Blender 3D for Beginners Complete Modeling & Texturing guide from Udemy

This beginner-friendly course is designed for anyone excited to learn Blender in a practical and fun way, regardless of prior experience. You’ll start from the basics, mastering Blender’s interface and essential tools, then dive into organic and hard-surface modeling, key techniques for creating 3D models.

You’ll learn creative ways to use modifiers, explore digital sculpting, and create high-quality materials in the shader editor. By the end, you’ll bring everything together by creating your own fantasy character in a fun final project.

By completing this course, you'll be ready to create high-quality renders and take your first steps into the world of 3D modeling.

What You’ll Learn in Each Chapter

Introduction: Discover the course content, access downloadable resources, and join our community.
Fundamentals: Learn to navigate Blender and master its essential tools.
Organic Modeling: Master subdivision modeling techniques and create models like a mushroom, a piggy bank, and even a burger.
Hard-Surface Modeling: Discover techniques for creating rigid or mechanical surfaces, such as robots, headphones, and swords.
Creative Modeling with Modifiers: Use modifiers to create complex models and create objects like spiral staircases, mechanical tentacles, and more.
Digital Sculpting: Explore Blender’s brushes and sculpting techniques through practical exercises.
Material Creation: Design stylized textures and materials with the shader editor and bring your 3D models to life.
Final Project: Apply everything you've learned by creating a cute fantasy character in 3D.
Epilogue: Final tips, extra content, and more.

This course is perfect for those looking to learn Blender in a complete and enjoyable way. Join us and start your journey in 3D modeling today.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Master blender from scratch: learn to navigate the interface and use essential tools confidently in blender’s 3d environment.
Create organic and hard-surface models: apply sculpting and modeling techniques to design both natural and mechanical objects.
Use modifiers for non-destructive modeling: learn to create complex shapes intuitively, allowing flexible adjustments to your designs.

Design advanced materials and textures: use the shader editor to give your 3d models a polished, professional finish with enhanced visual style.
Complete a final project: apply all your skills by modeling and texturing a unique fantasy character, creatively integrating everything you’ve learned.

Master blender from scratch: learn to navigate the interface and use essential tools confidently in blender’s 3d environment.
Create organic and hard-surface models: apply sculpting and modeling techniques to design both natural and mechanical objects.
Use modifiers for non-destructive modeling: learn to create complex shapes intuitively, allowing flexible adjustments to your designs.
Design advanced materials and textures: use the shader editor to give your 3d models a polished, professional finish with enhanced visual style.
Complete a final project: apply all your skills by modeling and texturing a unique fantasy character, creatively integrating everything you’ve learned.

Syllabus

Introduction

1-1 Instructor presentation

1-2 Course presentation

1-3 Let's talk about Blender

1-4 Version and requirements

1-5 Important links of the course

1-6 Downloadable resources

Fundamentals

2-1 Interface and workspaces

2-2 Navigation in the 3D view

2-3 Overlays and viewport shading

2-4 Selection, visibility and collections

2-5 Object creation and deletion

2-6 Basic transformation

2-7 The edit mode

2-7A Selection shortcuts in edit mode

2-8 Tools in the edit mode

2-9 Additional tools in edit mode

2-10 The modifiers

2-11 Important addons

2-12 Shortcuts and interface customization

2-13 The online manual

2-14 The materials

2-15 Creating a scene to render our models

Organic modeling

3-1 Introduction to organic modeling

3-2 Modeling ceramic crockery

3-3 Practical exercise 1: Piggy Bank

3-4 Practical exercise 2: Wizard hat

3-5 Practical exercise 3: Hamburger

Hard- surface modeling

4-1 Introduction to Hard- surface modeling

4-2 Boolean operations

4-3 Modeling with booleans

4-4 Tips and tricks for Hard-surface

4-5 Practical exercise 1: Sword with gem

4-6 Practical exercise 2: Headphones

4-7 Practical exercise 3: Motorcycle helmet

Creative modeling with modifiers

5-1 Array modifier and simple deform

5-2 Array modifier and radial screw

5-3 Array modifier and curves

5-4 Screw modifier

5-5 Shrinkwrap modifier and solidify

5-6 Wireframe modifier

5-7 Skin modifier

5-8 Surface deform modifier

Digital sculpting

6-1 Basic aspects

6-2 The sculpting brushes

6-3 The masks in the sculpt mode

6-4 Brush configurations

6-5 Sculpting methods in Blender

6-6 Practical approach: Chess horse

6-6A Blender 4.3 Sculpting interface

6-7 Practical exercise 1: Kitten

6-8 Practical exercise 2: Anvil

6-9 Practical exercise 3: Stylized Skull

Material creation

7-1 The procedural textures

7-2 The mixing nodes

7-3 Preparing a consisten lighting

7-4 The principled BSDF node

7-5 Creating a professional Hard-surface material

7-6 Creating a professional Organic material

7-7 Advanced material examples

7-8 The compositor

Final project

8-0 Analysis and planning

8-1 Body blocking

8-2 Clothes blocking

8-3 Clothes refinement

8-4 body refinement

8-5 Ropes

8-6 Woven backpack

8-7 Sleeping bag

8-8 Staff and lamp

8-9 Arm rig

8-10 Stone base

8-11 Texturing the clothes

8-12 Texturing the accesories

8-13 texturing the skin and eyes

8-14 Rendering and composite

9 Epilogue

Final talking and recommendations

Extra content

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Starts with the fundamentals of Blender, which allows learners to build a strong foundation in 3D modeling and digital art

