How to Get Started With 3D Animation

Free Blender Tutorial at YouTube

How do you find out if 3D animation is for you? One way of finding out is to do a couple of tutorials online.

A great place to start is with the 3D software Blender - it's completely free, and there are many free tutorials out there to get you started.

free 3D software

To begin, go to the Blender homepage at www.blender.org and download their free software.

It's easy to do, and Blender is quick to install on your laptop, or your friend's laptop.

Any reasonably modern machine should be able to run Blender.

Next, go to YouTube and search for Basic Blender Tutorials.  Below is one we like, which teaches you how to model a coffee cup. To do this tutorial you will need a PC (it's not so good on a Mac) and a three button mouse (or Wacom tablet).




If you're running a Mac, you might try this Mac-friendly tutorial below instead. The author gives instructions for both platforms (Blender is slightly different on a Mac vs a PC), so if you are on a Mac you are more likely to be able to follow the tutorial without running into problems.




If you can follow one or both of these tutorials and, best of all, have fun doing it, then a career in a
animation and visual effects might be for you.

And, don't forget you can also download a free copy of Maya using their non-commercial student license.  Maya is the industry standard software; it's what most commercial animation and visual effects companies use. To try out Maya, we recommend these great videos at YouTube by Mike Hermes. Pick one of the simple ones aimed at beginners, and get started.

A willingness to learn, an openness to embrace new software, the desire to combine technical and artistic skills - these are the hallmarks of a good digital artist. If this sounds like you - you will most likely enjoy our courses at Bucks.
 
---Alex

For more on the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days,  take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK.