Thundeer's Notes

🐤 BEGINNER

By this point you should already be confortable using popular 3D software without much hand holding, and be able to do simple tasks inside the software. The next step is to become able to finish projects.

THUNDEER'S 3D LEARNING RESOURCES

2.

🐤 BEGINNER

By this point you should already be confortable using popular 3D software without much hand holding, and be able to do simple tasks inside the software. The next step is to become able to finish projects.

Resources directed primarily for learning character creation in 3D.

Pick resources that fit your learning style, instead of brute forcing learning in a way you don't enjoy - that's why I tried including multiple options in each topic for you to pick from!

Blender

Open page
Beginner (Blender)
Courses, videos, blog posts & books

Beginner (Blender)

Courses, videos, blog posts & books

In Blender, at this stage, you should learn:

  • Curves

  • Origin Points / Pivots

  • Subdivision Modeling (Loop supports)

  • Understanding UV's, and doing basic UV unwrapping

  • Procedural & Image Textures using the Shader Editor

  • EEVEE vs. Cycles

  • Light types, and how to light a scene

  • Creating a simple armature

  • Weights & Weight Painting

  • Basic notions of clean topology & loops

  • Position a camera

  • Render scene

For sculpting in Blender, you should learn:

  • Basic understanding of the Sculpting UI and navigation

  • Activate Symmetry

  • Essential brushes (Grab, Draw, Clay, Clay Strips, Snake Hook, Inflate, Pinch, Draw Sharp, Crease, Flatten, Smooth)

  • Dyntopo, Multires & Remesher

  • Masking

  • Face Sets

  • Vertex painting

All this info should allow you to create a simple character from start to finish, with rigging and textures.

👨‍🎓 STANDALONE COURSES

⭐ FREE

Blender Fundamentals 4.5 LTS

Blender Studio

Blender Studio's own training course, will cover everything you will need for your 3D journey
Blender Fundamentals 4.5 LTS - Blender Studio
Start learning Blender at your own pace with this complete fundamental course.
https://studio.blender.org/training/blender-fundamentals-45-lts/

FREE

BLENDER BASICS: An Introduction to Blender 3D 4.5 LTS

CGCookie


BLENDER BASICS: An Introduction to Blender 3D 4.5 LTS
Need to learn Blender? Stream the Blender Basics for free on CG Cookie to learn everything you need to know to get started with this 3D Modeling and Animation Software. Now updated for version 4.5 LTS!
https://cgcookie.com/courses/blender-basics-an-introduction-to-blender-3d-4-5-lts

FREE

Blender Sculpting for Beginners

CGBoost

Blender Sculpting for Beginners | CG Boost
The hassle-free way of learning Blender's important sculpting fundamentals.
https://www.cgboost.com/courses/blender-sculpting-for-beginners

FREE

Intro to Sculpting in Blender

Rico Cilliers

Intro to Sculpting in Blender
This course introduces Blender’s sculpting tool set and features. Rico walks through his workflow as he takes you through the process to sculpt a typical rock formation. He also covers how to create your own alphas and brushes, enabling you to work as quickly and efficiently as possible.
https://www.artstation.com/learning/courses/3Va/intro-to-sculpting-in-blender/

PAID ($49)

Introduction to Sculpting in Blender

FlippedNormals

Introduction to Sculpting in Blender
Introduction to Sculpting in Blender Learn how to sculpt in Blender with our easy-to-follow course, taking you through everything you need to know! You'll learn how to use the different sculpting tools in Blender, such as dyntopo and remeshing - as well as sculpting techniques like understanding how to create appealing
https://flippednormals.com/collections/courses/products/introduction-to-sculpting-in-blender

📺 YOUTUBE

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvgIVNDU-Dxi5h3JLNJMfK0t3-WsBm6Av

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBLrsmVrcZpRSANersBvy9Dsf2kuNx6AR

Blender Secrets

Blender Secrets
Get your free 30-page e-book by clicking on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/@BlenderSecrets

💻BLOG POSTS

Complete 3D Game Character Creation Guide (From Blender to Godot) - CoderNunk's Official Website
This guide can help you get started making your own 3D characters for your Godot game from scratch!
https://codernunk.com/tutorials/complete-3d-character-guide/
Blender Secrets - Short Daily Blender Tutorials — BLENDER SECRETS
Welcome to blender secrets. A place to level up your blender skills.
https://www.3dsecrets.com/secrets
Topology Guide Illustration, Mark Ferrish
Redesigned a topology template as an Adobe Illustrator exercise, inspired by Peter Satera on Twitter. I created this in Nov 2020.
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/eJxnzb

