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Blender Nation
Daily news art and tutorial about Blender, the open source 3D content creation suite.
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  • Short Video: "Antique"
    www.blendernation.com
    Using assets from BlenderKit, Sketchfab, imeshh and 3dsky, Gturmanidze created this video with gorgeous lighting, color and camera motion.Source
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  • Top Reasons to Stick with Blender 4.2 LTS
    www.blendernation.com
    Blender updates are exciting, packed with shiny new features and tools, but they can also feel like a double-edged sword.Just when youve mastered the current version, here comes another release to shake things up. Whether youre a beginner or a seasoned pro, staying current can feel like a balancing act.If you love riding the wave of every update, you might:1. Track Blenders latest milestones.2. Dive into developer forums to report bugs.But if you're focused on getting projects done, learning the ropes of Blender, teaching a class, or simply staying in a steady creative flow, sticking with a Long Term Support (LTS) release might be the best move.Check out the full article on CG Cookie.
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  • Behind the Scenes: Agony
    www.blendernation.com
    Behind the Scenes: Agony By Alina Khan on March 31, 2025 Behind the Scenes Discover the creative process behind the dystopian surrealist artwork 'Agony' with Nguyen Bao.INTRODUCTIONHey there! Im Nguyen Bao, a 3D Visual Artist based in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.I've been a 3D Visual Artist for three years. I love creating and experimenting with visual art, expressing myself, and exploring the unconscious mind through 3D art. My work is influenced by various styles such as futurism, surrealism, dystopia, utopia, and grotesque.INSPIRATIONMy inspiration mainly comes from movies, art, or anything related to futurism, surrealism, and dystopia. I've always been a huge fan of surreal artists like Zdzisaw Beksiski, Mariusz Lewandowski, Peter Gric, and H.R. Giger. That kind of art makes it hard for me to look away.For this particular piece, I wanted to give it a nightmarish atmospheresomething beautifully dark. I'm combining a woman with an organic surrounding as she's slowly being devoured by it. It was titled Agony to evoke a more disturbing feeling.PROCESSPC Specs: MSI Z790 i7-14700k 128GB RAM ProArt RTX 4060ti 16GB Software: Blender ZBrush DAZ Studio PureRef GoB (Addon) References:Collecting references is the most important step before you start creating anything. I used PureRef here, the most convenient and efficient software for managing references. As I already mentioned, I wanted to merge a woman with an organic surrounding, so I started looking up the works of the mentioned artists (Zdzisaw Beksiski, Mariusz Lewandowski, Peter Gric, H.R. Giger, etc.) as well as other artists' works, as long as they were related to dystopia and surrealism.Blockout:After collecting enough references, I started to block out the basic shape of everything before bringing it into ZBrush to start sculpting.During the blockout stage, I used Bezier curves and sphere objects, then manually adjusted their shape with proportional editing in Edit Mode. You can also use the Grab brush in Sculpt Modewhatever works best for you.For the ground, I used the built-in addon A.N.T: Landscape and experimented with Noise Type and Effect Type, adjusting them with proportional editing if needed to achieve the desired result. After spending a while on the blockout stage and composition, everything looked like this with a base Genesis 8.1 Female model from DAZ.I used a 20mm lens camera for this scene.Sculpting:After the blockout stage, I exported everything to ZBrush using the GoB addon, which allows you to transfer objects between Blender and ZBrush with a single click. (I already provided the link to the addon above, so you can check it out.)Example how the addon GoB works:After finishing the sculpting, I transferred everything back to Blender. They were all high-poly models, but there was no need to optimize them since nothing needed to be rigged or animatedthe final result was just a still image.Texturing:Nothing complicated at alljust a PBR bone texture from ArtStation with box projection and SSS (Weight: 1, Radius: 0.5, 0.5, 0.5, Scale: 0.5). I used Pointiness with a Color Ramp to create the desired detail mask and increased the base color value to 3 using the Hue/Saturation node to enhance the sculpted details.Then I added AO.Final look (before/after the mask and AO added)Node tree:Lighting:I added some large area lights for the whole scene, plus two more spotlights for the main object and a principled volume cube.Here is how the lights affect the scene.Added some more smoke VDBs to create a bit more depth:Compositing:I created a group node using Add and Screen blending modes with some curve adjustments to refine the look. The rest was used to slightly increase overall saturation and add a vignette effect.Before and after.Thats how powerful the compositing is!After the render finished, I just added a bit more color grading and noise!RENDER: Agony Thank you for reading! Please check out my social media if you want to see more of my work!About the Artist Nguyen Bao (@lame.ostrich), a 3D artist from Ho Chi Minh, works at GudLag Creative and SQUR.CRE. His art blends futurism, surrealism, dystopia, utopia, and grotesque elements, fusing dreams and reality.Links
