Made with beginners in mind, the digital sculpting software ZBrushCoreMini is easy to learn for those with little prior 3D modeling experience. The successor to popular 3D modeling software Sculptris, ZBrushCoreMini has been reworked from the ground up and includes most of the features that were found in Sculptris Pro. Among free 3D CAD software, Leopoly is one of the best for beginners. Offering a plethora of benefits, the application is designed for excellence. It offers a cloud-based 3D modeling service. The software is a product from a Hungarian start-up, LeoPoly. Arguably the most popular 3D design software, Blender has a huge, active community who share their STL files and 3D models as well as information. A quick Google search or YouTube entry will yield thousands of results with people eager to showcase their 3D designs or teach you how to use the Blender 3D software.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you buy something we get a small commission at no extra cost to you(learn more)
Learning to model is crucial for anyone trying to master Blender. As the foundation of everything in 3D graphics, modeling is a necessary hurdle that every student will need to leap.
Luckily there’s plenty of help online to teach yourself how to model.
One of Blender’s best features is the large community behind it. Over the years they’ve created an abundance of learning resources and this guide offers the best of the best when it comes to modeling in Blender.
No matter your budget or current skillset this list is sure to help.
Free Tutorials
Beginner Modeling Tutorial (Multipart)
Blender Guru is one of the most popular Blender YouTube instructors.
I often point students to these lessons when they’re just getting started with Blender in general.
In this series Blender Guru teaches the fundamentals of modeling. But instead of doing a car or a character, students will learn how to model a medieval blacksmith’s anvil.
Why?
Because modeling more complicated objects can be difficult for beginners. It’s likely they’ll run into trouble and give up. Blender Guru argues that starting with something simpler like an anvil is better for learning the principles of 3D modeling.
Character Modeling
After you’ve learned some of the basics it’s time to try a character.
Since characters are the bread and butter of most 3D graphics, it’s good to tackle this subject early on and keep practicing.
This 10-part series will walk you step-by-by through the modeling process in Blender. It covers everything from modeling a character’s face to the hands and feet.
With this series you will get an in-depth look at the first steps necessary to building high-resolution characters for video games or movies. These are the foundational skills needed to succeed in computer graphics so this lesson is essential for all beginners.
Modeling Charmander
In this tutorial by 3D artist Arturs Luksis you’ll observe the workflow of character creation in Blender.
More specifically you get to build a beloved Pokemon character from scratch with lots of guidance.
Starting with a low-poly model, the artist continues through the creation of the high-resolution character as well as texturing, rigging, weight painting, and animation.
This tutorial will teach the full workflow of character modeling in Blender. This is truly a powerful showcase of Blender’s tools and features.
Star Wars Tie Fighter
Focusing on hard surface modeling, top YouTube talent CG Geek demonstrates the process of creating a high-resolution Tie Fighter from the Star Wars universe.
CG Geek shows you how to take your modeling skills to the next level by using the mirror modifier to achieve perfect symmetry.
Add Blender’s subdivision surface modifier to pump up the detail without losing the original geometry. Working in this non-destructive manner will add lots of flexibility to your workflow.
The techniques in this video will translate well to other hard surface objects such as cars and planes where angular precision and tight geometry are key.
Gun Hard Surface Modeling
With this Oranhunter Modeling video you’ll get a chance to further develop your hard surface modeling skills by making a weapon.
Specifically you’ll be making a gun from Blizzard’s blockbuster game Overwatch.
This tutorial offers some tips and tricks for keeping your polygon count low without sacrificing detail.
By focusing on keeping good quads(four-sided polygons) it’s easier to develop a clean model from scratch. This will be important later when it comes to texturing and animating the object.
Oranhunter Modeling combines the mirror modifier and the subsurface modifier to gain accuracy, speed, and detail.
Combining these two modifiers is a common technique used by many Blender artists.
Create Any Low-Poly Animal
Low Poly scenes are still the rage and making them in Blender is a breeze once you learn the ropes.
In this video you’ll pick up some simple techniques for making low-poly models even if you’ve never done it before.
Grant Abbitt is a YouTube tutorial superstar who offers short videos and a relaxed teaching style. In this 10-minutes tutorial Abbitt walks you through the process of low-poly modelling with step-by-step instructions.
