Low Poly 3D Modeling in Blender: Kickstart your career as a 3D artist by learning how to create low poly assets and scenes from scratch

by Samuel Sullins

Master the art of modeling, shading, and rendering low poly 3D creations to transform into the 3D artist you've aspired to become

Key FeaturesCreate minimalistic low poly 3D models based on reference imagesBreathe life into your creations by adding vibrant colors and appealing textures using materialsArrange your low poly models in a 3D environment, set up lighting to achieve the desired ambiance, and render the final scenePurchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookBook DescriptionStep into the world of low poly 3D art with Low Poly 3D Modeling in Blender—your entry point into Blender and mastering the fundamentals of 3D art. This beginner-friendly guide ensures that you’re fully prepared for the creative adventure that follows.

Through a step-by-step learning process starting with the principles of low poly art, this book gradually immerses you in the intricacies of modeling. As you progress, you’ll gain hands-on experience creating diverse projects ranging from designing a simple 3D crate to rendering complete low poly scenes. The book covers a wide spectrum of topics as you navigate Blender's interface, mastering essential modeling tools and exploring both basic and advanced modeling techniques. Advancing to the final chapters, you’ll find ways to breathe life into your models with material creation and gain practical insights into modeling a variety of low poly objects. From end-to-end scene construction to configuring Blender for rendering high-quality images, you’ll be equipped with the foundational skills to propel your career in 3D modeling and explore the boundless creative possibilities that Blender offers.

By the end of this book, you'll have a solid understanding of Blender, 3D modeling, low poly methodologies, material design, 3D rendering techniques, and the broader world of 3D art.

What you will learnUnderstand how Blender’s interface works and how to configure itGain proficiency in navigating 3D space in BlenderFamiliarize yourself with Blender’s core modeling toolsGet to grips with the workflow and techniques to create low poly 3D modelsTexture your low poly models using the UV and Shader editorsConfigure Blender’s Asset Browser for instant access to your modelsSet up a complete scene, adjust the lighting, and create a high-quality, portfolio-ready renderWho this book is forIf you're new to 3D modeling, low poly modeling is a great starting point. This book is an invaluable guide for 3D artists, modelers, and beginners to begin without prior knowledge of Blender or 3D modelling experience, although a basic familiarity with these topics will be beneficial.

Table of ContentsGetting Familiar with BlenderUnderstanding Low Poly ModelingCreating a Low Poly TreeExploring ModifiersCreating Low Poly MushroomsUnderstanding Materials and ShadingCreating a Low Poly TractorLow Poly Environment ModelingModeling a KangarooCreating Low Poly Houses and Buildings Using the Asset BrowserBlocking Out the SceneBuilding the SceneThe Big RenderAppendix

535 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 2, 2024

Reviews

[Harry Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to Blender from an author who is clearly very passionate about the subject.

I really enjoyed going through this book; the projects are simple enough to form concise, individual chapters, and they build on one another nicely to slowly improve your skills. The author also stops explaining things that were covered in earlier chapters if they get reused which really helps you make sure that you are retaining the knowledge. It's worth noting too that I went through the book using Blender v4.1 (the author is using v3.3) and I had no issues, so don't be turned off if you see that the book is not using Blender 4 - it's all still relevant.

Unfortunately, the book is not immune to some of the issues that are endemic to books from Packt Publishing. There are sometimes instructions that do not quite match the images, and there is quite a lot of repetition in the writing (in conversational parts, not instructional parts) that just make for awkward reading. Both things that could/should have been fixed by a proofreader, but it's clear to me after reading several of their books that Packt do not use them.

I would also have loved to see some more information on materials or even some basic shaders. The modelling instruction here is great, but the final projects do cry out for materials that are more than just block colours which can be either shiny or not shiny. I think there would have been room for that had some of the repetition been cleaned up, but the book is still good for the modelling side.

Ultimately, I was able to expand on some of the projects from the book and take on some completely new ones after finishing without having to look up any extra tutorials, which is both a testament to the author's teaching ability and the reason I would recommend this book to Blender newcomers. He also has a YouTube channel which looks like it has a lot more tutorials/demos on it so definitely will be subscribing there as well!