Okay, Tutorial junkie here...

[adaminator1]

Well, i picked up lightwave about 2 years ago when my brother went to natcoll, and started looking at dozens of tutorials. Now, this here is the best i can do:
Doomschip Episode 01 Part 1/2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUvLzfSTZxQ)
Doomschip Episode 01 Part 2/2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JEMmZ_rgLY)
Doomschip Episode 02 Intro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS-NXxHAaLY)

I was kinda wondering if there is anything that would greatly improve my animation skills, like how to do better explosions, how to do water, etc. If anyone would mind posting some tutorials, that would be greatly appreciated (I would also like to know how to do realistic shading, textures, and models (cars, humans etc) and some rigging.)

Any help would be much appreciated! :D

[Jim M]

if there is anything that would greatly improve my animation skills, like how to do better explosions, how to do water, etc.

There is a program called 'Easy Magic Animation', it's $200-00, just what you are looking for, I can sell you a copy .... :)

And the real answer, practice and find good reference. Learn to see with an inner eye, and develop a strong opinion of what is good.

[stevecullum]

Yeah what Jim said...good reference and understanding the tools LW has, then using them to translate what you see is the key.

[rwhunt99]

If you check at Kurv Studios, they have a wide selection of Tutorials that help you with SFX like explosions and water, dust/smoke type of things, you can try their tips and tricks CD's and I think they are on sale this week,

hope this helps :goodluck:

[Giacomo99]

Adaminator: what exactly do you want to improve? If you can offer more specific details, people here will be more able to help you.

If I had to suggest a single resource, it would be the book "Essential Lightwave" by Timothy Albee and Steve Warner. (Amazon lists copies of the v8 edition, which will be adequate for beginners, starting at around $5.) If you buy that book and work through every tutorial in it, I can promise you'll improve noticeably in every area you listed.

[adaminator1]

Thanks for all of the encouraging replies! I'm gonna learn as much as i can before i go to Natcoll, and then they can teach me the rest :)