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  • Creating a Stylized 3D Viking with Ease | Character Creator 4 & Blender Auto Setup [$]
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    Creating a Stylized 3D Viking with Ease | Character Creator 4 & Blender Auto Setup By Bart on March 31, 2025 3D News Character designer Peter Alexander shares his enthusiasm for the recent Blender Auto Setup updates, highlighting how they streamline character design using Character Creator 4 (CC4) assets. He details his workflow, emphasizing the efficiency and viability of this setup for those without access to licensed software like Zbrush.About MythconsGreetings, my name is Peter Alexander. I am a character designer and 3D generalist who works with Character Creator 4 (CC4) and related pipelines. The recent updates of the Blender Auto Setup has made me more excited about CC4 character design than ever. Thanks to the brilliant developers, character design in Blender using CC4 assets is very streamlined and is a viable solution for those who do not have access to Zbrush or other licensed software.Check out Mythcons's artstationSend Avatar from CC to Blender with the data linkIn fact, I have mostly switched over to Blender as my CC4 customization software. The power of Blender Auto Setup will depend on which options you choose when sending data over from Character Creator. I would recommend that you use the Send Avatar function, as it will give you access to the Proportion Editor and the ability to sculpt in high resolution and transfer those details to your lower resolution mesh.The proportion editing in the Blender Auto Setup mitigates the need to mush around the mesh, as you can move and scale the bones to get the desired proportions. My preferred method is to use the Proportion Editor, then sculpt once the bones are in place.The options listed under Child Bones Inherit Scale refers to how the child bones (bones under the hierarchy of the current bone) are scaled in relation to the bone you are manipulating. Full will make the child bones scale with the parent bone, and None will leave the child bones unimpacted by scale.If you have set up your workflow to use the Send Avatar function, selecting Go CC in the Blender Auto Setup add-on will send the data back to CC4 and provide you with the option to create a new project with the updates from Blender.If you have set up your workflow to use the Send Morph function, your data will be sent to CC4 as a new morph for your character.Regardless of which method you use, you can take this opportunity to do some clean-up on the characters. I start by applying Mirror Symmetry, since this is a symmetrical character.I also adjust any facial features, such as teeth, using the CC4 Proportion Editor. Selecting the Face category will give you access to the bones of the Eyes, Teeth, and Tongue.At this point I send an updated version of the character over to Blender for additional editing, including texturing and creating some hair and assets. While I usually texture my characters in a dedicated application like 3D-Coat, you can manipulate the textures within Blender using its native tools.UDIMs are supported (meaning you can paint across UV tiles), although I should note that you need to have the same channel selected for all materials otherwise painting over the UV tiles will bleed into improper channels. If you are painting Diffuse (Color), you need to make sure each material is selected to the Diffuse channel. If you have made a change to the textures and want this loaded when the character is sent back to CC4, choose Save All Images.Creating AssetsI will say that I like to keep my assets as low resolution as possible until I need to increase the detail. This allows for optimal control. I will often use a SubDivision modifier, especially if I am creating a hard surface.I start with this shield piece of armor for his belly. I often use the Loop Tools (enabled in Blender add-ons) to create the loops I need and straighten out edges. Keeping the resolution low allows you to prevent unnecessary deformations when you are moving geometry. With higher resolution, more corrections will need to be made.Creating HairAs with clothing and other assets, be aware of the limitations of hair assets for CC4. While a wide variety of hairstyles can be achieved, longer hair can require more advanced solutions. I intended to create these braids and have them swing along with the character as he moved, but since spring bones do not collide with the mesh, these presented a challenge in many animations.Weight SkinningSkinning is the process of assigning weights to objects relative to their rigging system, ensuring natural deformation during animation. Technical artists face challenges with complex setups like characters with large bellies, rigid shields, and associated components, all requiring precise weight assignment. Creating realistic movement involves applying various animation clips, reviewing timeline movements, and making adjustments when deformation issues arise. Saving an initial OBJ copy of items is recommended practice, allowing reset to default state if skinning causes problems. The entire process demands expertise to achieve convincing results without mesh poke-through or unnatural deformations.Facial Expression EditingI used the standard export method to edit the expressions in Blender. To achieve this, export as