Covers both organic and hard-surface modeling techniques, which provides a well-rounded skill set applicable to various 3D projects

Includes a final project where learners create a fantasy character, which allows them to apply their skills in a creative and comprehensive way

Teaches the use of modifiers for non-destructive modeling, which is a flexible approach that is standard in professional 3D workflows

Emphasizes material creation using the shader editor, which is essential for achieving high-quality, visually appealing 3D models

Requires Blender, which is free and open-source, but learners should ensure their systems meet the software's minimum specifications

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Blender 3D for Beginners Complete Modeling & Texturing guide with these activities:

Review Basic 3D Modeling Principles

Show steps

Reinforce fundamental 3D modeling concepts to ensure a solid foundation before diving into Blender-specific tools and techniques.

Browse courses on 3D Modeling

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Research the basic principles of 3D modeling, such as vertices, edges, faces, and polygons.
Practice creating simple shapes using basic modeling techniques in any 3D software.
Watch introductory videos on 3D modeling workflows and terminology.

Read 'Blender For Dummies' by Jason van Gumster

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Solidify your understanding of Blender's fundamentals with a beginner-friendly guide that covers the basics in a clear and concise manner.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Blender For Dummies' by Jason van Gumster.
Read the chapters covering the Blender interface, basic modeling, and texturing.
Follow the examples and exercises in the book to reinforce your understanding.

Read 'Mastering Blender' by Oliver Villar

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Supplement the course material with a comprehensive guide to Blender, providing in-depth explanations and advanced techniques.

View Learning Blender on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Mastering Blender' by Oliver Villar.
Read the chapters relevant to the current course modules, focusing on modeling and texturing.
Experiment with the techniques described in the book within Blender.

Four other activities

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Practice Modeling Basic Shapes

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Reinforce modeling skills by repeatedly creating basic shapes, improving muscle memory and familiarity with Blender's tools.

Browse courses on Modeling

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Create a cube, sphere, cylinder, and cone in Blender.
Modify each shape using various editing tools, such as extrude, bevel, and loop cut.
Repeat the process multiple times to improve speed and accuracy.

Follow Advanced Texturing Tutorials

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Expand your texturing knowledge by following tutorials that cover advanced techniques not explicitly covered in the course.

Browse courses on Texturing

Show steps

Search for Blender texturing tutorials on YouTube or other online platforms.
Choose tutorials that focus on specific texturing techniques, such as procedural textures or UV unwrapping.
Follow the tutorial step-by-step, applying the techniques to your own 3D models.

Create a Portfolio of 3D Models

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Showcase your skills and track your progress by building a portfolio of 3D models created throughout the course.

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Select your best 3D models from each module of the course.
Render high-quality images of each model from different angles.
Create a website or online portfolio to display your work.
Write a brief description of each model, highlighting the techniques used.

Design a Sci-Fi Weapon

Show steps

Apply all learned skills to create a complex and detailed sci-fi weapon, pushing your modeling and texturing abilities to the limit.

Show steps

Brainstorm ideas for a unique sci-fi weapon design.
Create a detailed concept sketch or reference image.
Model the weapon in Blender, using a combination of organic and hard-surface modeling techniques.
Texture the weapon using the shader editor, creating a realistic or stylized look.
Render the final model and showcase it in your portfolio.

Career center

Learners who complete Blender 3D for Beginners Complete Modeling & Texturing guide will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

3D Modeler

A 3D modeler creates three dimensional models for various applications, such as video games, animation, and product design. This course helps build a foundation in 3D modeling by teaching crucial skills such as organic and hard-surface modeling, which are essential for creating diverse objects. The course also provides instruction in using modifiers for efficient and flexible design, which will be critical for 3D modelers. Furthermore, this course covers material creation in the shader editor, allowing a 3D modeler to add a polished look to models.

