If you’re an aspiring 3D artist or game developer, you’ve probably heard of Blender, the free, open-source 3D modeling and animation software. With its wide range of features, Blender is a powerful tool for creating stunning game assets, animations, and more. But where should you start if you want to learn Blender?
Fortunately, YouTube offers a whole range of free video courses to help you get started. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best Blender tutorial series available on YouTube.
Additionally, if you’re looking for a comprehensive and beginner-friendly learning resource, check out Zenva’s Game Artwork Mini-Degree. This in-depth course covers everything from 3D modeling and texturing to rigging, animation, and more. Sign up today and start creating your game assets!
Table of contents
What is Blender?
Blender is a powerful, free, and open-source 3D creation suite that enables you to model, animate, render, and even develop games. With a large and active community, Blender is continuously updated to include new features and improvements, ensuring that it remains a popular choice for both amateur and professional 3D artists, game developers, and visual effects experts.
What Can Blender Be Used For?
Blender offers a wide range of features and applications, including:
- 3D modeling
- Animation and rigging
- Texturing and shading
- Lighting
- Rendering
- Visual effects
- Game development
What are the Newest Blender Features?
Some of the latest Blender enhancements include:
- Improved real-time rendering with the EEVEE render engine
- Powerful and flexible 2D and 3D procedural node-based systems
- Advanced sculpting and painting tools
- Enhancements to the physics and animation systems
- Integration with industry-standard software tools and file formats
How Does Blender Compare to Maya?
While both Blender and Maya are popular 3D creation tools, there are some key differences between the two:
- Cost: Blender is free and open source, while Maya requires a subscription fee.
- Features: Both software provide a vast array of capabilities, but Maya is more commonly used in the film industry for its powerful animation and visual effects tools, while Blender is popular among game developers and indie studios.
- User Interface: Blender’s interface has evolved to become more user-friendly and customizable in recent years, but some still prefer Maya’s interface. Personal preferences and familiarity will likely dictate which interface suits you best.
- Community and Support: Blender boasts a sizeable and active community that continually contributes to the software’s development, whereas Maya is developed by Autodesk and thus relies on a different ecosystem of support and resources.
Why You Should Learn Blender
There are numerous reasons why learning Blender is a beneficial skill:
- It’s free and open-source, meaning you won’t incur any software costs
- Blender is versatile and can be used in various industries, from game development to film and animation
- There is a large and helpful community available for support, tutorials, and resources
- Learning Blender can open up numerous job opportunities and freelance work
- Knowing Blender can serve as a stepping stone to mastering other 3D software packages reases-
Below you’ll find a curated list of the best resources to learn Blender. These resources include a mix of both Zenva tutorials and contributions from other talented creators within the Blender community.
Mastering Material Nodes in Blender
Video Tutorial
This Blender tutorial focuses on controlling material texture using Blender’s UV mapping feature. It’s a great resource for understanding how to apply textures to your 3D models effectively.
Customizing Blender 3D Models with Textures
Video Tutorial
Learn how to customize your Blender 3D models using textures in this Game Artwork Academy course. This tutorial will help you add more detail and realism to your game assets.
Complex Mesh Cuts with Boolean Modifier
Video Tutorial
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create complex mesh cuts in Blender using the boolean modifier. It’s an essential technique for refining your 3D models and creating game-ready assets.
Blender Rigging Foundations
Video Tutorial
This tutorial introduces the fundamentals of rigging, a process used in animation to create movement for characters and objects. You’ll learn how to set up a basic rig for your 3D models in Blender.
Blender Features and Project Workflow
Video Tutorial Series
This Blender tutorial series teaches users how to utilize common features such as modeling, lighting, materials, geometry nodes, and rendering. The tutorials provide step-by-step guidance on how to create a project while using these features.
Blender Beginner Course Updated
Video Tutorial
If you’ve never used Blender before, this free beginner course is a fantastic starting point. The tutorial covers everything you need to know to get started with Blender, and even includes an updated version for Blender 2.9.
Blender 3.0 Beginner Donut Series
Video Tutorial
One of the most popular Blender beginner tutorials, this series teaches you how to create a 3D donut and coffee cup using Blender 3.0. The latest version has been completely remade to keep up with the latest Blender updates.
Beginner 3D Modeling in Blender
Video Tutorial
This beginner-friendly tutorial focuses on 3D modeling in Blender. Learn how to create your first 3D models and support the author by downloading the project files and contributing on Patreon.
Comprehensive Beginner Tutorial Series
Video Tutorial Series
This comprehensive 11-part beginner tutorial series covers the basics of Blender while guiding you through a complete project. Learn everything from blender interface, navigation, modeling, and rendering, to create your game assets.
Blender 2.9 Beginner Course
Video Tutorial
Get started with Blender 2.9 with this free beginner course. Covering all the basics you need to get started with Blender and create stunning game assets.
Blender Beginner Tutorial Download
Video Tutorial
A beginner-friendly tutorial for Blender, this video provides a download link for the software and a Patreon link to support the developers. Get started creating stunning game assets today.
Free Blender Beginner Course
Video Tutorial
Designed for absolute beginners, this free Blender course takes you through the basics of the software, including interface, navigation, modeling, and rendering. Start learning Blender today with this comprehensive course.
Conclusion
Learning Blender can seem daunting at first, but with the right resources, you’ll be well on your way to creating stunning 3D game assets. These YouTube tutorials offer excellent starting points for mastering Blender’s tools and techniques, and our Game Artwork Mini-Degree is a great resource for taking your skills to the next level.
Remember, practice makes perfect, and with dedication, you can become proficient in Blender and begin creating amazing game assets for your projects. Happy blending!
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