an FBX and choose Mesh and Expression Sequence. This will allow you to import the necessary data for editing the expressions in Blender.Once in Blender, you can scrub through the timeline and see that all the expressions are there in sequence. When you go to your Shape Key menu, you will see expressions activate. You can pin the shapekey you are working on and edit them without going through the timeline, but certain expressions use bones, such as the Jaw Open expression, so it is good practice to use the timeline.Once you are finished editing, you need to export the FBX. Then, in Character Creator, initiate the facial profile editor and import the FBX with Expression Sequence. This will populate the expressions with the appropriate data.Additional FeaturesScene Lighting PresetsThe Blender Pipeline allows you to easily cycle through many lighting presets. Aside from the rendering benefits, you can see how your character looks under various lighting, giving you the opportunity to adjust your character as needed.SculptingThe sculpting function has two main options: Body and Detail, specifically set up for the CC4 standard character. The Body option is designed for shaping your character, while the Detail is for adding delicate details, like skin pores, veins, sculpted hair, etc. This function will generate high-quality normal maps to your Baked folder, which you can then add to your character in CC4 (I would suggest adding them using SkinGen).Data-Link OptionsThe Data-Link options allow you to send a variety of data back and forth between CC4 and Blender. This is especially useful for checking poses and basic animations.You can take it a step further and Rigify the CC4 avatar, giving animators access to an advanced animation rig. Blender animators especially will be comfortable with this rigging and animation system.The Blender Auto Setup Pipeline has many other functions, but one of the most important is the Skin Parameters menu. All the skin materials are linked, and you can make significant changes to the look of your character very quickly, in a non-destructive manner. The number of quality functions in this add-on cannot be overstated, and it is a free bonus for those who are dedicated to the Reallusion 3D ecosystem.To ConcludeReflecting on the process (here you can see the full breakdown) of creating my stylized Viking for CC4 using the Blender Auto Setup, Im really impressed with how smooth and intuitive it felt. Switching to Blender as my go-to for CC4 customization has honestly been such a rewarding move. The Blender Auto Setup add-on, paired with CC4s tools, just clicks for me. Its like they were made to work together.There were moments that required some extra thought, like figuring out the skinning for the shield and straps or getting the braids to move naturally without clipping through the mesh. But even those challenges felt manageable because the workflow is so well thought out. I especially loved being able to tweak proportions in the Proportion Editor and then jump straight into sculpting details, which just feels natural.As for lighting presets and sculpting options; theyre total time-savers. For someone like me whos always looking for ways to streamline without sacrificing quality, this setup has been a revelation.
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  • Model A Mac In Blender
    www.blendernation.com
    Quentin Steinke writes: In this Blender 4.4 tutorial I walk you through modeling a Mac in Blender. If you have any questions of need some help, let me know in the comments!Source
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  • Converting an Image to a 3D Mesh in Blender
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    Converting an Image to a 3D Mesh in Blender By Jan van den Hemel on March 29, 2025 Videotutorials Jan van den Hemel writes:40-minute about an Image to 3D model workflow using the (much improved!) Trace Image to Grease Pencil feature in Blender. This is great for creating a base mesh that you can then use for either boolean, sub-d or sculpting workflows (it's up to you!).
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  • Blender Jobs for March 28, 2025
    www.blendernation.com
    Here's an overview of the most recent Blender jobs on Blender Artists, ArtStation and 3djobs.xyz: That's No Moon | Lead Environment Concept Music Video Help Blender Designer for 30-Second Crowdfunding Video Looking for someone who can fix my 3d studio scan 3-Wheel Tilting Motorcycle Rigging in Blender Danjorous Games | Artiste 3D Looking for artist [...]Source
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  • Best of Blender Artists: 2025-13
    www.blendernation.com
    Every week, hundreds of artists share their work on the Blender Artists forum. I'm putting some of the best work in the spotlight in a weekly post here on BlenderNation.Source
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  • Los Angeles Blender Meeting Sat Mar 29 Celebrating 4.4
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    Los Angeles Blender Meeting Sat Mar 29 Celebrating 4.4 By futurehack on March 27, 2025 Usermeetings Catch up with LA Blenderheads this Saturday to celebrate Blender 4.4, hear about cool Blender projects, and socialize with your peers.Meeting topics include Blender new features along with AI mesh creation/training, combining normal maps, using Graphite with Blender, and more. We are meeting in-person and online and hope to see you there.
