Learn Blender – Best Blender Tutorials for Game Development

Blender is an incredibly powerful and versatile open-source 3D creation suite that has become a go-to choice for many game developers and artists. Thanks to its extensive features and user-friendly interface, Blender has made it easier than ever for anyone to create stunning 3D assets and animations for their games. If you’re looking to learn Blender and dive into the world of game development, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll be sharing the best Blender tutorials for game development, including our very own Game Artwork Academy at Zenva, which offers beginner-friendly courses on creating custom 2D and 3D game assets using Blender and other popular tools.

What is Blender?

Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation suite that allows artists, developers, and designers to create stunning 3D models, animations, visual effects, and even games. It offers a powerful set of tools for modeling, sculpting, texturing, rigging, rendering, and more, making it an ideal choice for game development and other visual arts projects.

CTA Small Image
FREE COURSES AT ZENVA
LEARN GAME DEVELOPMENT, PYTHON AND MORE
ACCESS FOR FREE
AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

Why Use Blender Instead of Maya?

There are several reasons why Blender has become a popular choice among game developers and artists over other software like Maya:

  • Blender is completely free, while Maya requires a costly subscription.
  • Being open-source, Blender’s large and active community constantly develops and contributes new features and improvements.
  • Blender has a lower learning curve than Maya, making it easier for beginners to get started with 3D modeling, animation, and game development.
  • Blender supports a wide range of third-party plugins and comes with built-in game engine functionality.

Why Use Blender for Game Development?

Blender’s powerful suite of tools and features make it an ideal choice for game development. Artists and developers can create game assets, characters, environments, animations, and more using Blender’s extensive toolset. Moreover, Blender’s compatibility with popular game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine simplifies the process of integrating these assets into game projects, making Blender a one-stop-shop for game development needs.

There is, of course, game art available as a career – which you can dive more into our full article on the topic: The Guide to Game Art and Game Art Careers

What Are Recent Features Added to Blender?

Blender is constantly evolving, with the community and developers working together to add new features and improvements. Some of the most recent updates include:

  • Improved real-time rendering with the Eevee render engine
  • An enhanced grease pencil for 2D animation and sketching
  • Real-time virtual reality (VR) scene inspection
  • Advanced sculpting tools and brushes
  • Improved performance and viewport responsiveness

How to Learn Blender

Blender can be learned through various means, including online tutorials, video courses, or books. Additionally, joining the Blender community and participating in forums and discussions can help newcomers gain valuable insights and support from experienced users. To help you get started on your Blender learning journey, we have compiled a list of the best resources both from Zenva and other sources.

Below, we provide you with a list of valuable Blender learning resources catering to beginners and advanced users alike. From tutorials and courses to books and forums, these resources will assist you in mastering Blender for game development.

Zenva’s Game Artwork Academy

At the Game Artwork Academy, you’ll find a comprehensive collection of eight courses that cover everything from pixel art and vector art to 3D models using Blender, Photoshop, MagicaVoxel, GIMP, and Inkscape. With over 9 hours of content, these beginner-friendly courses will teach you the fundamentals of game art creation and help you build a professional portfolio to impress potential employers. Plus, with 24/7 access and no time limits, you can learn at your own pace and on your own schedule.

Game Designing – Blender Tutorials

Game Designing’s Blender Tutorials is an excellent resource for those looking to learn Blender for game development. With tutorials covering everything from the basics of Blender to creating game art and optimizing content creation, this resource is a must-visit for anyone looking to level up their Blender skills.

Blender.org Tutorials

The official Blender.org Tutorials page offers a range of tutorials for getting started with Blender, as well as in-depth guides on topics like creating stylized characters and scripting for artists. With clear, concise videos and a wealth of information, this is a great starting point for anyone new to the world of Blender.

Game Development with Blender – GitHub Book

User mikepan has made the book “Game Development with Blender” available for free on GitHub. This comprehensive guide covers everything from getting started with the Blender Game Engine to scripting, optimization, and publishing your games.

Rigged Blender model

KatsBits Tutorials

KatsBits Tutorials offers a wide range of tutorials, training, and educational resources for game making and development using Blender and other software. With detailed explanations of methods and principles associated with content and game development, these tutorials are a valuable resource for anyone looking to create stunning game art.

Creative Bloq – 31 Blender Tutorials

This Creative Bloq article presents 31 Blender tutorials for users of all skill levels. With topics ranging from realistic texturing to character animation and lighting, these tutorials will help you become more creative and efficient in your 3D work.

Complete Game Character Tutorial Series

The Complete Game Character Tutorial Series by Ironbark Games Studio is a comprehensive, 16-part tutorial series that guides beginners through the full process of creating a game-ready and animated character suitable for use in Unity or Unreal game engines. With over 9 hours of video demonstration and detailed PDF tutorial notes, this course is perfect for those looking to create their own game characters using Blender.

Conclusion

Learning Blender can be an exciting and rewarding experience, especially for those looking to create stunning game art and assets. With the resources and tutorials listed above, you’ll be well on your way to mastering Blender and bringing your game development projects to life. Don’t forget to check out our very own Game Artwork Academy at Zenva for a beginner-friendly and comprehensive collection of courses covering all aspects of game art creation using Blender and other popular tools.

Did you come across any errors in this tutorial? Please let us know by completing this form and we’ll look into it!

FREE COURSES
Python Blog Image

FINAL DAYS: Unlock coding courses in Unity, Godot, Unreal, Python and more.