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    PRESS START: Your Simple First Blender Project

    Instructor:
    Jonathan Lampel
    Start Course
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    Looking for a simple modeling, texturing and lighting Blender project?

    This Blender course is...

    βœ… made for beginners (or those who need a refresh)
    βœ… perfect as your first Blender project
    βœ… possible to complete on a weekend
    βœ… designed to be customized by you
    ❌ for creating a real game console (sorry!)

    Oh, did I mention... we're keeping it lightΒ 
    Creating in Blender should be fun, first and foremost.Β 

    That is why we're bringing back an iconic 80s handheld gaming console from an alternate CG Cookie universe.

    This object, though eternal and glorious, is just an example for teaching you the Blender workflow... so you can get up and running on creating your own endless Blender projects.

    Totally new to Blender?

    Watch the Blender Basics firstΒ 
    Don't worry: it's quick. You'll learn to navigate in 3d space, move objects, and more.Β 
    Stream the Blender Basics

    1️⃣ First, we'll model the console

    In this part, you will learn how to...

    • model in Blender from a reference image
    • create your own mesh shapes
    • use the most important modeling tools
    • use modifiers (makes your life easier!)


    2️⃣ Next, we'll add materials and textures

    A model without textures is like a rhino without a pink bow on its horn. Just... boring.

    Learn how to:
    • add materials
    • apply and customize texturesΒ 
    • load an animation
    • use a generated pattern

    3️⃣ Let's light this and get to rendering

    To make our model shine, we will apply nice, basic Blender lighting and render it out for the ultimate beauty shot.

    Ultimately, you can make your own little pocket game console and customize and shape it however you want.

    Plus: Learn how to troubleshoot and avoid pitfalls

    Starting with Blender can be overwhelming. I'll show you the mistakes to avoid and the tricks I wish I knew when I was first starting out.

    Feeling lost? We're here to help.

    As CG Cookie member, you can ask any questions along the way and we will help you out with any roadblocks.

    We also want to see your result: share your final render in CG Cookie Gallery so the rest of us can see your masterpiece!Β 

    We love sharing your work on our social media, so make sure to tag your @ handles to your profile.

    Get Caught Up

    Are you brand new to Blender?

    These courses should help you get up to speed in no time.

    Free

    Blender 3 Basics: Into To Blender

    Build and Animate a Low Poly Rocket in Blender for Beginners

    Want to learn more?

    Consider these courses next!

    Similar topics and workflows for continued learning.

    Fundamentals of 3D Mesh Modeling in Blender

    Fundamentals of Blender Materials and Shading

    POTHEAD: Create a Hard-Surface Character in Blender

    SESSIONS: Minimalism

    Awarded upon completion:
    100xp +
    Course Curriculum
    54 Reviews
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      rachid yous(gecko) ·

      I recently completed the Blender Basic + β€œPress Start” course. Thank you, Jonathan for this awesome fast track course ! Thank you Omar thank you Martin for your fast reply when I was in need 🫢


      It truly felt like an initiatory journey into 3D creation. Each lesson brought me closer to my dream of one day producing a full piece of content that blends seamlessly with reality.


      The course is concise yet incredibly precise. By the end of each video, every question I had was already answered. What really stood out was the amazing community support. Twice I ran into issues while modeling, and within minutes, I received clear guidance that helped me understand and fix my mistakes without breaking the learning flow.


      Thanks again to Jonathan L. for such a clear, focused, and enjoyable course. Thanks to the community for the constructive feedback, and to the platform for offering such a valuable resource. This course has truly become a must for me.


      Best to all of you.


      Rachid Y. aka Gecko

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      M C(Myri) ·

      I loved the Blender Basics and Press Start course. It's been the PERFECT introduction to Blender, delivered professionally at the right level without too little or too much detail. I'm so happy with the progress I've made over the past week, I look forward to continuing my journey with CGCookie with the Core / Fundamentals course.

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      Allwin Fernandes(Deadmanstroll) ·

      The way he taught this course made me want to invest in getting a membership, so a yearly member now eager to learn more.

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      Moussa Bouceder(moub) ·

      awsome course

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      Yosef Futsum(Jossy.mp4) ·

      Quite literally the best beginner course! I'm very grateful to find this on my first month of learning blender and CGI in general! thanks CGCookie team and Mr. Lampel. God bless.

    • d
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      Dariusz Scharsig(dariusz) ·

      Great starting course. I was out of the game for a while and this course was really good for me to get back into blender. Thanks guys!

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      jason b(jasonbadum) ·

      Great start to see if this is right for you

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      Kate Farr(Joey Macaroni) ·

      This is a great course for starting out on learning to model in blender.

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      Miguel Angel Vega(akaVmek) ·

      I had been away from studying for a while due to setbacks in life (life sucks sometimes, you know), I was really unmotivated and the comeback to Blender was difficult for me, I thought about doing a tutorial but none was what I was looking for, until I see this masterpiece. From chapter one I felt totally trapped by the calmness of the instructor, how clear the steps are and how understandable everything was. This is the first course I have completed of several that I bought over time, I feel very proud of having focused again and the result, it was very fun to shape a game console. I hope to continue learning with you, you are a great communityπŸŽ‰
      PD: Was little weird to do something like hard-surface modeling with tris and that different workflow :p but help me a lot with basic mistakes and learn how to use bevel at 200%

      • author Kent Trammell(theluthier) ·

        This means so much to us, Miguel! Thank you for learning with us as well as taking the time to post this review.

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      Jacoby O'Connor(JacobyO) ·

      This was a very fun and helpful course. It convinced me that I needed to sign up and continue my learning immediately.