📚BOOKS

📄 DOCUMENTATION / USER MANUAL

Blender 5.2 LTS Manual

https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/editors/3dview/navigate/regions.html

Zbrush

Open page
Beginner (Zbrush)
Courses, videos, blog posts & books

Beginner (Zbrush)

Courses, videos, blog posts & books

In Zbrush, at this stage, you should learn to:

  • Extract

  • Polygroups

  • Alphas

  • Deformation tab

  • ZRemesher

  • Transpose Master

  • Posing model using Masking + Gizmo

  • Project

  • Layers

  • Export your file to other software (Export, GoZ)

📺YOUTUBE

Follygon

Follygon
Digital Sculpting, Made Simple 👇 https://follygon.com Hey, I'm Follygon! I'm a digital sculptor who has worked professionally for companies like Pokémon, Clash of Clans, Epic Games, and many, many more. I've mentored students at Blizzard and Disney, and I work with students on their very first day. Glad to have you here, hope you enjoy the vids, and click that subscribe button if you would like to see more in the future!
https://www.youtube.com/@Follygon

Character Blocking in ZBrush: Essential Sculpting Techniques | Reins Academy

How and Why to Use Transpose Master in ZBrush | Follygon

👨‍🎓 STANDALONE COURSES

💻 BLOG POSTS

Do's and Don'ts when Sculpting | PaBlander Academy

Do's and Don'ts when Sculpting | Pablander Academy
In this tutorial, I walk you through a sculpting workflow that keeps your sculpts clean, modular, and deliberate. Everything I describe comes from experience and long hours in ZBrush, tips that help you build strong foundations first, so detailing later becomes fast and satisfying. This is a process-driven guide: from blocking and foundations to the moment you start adding surface details.
https://www.pablander.academy/tutorials/dos-and-donts-when-sculpting
The importance of blocking your ideas first | Pablander Academy
Before diving into details, make sure your primary shapes are rock solid. It’s tempting to start refining too soon, but a weak foundation will make everything harder down the line… so let’s break down this sculpting process for The Thing (Ben Grimm from Fantastic Four) using 5 distinct steps to go from simple blockout to a polished, textured, and posed model. This workflow keeps things structured and efficient, ensuring your primary forms are strong before moving into details.
https://www.pablander.academy/newsletter/the-importance-of-blocking-your-ideas-first

ZClassroom

Zbrush's official teaching website

ZBrush - The all-in-one-digital sculpting solution
ZBrush is a ditigal sculpting application loved by professional and independent artists the world over.
https://zclassroom.com/zclassroom/
Making The Thing: From Blockout to Render | Pablander Academy
Welcome to a breakdown of my sculpting process for The Thing! In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through my approach to building a fan-art version of Ben Grimm in ZBrush, from the first blockout to the final polish. In this tutorial, you can keep your workflow clear, structured, and fun, perfect for practice, portfolio pieces, or just sharpening your sculpting skills.
https://www.pablander.academy/tutorials/making-the-thing-from-blockout-to-render
Do's and Don'ts when Sculpting | Pablander Academy
In this tutorial, I walk you through a sculpting workflow that keeps your sculpts clean, modular, and deliberate. Everything I describe comes from experience and long hours in ZBrush, tips that help you build strong foundations first, so detailing later becomes fast and satisfying. This is a process-driven guide: from blocking and foundations to the moment you start adding surface details.
https://www.pablander.academy/tutorials/dos-and-donts-when-sculpting
ArtStation - Tutorial: Combining meshes seamlessly with Remesh by Union
https://www.artstation.com/blogs/polyjunky/wBO3L/tutorial-combining-meshes-seamlessly-with-remesh-by-union

📚BOOKS

Nomad Sculpt

Open page
Beginner (Nomad Sculpt)

Beginner (Nomad Sculpt)

Wolverine: Nomad Sculpt Advanced Tutorial
3D Sculpting and Modeling Course using Nomad Sculpt on iPad Pro or Android Tablet
https://www.udemy.com/course/wolverine/

Creating a 3D Troll Character Entirely with Nomad Sculpt
Janell Buncome showed us the workflow behind creating a detailed troll character entirely with Nomad Sculpt and explained why this software became the artist's tool of choice.
https://80.lv/articles/breakdown-sculpting-a-fierce-fantasy-troll-using-only-nomad-sculpt

Maya

Open page
Beginner (Maya)

Beginner (Maya)

This thread will be constantly updating.

(Last updated: 06/09/2026)

🗿 SCULPTING
🐣 FRESH START!
3D

Thundeer's Notes