[ENDED] BC1-1801 - January Class Homepage - Getting Started with 3D Modeling & Blender

Kent Trammell

CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #5 (Feb 1, 2018): The class is officially closed! Thanks to all who participated. Be sure to check page 43 for the closing "statement" and commendations.


CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #4 (Jan 30, 2018): The timing worked out where this week's homework stretch is 10 days instead of the usual 7. So you've got extra time to complete the assignment! I'll look for submission through tomorrow, the 31st, and then I'll do a final post to close out the class.

BTW week 4's live event is archived if you missed it.


CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #3 (Jan 15, 2018): Week 2 is done - We're halfway through the class! Today WEEK 3 begins where the focus is digital sculpting. This is a far more artistic method of shaping 3D models, so if you struggled in week 2, week 3 should be refreshing.

Keep up the awesome work, Class! So much creativity and hard work being contributed from everyone 🤘

CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #2 (Jan 8, 2018): Week one is accomplished! Today WEEK 2 begins. We're moving forward from basic viewport interaction and into mesh modeling; into Edit Mode and the modifier stack.

As always, don't hesitate to ask questions in this thread!

CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #1 (Jan 2, 2018): The class has officially started! Today we held the first live event to kick things off. The recording will be published by tomorrow at the latest is now available in "Past Events".

That means it's now up to you to watch the Blender Basics Course and submit your homework to this thread. Please add a big, bold title to your homework submission reply so I can easily tell. Like this:

"BC1-1801 Week 1 Homework Submission"

Also don't hesitate to ask questions along the way. I'll be checking this thread daily to answer questions, give advice, check homework.


This thread is for CG Cookie Citizens that are participating in the "Getting Started with 3D Modeling and Blender" class! Its purpose is to serve as central communication for all participating Citizens (excluding Hobby plan Citizens) to ask me and each other questions and to post homework. As the instructor of the class, I will be monitoring this thread on a daily basis (especially Mon-Thurs) throughout the month of January to review homework and answer questions.

This thread is intended only for Citizens who are participating in the class. Free members are welcome to observe the thread but please respect that communication is reserved for Citizens.


SYLLABUS

Welcome to the CGCookie Class: Getting Started with 3D Modeling & Blender! This is the first "Class" format where Citizen members are invited to focus together on a particular topic/skill together for a month. Participation is this:

  • RSVP and attend the Live Events
  • Watch the courses outlined below
  • Ask questions
  • Submit homework
  • Generally be active in this thread

It will take place from January 2nd through January 31st and the topic is for beginners that want to get into 3D modeling. The class is based on pre-recorded courses that students are expected to watch each week along with weekly Live Events.

WEEK 1: First time with Blender...overwhelmed yet? (Jan 1-6)

Download the latest official version of Blender and watch the Blender Basics course. The goal this week is to simply get familiar with the application. We’ve all been there: Opening Blender (or any 3D package), gazing at all the crazy UI, trying to orbit in the viewport, crying...Ok, maybe you were stronger than me and didn’t cry. But the reality is 3D software is daunting. There’s SO MUCH to digest especially when you’re a beginner.

This first week we’re going to overview Blender and 3D from an absolutely beginner perspective. What is Blender for? What can it do? Wait, this isn’t a juicing seminar?

During the Live Event we're also going to open the floor, ask me anything (AMA) style, so I can answer all your questions about getting started with Blender.

HOMEWORK: Create a scene out of primitive shapes. It can be anything from a landscape to a spaceship to a character. Just get comfortable with creating and positioning mesh objects. Here's an example:

Take a screenshot of your scene and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 1-6*.

WEEK 2: Pushing & Pulling Verts (Jan 7-13)

Enter the world of mesh modeling! The oldest form of building objects in 3D, in the computer. We’ll discuss the technical art of “pushing and pulling verts” as modelers often call it. First, watch the Mesh Modeling Fundamentals and Modeling with Modifiers courses to be introduced to this wild, geometric world.

Practice makes perfect here and during this week's Live Event we’ll be mesh-modeling a few objects to demonstrate tools and workflow available with Blender. It’s ideal if you practice along with me!

HOMEWORK: Model either 1, 2, or 3 unique objects using mesh-modeling techniques. They can be as simple or as complex as you like, but they can't be primitives. I want to see that you've used mesh tools to significantly customize your shapes. For example, you could model a hammer, a cell phone, a keyboard, a game controller, a picture frame, a coffee cup - choose something fun!

Take a screenshot of your shaded model + wireframe-over shaded (as pictured above) and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 7-14*.

WEEK 3: Digital Clay (Jan 14-20)

Digital sculpting is the more artistically intuitive method of 3D modeling. If pushing and pulling verts felt like the hard way of doing things, sculpting will be a welcomed alternative! Watch the Fundamentals of Digital Sculpting course this week.

During the Live Event, we'll discuss the pros and cons of digital sculpting as well as how it compares to mesh modeling. Again, practice makes perfect with any craft, and we will also practice sculpting. Be sure to have your pen and tablet ready!

