How I got into 3D modeling with Blender (Tutorial Compilation)
My career choice is Data Science. However, 3D modeling always appealed had a special place in my heart, probably because video games play a big role role in my free time (pun intended).
I’ve been slowly learning Blender and 3D Modeling since last summer, so today I decided to make a short compilation of the best tutorials I’ve completed. Those that were jam packed with helpful beginner tips and because of the timing or their sheer quality stuck me with the most.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a Blender noob, but at this point I’ve gone through several tutorials and am in a position to pick and choose the best ones for someone that wants to start from scratch.
“Monster Encounter” scene
This playlist was my first foray into Blender and it was, as expected, a big learning point. Not only did it lead me to Grant Abbitt’s channel, but the project itself was pretty cool.
You get to create a man and a dog-like monster using simple objects, but also add some lightning and effects to create a night-like atmosphere.
If you’re completely new to Blender, then search no more for a first tutorial!
“Learn Low Poly Modeling in Blender 2.9 / 2.8”
If there was a metric like “tips and tricks per minute”, this video would be up there on list. While of course you learn about low poly modeling, Imphenzia teaches you so so many useful tips and tricks to make your time with Blender more efficient in this jam-packed hour long video.
By the end you will have created a handful of neat low poly models, like a tree covered in snow, a desktop computer, an island, and more.
Definitely stick around with this channel if you want to learn more about low poly modeling!
Donut tutorial
Perhaps the most well known Blender beginner tutorial, but I chose to put it on third because of how far its contents go.
If you go through the previous two recommendations first, then there will be some repeated teachings in this at first, but like most things in life, practice makes perfect with Blender. Blender Guru is a wonderful teacher and will slowly take you through each step of creating the donut of your dreams. Later in the playlist you also get to create a transparent coffee cup and even an animation for this snack.
This playlist starts with the most basic concepts, but Blender Guru slowly and steadily teaches complex topics like creating materials, UV unwrapping, rendering and more.
“Let’s model X in 10 minutes” series
(link to ongoing YouTube playlist)
Imphenzia has this series where he creates low poly models in 10 minutes. While at times it doesn’t work ideally as a tutorial, it is not the main objective of the series. You can still follow along, but in these videos you get to learn some powerful techniques to improve your workflow and your models.
Extra-ish: Deadpool Funko Pop
This playlist is kinda of an extra recommendation. There is a big jump in difficulty from the previous tutorials. Of course Grant explains every step, but the steps themselves are a bit more involved and I felt like his explanations were not aimed at complete beginners but rather people that have already spent some time practicing Blender. At any rate, this is a super fun tutorial to go through after spending some time practicing.
Do your own thing
I said practice makes perfect before and I really meant it. After completing a tutorial I tried to model something new on my own, no matter how basic it was.
Just trying to come up with a basic model forces you to practice the most elemental steps of Blender work, namely those “E to extrude”, “S to scale” and “I to inset”. After a short while you’ll realize these shortcuts come naturally to you and as you progress you start modeling more efficiently and create more complex models.
