Unlock the core of Blender. Elevate your craft.
CORE is a 9 course foundational journey designed to unlock the full potential of Blender.
Core Learning Outcomes
Stage 1 Mesh Modeling
Mesh Modeling
Learn the most important tools and concepts for building 3D shapes with Blender. Whether you’re interested in games, animation, visual effects, industrial design, or architecture, mesh modeling is a crucial skill set.
Go to courseStage 2 Digital Sculpting
Digital Sculpting
Pick up a digital ball of clay and let's make something interesting! Sculpting with Blender is the most artistically intuitive method of organic shape creation, ideal for creatures, characters, and natural formations.
Go to courseStage 3 Lighting
Lighting
The gateway to better renders. This course covers all aspects of lighting with Blender, from Cycles to EEVEE Next lighting and going over some of the main lighting methods, taken directly from real life.
Go to courseStage 4 Materials & Shading
Materials & Shading
Materials control the way your 3D models interact with light. Having a basic knowledge of materials and shaders is crucial for rendering stunning images.
Go to courseStage 5 Texturing
Texturing
Textures add essential details and realism to the surface of 3D models, making them look more authentic and interesting. Dive into the essentials of texturing with Blender.
Go to courseStage 6 Animation
Animation
The art of movement! Animation is a coveted art form that breathes kinematic life into static scenes. Learn the principles of keyframes, f-curves, squash and stretch, ease in and ease out, and all the other aspects of making things move in Blender.
Go to courseStage 7 Rigging
Rigging
Like our bodies need a skeleton, 3D models need a rig that enables movement. Rigging is the technical art of preparing characters for motion with armatures, bone constraints and weight painting.
Go to courseStage 8 Physics
Physics
The exciting world of simulation with Blender! Learn everything from rigid and soft body physics, collisions, force fields, cloth, fluid, smoke, fire, and dynamic paint.
Go to courseStage 9 Compositing
Compositing
A lot of people think the render is the end of the process. It's not! Compositing is the art of deconstructing and reconstructing your 3D renders for maximum control after rendering.
Go to courseMeet the Instructors
Jonathan Lampel
Jonathan, a 3D instructor at CG Cookie, develops tools like Retopoflow and UV Flow to simplify Blender usage. A decade-long Blender user, he's passionate about all aspects, particularly modeling, shading, layout, and dynamics.
Kent Trammell
Kent loves learning and teaching about the wide world of computer graphics. His 14-year career spans feature films, 3D rides, TV ads,YouTube channels, and Blender courses like HUMAN for CG Cookie. While he considers himself a generalist that enjoys the entire animation pipeline, he excels at modeling, sculpting, characters, texturing, materials, and rendering.
Jesse Kaizen
An Art Director in a previous life, Jesse has been running a YouTube channel Kaizen Tutorials for over 2 years. The channel allows him to combine two of his biggest passions: Blender and teaching!
Ewa Wierbik-Ziąbka
Ewa is a senior 3D artist, specialized in modeling, realistic texturing and rendering. She loves creating cozy scenes and very detailed textures. With 10 years in the industry, she's still learning something new everyday. Ewa enjoys making art pleasing to the eye and loves spending time in 3D - her work is her passion!
Phil Osterbauer
Phil is a seasoned CG Cookie member with a decade of professional experience using Blender 3D. Over the years, he has honed his skills and is now actively giving back to the community by teaching and sharing his knowledge.
Wayne Dixon
Wayne is an Animation and Rigging instructor from Australia. He discovered Blender in the early 2000s and turned his passion into a career, working on TV commercials, museum exhibits, and popular children's YouTube content. With years of experience as an animator and technical artist, Wayne now teaches others to master Blender, specializing in character animation and rigging.
Kenny Phases
Kenny Phases is a Blender enthusiast, 3D Artist, Graphic Designer, Creator, Inventor, and expert brainstormer. His passion for teaching began at Code Ninjas, instructing Javascript fundamentals. This evolved into a full-time career combining 3D design, graphics, cinema, business, and Blender physics instruction. He currently teaches Business & Technology fulltime at the middle school level.
Sean Kennedy
Sean has been working in special & visual effects for over 25 years. He started his career in miniatures and makeup effects on movies like Spider-man, The Santa Clause 2, and Men in Black 2 before transitioning to digital effects in 2001. Sean has worked at studios such as Cafe FX and Rhythm & Hues, contributing to films including Austin Powers in Goldmember, Sin City, Night at the Museum, and Oscar® winners The Golden Compass and Life of Pi. Most recently, at CoSA VFX in Los Angeles, he has worked on TV and streaming shows such as Stranger Things, Lucifer, Agents of SHIELD, and Visual Effects Emmy® winners Gotham and Westworld.