Master the Newest Blender Techniques for Creating Amazing 3D Characters: From Design and Modeling to Video Compositing

Now fully updated for Blender 2.83 LTS (Long-Term Support) and beyond, Learning Blender, Third Edition, walks you through every step of creating an outstanding 3D animated character with Blender, and then compositing it in a real video using a professional workflow. This edition covers the extensive interface changes of the software, as well as many improvements and some almost fully rewritten chapters to showcase more modern workflows.

Still the only Blender tutorial to take you from preproduction to final result, this guide is perfect for both novices and those moving from other software to Blender (open source and free software). Author Oliver Villar provides full-color, hands-on chapters that cover every aspect of character creation: design, modeling, unwrapping, texturing, shading, rigging, animation, and rendering. He also walks you through integrating your animated character into a real-world video, using professional camera tracking, lighting, and compositing techniques.

The rich companion website ( blendtuts.com/learning-blender-files) will help you quickly master even the most complex techniques with bonus contents like video tutorials. By the time you're done, you'll be ready to create outstanding characters for all media -- and you'll have up-to-date skills for any 3D project, whether it involves characters or not.

• Learn Blender's updated user interface and navigation
• Create your first scene with Blender and the Blender Render and Cycles render engines
• Organize an efficient, step-by-step pipeline to streamline workflow in any project
• Master modeling, unwrapping, and texturing
• Bring your character to life with materials and shading in both Cycles and EEVEE (the new real-time render engine included in Blender)
• Create your character's skeleton and make it walk
• Use Camera Tracking to mix 3D objects into a real-world video
• Transform a raw rendered scene into the final result using Blender's compositing nodes

The Third Edition of Learning Blender walks students though every step of creating an outstanding animated character and composing it in a real video using a professional workflow. This edition has been revised for Blender 2.80.

Students will learn Blender through a simple approach:

• An introduction to Blender will familiarize the reader with the interface, controls, how to interact with objects, and how to edit them.
• Simple exercises drill the reader on the basics of Blender so they're ready to approach the full project.
• Each chapter takes the reader through a segment of the project, all the way through to completion.
• Lessons are tailored to skill and knowledge level, so students new to 3D software will master the fundamentals while experienced users can jump directly to the exercise.
• Learning Blender walks students through every step of creating an outstanding animated character with the free, open source, 3D software Blender, and then composing it in a real video using a professional workflow.
• This is the only Blender tutorial to take you from preproduction to final result, and it’s perfect for both 3D novices and those who’ve used other 3D Software.
• Focusing on Blender 2.78 and above, 3D-professional and Blender Foundation Certified Trainer Oliver Villar explains all the basics, including Blender’s interface, controls, and how to manipulate objects. Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you’ll follow a realistic 3D workflow through a complete project.
• You’ll find chapters on every aspect of the character creation: design, modeling, unwrapping, texturing, shading, rigging, and animation.
• Once your character is ready and animated, you’ll learn how to integrate it into a real video using camera tracking techniques, lighting, and compositing.
• Each skillset is taught hands on, and available online video tutorials will guide you through Blender’s trickier tasks.
• By the time you’re done, you’ll understand how the whole process fits together, and how to use Blender to create amazing characters for all types of media. You’ll also build strong Blender skills you can later apply in any 3D project, whether it involves characters or not.

New edition of top seller! Revised for Blender 2.78 and above

• Learning Blender walks you through every step of creating an outstanding animated character with the free, open source, 3D software Blender, and then composing it in a real video using a professional workflow.
• This is the only Blender tutorial to take you from preproduction to final result, and it’s perfect for both 3D novices and those who’ve used other 3D Software.
• Focusing on Blender 2.78 and above, 3D-professional and Blender Foundation Certified Trainer Oliver Villar explains all the basics, including Blender’s interface, controls, and how to manipulate objects. Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you’ll follow a realistic 3D workflow through a complete project.
• You’ll find chapters on every aspect of the character creation: design, modeling, unwrapping, texturing, shading, rigging, and animation.
• Once your character is ready and animated, you’ll learn how to integrate it into a real video using camera tracking techniques, lighting, and compositing.
• Each skillset is taught hands on, and available online video tutorials will guide you through Blender’s trickier tasks.
• By the time you’re done, you’ll understand how the whole process fits together, and how to use Blender to create amazing characters for all types of media. You’ll also build strong Blender skill

Review

"Oliver Villar's book will give you a solid foundation in Blender and computer graphics in general. Filled with well-crafted examples and lessons, this book will give you the tools you need to succeed as an artist."

--David Andrade, Producer, Theory Studios

"The days are now over when beginners found learning Blender 3D difficult. Oliver Villar introduces to beginners the best of Blender's 3D features and 3D fundamentals in fun and exciting ways. His approach of completing a character from scratch, touching every aspect of 3D from Blender's point of view, is truly filled with explanations of techniques and important tools that will help readers to bring their ideas to life creatively while following professional workflows in 3D. Starting with the fundamentals of 3D, this is a great resource for every beginner artist who is looking to learn Blender 3D. It's truly a book written with great dedication!"

--Waqas Abdul Majeed, CG Generalist, www.waqasmajeed.com

"I found Oliver Villar's book, Learning Blender, to be an essential tool for not only getting users acquainted with Blender, but also preparing them by explaining the history and the magic that has made Blender what it is now. His book also prepares users to be productive and informed by explaining the community and its various portals. His book is complete in explaining all the aspects of the UI and acquainting users with the classic G, S, and R. The exercises are perfect for getting users on the level to begin making their own worlds. I was even pleased to see him discussing F2, ripping with V, and even Knife Project, which are classics I usually consider to be more advanced. This book is a no-holds-barred approach to getting the most out of this capable little program. I must also add that the character created is attractive and well created, and is a fine example of using the program for character modeling. Oliver is truly a skilled artist and that shines through in his use of this program."

--Jerry Perkins, 3D Conceptor, Fenix Fire

About the Author

Oliver Villar is a Blender Foundation Certified Trainer. He has has studied 3D since 2004 and used diverse commercial 3D software before stumbling onto Blender in 2008. Since then, he has used Blender professionally as a freelance 3D designer and tutor. In 2010, he founded blendtuts.com to offer high-quality Blender training videos to the community. He authored this book's first and second editions and the video, Introduction to Blender LiveLessons (Addison-Wesley, 2015). Villar is now co-directing Luke's Escape, a 3D animated short film made with Blender. He is also teaching Blender at online schools focused on teaching for the Spanish community and teaches 3D for online schools and the University of Murcia in Spain.