About This Course
3D Characters and Illustrations is a 2020 course sequel, that serves as an extension of the knowledge gained in Become a 3D Illustrator course released in 2019.
It will guide you through my method of simple 3d cartoon character construction and some more advanced 3d modeling and illustration techniques, like hard surface modeling and simple sculpting.
Although this is a sequel, if you already have some basic Blender skills, you can jump right in and get up to speed using the first episode, that serves as a requirements checklist.
If you are experienced in other 3D software and want to give Blender a try, this course might be a great match for you, as it’s really practical and time efficient.
If you're completely new to 3D design, I recommend starting with the Become a 3D Illustrator course.
Polygon Runway Method
With me, you jump right into action and learn essential information as you go without prolonged fundamentals sections and fluff.
You get a real result at the end of each episode, so that’s immediately several illustration styles you can use to enhance your designs and workflow.
By the end of the course, you will find out that there is no limit on what you can create. At every step, I share my personal workflow tips and every time add a little bit of a secret sauce to the mix :)
Additionally, every chapter has a dedicated downloadable file, so if for some reason you feel like skipping a particular chapter, you can continue working right where the next chapter starts.
You get the most out of your time.
Episode 1
Sunny Park
The first episode will serve mostly to get up to speed with previous techniques and cover some improvements of workflow in terms of smooth shading and some Blender 2.9 tips.
Episode 2
Tiki Shaman
You will jump right into character creation and cover topics like concepts, reusable low poly body topology, details texture painting and basic rigging and posing.
Concept art by Jordi Villaverde
Episode 3
Sci-fi Corridor
We will explore boolean hard surface modeling in depth and create a whole sci-fi diorama as an exercise to combine all of the mesh modeling and procedural techniques.
Episode 4
Fantasy Tower
You will use Blender's sculpting tools and techniques to give our low poly designs beautiful stylized details.
Episode 5 NEW
Explorer Isabella
You will continue with character modeling techniques and learn how to create a full character with facial features and stylized hair and accessories.
Why Blender
Blender is an open-source and completely free tool that stands toe to toe with the most expensive 3d software out there and is used by more and more professionals every day. I think that the guys at Blender Foundation do an amazing job and the latest 2.9 update is just mind blowing. I believe in Blender and I think it can be the first choice for the illustrators and designers when it comes to 3D.
Support Group
Right away, you gain access to closed community group, where I will personally try to answer any questions or struggles you might encounter on your 3D illustrator journey and there are other advanced students, who can help you along the way if you need to figure something out, get stuck, or simply look for new things to try. Come join us :)
100% satisfaction guaranteed
The course comes with a 14-day money back guarantee. If you don't like the content, you can simply ask for a refund.
Brian Moon
Senior UX/UI Designer, Unity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I can confidently say that the course helped me get into 3D faster than any other platform out there. Roman breaks down Blender into digestible chunks that are practical and I was able to apply those techniques into my daily design workflow. I highly recommend for anyone."
Neil Cueto
Principal Design Manager, Microsoft
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I've struggled with Blender in the past and have tried to follow along various YouTube channels, but Roman's approach and teaching style made it effortless to pick up Blender and render fantastic scenes. I would highly recommend anyone who's thinking about learning Blender, to take this course."
Branden Thornton
Product Designer, Twitter
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Definitely take this course if you’d like to level up your 3D skills! You get better and better with each lesson."
Casey Britt
Visual Design Lead, Riot Games
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I took this course as a break from my day to day work of designing interfaces. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and I look forward to finding some ways to weave Blender into my daily work. Roman does an incredible job of keeping things clear and concise. This is easily one of the best courses for a design tool that I've ever taken."
Aaron Weyenberg
Director of R&D, TED
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Where many courses bring a generalized tone to their audiences, Roman makes you feel like he's your personal tutor. The content and intentional progression is well structured, and I love that the course isn't over-produced. The authentic feel of each lesson makes the course distinct, personal, and impactful."
Bruno Marinho
Product Designer, Facebook
⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Roman's instructions are always detailed and clear. Even if you don't have any background with 3D software, you will quickly be able to get started and develop advanced skills on Blender. All his lessons have very thoughtful examples and once you start practicing, it becomes really easy to create your own things."
Nicolas Torres
Developer and Designer, Epycure
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I've completed my very first composition, and it's both a pride and a relief. Before, I just couldn't find the tools that would unlock my creative mind. Thanks to this course, I now feel I have an infinity to explore, where before I saw only obstacles. Low poly is fantastic, and Roman's teaching is perfect for me."
Example Curriculum
- About Character Design (10:41)
- About Character Modeling (3:54)
- Reference Setup (6:31)
- Body Modeling (23:14)
- Hands Modeling (17:47)
- Modeling the Mask (20:40)
- Mask Branches (8:35)
- Mask Feathers (10:39)
- Clothes Modeling (13:53)
- Talisman Modeling (16:04)
- Texture Unwrapping (20:39)
- Painting The Mask (20:37)
- Painting Body and Feathers (12:09)
- Prepare For Rigging (14:37)
- Rigging and Rigify (34:31)
- Pose and Weights (19:00)
- Creating Wisps (13:18)
- Shading and Materials (15:50)
- Lighting and Camera (20:57)
- Colors, Denoising and Render (7:08)
- Introduction (8:35)
- Creating Sci-fi Crate (22:53)
- Finishing Sci-fi Crate (16:10)
- Room Walls (18:48)
- Wall Details (13:31)
- Creating Door (23:44)
- Rounded Entrance (19:52)
- Platform Modeling (22:46)
- Creating Floor (10:26)
- Rounded Generator (22:15)
- Creating Pipes (20:12)
- Wall and Floor Panels (14:42)
- Placing Bolts (19:25)
- Materials, Camera and Background (15:09)
- Lighting and Rendering (16:52)
- Introduction (4:32)
- Tower Blockout (26:34)
- Environment Blockout (27:10)
- First Sculpt (31:02)
- Asset Sculpting (43:42)
- Sculpting the Tree (26:44)
- Tower Details Sculpting (32:24)
- Finishing the Layout (18:00)
- Grass and Tree Leaves (20:46)
- Materials and Particles (19:05)
- Lighting and Render Settings (26:25)
- Bonus Chapter: Baking a sculpted asset (35:05)
- Introduction and Reference (9:20)
- Body Modeling (37:24)
- Head and Face (42:11)
- Face Details (24:02)
- Hands Modeling (53:33)
- Stylized Hair (31:39)
- Clothes (21:21)
- Accessories (54:31)
- Preparing the Rig (45:44)
- Rigify and Weight Painting (31:11)
- Pose and Camera (14:25)
- Assets and Scene (28:07)
- Materials and Lighting (54:24)
Your Instructor
Roman Klčo
Designer and 3D illustrator with a strong passion for learning, creating, & sharing the journey with others. My mission is to inspire and lead designers to unlock their creative potential with 3D illustration by teaching on Polygon Runway channels with an audience of more than 500 000 designers and design enthusiasts.
For 15+ years, I have worked as an interactive and digital product designer in advertising, media and e-commerce. I was always in love with 3D graphics and as soon as I could, I started incorporating it in my designer workflow.
I serve global brands like Google, Nvidia and Waze and help them deliver unique 3D solutions and illustrations.
In Media
https://mashable.com/article/batman-riddler-waze/
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/waze-holiday-features-santa-december-2020
https://dribbble.com/stories/2020/03/18/guide-to-learning-3d-design-illustration
https://dribbble.com/stories/2020/08/14/famous-fictional-places-in-3D
https://www.vectary.com/3d-modeling-collections/low-poly-space-assets-by-roman-klco/