Blender Master Class: A Hands-On Guide to Modeling, Sculpting, Materials, and Rendering [Paperback]

Blender is a powerful and free 3D graphics tool used by artists and designers worldwide. But even experienced designers can find it challenging to turn an idea into a polished piece.

For those who have struggled to create professional quality projects in Blender, author Ben Simonds offers this peek inside his studio. You'll learn how to create 3D models as you explore the creative process that he uses to model three example projects: a muscular bat creature, a futuristic robotic spider, and ancient temple ruins. Along the way, you'll master the Blender interface and learn how to create and refine your own models.

You'll also learn how to:

• Work with reference and concept art in Blender and GIMP to make starting projects easier
• Block in models with simple geometry and build up more complex forms
• Use Blender's powerful sculpting brushes to create detailed organic models
• Paint textures with Blender and GIMP and map them onto your 3D artwork
• Design textures in GIMP and map them onto your 3D artwork
• Light, render, and composite your models to create striking images

Ben Simonds is a 3D artist and co-director of Gecko Animation Ltd., an animation and post-production company based in London, England (http://geckoanimation.com/). He first started messing around with Blender back in 2005, when he had no idea it would eventually become a major part of his day job. Since then he's authored a wide variety ol“|