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  • Video: Advanced Suspension Armature
    www.blendernation.com
    Video: Advanced Suspension Armature By BuyingZebra on March 27, 2025 Video Discover how BuyingZebra's advanced suspension armature utilizes Blender's rigid body constraints to create realistic, physics-driven vehicle animations.I have developed this armature using my tank armature as the foundation. Using the default bone constraints default bone constraints (with no drivers), the leaf springs (as well as the shackles and hinges) function like the actual suspension system IRL. Although the animations are procedural, physics were introduced into this armature to further accent the animation making the movements feel more natural.
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  • Exporting Bloom and Transparent Video In Blender
    www.blendernation.com
    I take you through my full thought process, exploring how bloom works and why transparency is essential when layering visuals over different backgrounds. This isnt just about getting a glowit's about controlling how that glow interacts with other elements in your scene.I look at how to structure your setup inside Blender to separate the bloom from the base object, ensuring that when you export it, you have both the glow and a proper silhouette to occlude whats behind. Then, I show how to bring this setup into OBS, demonstrating how blending modes like Add and Screen affect the final look and discussing common pitfalls like dark borders and layering issues.Later, I shift focus to animation. I set up a simple loop and explain how to export the animation with full transparencynot just as image sequences but as actual video files. I also walk through which formats and codecs support alpha channels, showing how to get high-quality transparent video output directly from Blender.The video wraps up by showing how everything comes together in OBS using media sources and grouping, giving a clean, glowing animated effect that looks professional and polished.Curious how to avoid those weird glowing artifacts or wondering what video formats truly support transparency? I cover that too.
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  • BlenderKit Release Notes 3.15.0
    www.blendernation.com
    Were pleased to announce the release of BlenderKit Add-on version 3.15.0, packed with exciting new features, important improvements, and stability fixes. Search tabs will immensely boost your workflow and Search tabs will immensely boost your workflow and node groups were officially added to our asset library. Feel free to share your thoughts!New Features Node Group Asset Type: The previously experimental Nodegroup asset type is now officially available to all users. Tabs and Search History: Introducing an enhanced tabs interface for the search bar, enabling users to perform searches in multiple tabs simultaneously and navigate freely between them. Each tab maintains its own search history, allowing efficient back-and-forth browsing. Keyboard Shortcuts for Tabs:Ctrl + T: Open a new tabCtrl + W: Close current tabCtrl + Tab / Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Cycle through tabsCtrl + 1-9: Directly select specific tabs Printable Assets (Experimental): Added a new experimental asset type specifically optimized for 3D printing. Activate experimental features in the add-on preferences to explore and upload Printable assets. Extensions Repository and Marketplace: BlenderKits add-ons from our marketplace are now conveniently integrated into Blenders Extensions interface (available from Blender 4.2+). Asset Type Auto-Switch: When typing a specific asset type (e.g., model, material, HDR) in the search field, the add-on now automatically switches to the appropriate asset category. Clear Search Keywords: Easily reset your search input using the newly added 'X' icon, streamlining your search workflow. Immediate Comments and Ratings: Comments and ratings now load instantly in the asset details popup, enhancing user feedback responsiveness. Multiple Blender Instances Stability: Improved handling of concurrent Blender instances running different BlenderKit versions, preventing cross-version communication issues. Brushes Compatibility: Added full support for brushes in Blender versions 4.4 and 4.5, adapting seamlessly to API changes.Enjoy, and dont forget to collect your 25% spring sale discount on Full Plan and Blender add-ons.All the best,The BlenderKit team
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  • Atlantis The Lost Empire Fan Trailer
    www.blendernation.com
    Atlantis The Lost Empire Fan Trailer By Bart on March 26, 2025 Video Jonathan Munoz shares his stunning fan-art concept trailer. Everything about it is very high qualitym including all CG animation which done with Blender.This project has been cooking fot quite some time nowMy name is Jonathan, Im a Director/VFX artist based in Los Angeles. Back in October 2023 I set out to assemble a production team to shoot a short concept trailer for the famous animated film from 2001 Atlantis The Lost Empire.I wanted this project to be bold, beautiful and most importantly, full of blender FX. Ive been using the program since I was in high school and have leaned on it for many professional animation gigs here in town and abroad. This gave me the confidence to nearly single handedly take on a project of this scale.Jonathan posted the full breakdown on Blender Artists.