See salaries and explore the career path for 3D Modeler

Character Artist

A character artist specializes in creating 3D characters for video games, film, and animation. This course is highly relevant, as it teaches organic modeling, digital sculpting, and material creation, all of which are essential skills for developing compelling characters. The final project of this course involves designing a fantasy character, which directly applies to the work a character artist might undertake. Additionally, the course also covers texturing techniques, critical for giving life and visual appeal to 3D characters. A character artist would find this course especially useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Character Artist

Game Artist

A game artist creates the visual elements of video games, including characters, environments, and props. This course helps build a great foundation for the role of a game artist in that it teaches vital skills such as organic and hard-surface modeling, texturing, and material creation. Game artists often use 3D modeling software, and this course provides hands-on experience with Blender, a popular tool in the industry. The course’s coverage of various modeling techniques, including digital sculpting and creative modeling with modifiers, gives a game artist a well rounded skill set.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Artist

Digital Sculptor

A digital sculptor uses software to create detailed 3D models, often for high-end animation and video game projects. This course helps a digital sculptor become more adept by providing experience with Blender’s sculpting tools and techniques. The course includes practical exercises in sculpting various objects, such as a kitten and a stylized skull, which provides practical training in an important skill. Digital sculptors create organic forms, and the course's focus on sculpting brushes and methods will expand the practical ability of a digital sculptor.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Sculptor

Animator

An animator brings characters and objects to life through motion and performance. The course provides a foundation in 3D modeling, which is a core component of animation pipelines, making it relevant to a career as an animator. While this course does not focus entirely on animation, the skills in modeling, texturing and material creation are essential for creating the assets that animators work with. Animators will find the organic and hard surface modeling instruction helps them to develop a versatile skill set.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animator

Texture Artist

A texture artist focuses on creating the surface details and visual properties of 3D models, often using specialized software. While this course does not focus on software other than Blender, it provides the important fundamental knowledge of material creation using the shader editor, a key skill for texture artists. By learning to design stylized textures and materials, a texture artist can greatly enhance the realism and appeal of 3D assets, as they would in this course. This course may be useful in developing an understanding of the principles behind texturing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Texture Artist

Technical Artist

A technical artist bridges the gap between art and technology, working on tools, pipelines, and processes to support the art team. While this course does not delve into programming, this course provides a good foundation in 3D modeling and texturing using Blender. This knowledge helps a technical artist understand the challenges that artists face and develop better solutions. With the skills gained in this course, a technical artist can develop tools and workflows that are better optimized for their artistic team.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist

Product Designer

A product designer creates prototypes and models of physical products using digital tools. This course may be useful for a product designer because it teaches hard-surface modeling techniques which are critical for designing physical objects. Furthermore, the course covers the use of modifiers for complex shapes, which can be very useful when creating concept models of products. Although this course is not focused on product design, learning 3D modeling with Blender can assist a product designer in conceptualizing and presenting design ideas in three dimensions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Concept Artist

A concept artist creates visual designs for characters, environments, and props, often for film or video games. This course may be helpful to a concept artist because it provides a foundation in 3D modeling using Blender. The course's attention to organic and hard-surface modeling, as well as digital sculpting may give a concept artist skills that are helpful in visualizing their designs. Additionally, concept artists can use 3D modeling tools to quickly prototype ideas and explore different forms in the early stages of design.

See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist

VFX Artist

A VFX artist creates visual effects for film, television, and video games. This course may be useful for a VFX artist because it introduces the skills of 3D modeling and texturing, two critical components of VFX. The course covers material creation as well as organic and hard-surface modeling techniques. Though not the primary focus of their work, this course provides the basic training needed for a VFX artist to effectively use 3D models in their work.

See salaries and explore the career path for VFX Artist

Visualization Specialist

A visualization specialist creates visual representations of data or concepts. While this course does not delve into data visualization, the 3D modeling and rendering skills it teaches may be useful in creating complex visualizations. A visualization specialist may find the skills developed in this course useful in making realistic product demos or architectural renderings. The modeling, texturing and material creation techniques can help a visualization specialist better explain complex subjects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visualization Specialist

Illustrator

An illustrator creates images for books, magazines, or other media. While this course does not focus directly on the 2D tools of an illustrator, the 3D modeling skills developed in this course, like texturing and material creation, can help an illustrator. Specifically, some illustrators use 3D modeling in combination with 2D art to achieve a more polished and detailed image. An illustrator may find this course especially helpful in understanding the basics of 3D rendering for better illustration.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

Architectural Visualizer

An architectural visualizer creates 3D renderings and animations of buildings and other structures to communicate design ideas. This course may be helpful because it teaches foundational 3D modeling skills in Blender. Though not specific to architecture, skills in hard-surface modeling can be directly applied to designing architectural structures. Specifically, learning modifiers to create complex shapes and material creation using the shader editor would be helpful to an architectural visualizer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Architectural Visualizer

Motion Graphics Designer

A motion graphics designer creates animated graphics for various media, often combining 2D and 3D elements. This course provides a basic understanding of 3D modeling and texturing, which can help motion graphics designers expand their repertoire. By learning to create 3D models in Blender, a motion graphics designer may implement these into their animations. Though this course does not teach the principles of animation, it may be useful in crafting assets for complex motion graphics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Designer

Instructional Designer

An instructional designer creates learning materials and experiences, frequently using graphics and visuals. Although this course is not directly related to the typical tasks of an instructional designer, 3D modeling skills may be helpful in creating engaging and unique learning materials. This course can give an instructional designer a creative way to make their course materials more impactful and visually appealing. The skills developed in this course can be useful to an instructional designer creating dynamic learning experiences.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Blender 3D for Beginners Complete Modeling & Texturing guide

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