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    PRESS START: Your Simple First Blender Project

    Instructor:
    Jonathan Lampel
    Start Course
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    Looking for a simple modeling, texturing and lighting Blender project?

    This Blender course is...

    βœ… made for beginners (or those who need a refresh)
    βœ… perfect as your first Blender project
    βœ… possible to complete on a weekend
    βœ… designed to be customized by you
    ❌ for creating a real game console (sorry!)

    Oh, did I mention... we're keeping it lightΒ 
    Creating in Blender should be fun, first and foremost.Β 

    That is why we're bringing back an iconic 80s handheld gaming console from an alternate CG Cookie universe.

    This object, though eternal and glorious, is just an example for teaching you the Blender workflow... so you can get up and running on creating your own endless Blender projects.

    Totally new to Blender?

    Watch the Blender Basics firstΒ 
    Don't worry: it's quick. You'll learn to navigate in 3d space, move objects, and more.Β 
    Stream the Blender Basics

    1️⃣ First, we'll model the console

    In this part, you will learn how to...

    • model in Blender from a reference image
    • create your own mesh shapes
    • use the most important modeling tools
    • use modifiers (makes your life easier!)


    2️⃣ Next, we'll add materials and textures

    A model without textures is like a rhino without a pink bow on its horn. Just... boring.

    Learn how to:
    • add materials
    • apply and customize texturesΒ 
    • load an animation
    • use a generated pattern

    3️⃣ Let's light this and get to rendering

    To make our model shine, we will apply nice, basic Blender lighting and render it out for the ultimate beauty shot.

    Ultimately, you can make your own little pocket game console and customize and shape it however you want.

    Plus: Learn how to troubleshoot and avoid pitfalls

    Starting with Blender can be overwhelming. I'll show you the mistakes to avoid and the tricks I wish I knew when I was first starting out.

    Feeling lost? We're here to help.

    As CG Cookie member, you can ask any questions along the way and we will help you out with any roadblocks.

    We also want to see your result: share your final render in CG Cookie Gallery so the rest of us can see your masterpiece!Β 

    We love sharing your work on our social media, so make sure to tag your @ handles to your profile.

    Get Caught Up

    Are you brand new to Blender?

    These courses should help you get up to speed in no time.

    Free

    Blender 3 Basics: Into To Blender

    Build and Animate a Low Poly Rocket in Blender for Beginners

    Want to learn more?

    Consider these courses next!

    Similar topics and workflows for continued learning.

    Fundamentals of 3D Mesh Modeling in Blender

    Fundamentals of Blender Materials and Shading

    POTHEAD: Create a Hard-Surface Character in Blender

    SESSIONS: Minimalism

    Awarded upon completion:
    100xp +
    Course Curriculum
    37 Reviews
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      SONU JANGIR(3dartsonu) ·

      I recently finished the PRESS STARTΒ course on CG Cookie with Jonathan Lampel as the instructor, and it was such a great learning experience! I really enjoyed how practical and easy-to-follow the lessons were. Jonathan explained things so clearly, and I learned so many useful techniques that I can apply to my 3D projects.


      This course has boosted my confidence as a 3D artist, and I’m excited to keep practicing what I’ve learned. A big thank you to Jonathan and CG Cookie for this amazing course!

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      Martin (Waitmanz) ·

      Simply awesome! Thanks!

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      Heinrich Gilbert(lufius13) ·

      This is a great tutorial for beginners, who would like to see real results in a short time. It is also a nice tutorial if you have not used blender in a while and need to just refresh some skills. The end result is amazing and you can show off to friends and family.Β 

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      Qassem Yossry(0Flasho) ·

      It's a straightforward tutorial and a great beginning step for any aspiring 3D Artist!

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      Dani Zanskar(danizanskar) ·

      Very easy to follow and the result is beautiful! I learnt quite a few things! 😊

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      Ju Go(maximahls) ·

      So well explained <3

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      Warwick ·

      it was an interesting and useful experiment for beginers.

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      violetcrystal ·
      This course gave so much info on the basics of modeling, shading, and rendering to help create a great piece by the end of it. I also want to add that the concept sketches of the console were fun to follow as I enjoy following a sketch to help understand what the model should look like.
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      Stuart Mills(FoulerSix) ·

      I almost skipped this course since I had already done some introductory tutorials on YouTube before joining this site, but I'm so glad I didn't! There were many small time-saving tips that really helped me start building muscle memory for shortcuts and techniques. A fantastic starter project!

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      Josua Morgalla(JosuaM_92) ·
      I was actually doing this tutorial a second time...after almost a year of pause (but this time without the bite mark as the tutorial shows)....you can still follow along this Tutorial if you have a newer version of Blender (4.X and above). However, there have been 3 or 4 times since I did this tutorial again, where some preferences, buttons or settings are different if you use the newer Blender version. So, this Tutorial is still fresh enough to follow along and get the result you want. :)
    In playlist: 3D Generalist Training