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  • Blender Developers Meeting Notes: 24 March 2025
    www.blendernation.com
    Notes for weekly communication of ongoing projects and modules. Blender 4.4 has been released on Tuesday. Check out whats new in the release notes. This is a selection of changes that happened over the last week. For a full overview including fixes, code only changes and more visit projects.blender.org. Add keying set support to Copy Global Transform add-on (commit) - (Sybren A. Stvel) Add import settings popover, move import method into it (commit) - (Julian Eisel) Import settings popover with collection instancing option (commit) - (Julian Eisel) Configurable Line Breaking Behavior (commit) - (Harley Acheson) Add common nodes to compositor (commit) - (Omar Emara) Add Image Info node (commit) - (Omar Emara) Support conversion to and from int2 and float2 (commit) - (Omar Emara) Support Int2 and Float2 types in shader operations (commit) - (Omar Emara) Support all single value types in File Output (commit) - (Omar Emara) Add boolean socket support (commit) - (Omar Emara) Adaptive subdivision no longer doubles up with Blender levels (commit) - (Brecht Van Lommel) Maximise MTLCompiler concurrency when GUI isnt active (commit) - (Michael Jones) Multithread adaptive subdivision dicing (commit) - (Brecht Van Lommel) Add quantized geometric normal for shadow bias (commit) - (Clment Foucault) Move import nodes out of experimental (commit) - (Hans Goudey) Add icon_value property to support using custom icons (commit) - (Jonas Holzman) Drawing API functions to assign/remove vertex group data (commit) - (Pratik Borhade) Draw Tool: Improve random color value and saturation setting results (commit) - (Casey Bianco-Davis) Enable panel toggles in the Compositor (commit) - (Omar Emara) Update bitflag smoothgroup to also consider boundary vertices. (commit) - (Bastien Montagne) Add Gizmo Simple 2D (commit) - (Jonas Holzman) Make area border width decoupled from scale factor (commit) - (Clment Foucault) Add unit to label in Glare (Simple Star) node (commit) - (Pablo Vazquez) Output > FFmpeg Video hide useless parameters for some codecs (commit) - (Martin-Vignali) Typographical and Path Wrapping for Tooltips (commit) - (Harley Acheson) Increase Height of the Left-Size Corner Action Zones (commit) - (Harley Acheson) Use snapping when drag & dropping collections (commit) - (Julian Eisel) Increase Border Edge Drag Width (commit) - (Harley Acheson) Increase Contrast of Area Resize Feedback (commit) - (Harley Acheson) Color Icons for Red, Green, & Blue (commit) - (Harley Acheson) Rename Add File Node operator to Add Image as Node (commit) - (Guillermo Venegas) Eliminate some unintentional VtArray copies (commit) - (Jesse Yurkovich) Swapchain synchronization (commit) - (Jeroen Bakker) Prefer tripple buffering (commit) - (Jeroen Bakker) Allow property changes in the editor to create undo steps (commit) - (Sean Kim)
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  • Animela Festival intro animation
    www.blendernation.com
    Animela Festival intro animation By Bart on March 25, 2025 Video This animated short created was created by 13 students from Srishti Manipal institute of Art, Design and Technology for this years Animela 2025 Festival.Archit writes:More than happy to share the signature animation created for this years AniMela Festival 2025 created entirely in Blender.Aaghosham means celebration. The animation was created in 4 weeks by 13 students from third year UG program from Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Science and Technology based in Bengaluru, India.
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  • Freight Rail Grain Hopper Train Wagon 3D Model [$]
    www.blendernation.com
    Freight Rail Grain Hopper Train Wagon 3D Model By hknoblauch on March 25, 2025 Models & Rigs This is two realistic models of a rail car freight grain hopper wagons for transporting grain across rail networks. Use it for freelance concept art, environment building, indy film or realistic rendering.Asset Description Substance ready: (tested - but substance file not included) Vertext ID's are painted by element creating substance quick masks if you should choose to paint the model in substance Unreal Tested: (tested - but unreal file not included) When importing elements to unreal, smoothing and faces are good - see screenshot Asset Properties Textures: BAsecol, Metallic, Roughness, Normal, Height, AO Materials: 9 Materials (3 sets, but duplicates with different AO blends) Normals: Normals are good, shows blue in blender Formats: Blender Native, OBJ, FBX Vertex: Painted by element Technical Detail for assets file: (PER WAGON): Objects - 13 Faces -258641 Verts - 261939 Tris - 519414
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  • Realistic Car Sharing with Blender and Octane - Step by Step Tutorial
    www.blendernation.com
    Realistic Car Sharing with Blender and Octane - Step by Step Tutorial By Arun Bharathi on March 25, 2025 Tutorials Arun Bharathi writes:In this video, we will be taking a look at how to create an awesome versatile car paint shader. Als,o I have bought a new mic so the audio should be a little better. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you for watching!