If you need some further explanation about the topics covered in this modeling tutorial, such as the mirror modifier, check the links in the description featuring even more of Abbit’s guides.
Game Asset Modeling
This advanced Blender tutorial by 3D artist AlienMinefield is targeted at those who are already comfortable with modeling in Blender.
You should know the basics of modeling and texturing before diving in since this can be a complex subject.
But this multi-part series teaches the workflow of game asset creation including object modeling, UV-unwrapping, and UV-packing.
Creating a complex model is difficult but planning can save you trouble down the road. Artists will often model an object in a way that makes it easier to add materials and this is exactly what you’ll learn here.
Artists looking to work in games will want to check out this Blender tutorial. The skills used to create industrial crates will easily lend themselves to other objects that you’ll find in a production workflow.
Easiest 3d Software To Learn
Blender Hair Tutorial
Creating hair in any 3D program is no easy task. But Nazar Noschenko will guide you through making realistic hair using particle systems in Blender.
By stacking particle systems and slowly working up the head from the base of the neck, 3D artist Nazar Norschenko achieves a highly sculpted and realistic figure with a stylish hairdo.
It’s a somewhat painstaking technique but the results speak for themselves.
![Easiest 3d Modeling Software To Learn Easiest 3d Modeling Software To Learn](https://cdn2.sculpteo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/selfcad.jpg)
If you want to achieve high resolution hair for your characters you’ll need to work with Blender’s particle system and hair settings. This video offers a fantastic intro to the subject.
After modeling the hair you’ll learn how to take it a step further and render the final image by adding color and other effects.
Blender has fully equipped lighting and rendering features that can be used to create almost any effect you desire.
Creating A Nature Scene
This wonderful tutorial by Wayward Art Company offers a step-by-step guide to constructing an elaborate nature scene in Blender.
Starting with a blade of grass, the instructor shows you how to build an inspiring scenic view complete with trees, mountains, and clouds. No detail is left out in this 45-minute Blender demo.
You’ll even learn how to use particle systems to add moss to your trees and rocks.
Once you’ve created the set pieces and added your lights, creating interesting images becomes a simple matter of positioning your camera and adjusting the scene.
Blender’s powerful rendering features give you plenty of possibilities to explore. Render often and adjust accordingly.
Simple Trees
This 15-minute tutorial video by Toxicity Game Dev teaches beginners an easy method for making an unlimited number of low-poly trees. In just a few minutes you could have a low-poly forest ready to go.
Aimed at game development, this tutorial will show you how to get the most out of Blender while making game assets.
One helpful trick is to set the origin of the object to its base.
Not only will it scale along the ground plane, but game engines like Unreal and Unity look for the origin when instantiating objects in the scene. This makes it easier to place them when building game levels.
Using these methods will make it easier to work with your models in any modern game engine.
Rocket Plane Modeling
This half-hour video teaches a bunch of useful tools for modeling in Blender.
For example: you’ll learn how to make a WWII rocket plane as an easy introduction to hard-surface modeling. This step-by-step process can teach a whole lot so it’s best to move slowly and carefully.
This is a good tutorial for artists looking to hone their skills in creating vehicles for games.
3D Isometric Game Tiles
Here’s a fun guide teaching you how to create cute and colorful tiles for an isometric scene.
Follow along with the time lapse to see how the artist builds low poly models and applies materials to create the final look.
By playing with materials it’s relatively easy to get effects for dirt, grass, and water. Adding stones and individual blades of grass gives the scene a high-quality finish.
Create A Realistic City
Blender’s community has created some fantastic add-ons that can be extremely useful.
One of these is the Open Street Map add-on which can generate real life buildings and street lay-outs fast.
By visiting the main website Blender artists can export a map of any city they want. After installing the add-on and enabling it in Blender it’s easy to import the data and generate a copy of the map complete with buildings and real-life city layouts.
Open Street Map is powered by an open source community of mappers that contribute data about streets, buildings, and more.
By combining this add-on with Blender’s rendering tools you can follow along with this tutorial to create a beautiful cityscape within just one hour.
Awesome Modeling Hacks
Zacharias Reinhardt offers a list of 14 tips to improve your Blender experience. There’s also some links in the description to modeling courses for those looking to up their game.
