As I began my final semester of university, I began to think ahead to what I hoped to achieve from this project, and where I want to end up in the creative industry. Following this thought, I then began to wonder if using Blender is the most efficient way to learn how to model.
The features it offers are brilliant, and fact it is free is ideal for someone like me who is just starting out in the 3D modelling world, but does it fit the “industry standard”? Is there an industry standard? And should I be using another software to launch myself into the industry with? All of these questions were answered in one short video posted by Blender Guru on Youtube.
The above video makes multiple points about why Blender is a great software to use, but begins by stating that in order to work within any of the 3D modelling industries out there, a basic knowledge of 3D is required. Whether users of the software want to become VFX artists, 3D printers, Game developers, Animators, work with VR or in Architectural Visulisation, there are three 3 ‘building blocks of 3D’ that creators need to learn, and once they do, that can be transferred into what ever industry desired:
- Modelling
- Textures
- Lighting
When it comes to 3D modelling software, there isn’t really an industry standard. Some well known studios even have their own in-house software when creating animations, software that is not available to the public, like Pixar, for example, so picking a software is not the key to getting noticed in this industry, the Art you create with that software is the number 1 attraction to you as a possible employee.
“… we look for a broad artistic and technical skills, rather than the ability to run a package over another.”
– Pixar Careers Page.
Most studios offer training in their proffered software as part of your job in order to get you up to their standards. Beorn Leonard, for example, dedicated his first two weeks on the Lego Movie to learning how to use XSI after learning his skills in Blender.
Why Blender?
1. Inexpensive.
Blender is not only free to download, but there are many online resources available that are dedicated to teaching people how to use the software. Youtube channels such as Blender Guru offer free courses on how to work with the functions available in Blender. The software its self has also been developed by volunteers across the world, this being an advantage as we get features users ask for.
The following Open movies were created in order to develop the programme:
- Elephants Dream (2005) – helped with compositor
- Bug Buck Bunny (2008) – helped with rendering
- Sintel (2010) – helped with smoke simulations
- Tears of Steel (2012) – helped with camera tracking and visual effects
- Cosmos Laundromat (2015) – helped with painting and performance
2. Functional
Blender allows you to render photo realistic images, sculpt and model characters, create realistic environments, architecture, fire, smoke, fluids, object simulations, camera tracking, compositing, and even more.
“Blender can do almost everything that Pixar’s in-house software can do”
– Tony DeRose
3. Easy to Learn
Blender has its own subreddit, stack exchange, news site, and art forum, that is all part of a community filled with people helping others understand the software.
Sources
– Blender Guru (2016). Beginners Guide to Learning 3D Computer Graphics.
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT5oZndzj68 [Accessed 27 Mar. 2018].