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  • Rigging a Bow in Blender 4.4
    www.blendernation.com
    Learn how to rig a bow and arrow in Blender - PixelForge recreated his old tutorial on a new channel with updated versions, better audio, and editing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhX4qYAc5kSource
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  • Behind the Scenes: Fighter Pilot
    www.blendernation.com
    Behind the Scenes: Fighter Pilot By Alina Khan on March 24, 2025 Behind the Scenes Dive into this article as Khaled explores his journey in hard-surface modeling with Fighter Pilot. From refining topology to procedural texturing and lighting, he shares his techniques, challenges, and key lessons learned.INTRODUCTIONHello everyone,My name is Khaled, and I'm from the Middle East, specifically Syria. I'm a self-taught 3D artist specializing in hard-surface modeling.Art was never a shared interest in our household, but from a young age, my older brother and I always had an interest in different artistic activities, especially drawing. By the time I reached adolescence, I had stopped pursuing art and was exploring other options in life, while my brother took a leap into a professional 3D art career.Watching his journey from the beginninghow relentlessly driven he was to learn and push the limits of creativityhas been nothing short of inspiring to me. Im deeply grateful that Ive had the opportunity to closely witness his transformation from someone with raw talent into one of the best in his field.Eventually, I decided to try 3D for myself back in 2021. I started out with Blender, like many beginners, and took a couple of online courses to get the hang of the basics. These courses helped me build a solid foundation in modeling simple objects, learning about modifiers, navigating the program, understanding the interface, controls, and other fundamental tools.As I grew more comfortable with Blender, my interest leaned more toward hard-surface modeling as opposed to other fields in 3D. My approach to learning shifted, and rather than sticking to tutorials, I began focusing more on the process of imitation and demonstration. I would study other designers work, dissecting their models to understand how they achieved functional, believable designs.Over time, I started particularly honing in on fundamentalsthings like topology, essential modifiers such as the subdivision surface modifier, lighting, and material properties.INSPIRATIONIve always looked up to the greatsartists like Mike Andrew Nash, Keos Masons, and Nika Zautashvili, to name a few. However, Ive been especially inspired by Mikes Infiltration Unitand his Vested Series - Police Vest (2017).These two masterpieces, in my opinion, are pretty much the pinnacle of hard-surface artistry. I strive to become one of the greats and to achieve the same level of mastery they display in my own work. I know this project is just a first step toward that goal, but I cant wait to see what new heights I can reach along the way.References:As for references, I have used images that include real-life equipment and machinery, as well as works from other artists, such as Mikes Infiltration Unit and Vitalys Pilot Operatorboth of which align with what I aspired to achieve.Real-life images were primarily used as references for creating certain equipment, such as the oxygen pressure regulator. They also served as a foundation for lighting and materials, as I wanted to create a realistic scene for my project.PROCESSI have used only Blender for the creation of this project, Photoshop for post-processing, and primarily relied on just two modifiersthe subdivision surface and mirror modifierswith no add-ons used.Modeling:My process is entirely done in a subdivision modeling manner from start to finish. The first stage is creating the initial shape. Rather than using other methods, such as sculpting the initial shape and then retopologizing it, I opt to create the initial shape using polygonal subdivision modeling.I view the silhouette as the very foundation upon which I build my character. It is of utmost importance for me to ensure early on that it expresses the shapes and forms I desire with as few vertices as possible, allowing me to easily control the topology and make swift changes if needed.Meanwhile, I always focus on the flow of topology, as it dictates the potential functionality and sensibility of the designespecially since the helmet features rounded shapes, which are particularly challenging to control effectively.You can also see that early on, I dissected the model into relatively understandable parts, such as the neck, mask, glasses, etc. This helps me define the role of each part and visualize connections more clearly in order to establish workable structures.From there onward, I focus on establishing these connections between the parts of the design, which may vary in size and shape depending on the components involved.Below, you can see how the first part of the design evolved over time:I continue refining the shapes, making adjustments as I go, while trying to maintain consistency between the edges, sizes of parts, positioning of equipment, and so on. It was also quite challenging to create mechanisms that convey