So you've decided to jump into Blender. First off: welcome! Hope you're ready for a wild and rewarding ride! Learning Blender is fun, frustrating, but most definitely rewarding.
You may have heard that Blender has a steep learning curve, and that it can be a bit overwhelming at times.
Yes, this is true, and in decades past, this was extra true, but with every new release, Blender addresses issues around user experience, tackling such a broad spectrum that incorporates absolute beginners, to professionals transitioning to new workflows.
I could jump in here with my own lived experience: should I begin like Davif Copperfield - I was born, I grew up... or should I begin from when I was first initiated into the Blender cult?
I first opened Blender back in the early 00s. Blender didn't have "undo" and the interface looked like an excel spreadsheet convinced beige was the next fashion trend.
I had to trek up a 92° learning curve carrying a sack of rocks and wearing an onion on my belt.
I used Blender for various tasks at different boutique production agencies between 2001 and 2008, then used it freelance for a number of years, before ending up here at CG Cookie, teaching it.
In comparison, Blender is currently is more intuitive, so your learning curve is a much gentler rise with snacks along the way (cookies mostly) but to be fair, it is still a learning curve, and everyone's mileage will vary.
Were there things I wished I'd known before I started? Absolutely. Yet, even from the early days, Blender has been supported by users who formed a worldwide community where advice has been easy to ask for and freely given.
In that spirit, we asked some of our long-time students, instructors, and members of the CG Cookie Community to share some advice about what they would go back and tell themselves when they first started!
1. If you could go back in time to when you first opened Blender, what advice would you give yourself?
| "Do not compare yourself to others. You work at your own pace." |
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- Jason van Gumster |
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"How you first approach Blender depends on your familiarity with 3D modeling and terminology. Without understanding the terminology, learning Blender is like following road navigation directions without knowing the overall route. You'll get to your destination, but you will be so focused on the directions that you miss the scenery along the way. Spend a few minutes getting familiar with the overall process of modeling/sculpting, retopology, UV's, textures/materials, baking, and rigging, and the purpose of each step. |
| You're probably good to go if you can read that last sentence and know what it means. If it's a mystery, that's your hint it's time to learn some basic 3d vocabulary. With some vocabulary under your belt, learning the Blender interface will be a little less daunting. |
| Next, focus on doing simple things first. Something you can accomplish in one sitting (however long you define a sitting). A tutorial or a single lesson of a course. Get some early wins under your belt for satisfaction. With few exceptions, ignore addons at first; at least the ones that automate something for you. You'll find that working through a task without an addon helps you use an addon more effectively. |
| Take advantage of resources. Blender forums, video tutorials, and web search engines are often your best friend. The amount of expertise, freely given, on forums is remarkable. |
| Lastly, have fun. If it's sculpting, just push, pull, scrape, go crazy making nothing in particular to see what pops out. If it's Grease Pencil, just scribble to your hearts content. Unlike clay or paints, you don't have to worry about the mess. Just play. You'll learn a lot on how to handle the tools. Same for tutorials. Go ahead and save your progress, then deviate and mess around to see what happens. Then you can reload from where you left off and continue on." |
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- Bruce Matthews |
*You can participate in the CG Cookie community even if you sign up for a free membership! 🍪
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"Take your time. Blender, and as a whole, modeling and animation take time to learn, and it takes even more time to perfect. Enjoy the learning experience. You will discover a hurdle in your learning but keep pushing through. You'll have this Ah Ha! moment and suddenly things will start making sense. |
| When you learn something new, take some time applying that new knowledge to make something new.It will really help solidify that knowledge in your head." |
- Blaine Jensen |
| Slowmocean by Blaine Jensen for Macro Sessions |
| "Buckle up and enjoy the ride. Learning Blender is a journey requiring dedication and lots of practice. The journey is more enjoyable with a bag of sweets, but even better with the support of the community. You'll be amazed at the willingness amongst the community to ride share to help you reach your destination." |
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- Adrian Bellworthy |
| "The art of computer graphics (and Blender) is profoundly difficult and complex. Keep your expectations reasonable, go easy on yourself and enjoy the [long] journey!"