These are some very handy tips that will save you time and frustration. Blender is a such a large program that it can take a long time to discover all the hidden shortcuts and special features.
Everything on this list is useful, but my personal favorites include combining the bevel and subdivision surface modifiers to get crisp, high-poly models. And resetting the key frame positions with a hidden shortcut.
Premium Courses
Premium video series are designed to accelerate your development by learning from high-quality sources.
Professional instructors and long-format tutorials offer a better approach for most people getting into the 3D world.
So whether you’re a complete beginner or just looking to take your skills to the next level, the following courses are a perfect place to start learning how to make amazing Blender artwork. free download. software photoshop cs6 full version.
Intro to Modeling in Blender
This beginner’s guide will teach you everything you need to get started in Blender.
3D artist Justin Marshall teaches some of the skills that landed him a job at Sony Imageworks in Los Angeles.
This series focuses on foundational knowledge that will be used all the time as you progress in Blender.
3d Modeling Online
After covering the most basic information about polygon geometry the instructor introduces all the tools needed for modeling in Blender.
However this series takes a slightly different approach than other beginner tutorials. Instead of covering all the options for modeling in Blender, Justin Marshall narrows the focus to only the most useful tools.
Creating Assets
In this tutorial series by artist Mark Masters you’ll explore how to make an asset in Blender from start to finish.
You’ll begin with a basic model and then move onto UV unwrapping and material creation.
Masters will take you through the process of building a realistic soda bottle using Blender 2.77. Sonic robo blast 2 v2.1 low poly mac os.
Throughout the series you’ll find expert advice on Blender’s toolset to create polished, professional assets. Perfect for anyone looking into 3D work as a career.
By the end of this course you’ll have all the skills necessary to take full advantage of Blender’s asset creation pipeline and bring your own ideas to life.
Designing & Modeling a Sci-fi Prop
Las vegas blackjack odds. 3D environment artist Denis Osmanbegovic covers a lot in this series along with sharing a few skills that landed him a job as an artist on Halo 5.
With this course you’ll learn how to create a 3D sci-fi prop for a game or movie all from scratch.
You’ll begin by learning how to adjust Blender’s settings to get the most of the modeling tools before moving onto shaping a basic object. Then you’ll learn how to apply materials and lighting to create a rendered image.
Osmanbegovic’s goal is to teach you how to use Blender efficiently so that you can be more productive as you continue learning.
Creating a Cartoon-style Character
This lengthy series from Pluralsight teaches the ropes of character creation in Blender.
By exploring various modeling techniques, instructor Costas Frost teaches you how to work on your own and encourages everyone to experiment with Blender’s toolset.
This video course focuses heavily on cycles rendering and cycles materials. By the end you’ll have a solid grasp of the Blender character modeling workflow.
Designing a Low Poly Game Environment
Moving back into low-poly work we have this incredible series tailor made for environment artists.
Anyone looking to work in mobile game development or as a freelancer will want to check out this course by Jeannot Landry.
Game content creation is one of the most common jobs for freelance 3D artists. In this Blender series you’ll learn some techniques for creating low polygon environments that are perfect for mobile gaming.
You’ll also study the pipeline for hand-painted assets and environment creation using Blender. By the end of this series you should have enough knowledge to build your own game assets and start building up that 3D portfolio.
Related Posts:
How to Get Started with 3D Modeling: An Interview with 3D Modeling Expert Jonathan Williamson
Are you thinking of learning 3D modeling? Wondering whether it’s a good idea? Or how long it will take you before you can make your first 3D model? And what you should do when you are staring at a blank screen with no idea what to do next? We talked to Jonathan Williamson from CG Cookie, one of the leading digital art education sites, about the challenges and rewards of the trade and his insider tips for someone who is totally new to the world of 3D.
Jonathan, you are a professional 3D modeler with years of experience. For somebody who is thinking of getting into 3D, why do you think they should do it in the first place? Doesn’t the world have enough 3D modelers already?