depth and purpose while remaining understandable in terms of function.Below is the second part of how the design evolved into its final form:Texturing & Materials:The materials I created are entirely procedural, except for the secondary layers, such as smudges, scratches, and wear passes. These were added only in post-processing in Photoshop using different blend modes, which enhances complexity and better emulates real-life materials.As for the main material, its entirely procedural and composed of simple textures, all of which are mixed in different ways, then layered and fed into the bump node.Each of these setups creates a certain texture and plays a different role in the shader. For example, the color variance distributes different shades onto the object, better emulating both the behavior of real-life materials and how lighting interacts with them.Each texture is shown separately below on the model:And here is a close-up image of the base shader with the above textures combined:Lighting:As for lighting, I have only used an HDRI with some color adjustments using simple nodes. The setup, as seen below, allows me to control the strength, coloring, and direction of either the environment light or the object light by separating them via the background node.I render the model and background separately using the Transparent option in Cycles' settings. This gives me the advantage of controlling the position, size, lighting, etc., for each in post-processing in Photoshop.Below are the base renders for the environment and the model separately:Rendering:Once I have rendered both the background and the model separately, I begin post-processing in Photoshop. I first work on combining the images to achieve the correct perspective in relation to the positioning of the camera, model, and background.The next step is to accentuate the direction of the main light source.Post-Processing:Afterward, I work on a more general level to further refine the coloring and lighting and correct the gamma using the Color Balance, Levels, and Exposure adjustment layers.I also use the Camera Raw filter to adjust the temperature, tint, shadows, highlights, color grading, and more. Additionally, I resize the canvas to narrow the height and widen the perspective.I continue making slight incremental changes, such as adding lens flare and adjusting the settings in the Lens Correction filter to achieve a more realistic feel of the character within the scene.And that was it! Below you will find the final renders of Fighter Pilot!RENDER: Fighter Pilot And below are some clay renders: Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you, BlenderNation, for giving me the space to display my article here!About the Artist Khaled is a 3D artist from Syria, specializing in hard-surface modeling. Driven by a passion for mechanical design, he strives to reach the pinnacle of artistry in the field.Links
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  • Export to HTML and more in Verge3D 4.9 [$]
    www.blendernation.com
    Export to HTML and more in Verge3D 4.9 By Soft8Soft on March 24, 2025 3D News A fresh update of Blender-friendly WebGL creator tool is out! Here is what's new. Direct export to standalone HTML file Auto sliding around an obstacle in first person mode Support for multi-material objects and shared materials Better handling of cloned objects Possibility to replace shared textures individually More control over procedural lines Integration with Blender 4.4 Further optimizations!
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  • Let's model and simulate a rolling die in Blender!
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    In this three part series cephalopunk models and simulates a die roll in Blender.Source
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  • Video: Interstellar Docking Scene Recreated in LEGO
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    Video: Interstellar Docking Scene Recreated in LEGO By Bart on March 23, 2025 Video Doctor Orcinus re-created the iconic docking scene from Interstellar in Blender. The visual quality is stunning - relecting the almost 2 years it took them to create this video.This is my recreation of the iconic docking scene from Interstellarin LEGO.I started working on this project in mid-2023, and it has been an incredible challenge, from modeling and animation to rendering and post-production. Every detail, from the explosive detachment of the Ranger to the rotation of the Endurance, the space suits of the minifigures, the insides of the Lander, and even the planet in the background, was carefully recreated in 3D.Interstellar is one of the films that has moved me the most. Its story, visuals, and soundtrack left a lasting impact on me, and this video is my personal love letter to the movieand to cinema in general. I wanted to capture the intensity and emotion of this scene in LEGO form, as a tribute to the power of storytelling through film.For the spacecraft models, I relied on some amazing LEGO designs from the community:Endurance, Ranger, Lander Originally designed by paranoider (Lego Ideas) and assembled on Mecabricks by moguusgus. I made some small tweaks to fit the animation.TARS/CASE Designed by Minibrick Productions (Lego Ideas).
