CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #5 (Feb 1, 2018): The class is officially closed! Thanks to all who participated. Be sure to check page 43 for the closing "statement" and commendations.
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #4 (Jan 30, 2018): The timing worked out where this week's homework stretch is 10 days instead of the usual 7. So you've got extra time to complete the assignment! I'll look for submission through tomorrow, the 31st, and then I'll do a final post to close out the class.
BTW week 4's live event is archived if you missed it.
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #3 (Jan 15, 2018): Week 2 is done - We're halfway through the class! Today WEEK 3 begins where the focus is digital sculpting. This is a far more artistic method of shaping 3D models, so if you struggled in week 2, week 3 should be refreshing.
- Only 1 course to watch this week: Fundamentals of Digital Sculpting
- Live Event tomorrow at 2pm EST
- Please submit homework anytime between Jan 15 - Jan 21 with "BC1-1801 Week 3 Homework Submission" at the top of your post.
Keep up the awesome work, Class! So much creativity and hard work being contributed from everyone 🤘
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #2 (Jan 8, 2018): Week one is accomplished! Today WEEK 2 begins. We're moving forward from basic viewport interaction and into mesh modeling; into Edit Mode and the modifier stack.
- Reminder that you have 2 courses to watch this week: Mesh Modeling Fundamentals and Modeling with Modifiers.
- Live Event tomorrow at 2pm EST
- Please submit homework anytime between Jan 8 - Jan 14 with "BC1-1801 Week 2 Homework Submission" at the top of your post.
As always, don't hesitate to ask questions in this thread!
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #1 (Jan 2, 2018): The class has officially started! Today we held the first live event to kick things off. The recording will be published by tomorrow at the latest is now available in "Past Events".
That means it's now up to you to watch the Blender Basics Course and submit your homework to this thread. Please add a big, bold title to your homework submission reply so I can easily tell. Like this:
"BC1-1801 Week 1 Homework Submission"Also don't hesitate to ask questions along the way. I'll be checking this thread daily to answer questions, give advice, check homework.
This thread is for CG Cookie Citizens that are participating in the "Getting Started with 3D Modeling and Blender" class! Its purpose is to serve as central communication for all participating Citizens (excluding Hobby plan Citizens) to ask me and each other questions and to post homework. As the instructor of the class, I will be monitoring this thread on a daily basis (especially Mon-Thurs) throughout the month of January to review homework and answer questions.
This thread is intended only for Citizens who are participating in the class. Free members are welcome to observe the thread but please respect that communication is reserved for Citizens.
Welcome to the CGCookie Class: Getting Started with 3D Modeling & Blender! This is the first "Class" format where Citizen members are invited to focus together on a particular topic/skill together for a month. Participation is this:
It will take place from January 2nd through January 31st and the topic is for beginners that want to get into 3D modeling. The class is based on pre-recorded courses that students are expected to watch each week along with weekly Live Events.
Download the latest official version of Blender and watch the Blender Basics course. The goal this week is to simply get familiar with the application. We’ve all been there: Opening Blender (or any 3D package), gazing at all the crazy UI, trying to orbit in the viewport, crying...Ok, maybe you were stronger than me and didn’t cry. But the reality is 3D software is daunting. There’s SO MUCH to digest especially when you’re a beginner.
This first week we’re going to overview Blender and 3D from an absolutely beginner perspective. What is Blender for? What can it do? Wait, this isn’t a juicing seminar?
During the Live Event we're also going to open the floor, ask me anything (AMA) style, so I can answer all your questions about getting started with Blender.
HOMEWORK: Create a scene out of primitive shapes. It can be anything from a landscape to a spaceship to a character. Just get comfortable with creating and positioning mesh objects. Here's an example:
Take a screenshot of your scene and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 1-6*.
Enter the world of mesh modeling! The oldest form of building objects in 3D, in the computer. We’ll discuss the technical art of “pushing and pulling verts” as modelers often call it. First, watch the Mesh Modeling Fundamentals and Modeling with Modifiers courses to be introduced to this wild, geometric world.
Practice makes perfect here and during this week's Live Event we’ll be mesh-modeling a few objects to demonstrate tools and workflow available with Blender. It’s ideal if you practice along with me!
HOMEWORK: Model either 1, 2, or 3 unique objects using mesh-modeling techniques. They can be as simple or as complex as you like, but they can't be primitives. I want to see that you've used mesh tools to significantly customize your shapes. For example, you could model a hammer, a cell phone, a keyboard, a game controller, a picture frame, a coffee cup - choose something fun!
Take a screenshot of your shaded model + wireframe-over shaded (as pictured above) and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 7-14*.
Digital sculpting is the more artistically intuitive method of 3D modeling. If pushing and pulling verts felt like the hard way of doing things, sculpting will be a welcomed alternative! Watch the Fundamentals of Digital Sculpting course this week.
