數位雕刻簡介 - 第一級

In this two week class, students will learn the foundations of digital character sculpting with Blender. With over four hours of instructional video lessons, exercises, and hands-on challenges, learners will finish this course with the confidence and skill to create their own simplified characters from scratch. As with all of my popular flexible-schedule courses, the material is built first and foremost with the student experience in mind. A consistent style, format, and follow-through helps build the independence and courage needed to master this fun and complex world of 3D art.

Topics are first discussed and demonstrated through step-by-step instructional videos. Then, concepts are solidified through hands-on exercises. Every exercise has a full solution video and downloadable project file to help students if they get stuck or need extra guidance. Finally, each module ends with a challenge. This is where learners independently and creatively apply the new tools and techniques that we just covered. Giving learners multiple opportunities to engage with new ideas in unique ways helps to ensure that the information sticks.

I work hard to ensure a consistent and high quality on-demand classroom experience. This includes clear and concise lesson plans, course structure, high fidelity audio and video, and accessibility considerations. If you have any questions you'd like answered before signing up, please don't hesitate to reach out!

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Preparing for Class: 
If you've never used Blender before, don't worry! Included in all of my 101 courses is a "Blender Basics Jump Start" video that includes an interface overview and a quick guide to the core functionality of the program. 

Week One: 
In the first week of class we jump right in and start sculpting! We'll learn how to prepare a mesh and get into sculpting mode. After a review of our most important brushes, we'll begin creating our first simplified character. Next, we cover all sorts of concepts like modifiers and origin points, and the importance of topology and vertex density. Then, we'll talk about adding simple color, materials, and lighting to our characters. By the end of week one, learners will be ready to create simple characters of their own!

Week Two:
Next, learners will learn a variety of ways to gear up and personalize their character. We'll look at adding stylized hair, fingers, toes, and items like swords, shoes, and more! The course will end with instruction on how to present your character for the final render that you can proudly share!

After Class and Onward: The course content, including access to the videos and updates, is yours indefinitely - even after class is over! While interaction within the Classroom is limited to 30 days after the final listed course dates, you can still watch all of the videos and access all of the content posted for as long as needed. If you ever lose or misplace the course materials or video links, you can always reach out to me any time.
		
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Notes:
This course is designed as an introduction to digital character sculpting with Blender. It does not cover fully populated complex scenes, rigging and animation, realistic character modeling, or video game engine importing. It does, however, build the skills necessary to approach these topics. After completing this course, learners will have a much better understanding of the process so that they can make an informed choice to invest further into this work as a hobby or as career preparation. 

A standard 3-button mouse is highly recommended but not required for class. Blender is not compatible with Chromebooks or tablets. If you are using an older computer or laptop, please refer to the blender system requirements page to ensure your computer is capable of running Blender. https://www.blender.org/download/requirements/