The promise of being able to bring anything you can imagine to life in whatever style you want is a huge draw that brings many to try 3D software for the first time. However, many get stuck at the modeling stage, never to open Blender again. Its not intuitive at first! But, once you learn the language, practice the right techniques, and get familiar with the tools, you can build anything.In this article, I'm going to break down how to mitigate getting stuck and help you achieve confidence with Blender. Let's dive in.The Essential Tools in BlenderThe very first thing to learn is how to navigate Blender and work with objects in the viewport. Ive covered that extensively in the Blender Basics, which you can watch for free on CG Cookie.Your next task is to learn the key tools all modelers need to know. In Blender, that would be:Transform (G, R, S)Delete (X, Delete)Insert Edge Loop (Ctrl R)Inset (I)Extrude (E, Alt E)Knife (K)Bevel (Ctrl B)Edge Slide (GG)SubdivideMake Face (F)Vertex Connect (J)BridgeMerge (M)Grid FillDissolve (X, Delete)Rip (V)SmoothMirror (Ctrl M)ShearThe first few of those are covered in the Blender Basics, and the rest are covered in the first chapter Mesh Modeling Fundamentals.Mesh operations are only half of the equation. You first have to select something before you can do anything to it! So, selection tools are just as important. Besides the basic selection that is the same as in Object mode, you should also learn to select:More or Less (Ctrl + or -)Edge Loops (Alt Select)Edge Rings (Ctrl Alt Select)Sharp EdgesSimilar (Shift G)Shortest Path (Ctrl Select)Linked (L, Ctrl L)Once you learn all of the above, youll know every tool you need to make highly detailed models.Low Poly ModelingTheres a big gap between knowing tools though and knowing how to use them effectively. Id recommend doing some low poly modeling to practice the tools, first with a couple objects at a time but then full scenes. Keeping each object simple helps keep it less intimidating, but creating a whole scene filled with a lot of simple objects is incredibly helpful for practicing on a wide variety of shapes and for learning important skills in scene organization.Example of a low poly room, created for the Mesh Modeling Fundamentals exercise, by Katerina Novakova Hard Surface ModelingHard surface modeling is the next step up from low poly modeling. Its the same process at the beginning to create the basic shapes, but then requires you to learn a few new techniques for adding layers of detail and polishing the final result. The complexity goes up, in both poly count and form, but modifiers can help keep the Edit Mode mesh easily editable. The modifiers that I would recommend learning (which are featured in both the Fundamentals and Modify courses) are:Smooth by AngleBevelSolidifyBooleanCurveSimple DeformLattice Normals are much more important at this stage, since youll need flat surfaces to appear flat and rounded surfaces to appear perfectly smooth. It may sound simple, but it can be quite a challenge! Once youre past the basics, you may want to learn about the Weighted Normal and Data Transfer modifiers as well.Youll also want to get familiar with curves, since youll be using those not just for cables and wires but also deforming shapes along a path.Hard surface model created by Utopic Light based on the Press Start courseThere are lots of great hard surface courses on CG Cookie, including:Press StartCatchBug BotsIndustrial EnvironmentsCubicityTreasure ChestSci-Fi Game EnvironmentsSubdivision Surface ModelingThe Subdiv modifier is easy to enable, but modeling with it takes time to master. The results of smooth yet crisp high poly objects and of melting one shape seamlessly into another, however, are very worth it. Heres where youll want to learn more about topology - edge flow, poles, quad junctions, and the like - so that you can get the best possible results with even the most complex shapes.Cute example of a subdivision surface model by Ingrid Frank Here are some good resources for learning subdivision surface modeling:PotheadMesh Modeling BootcampModeling a Motorcycle Conclusion - Going further When you can confidently make hard surface and subdivision surface models, youre solidly in intermediate to advanced territory, and good old-fashioned practice is going to help you out a lot more than an article can. But, if you want to really become a master, try incorporating techniques from all these other modeling styles as well:SculptingGeometry NodesSimulationsOnce you understand the fundamentals of how meshes work and are created though, the whole giant world of 3D opens up and you can find an endless set of tools, techniques, and software with which you can unleash your creativity.