Best Way to Learn 3D Modeling – Beginner-Friendly Guide

If you are just inspired by any art that you have seen in movies or games and want to learn 3D Modeling but don’t know where to start.

Don’t worry I share the step-by-step process.

1. Choose Software

Before you learn the 3D, you first choose the 3D Modeling Software. Many Free and Premium software are available on the Market.

But only a few are good at 3D Modeling

Blender:- Blender is a free and open-source software for commercial and non-commercial usage. It has a dedicated community that helps you to learn Blender faster.

Autodesk Maya:- Autodesk Maya is an industry-standard software but it’s very costly. But for learning purposes, you can apply for a free Licence and you can get a one-month free trial also.

For learning purposes especially for beginners, its user interface is quite complicated but it’s great for complex modelling tasks.

3DS Max:- 3DS Max is also an industry-standard software and its UI is beginner-friendly, however, you don’t find enough tutorials to learn 3DS Max compared to Autodesk Maya and Blender.

If you are confused between these three software I recommend you read the software comparison before choosing the software:-

• 3DS Max vs Maya
• 3DS Max vs Blender
• Maya vs Blender

2. Learn The Basic

To be a better 3D Artist in future make sure that you have all the knowledge of fundamentals of 3D Modeling.

So please don’t skip anything in fundamentals. Any 3D Model that you will see in Movies or games they are made with Quad, NGON or Triangle.

Quads – Quads have four side polygonal faces. It has four side vertex or EDGE. To understand Quads in detail, you can read the full guide in Selfcad Blog.

Triangle:- As the name suggests, a triangle is a side face with three EDGE or vertex.

NGON- N Gon has more than four side faces, and it is considered a bad topology in 3D modelling.

As a beginner, you should only focus on Quad-Based Topology.

3. How To Learn 3D Modeling in Blender

This is a great tutorial to learn Blender modelling for beginners from senior 3D Artists. This is a two-hour long Video tutorial and you will learn everything in this video.

What you learn in this tutorial:-

• Import Reference images
• Blender Introduction and Navigation
• User Interface and Customization
• Hot Key Creation for faster modeling
• Download and Installing Free and Premium Extension/Plugin/ADD-ON and How to Use it
• Modifiers for Faster Modeling
• Easy Boolean
• Text Creation
• Import Reference Images and many more things.

If you think that these things are quite complicated, don’t worry about that everything is explained step by step.

4. Learn Autodesk Maya for 3D Modeling

This is a great Autodesk Maya tutorial for beginners to Learn The Modeling fundamentals in Autodesk Maya:-

What you will learn in this course:-

• UI and Navigation
• Move, Rotate, Scale
• Mesh creation and Smooth out the mesh
• Basic Modeling Tools
• Copy, Duplicate Object etc
• Basic Modifiers and more.

5. 3D Modeling Guide for Beginners in 3DS Max

Learning 3DS Max is easy compared to Blender and Maya. You will learn 3D Modeling faster in 3DS Max.

The reason is that 3D Max is designed for beginners. This is the 50-minute long video tutorial to learn 3D Modeling in 3DS Max:-

What you learn in this tutorial:-

• User Interface and Navigation
• 3DS Max Modifiers
• Basic things like Move, Rotate, Scale
• Faster Selection
• Shortcut key and more.

These are free tutorials to Learn 3D Modeling for beginners and it’s enough to learn the fundamentals of 3D.

But you need to practice a lot and you need a passion to learn 3D Modeling.

Where to Learn 3D Modeling?

You can learn 3D in various locations. You can learn it from offline centres like MAAC and Arena Animation, however, these institutes do not teach you industry standards.

Online methods are the best way for 3D modelling. if you don’t have a budget, you can learn from YouTube.

If you have enough budget then you learn it from CGMA Academy, FlippedNormals, Udemy etc.

Can Anyone Learn 3D Modeling?

Most people ask this, I don’t know sketching, but can I do 3D Modeling? Yes, Sketching is not necessary to learn 3D.

In short, anyone can learn it but you need to practice a lot and have a strong passion for learning 3D.

How To Learn 3D Modeling Fast or How Long does it take to learn?

In 3D Industry, there is no fast approach. This industry requires time and practice, if you don’t have time, I don’t think this industry is for you.

To learn the basics of 3D Modeling, one month is enough. To expert in 3D, 6 months to 1 year is enough if you practice regularly.

It is Hard To Learn 3D Modeling

3D Modeling is hard for anyone who is not interested in 3D Modeling. If you have a passion, it’s very easy for you.

However, you need to practice a lot regularly.

Once you learn 3D Modeling, you can learn texturing in Substance Painter or another Software. Here are some Substance Painter tutorials.

Now It’s Your Turn

So I share all the information that you need to learn 3D Modeling faster and start a 3D Modeling journey.

If you have any questions, ask in the comment section.

Share this post with anyone interested in learning 3D Modeling.