for 3D is increasing. Not only in the media industry, 3D modeling skills has become indispensable in architecture and construction, civil engineering, interior design, automobile, fashion, and so much more. As virtual reality and immersion becomes more mainstream, 3D skills will undoubtedly be essential in all sectors across the globe.

The main reason behind the demand for 3D skills is how effective it is in portraying movement in our physical world. In terms of visual appeal, it is more realistic and exciting, with many styles to explore. In terms of texture, there are many options to experiment with, achieving all the way from Lego boxy, cartoony, to realistic. Even if you wanted to render it in 2D style, it’s also possible.

These days, everyone in the world is hungry for more films, games, animations, and digital visual artwork in general, whether in 2D or 3D. Let’s go through some of the differences in the scope of work for a 2D artist vs a 3D artist. Keep in mind, not one is better than the other; they both have their place in this vast and creative field!

2D animation is flat (two-dimensional), so all characters, properties, environments, are drawn to be viewed from one side. If you want to view it from another side, then you have to redraw it from another angle. 3D animation has depth, height, and width (three-dimensional), so that at any given time, it can be shown from various different angles. 2D animation is based on panels or frames, whereas 3D animation is based on movements.