Online 3D design course, where portfolios take shape
Students model, texture and animate in Blender. The semester has 14 lessons and ends with a final piece they render themselves. No prior experience needed.
Fourteen lessons in eight stages. Each stage ends with something finished, and the last one with a piece ready for the portfolio.
1Lessons 1–2
Blender and first shapes
Navigating 3D space, the interface and first objects built from simple shapes.
2Lessons 3–4
Sculpting and starting the island
Organic shapes, building the first island and adding a background to the scene.
3Lesson 5
Your own character and first animation
Character modelling, textures and a first fully rendered animation.
4Lesson 6
Tricks for working faster
Time-saving techniques and a look at different styles of modelling.
5Lesson 7
Solo character project
Your own 3D character from start to finish. This piece can also be 3D printed.
6Lessons 8–9
Texture painting and UV unwrapping
Freehand painting, UV unwrapping and finishing the island.
7Lesson 10
Approaches to texturing
Different approaches to materials and textures before the final project begins.
8Lessons 11–14
Final portfolio piece
Four lessons devoted entirely to your own project, all the way to a rendered piece. Along the way, the teacher gives extra tips and guidance to help the project develop.
The images show work by our students. The exact lesson breakdown may vary slightly depending on the group's pace.
Second semester
Motion, physics and a complete video
In the second semester, students take the next step with more complex projects, going deeper into animation, physics, simulations, character creation and modelling more complex objects.
1Lesson 1
Ball animation and physics
Your own obstacle course, and with it physics, gravity and how objects interact.
2Lessons 2–3
Character creation and animation
Your own 3D character, modelled and animated with a range of animation tools, through to a finished character animation video.
3Lesson 4
Building natural environments
Mountains, terrain and natural 3D environments using different modelling methods and height maps.
4Lesson 5
Simulations
Simulating water, explosions and other realistic effects.
5Lesson 6
Facial animation
Facial expressions, transitions between emotions, plus animation timing and the dynamics of movement.
6Lessons 7–8
Modelling a scene together
A complete environment with objects, where students learn a range of hard-surface modelling techniques.
7Lessons 9–10
Train animation
Your own train, tracks and environment, then animating the train as it moves along the track. This stage also introduces another approach to creating textured 3D models.
8Lessons 11–14
Free-choice project
A unique project of your own that brings together the modelling, animation, environment-building and finishing skills you have learned.
Semester outcome. By the end of the second semester, students can not only create 3D objects and environments but also animate them and put together a complete video project. Work like this is a great addition to a portfolio and a first step towards 3D, animation, game development or visual design.
What students learn
Skills that last beyond Blender
Blender is the same software that animation and game studios use. But the most important thing students take away is the ability to break a big idea into stages, see it through and present the result.
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Modelling in Blender
Navigating 3D space and building shapes from simple objects.
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Texturing and materials
Creating colours, materials and UV maps, plus painting objects by hand.
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Sculpting
Creating organic and natural forms with the right techniques.
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Animation
Character movement, timing and rendering a finished animation.
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Lighting and composition
Camera, lighting and framing that take the work to the next level.
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Spatial thinking
Scale, proportion and the ability to recreate shapes creatively using what they have learned.
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Project planning
From finding inspiration to a finished, rendered piece.
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Independence in 3D
Skills, tricks and a structure for carrying on learning 3D on their own.
The technical side
What you need to work from home
Blender is free, open-source software, so there is no licence to buy. The one thing that really matters is a mouse: working in 3D space with a touchpad is awkward.
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Computer with Windows, macOS or LinuxBlender runs on all three systems.
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Mouse with a scroll wheelIt is almost essential for 3D work: with a touchpad, everything takes much longer.
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BlenderFreeFree, open-source software. No licence to buy.
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Stable internet connectionDuring class, the teacher shares their screen and checks how each student is getting on.
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Headphones with a microphoneSo students can ask questions while they work.
Worried about the tech? No need.
After registering, you will receive step-by-step instructions for installing Blender by email.
Before the first lesson, we will check that the software opens and the computer can handle it.
Technical support is available all semester via WhatsApp and email, on weekdays from 16.00 to 20.00.
The course includes all 14 lessons, learning materials and individual feedback. You can pay monthly or in a single payment for the whole course. Blender is free, so there is nothing else to buy.
None of these are starter examples from the internet. Each one was built in class, starting from an empty 3D scene. The collection grows every semester.
Floating islands landscapeBuilding visualisationUnderstanding light and materialsA character in its settingCity in the skyRoom full of toysCharacter and propIslands up close
Castle on an islandWinter scene with presentsThe same scene in BlenderWorkspaceIslands from aboveIsland with a characterIsland bridgesIsland clusterIsland with a pool
Work is published with the creators' permission. We do not show their names.
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Technical support for parents and teenagers
Installing Blender, joining a class and fixes for the most common problems, all in one place. We reply on weekdays from 16.00 to 20.00 Latvian time.