HOMEWORK: *Submit during the week of Jan 15-21*

  1. Do the Melvin sculpting exercise (post a link to your submission in a reply to this thread)
  2. Sculpt 3 primitives as demo'd in the week 3 Live Event: cube from a sphere, sphere from a cube, cone from a sphere (post screenshots)
  3. Sculpt 1-3 additional objects of your choice (post screenshots) 

WEEK 4: Next Steps & Homework Awards  (Jan 21-31)

There’s still much more to learn about modeling with Blender. Remember, it’s a craft. Time + practice is the only way to develop your modeling skills.

This week your challenge is to dive into the Modeling in Blender Learning Flow. While the class gives you a boost, the Flow takes you further into intermediate and advanced modeling techniques/workflows. Test the waters and see how far you can go this week.

During the Live Event we'll discuss the journey of becoming a skilled modeler as well as the potential for turning it into a career. Finally, I’m going to sift through homework submissions to commend my favorites and offer critiques!

HOMEWORK: Model and/or sculpt something challenging this week! Try tackling a character or a complex vehicle, etc. Show me what you've learned; what you're capable of!

Take a screenshot of your shaded model and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 21-31*.


Start the new year strong together. See you in January! ❄️

  • Scott McClellan(pffsfs) replied

    Like the metalic look of the robot and the dais looks like obsidian - reflective.

  • Scott McClellan(pffsfs) replied

    Eeeeek!! It's Primitivious Prime - Blenderbot

  • Kent Trammell replied

    UPDATE: Week 1 is donesky! "Class announcement" at the top of the topic description. Here's to WEEK 2 🍻

  • Katerina Novakova(shiennar) replied

    I've had a look at your portfolio and the story book, abuttigieg, and they are all very cute. I'm sure that with such a strong background in Modo, you'll be able to master Blender in no time. :-)

  • Matthew Gayton(mathias67) replied

    Thank you both!

    ->Kent: Yeah, my work does tend to be rather dark, both in tone and content.  I'll try and brighten things up for the class! :-)

  • Matthew Gayton(mathias67) replied

    Great proportions and composition!

  • Matthew Gayton(mathias67) replied

    Fantastic!

  • Jaz McDaniel(jmac05) replied

    Thanks Kent, thanks for creating this training format!!!  Looking forward to learning more!!!

  • Panos Karouzakis(panagiotis156) replied

    BC1-1801 Week 1 Homework Submission

    Took me about 15 minutes , Did not had the time to do more because of  other projects deadlines getting close . I think i can do more , i have 2 years experience on writing programs with C and java , i also started recently learning python . I have 
    2 weeks experience on blender . That's all .

  • Kent Trammell replied

    Thanks for sneaking in your submission ppanagiotis156! If you're able to do this in 15 minutes, you must know how to navigate the viewport and move objects around: Grade A work.

    And thanks for sharing about your background with Blender and coding. Happy to have you in the class 👍

  • Anne CH Postma(percept10ndev) replied

    BC1-1801 Week 1 Homework Submission (Part 2)

    Right ... This is the final part of my submission for week one. I love what everyone did with the restrictions for this assignment 😀

  • Mona Loren(monaloren) replied

    BC1-1801  Week1  Homework  Submission

    Hello,

    this is my first post forc cgcookie and  I hope everything is right

    I am late but  I want to learn und say thank you for this class

    And I promise to improve my english too.

     Here ist my little primitive frog. it was a lot of fun to do this

    Mona

  • Zsolt Cseh(csehz) replied

    Mona that looks great, like the green an pink together, the colours of the heart chakra :-)

  • Troy Brown(troybrown1993) replied

    I have just found out about these live streams lessons is it possible to still complete the first lesson and submit homework

  • tanya (tanya53) replied

    help please or a hint, I am attempting the homework for this week and trying to do another fish. I have only made it to the profile, but the eye is way too small,  i formed the eye by

    1. beveled a vertex

    2. knife cut and then moved some vertex

    3. I need a bigger eye and way more geometry

    4. also a need a gill where I drew with the grease pencil, how would you do that, the ultimate goal (dream is to animate the fish, so the gill would need to move) 

    any help or hint would be appreciated.

  • Zsolt Cseh(csehz) replied

    Troy yes sure, in theory we are on the 2nd week but just post your homework for the 1st one and I will add you to the list of students, the most important is the learning with fun. 

    Art is on the first place not these formal things :-)

  • Matthew Ullrey(ullreym) replied

    Hi Tanya, I'd sneak a UV Sphere in where the eye should go. ;-) You could also select all of the faces that you circled with the grease pencil and delete them so the sphere has a place to fit.

     For the gill... we need to talk about "edge flow." You will want to redesign this part of the fish so that edges and faces fit that curve you drew with the grease pencil. It will feel like you are creating your own "Dot to dot" activity in 3D.

    I hope these hints were helpful.

  • Kent Trammell replied

    Sure ttroybrown1993 - Shouldn't be too hard to catch up! The next stream is tomorrow FYI

  • Kent Trammell replied

    Could you possible drop me a link to download your .blend file? Your fish WIP and questions would be great to demo in the stream tomorrow - If your cool with that ttanya53 

  • Kent Trammell replied

    Hey good job with part 2! I liked the snowman by itself, but the rest of the scene is quite lovely. Good stuff 👍