Is It Difficult To Learn Blender?

Blender has often been one of the most popular choices for beginner artists in recent years, and this is in large part due to its accessibility. But how hard is it to learn blender once you start using it?

Blender can be challenging to learn if you have never practiced 3D modeling before. It requires a skill set unique to many of the other skills you may have acquired using different applications. However, there are plenty of learning resources available that can help to streamline the learning process.

Like many other skill sets, learning to become a 3D artist will always require patience. If a skill is really easy to learn, then it’s probably not worth learning in the first place. And when it comes to Blender, you are learning far more than a single skill.

Why Do People Think Blender Is Hard To Learn?

The main reason why most people think Blender is a difficult tool to learn is its history of doing things differently to similar applications. In much older versions of Blender, the ability to select objects in the 3D viewport was assigned to the right mouse button, which is different to any other application as selection is normally done using the left mouse button.

What made this more confusing was the fact that the elements within the user interface were still selectable with the left mouse button and this white mouse functionality was exclusive to the free D viewport. It was also challenging in earlier versions of Blender to use the software. If you did not have the right peripherals.

For example, you successfully needed a three-button mouse to orbit around the 3D viewport. A number pad was also highly advisable for additional ways of orbiting around the viewport and selected objects.

The user interface itself is often regarded as intimidating to new users, as there is a lot going on in the Blender UI. This is actually much improved in recent versions as the user interface has been updated with the inclusion of things such as workspaces to divide the different toolsets in Blender better.

For those who are brand new to 3D modeling, a concept blender is seen in the same light as many of the other alternatives, such as Maya and 3DS Max, because it’s such a unique set of skills. It can be challenging to begin learning 3D modeling if you have never studied the concept before.

How Should You Learn Blender As A Beginner?

If you are new to the concept of 3D modeling, then you will want to choose the correct software to begin your journey as a 3D artist. The reason for learning 3D art can be the key determining factor for which application you choose to use.

For example, if you want to try out 3D modeling but not become a professional 3D artist, then there are simpler alternatives to Blender to learn, such as Vectory. However, Blender is probably the best place for most people to begin learning 3D modeling because it is so accessible as a 3D application.

The program is free to download and install, with no Internet connexion requirements beyond the initial download. There are no subscriptions or licenses to worry about, so there are no restrictions. If you want to, simply try out Blender and delete it if it’s not for you.

If you are looking to learn Friday morning as Eva, a consistent hobby, or even to become a professional artist, Blender is the ideal place to begin learning these concepts. This is true even if you plan to eventually transition over to the more industry-standard applications such as Maya.

The best way to begin learning blender for me is to start blind. Begin playing with the different tools and getting used to the user interface and the 3D viewport.

The reason why we suggest this is that you can very easily dive into the hundreds and even thousands of YouTube tutorials. However, an artist has to be creative and be able to solve any problems that they come across.

Challenges occur all the time in 3D modeling, and you will need to assess your model periodically throughout your project. Therefore, it’s good to get into the habit of testing and experimenting with tools so that you can learn how it all works and how to fix things when they go wrong.

Once you feel you have a good grip on the application, you can begin looking at some tutorial content and resources to help advance your learning and understand the concepts you have been practicing, whether on purpose or not.

The Difference Between Learning A Skill And Mastering It

Another reason why people consider Blender to be so difficult to learn is that they refer to Blender as a single skill, but it is not a single skill. Blender is an application that allows you to learn and develop hundreds of skills related to various creative tasks, from texture application to 3D modeling, sculpting, and even Python scripting.

Learning how to use a specific tool is easy as practicing it, watching a tutorial video, and practicing again. Knowing what a tool does is the easy bit. Mastering that tool is where it becomes a little bit more challenging.

Learning an application such as Blender is about developing your skill set over time, so it’s going to take time to be able to create the objects and scenes you want to.

How Long Will It Take To Learn Blender?

It is a common belief that learning a new skill can take, on average, 20 hours. If we take Blender as an example, you should spend at least 20 hours focusing on a specific set of tools.

Sculpting is an example of a creative activity you can perform in Blender that will take time to learn.

Not only do you need to learn the different tools and brushes associated with sculpting, but she will also need to learn how they interlink with each other and general sculpting workflows that will allow you to create highly detailed models.

To gain a strong understanding of the skill that is 3D sculpting, you will need about 20 hours of practice to cement this new skill.

However, this is not the same as becoming an expert at the skill, which can take much longer. If you wanted to master sculpting in Blender, you would be looking at 200-plus hours. And some say that it can take up to 1000 hours to reach expert level in any specific skill, not just those related to Blender.

What Learning Resources Are Available To Aid Learning?

If there is one thing that blender is on top of the list for, it’s the number of learning resources available to the global blender community. Because Blender is so accessible, many artists produce their own learning resources, such as YouTube videos or blog posts like this one.

You can also access many online courses from third-party platforms such as Udemy and Skillshare and first-party sites like Blender Base Camp and CG Boost.

When looking for online courses, we recommend visiting sites dedicated to teaching blender as the main topic. The courses on these sites are more likely to be higher than those found on 3rd party platforms, but that’s not to say there aren’t some great courses on both Udemy and Skillshare.

Google itself is a great learning resource. Simply typing the query that she wants to focus on relating to Blender, and you are more than likely to get at least one article that answers your question.

Blender Is Not As Difficult As You May Think

Thank you for taking the time to read through this article, and we hope you found the information you were looking for. If you want to learn more about Blender, Checkout some of our articles below.

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