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| -Kent Trammell |
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"Be sure to check out CGCookie!! Also, you are going to get overwhelmed and feel in over your head. Remember: you can do this! Take breaks, give your brain time to soak it all in. |
| I recommend going broad and shallow at first. Do an “easy” project that gives you a cursory glance at every step in the pipeline, then start focusing in on specific steps one at a time. |
| Finally, do only what you enjoy. It’s going to be a long journey and motivation is important. There may come a time when you need to grind out some knowledge to get something done. But not when you’re just starting.
There is plenty to do that you can have fun with" |
| - John Sanderson |
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"Not taking a break once in a while.
We usually want to do a lot in so little time and that takes its toll. So a bit of Netflix or a videogame once in a while is what the Blender Doctor recommended." |
- Omar Domenech |
| "Perfectionism, do-it-yourselfism on one extreme, and on the other: repurposing asset packs and acting like you made something.
Your goal should be to learn and complete projects so you can show what you learned. Use assets and stuff as garnish, not as the main dish, and don't waste your time trying to do everything all the time from scratch." |
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| - Joseph Brandenburg (Node Sphaghetti) |
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Don't start at the beginning. Sure, go through the basics of understanding Blender's interface, but if you're interested in animation, don't start with modeling. Instead, find a pre-rigged character and start animating... likewise if you're interested in texturing or lighting. Avoid the trap of thinking you have to do everything (unless you really do want to do everything). |
- Jason van Gumster |
| "3D has a lot of facets. Don't try and be a master of it all (at first at least). Focus on what you enjoy first and that will make you comfortable faster. Try the other parts as the need arises." |
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| - Nathi Tappan |
3. Does This Apply To Current Blender Versions?
Admittedly, all this advice comes from people who have worked in previous iterations of Blender, and the UX has changed ALOT since then!
Most of the advice revolves around the attitude and mindset you approach tasks with.
We strive to create courses that are as software-agnostic as possible. This means that the basic skills for creating are universal - the 12 principles of animation are the same whether you're using Blender or a flipbook of recycled paper.
Versions will add new features, update tools, and yes these are important to stay up to date with, but whether you learned Blender at version 2.80 or are learning on the latest alpha release of 2.5 (due out in July 2025) the above advice is still relevant. As Kent Trammell says in his article on Blender versions
"The important thing to learn from us is the WHY, not the HOW"
With that in mind, I'm sure you're all thinking about what it takes to get a job if you decide to learn Blender.
4. Are you using Blender in your job?
It is increasingly common to find Blender experience requested for a potential job. Here are some comments from some people who use Blender professionally:
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"Yes! teaching folks CG / Blender for 12 years 🤯" |
| - Kent Trammell |
| "Using my skills I learned over many years to texture and create models for 3d printing clients" |
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| - Ewan Thorpe |
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"There are two ways I use Blender to make money. First, as a tool. I use it for creating greeting card designs (grease pencil for the actual cards and 3d modeling for advertising images/videos). Second, creating models (toon eyes) and addons for Blender. Both stemmed from meeting my own needs. Thus my recommendation is to think about what you would like for your own use. If you want it, then probably others would want it as well." |
| - Bruce Matthews |
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"Not currently, but for 3.5 years I taught 3D (blender) and game design (UE5) at a nonprofit in Austin that provides post-secondary training to adults with autism" |
| - John Sanderson |
Now more than ever, large studios and industries which have used 3D software for decades are beginning to switch to Blender, which opens up more job opportunities.
Check out our DeNoise episode where we interview Chris Parks who talks about creating VFX in Blender for award-winning TV and movies!
Whether you're starting out or reskilling yourself, learning in a compressed period of time is a very real dilemma.
We strive to provide content that will get you up and running quickly, and hopefully we will match your own motivation and drive. Just check out this success story from one of our students, Martin Aversa!
Whatever your goal, take on board some of the advice above, and with some luck, your future self will have less advice to come back and give
Happy Blending!
- Paul Caggegi
p.s. Get started with the Blender Basics for free today.
