I just finished the CORE Materials and Shaders course (with chapters 3.1 and 4.2 still āunfinishedā, which Iāll explain why below), and Iām a bit split on how to rate it. That's why I'm adding my feedback here because I don't like putting mid-reviews in public.
Iāll start with what I really liked, and then share some areas I struggled with. Hopefully, this can be useful feedback if an updated version is ever planned.
First of all, Iād like to mention that Ewaās voice was very pleasant to listen to. She speaks in a engaging way and didn't sound monotone, which made the theoretical parts much easier to follow. Unlike some other reviewers, I personally didnāt have any issue with her accent. I understood about 95% of what she said, and for the rest, the captions helped a lot. I think enabling CC is a great solution for anyone who finds her accent challenging. Itās also clear that sheās VERY knowledgeable and experienced. Iāve already started her second course, CORE Textures. I especially loved how she went through each Shader node, since Iām the kind of learner who needs to be "taken by the hand" and taught what I have infront of me and how to use them before using something. The included examples also helped visualize the concepts instead of just hearing about them. I also love that she pointed out some solutions for possibly issues when using certain materials, and how to pay attention to settings to avoid extensive long render times etc.
Although the course had many great points, it also felt sadly harder to follow for a beginner compared to the previous ones.
- Some Shader explanations could use a bit more depth or beginner-friendly context. While all nodes were introduced, I often found myself needing to pause, read the description/summary added to each chapter for some context, and do outside research (via Google, docsblender or ChatGPT), and come back to truly understand them. For instance, in the Volume Scatter and Volume Absorption chapter, I understood the words but couldnāt quite connect the dots until I looked up additional explanations and examples (e.g., anisotropy).
- There wasnāt much focus on analyzing materials in real life or from images to recreate them. It sometimes felt like I was learning what Blender can do, rather than how to actually apply that knowledge to create new materials or recreate them when seeing them myself. I think a dedicated chapter on how to study and recreate materials would add a lot of value.
- The examples were helpful but a bit limited. I felt that glass was the one material that received a thorough explanation through various chapters (the material, dispersion, caustics, rendering etc.), but other materials couldāve used that same level of detail. Personally, I am currently struggling to do the final excercise. I have some main points down but I'm using YouTube and ChatGPT for help.
As mentioned earlier, I technically finished the course but left two chapters unfinished. Iāve rewatched them several times and still struggled to fully understand them. I plan to do more in-depth research first and then come back to those lessons, hoping theyāll make more sense later on.
Overall it's is a solid course with a knowledgeable instructor and well-structured content, but I think it would benefit from a bit more hand-holding and practical guidance for complete beginners. I still learned a lot and plan to revisit it once Iāve deepened my understanding further.
