When you’re diving into 3D modeling in Blender, one of the most important things to get a handle on is mesh topology. It’s a fancy way of saying how the building blocks of a model—vertices, edges, and faces—are arranged to create a shape. 

Whether you’re working on game assets, animating for a movie, or preparing something for 3D printing, having good topology can make or break your project.

And here’s the thing: it’s not just about making the wireframe look pretty, it’s about making sure your model works for its intended purpose and works well.

In this guide, I’ll break down what makes topology “good” or “bad,” and we’ll look at how to make edge loops and poles work for you (instead of against you).

I’ll also walk you through some of Blender’s essential modeling tools, so you’ll be well on your way to creating clean, efficient, and flexible models. So, let’s get started and take the mystery out of mesh topology!