Jonathan: Absolutely not. 3D modeling is omnipresent in today’s world and it is only going to grow as a sought-after skill. To put things in context: 75% of the IKEA catalogue is now done in 3D. We all know that Facebook bought the Oculus Rift for billions of dollars, you know they are going to have to get plans for growing that sector. If virtual reality keeps on growing, it is going to have a much larger impact on people’s everyday lives. And of course, the objects of virtual reality all start as 3D models. Next, consider architectural visualization; if you have a house renovation project or want to design a house completely, you can absolutely use 3D modeling for that. If you want to get started in 3D printing, whether that is designing toys, tools or anything, that is 3D modeling. It all starts with a model.
3D is getting to be more involved in so many different areas, everything from development of films, virtual reality, scientific research, to special design. It is touching hundreds of industries right now. If you want to get into a lot of research, visualization, medical design, much of that is 3D modeling. In short – the world needs 3D modelers!
Sounds great. So now you have convinced me to get started – but what do I need as a prerequisite? Is it a field that is open to absolutely anybody?
Jonathan: To get started in 3D modeling, you have to have a passion for the computer: that is without a doubt. You will be spending a lot of time working digitally and if you do not like working on a computer, 3D modeling is probably not your thing. If, however, you really enjoy the computer, have an idea for something that you want to integrate either with the real world or completely virtually, then 3D modeling may be it. For the most part, this interest or passion is the only prerequisite you will need.
One thing that is not essential but will absolutely benefit you is a good sense of spatial awareness. If you are one of those people who can visualize an object in front of you, a real world object – a peanut butter jar, can opener, car key or a wallet – you can spin it around in your mind and know exactly what it looks like, 3D modeling will probably be a good fit for you. That is essentially what you will be doing every single day. If you find that kind of spatial visualization challenging, 3D modeling will most likely be more difficult for you. It of course depends to what degree you are modeling, but some modeling is going to be strictly from existing blueprints.
You are good to go as long as you have a computer and a good sense of spatial awareness and beyond that, just the need and urge to learn.
I believe that anyone can learn modeling. It is a bit technical, but it does not have to be technical in terms of computer science. There are a lot of people who are very successful modelers and are absolutely on the artistic side rather than the technical side of the spectrum.
![Software Software](https://techreviewpro-techreviewpro.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Tinkercad.jpg)
3D model of a creature created by Jonathan Williamson
3d Modeling software, free download
OK, I’ve decided to become a 3D modeler! What is the next step I need to take?
Jonathan: The next step would definitely be software. Most computers do not come with the software needed for 3D modeling. However, the software is starting to matter less and less as far as what you choose, it is much more up to one’s individual resources and personal preference. At this point, all of the main software packages are so close to being on the same level that it is really quite irrelevant. It almost does not matter if you choose Blender, 3ds Max or Maya; all of these tools are very capable in enabling you to do things you could have never done before.
What is your personal recommendation?
Jonathan: Keeping in mind how similar the 3D software packages have become, I think Blender makes a very good choice especially for new artists, for a few reasons.
One of the primary reasons is that there is no barrier to entry. Blender can basically run on any machine. If you only have access to a computer that is a few years old now, it will still work. Blender is very compatible and small. To give an even more extreme example, if you don’t have a computer at home, you can simply put Blender on a flash drive and go to your public library or any other place that has a public computer. You can take Blender with you anywhere you go without the need for access dongles, license keys, or anything else of the sort.
Also, Blender is built by the community and anyone can become involved. If you are an artist and you want to have input in making the software even better, you can do that and if the changes are good, they might be applied to future releases. If you are a computer science student and you want to start developing on Blender or if you are building a data visualization tool, you can integrate it directly in Blender without having to build the whole foundation, just leverage Blender.
And of course, it is completely open-source, so the software is free and there’s no usage restrictions on anything you create.
This is important because one of the issues that young artists may run into if they learn 3D modeling at school is getting a free student license which, as soon as you leave school, can no longer be used for commercial work. You have spent four years and thousands of dollars on your education, and you are most likely in no place to spend another few thousand dollars on a software license. Yet, the software that you just learned requires you to buy a license! So what kind of position are you in to start doing professional work while still paying back student loans?
With Blender, there is no license to worry about and you can use it for commercial purposes without restriction. Any work created in Blender can be sold, adapted and distributed. So for a new artist that is just trying to get their feet on the ground in their professional work, Blender makes great sense. Your start-up costs are your time; that is about it.
