unlock-your-blender-mastery-essential-youtube-channels-and-courses

You don’t need to spend a dime on Blender courses when there’s an ocean of high-quality, free YouTube content that covers every possible skill set in 2024.

If you’re diving into Blender this year, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of resources available.

This guide breaks down the best YouTube channels for each category of Blender skills, from modeling and motion graphics to sculpting and environment creation. Alongside, it recommends standout paid courses for those who want to invest further in their learning.

With this list, you can navigate Blender’s vast resources more effectively and focus your learning on areas that interest you most.

Getting Started with Blender

For those just beginning their Blender journey, CG Cookie offers a high-quality, detailed starter guide that’s perfect for newcomers. Blender Guru is another excellent free resource, providing foundational knowledge and hands-on tutorials. Save your money for later courses and make the most of these free, in-depth guides.

Modeling and Hard Surface Techniques

When it comes to modeling, Polygon Runway stands out with its extensive content, including long scene breakdowns and shorter tutorials. For hard surface modeling, Josh Granbell’s channel provides valuable tips and complete tutorials. If you’re ready to invest, consider the 3D Car Modeling course which covers everything from modeling to compositing.

Motion Graphics

For motion graphics enthusiasts, Cross Mind Studio offers a treasure trove of content, while my own channel provides detailed tutorials on abstract looping animations. If you’re looking to deepen your expertise, my updated course on Blender 4.0 includes extensive lessons on motion graphics, shading, and geometry nodes.

Procedural Materials and Shading

Ryan King is the go-to YouTube channel for procedural materials, offering high-quality tutorials on various surfaces and materials. For those interested in a more structured course, CG Masters provides an in-depth exploration of procedural materials, including vector math and advanced techniques.

Character Creation and Animation

Southern Shotty’s channel is a fantastic resource for character creation and rigging. Cross Mind Studio’s new series on character creation and rigging is also noteworthy. If you’re ready for an in-depth course, the Alive Character Animation course delivers 28 hours of comprehensive training in professional character animations.

Sculpting

Yan Sculpts is the top channel for sculpting tutorials, offering extensive content that might be all you need. Grant Abbot’s channel also includes valuable sculpting tutorials. For a deep dive, the Human Sculpting course provides 25 hours of training on realistic portrait creation.

Lighting and Environments

Max Haye’s channel excels in teaching environment creation, offering large walkthroughs and quick tips. His course on environments is highly recommended for those seeking structured learning. For lighting, Creative Shrimp’s Cinematic Lighting course is highly praised for its quality and depth.

Product Animation

Derek Elliot’s channel is ideal for learning product animation with well-edited videos and a great teaching style. The SME course on product animation is another valuable resource, covering modeling, lighting, and texturing.

General and Honorable Mentions

For a broader range of Blender topics, Curtis Holt’s channel is excellent for updates and breakdowns, while Poly Fjord and Stash offer engaging and informative content on various Blender aspects. Kaizen provides valuable concepts in an entertaining format. Default Cube and Aarondale are top choices for geometry nodes, with comprehensive and detailed content.

Unlock Your Blender Mastery: Essential YouTube Channels and Courses to master blender in 2024

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