As I’m sure you fellow artists know, it’s very difficult to get started, once that first step is taken it’s very difficult to stop!
I’m curious how you all get started on your next model, I usually do character/creature design, so I was just wondering how you all start.
Do you find a concept artist and use their sketches?
Draw your own?
Do you replicate a famous work?
Do you use a website like 3d.sk?
How do you start?
-Colin Senner
Speaking for myself the fruits of a disturb imagination .
Usually, I look around EVERYWHERE for a theme. From a toy store (Always visit LOTS of toy stores!!!), movies, TV, poster or one of those things you talk about with your buddies. Just keep my eye open for anything that thematically looks fun. And from the theme, I isolate an object or a series of objects. Then, I build the entire set in my mind. And that’s it. No sketches and rarely use any reference. (Unless of course if it’s something that’s already exist/designed and I have to follow faithfully) The only thing left to do is build the model. Perks of being Freelance. 
Of course the process is flexible. If one thing looks good elsewhere or on your mind, I doesn’t mean it’ll look good on the model.
great suggestions feureau
Keep em coming 
Yes, good advice in it’s way.
Their are too many things that come into play for me personally and I don’t understand why sometimes myself sometimes, except to say go with what inspires you, or affects you strongly in some way.
(I always listen to that little voice inside that says something is stirring, interisting, cool, weird, etc) Wish it would take a nap sometimes…
~BW
I know nothing and started not to long ago. While trying out stuff and increasing the portfolio of techniques weird ideas emerge… Let’s try this, this should look cool… naaaa delete it… cool let’'s keep it. Where deleting is being done after I showed it to someone as I have deleted stuff before which my wife really liked. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… Any case, I like pattern, geometric stuff and really don’t know what I am doing here among the master sculptors LOL.
Lemo
lemmonado, you’re just like me. I only started not long ago and I’m by no means a sculptor nor illustrator. I can’t even draw properly. Hey, if you can build it in 3D, why pick up any archaic art device? :LOL: I’m a model kit hobbyist.
Just wanna say that your knots and patterns always look so cool. You are a master yourself. 
Agree with feureau on this point:
The only thing left to do is build the model. Perks of being Freelance.
Though I’ll always sketch out a design first, even if it’s just a thumbnail or two and very rough (helps distill the overall feel quicker for me)
Sometimes when nothing srikes me I just ploop a square into XSI and start extruding, inseting, dividing then smoothing.
I then look at it and sometimes think I might be able to turn it into something.
Then I open a new scence and start from fresh.
I started playing with 3D about four years ago. One of my mayor problems when creating things is that I can’t draw: ideas in my head don’t manifest themselves visually (at least, not so that I can put them on paper). Luckely I have some friends who can draw, so I’m often pressing them for drawings. Once I see the thing on a peace of paper, I can make it. Modeling is quite like kitbuilding in my opinion. (without the smell, mess and nasty fingercuts :D)
Just like MoonDoggie I’d like to know if there are artists you can pay or ask to make concept drawings for the less grafically skilled?
There are plenty of concept artists out there (myself included!) who will happily sketch out orthographic/perspective drawings for a price.
Chief consideration (other than budget) is to find an artist whose style you’d be comfortable modeling from.
If you ‘ask’ for drawings for free, you might just catch youself out with slightly mis-matching side and front views (for instance) which can
upset the fluency of the modeling experience
It’s your call; but like I say, they’re not too expensive, and easily commissioned.
Chris
That would be interesting for me at some stage… Chris, say I would describe a character for you or something, and ask you for front side and perspective view, what price should I think about then? Just to get an idea how accessable such a thing would be for me. Of course, when you try to develop the thing you want together it will be priced in hours won’t it?