During the Live Event, we'll discuss the pros and cons of digital sculpting as well as how it compares to mesh modeling. Again, practice makes perfect with any craft, and we will also practice sculpting. Be sure to have your pen and tablet ready!
HOMEWORK: *Submit during the week of Jan 15-21*
There’s still much more to learn about modeling with Blender. Remember, it’s a craft. Time + practice is the only way to develop your modeling skills.
This week your challenge is to dive into the Modeling in Blender Learning Flow. While the class gives you a boost, the Flow takes you further into intermediate and advanced modeling techniques/workflows. Test the waters and see how far you can go this week.
During the Live Event we'll discuss the journey of becoming a skilled modeler as well as the potential for turning it into a career. Finally, I’m going to sift through homework submissions to commend my favorites and offer critiques!
HOMEWORK: Model and/or sculpt something challenging this week! Try tackling a character or a complex vehicle, etc. Show me what you've learned; what you're capable of!
Take a screenshot of your shaded model and post it in a reply to this thread *during the week of Jan 21-31*.
Much improved primitives 
motsu! You polished them up very nice. Love the render too.
For doing the primitives again along with the render, you've earned a "+" on your A 👍
Thanks all!
-> Grady: That is a good thought! I am considering continuing to work on this little 'diorama', but using retopology, rock sculpting stencils, and micro displacement. Then using your layer idea I could really flesh out the image.
->Kent: well, it IS incomplete, so a B would be quite fair! :-D
That was done in 30 minutes? Very impressive! Excellent color work as well.
All these pieces are amazing. The topology on the primitives is so clean!
I love the details, and especially the pumpkin faces.
BC1-1801 Week 3 Homework Submission
Finally Melvin is done. Thank you @arkesh, 
gradyp for help.
Maybe it sound funny but i spent hours on it. For me it wasn't easy to understand settings in Dyntopo.
During work we with my daughter have done some small Melvins).
All 3 Melvins are looking good! It's apparent to me that you took the time to polish your sculpt. Shapes are strong and well-formed. Pose is good too. His torso may be a little skinny from the side, considering the girth of the torso from the front. But overall really job alexsr. LOVE the little clay Melvins too!
Certainly an A for effort and quality but it pains me to give a C for incompleteness 😖
@theluthier ... Melvin was the first sculpt of anything. Took me hours. I finally got tired of working on it and moved on to the rest of the assignment. That was the first head sculpt. Still trying to get used to the brushes and the adjustments. I figured I'd be getting plenty of practice so I didn't try to over achieve. :)
BC1-1801 Week 3 Homework Submission 3
After the hard work with melvin I had hardly any energy to sculpten ;).
While working on Melvin and try to finished sculpt on time I noticed that he is still too heavy for me and I would like to practice even more the basic theories. But then tried some simpler shapes.
Just as I wanted to post my result I saw that there are already showed sculpted tree trunks and awsome mushrooms. So I decided not to show my sculpts. They still were not very well and It would have looked like I did not have my own idea ;)
The last few days I practiced a bit more every day and always used only a specific brush or setting.
I was amazed how sculpts then daily became a bit easier. However, I always repeat my simple shapes and did not go into details. I also experimented with the texture brush for the ground. This need a lot of geometry to work
The beginning is very difficult. In particular working with the pen, navigate and handle the many settings. But with just a little exercise daily it quickly becomes more natural and easier.
And that´s why I show my little nature scene with tree stump, pepples and mushroom collection and texture ground yet.
Maybe this will also encourage other beginners.
That looks great! It has nice composition and shading, and I especially like the shapes of the mushrooms. They seem very organic. And kudos for working with thin surface and still managing to get nice details on the stump. That's not easy to pull off. It shows that all the practice and experimenting paid off in the end. :-)
I missed this one somehow! Excellent job with this submission. Top 3 Melvin of the week! Despite the unfished hand, the shape is very authentic to the art 👏
Primitives are solid with a tiny bit of bumpiness/wobbliness. And your head is off to a great start. Often starting heads (or any sculpture) is the hard part. But I can totally see this becoming an well-formed bust.
Despite the incompleteness of the sculptures, you clearly made the time to address each part of the assignment and with good effort. You earned an A this week!
BC1-1801 Week 3 Homework Submission
Here is my sculpt of Melvin, and below are the three original primitives in green for reference and my sculpts in red.
Here is the
cube from a sphere,
the cone from a sphere,
and the sphere from a cube.
BC1-1801 Week 3 Homework Submission
Sorry for the late submission but i had exams on university .
Here is the primitives sculpt : 
Here is my sculpt on melvin Melvin Sculpt
And finally here is my first sculpt ever after melvin , not so good but i tried my best .
BC1-1801 Week 4 Homework Submission
I was trying to incorporate modeling and sculpting into one scene. The bust is sculpted, everything else is modeled. I hope this meets the requirements. Thanks for a great class! I hope to see you all in March!
