Blender for Beginners: A reference guide to 3D modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects with Blender 4.5 LTS

by 3D Tudor, Vanessa Haralambous

Overview

Embark on a creative journey with Blender, from learning its user interface to rendering impressive 3D art for your portfolio

Key Features

• Learn 3D modeling basics in Blender from an expert team of tutors who’ve taught over 200,000 students worldwide
• Get to grips with Blender and the principles that make animation, lighting, and camera work come alive
• Start with the basics and build your skills through a series of projects to create a complex world
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Master the use of Blender with this comprehensive guide crafted by educators who've successfully taught 3D modeling to over 200,000 students worldwide. While Blender’s complex interface can overwhelm beginners, this book will help you learn the ropes by explaining the workspace, keyboard shortcuts, and menus, and most importantly, by guiding you through projects that put your new skills to the test. Through highly visual presentation, this book equips you with essential skills—from navigating the user interface to actionable projects, offering keystroke guidance and technical definition to prepare you for complex tasks. You’ll learn how to install Blender, use all the overhead and side menus, make simple 3D models, and set up your Blender asset manager to maximize software usability. Working through examples, you’ll see how primitives work, as well as how to texture, mark seams and sharps, UV map, and retopologize high and low-poly 3D models. The book also guides you through creating basic rigs and animations, and explores geometry nodes introduced in Blender 2.92. The book's project-based approach ensures you're not just learning theory—you're building practical skills to create sophisticated 3D models and animations, complete with lighting and camera work worthy of your portfolio.

What you will learn

• Explore Blender's unique user interface and suite of modeling and animation tools
• Speed up your workflows by using the most commonly used shortcuts and menus
• Understand camera control and layout preferences
• Improve the quality of your 3D models and basic animations
• Discover texturing, material creation, and 3D assets optimization and learn more about game engine compatibility
• Extrude, bevel, and bend your text for 3D modeling
• Use advanced modeling techniques like sculpting and retopology
• Set up a chain using the all-new geometry nodes

Who this book is for

If you are a video games enthusiast looking to gain experience in 3D modeling, game design, and animation for game props, assets, and environments, this is the book for you. Character artists, game designers, motion graphics designers, animators, environment artists, or other technical artists would also benefit from this book. Basic Blender knowledge and experience are not required but general digital art know-how will help you get the most out of this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781837631094
Publisher:	Packt Publishing
Publication date:	11/28/2025
Product dimensions:	75.00(w) x 92.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

3D Tudor is an online course creator team publishing courses on 3D modeling, game design, and animation. Founded by Neil I. Bettison in 2019, 3D Tudor brings with it over 9 years of specialist experience. The focus of 3D Tudor is on teaching 3D modeling and animation through free and accessible software to over 200,000 students from all backgrounds, including Blender and Unreal Engine 5. The team publishes courses, 3D models, and game props, and also owns a YouTube channel where free Blender to Unreal Engine 5 environment tutorials are posted. The 3D Tudor headquarters are in Paphos, Cyprus. Neil holds a Computer Games Art BA(Hons) degree from the University for Creative Arts.

Vanessa A. B. Haralambous is an academic writing specialist, with over 10 years of experience. Since 2010, she has taught academic writing and proofreading techniques to a variety of university students from different levels and disciplines including the humanities and arts. Between 2019 and 2020, Vanessa published two courses on academic writing for the university. Currently, Vanessa offers ad-hoc copywriting support to 3D Tudor. Vanessa holds a Psychology with Criminology BSc(Hons) degree and a Forensic Psychology MSc degree.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Understanding Camera Control and Viewport Navigation in Blender
2. Optimizing Your Workflow with the Status Bar, Workspaces, and File Options
3. Exploring Blender's Properties Panel for Optimal 3D Creativity
4. Unleashing the Potential of Blender's Outliner and Add-On Ecosystem
5. Going Over Proportional Editing, Transform Orientation, and Viewport Shaders
6. Discovering Essential Tools for 3D Modeling in Blender
7. Elevating Your Craft with Mid-Level Blender Modeling Techniques
8. Refining your Mid-Level Blender Modeling Techniques
9. Discovering Must-Know Advanced Blender Modeling Techniques
10. Leveling Up with More Advanced Blender Modeling Techniques
11. Exploring Blender's Particle System
12. Introducing Digital Sculpting and Brushing Up on Your Retopology Skills
13. Introducing Shaders in Blender
14. Mastering Seams and Sharps in Blender
15. Mastering the Art of UV Unwrapping in Blender
16. Animating Your First Scene in Blender
17. Rigging and Weight Painting for Beginners
18. Mastering the Basics of Blender Geometry Nodes
19. Unlocking Creativity with Blender Texture Painting
20. Releasing Colorful Creativity with Vertex Painting in Blender
21. Introducing Blender's Rendering Engines: A Comprehensive Exploration
22. Enhancing Realism in Blender: Mastering Light Linking, Light Portals, and the Shadow Catcher
23. Guiding you Through Compositing in Blender
24. Optimising your Blender for Success