Another point is the community spirit of Blender. It is developed by Blender users and the community and I think that resonates with a lot of people. There is a very strong vibrant community behind Blender from people of all walks of life, different skillsets, there are different artists and researchers, you name it, so that side is very fun.
Sounds like a no-brainer. But regardless of the software, I decide to go with in the end, where do I find resources as a new 3D modeler?
Jonathan: Again, that depends on the software that you choose. If you are choosing Blender, then CG Cookie might be a good place to start. Or it may be YouTube for SketchUp or 3ds Max. There are a lot of different resources and honestly, if you are just getting started, Google is probably your friend. There are a lot of different educational sites out there and which one you choose depends on your area of focus. Of course, because I’m biased towards CG Cookie, that is the one I will recommend over the others if your software of choice is Blender. We have a free “Blender Basics” course that I personally created for total Blender beginners and I can very confidently recommend that as a great starting point. It will get you up to speed in under 45 minutes.
Do you recommend looking for education based primarily on your area of focus?
Jonathan: Absolutely, one of the things that makes 3D software a little daunting to learn is that they are really complex and nearly unlimited in what they can do. At this point, Blender and similar competitors are so big that basically no one person knows all of it. I do not think there is a single person on planet Earth that knows every single piece of Blender. There are many people, including myself, that try to get at least a general understanding of all areas, but we do not know it fully. There are now a lot of niche sites popping up that are focused on using their software of choice in a very particular industry, whether that is Blender with 3D printing or using Blender for architectural visualization or for data science. In this case, Google will be your friend to find those niches.
3D model of figurines created by Jonathan Williamson
So let’s say I have my software and I am slowly starting to learn how to use it. How long will it take me before I can really turn my idea into a 3D model?
Jonathan: That depends almost entirely on you. Through CG Cookie, I have seen people do it in as little as a day and a half, to as long as a year. It is really up to the individual how much time they want to spend doing it. There are some people who want to absorb as much knowledge as they can and choose not to apply it until they have a good sense of understanding. Then there are some who are just eager to get started and may actually get started too quickly – but that is OK too because they are getting their hands dirty even if they do not know what they are doing just yet.
For me personally, keeping in mind that there was no training material when I started, it was a good couple of months before I really felt like I could do something, creating an idea I had. As long as you are taking advantage of the material that is now available, whether it is free tutorials, YouTube or CG Cookie, you should definitely be able to start creating and visualizing your ideas, regardless of how good they come out, in a few days or less.
What is your recommended approach to learning? Do you sit back and absorb the theory first, or just dive into modeling headfirst?
Jonathan: I prefer a mixture. When I am learning a new skill, say programming or sculpting, I prefer to sit back and watch and then get my hands dirty. First watch and then dive in. I jump back and forth by trying to completely absorb small things, sections and segments of a material and apply that, then learn another section and apply that. This works really well for me, but that is different for other people.
Iogear vga to usb driver. 3D model of a military vehicle created by Jonathan Williamson
Apple cut pro software. Jonathan, let’s say that in my journey to becoming a 3D modeler, I have a basic idea of how to create my first 3D model. But I do not necessarily know what it is I want to create. I just want to learn. What do you think would be the best thing to start with? Should it be a cube, a chess piece or something else entirely?
Blender
Jonathan: Haha, the old “blank slate” situation! Well, in this case what matters is not what you make as long as you make something. You might have learned some of the basic skills, you kind of know what you are doing and you want to create something. You open up your software and you have a blank screen. I think this is where tutorials become really useful. Not necessarily for the sake of learning new skills, but for explaining what you are actually doing and things you do not need to worry about.
So if you are having the blank slate issue, go watch a tutorial and just follow along with it because that is actually going to get you working. You will be applying what you are learning in the software, learning different tools, learning how it works. If you do that enough, one day you will find that you just start creating without even having to worry about the blank slate this time.
We would like to thank Jonathan and Pavla from CG Cookie for their help with preparing this interview. CG Cookie is an online learning hub for digital artists, hosting Blender tutorials, courses, and exercises.
Do you want to learn more about how to get started with 3D modeling? Check out this tutorial by Jonathan for the i.materialise blog: he will teach you how to create your first 3D print in Blender in an exciting video tutorial. New 3D modelers should also take a look at our “5 Mistakes to Avoid When Designing a 3D Model for 3D Printing” blog post.