Hello, everyone! As you may know, I’ve been learning Blender for over a year now. I’ve followed some tutorials and created a few projects of my own, but I feel like it’s time to push myself further and take on a new challenge. To do this, I’ve created a 4-week plan that focuses on different aspects of Blender, such as sculpting, modeling, animation, and coding. In this post, I’ll be sharing my plan with you all, and I hope you find it inspiring or helpful for your own Blender journey.

The reason I’ve decided to take on this challenge is to improve my skills in various aspects of Blender and stay motivated by working on exciting new projects. I believe that by dedicating time to each aspect, I’ll be able to create a more well-rounded skill set and be prepared for any project that comes my way in the future.

Before I jump into the plan, I’d like to mention that I have a full-time job, so I’ve made sure to keep this challenge manageable by allocating 1-2 hours of Blender practice each day. Here’s the plan I’ve come up with:

Week 1: Sculpting

  • Day 1-2: Sculpt a basic human head
  • Day 3-4: Sculpt a hand
  • Day 5-6: Sculpt a creature from my imagination
  • Day 7: Combine my sculpts into a single scene

Week 2: Modeling and Geometry Nodes

  • Day 1: Model a simple low-poly scene (e.g., a room with basic furniture)
  • Day 2: Model a more complex object (e.g., a car or a spaceship)
  • Day 3: Create a procedural material using geometry nodes
  • Day 4: Generate a simple particle system using geometry nodes (e.g., falling leaves or rain)
  • Day 5: Model a character and rig it for animation
  • Day 6: Model an environment using procedural techniques and geometry nodes
  • Day 7: Combine my projects into a single scene

Week 3: Animation

  • Day 1: Animate a bouncing ball
  • Day 2: Animate a walk cycle for a simple character
  • Day 3: Animate a character performing an action (e.g., jumping or dancing)
  • Day 4: Animate a camera movement through a scene
  • Day 5: Animate a basic interaction between two characters
  • Day 6: Create a short scene with multiple animations (e.g., a character picking up an object)
  • Day 7: Combine my animations into a single scene

Week 4: Shading, Lighting, and Coding

  • Day 1: Create a realistic material for an object (e.g., wood, metal, or glass)
  • Day 2: Set up a basic three-point lighting system and experiment with different setups (e.g., outdoor, indoor, or nighttime)
  • Day 3: Create a custom shader using the Shader Editor
  • Day 4: Learn Python scripting basics for Blender
  • Day 5: Write a simple Python script to automate a repetitive task in Blender
  • Day 6: Create a more complex Python script to generate custom objects or modify existing scenes
  • Day 7: Combine my projects: Apply the realistic material, custom shader, and lighting setups to a scene, and use my Python scripts to automate or enhance the scene

I chose these tasks to cover various aspects of Blender and ensure that I’m challenging myself with new techniques and ideas. By the end of the four weeks, I hope to have a stronger understanding of each area and feel more confident in my Blender abilities. I also believe that combining my projects at the end of each week will allow me to practice different aspects of Blender in a more cohesive manner, giving me a better sense of how all these elements come together to create a complete scene.

Some of the benefits I hope to gain from completing this challenge include:

  • Improved proficiency in different aspects of Blender
  • A diverse portfolio of projects showcasing my skills
  • Increased confidence in tackling complex projects
  • Better understanding of how various techniques can be combined to create unique and engaging scenes
  • A more disciplined approach to learning and practicing

I want to emphasize that this challenge is a personal journey for me, and I’m not looking to turn it into a commercial endeavor. My goal is to grow as an artist and Blender user, and I hope that sharing my progress might inspire others to take on similar challenges and improve their skills as well.

I plan to share updates on my progress throughout the challenge, and I welcome any feedback, suggestions, or words of encouragement. If you’d like to join me in this challenge or have your own Blender journey to share, I’d love to hear about it! Let’s grow together and push the boundaries of our creativity.

Happy blending!