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  • Blender 4.4 Released: Check Out These Standout Features
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    Blender 4.4 Released: Check Out These Standout Features By Bart on March 23, 2025 Blender Development Blender 4.4 introduces significant improvements focused on stability and quality, alongside innovative features that enhance animation workflows and video editing capabilities.Key Features: Action Slots: Revolutionizes animation by allowing multiple data-blocks to share a single Action, simplifying complex animations. Video Sequencer Enhancements: Improved text editing, support for H.265 codec, and faster performance for various effects and playback. Modeling Updates: New options for selecting by pole count and improved topology influence for cleaner mesh structures. Sculpting: Introduction of the Plane brush type with customizable settings for precise control over sculpting tasks. User Interface: Enhanced window decorations, improved editor snapping, and better feedback for various tools. Compositor: Significant performance improvements and a revamped Glare node for better control and usability. Relevant Links:Blender 4.4 features in less than five minutesBlender 4.4. Showreel
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  • Jiggle Physics With Geometry Nodes in Blender
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    Jiggle Physics With Geometry Nodes in Blender By harryblends on March 23, 2025 3D News harryblends steps through the tools and techniques I used in Blender to create DEREK - simulated procedural creature with customizable jiggle physics.I developed him as an experiment in creating secondary motion with geometry nodes and here I build him bit by bit, explaining all the principles that make him work.
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  • "Rage against the T-Pose!" [Blender Short/Tease]
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    "Rage against the T-Pose!" [Blender Short/Tease] By Todor Nikolov on March 22, 2025 Video Todor Nikolov has released a short teasing an upcoming Blender course.This short video showcases some of the techniques and skills that viewers can expect to learn in the course. The course will be available for free on Todor's YouTube channel in the coming days. Stay tuned for more updates
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  • Character Creation-Enhanced Eye Rig
    www.blendernation.com
    Character Creation-Enhanced Eye Rig By Anthony on March 22, 2025 Videotutorials Anthony's creation series continues with more rigging tips and this time we are taking a closer look at the eyes.In this first part, we cover how you can fairly easily add more eye control to the base Rigify metarig and what to watch out for that could mess it up a little.In case you missed it, this somewhat builds on the previous video that covered some of the initial theory and steps to improve the default Rigify face rig.
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  • BlenderKit Spring Sale [$]
    www.blendernation.com
    BlenderKit Spring Sale By Vilem Duha on March 22, 2025 Add-ons BlenderKit is an extensive 3D asset library seamlessly integrated into Blender 3D. The ever-growing database includes 3D models, materials, brushes, scenes, HDRIs, node groups, and Blender add-ons.Spring to life with BlenderKit! Get a huge 3D asset library 25% off!More than anything, BlenderKit is a community. Founded in the spirit of open-source, BlenderKit is available for free. With a Full Plan subscription, users support BlenderKit creators and open-source development, while enjoying access to the full database.BlenderKit is now having a spring sale, offering a 25% discount on Full Plan and Blender add-ons.Our sale will end on April 3rd, so be sure to collect your discount!Have a wonderful spring,The BlenderKit team
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  • Blender Jobs for March 21, 2025
    www.blendernation.com
    Here's an overview of the most recent Blender jobs on Blender Artists, ArtStation and 3djobs.xyz: Python: Separate Z-Anatomy.py into independent add-ons Blender ConjureSDF plugin model work Environment Artist VFX for one shot in my Short Film [$50hr] Environment Artist for Sci-Fi Videogame RealTruck, Inc. | Junior 3D Modeler (Contract position) Eleven Eleven | Lead 3D [...]Source
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  • Best of Blender Artists: 2025-12
    www.blendernation.com
    Every week, hundreds of artists share their work on the Blender Artists forum. I'm putting some of the best work in the spotlight in a weekly post here on BlenderNation.Source
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  • CharMorph v0.4.0 Character Creator Released
    www.blendernation.com
    CharMorph v0.4.0 Character Creator Released By Seen_buklee on March 19, 2025 Add-ons CharMorph is an Open Source character creation tool for Blender. Its goal is to offer high-quality, parameterized character models that not only rival closed-source solutions but exceed them, achieving the level of quality seen in blockbuster movies and next-gen video games.We are pleased to announce the first major release of CharMorph, a comprehensive character creation system for Blender that serves as a spiritual successor to MB-Lab.CharMorph recreates the core functionality of MB-Lab while significantly expanding capabilities, enhancing user experience, andimportantlyincluding non-AGPL models that can be freely implemented in commercial game projects.Key Features in This Release include: Character Downloader: Download characters directly within Blender Custom Library Location: Define your own locations for assets allowing users to save space. Vitruvian: A New Open-Source Character that boasts realistic skin and proportions. You can see it in action from the article's image. Add-on Updater: Updates the add-on from within Blender itself. Blender 4.4 Support: We've worked ahead of time to fix support for the coming Blender version. Links For community support and discussion, join our Discord server. We welcome your feedback and look forward to seeing what you create with CharMorph.
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