3D CGI

Learn 3D CGI online and boost your creative prospects.

3D CGI is now an essential tool in any visual artist’s skillset, freeing you from the studio and empowering you to build incredible imagery with just your laptop.

Thanks to free software like Blender, the 3D realm is now accessible to a new generation of creatives looking to broaden their artistic horizons and future-proof their abilities.

This series of simple, practical classes, taught by top CGI artists and instructors, will have you building and rendering your own 3D images within a few short hours.

Start learning today with this amazing deal.

Get FULL ACCESS to Visual Education for

Only $4.99 for first month

$19/m After First Month

Get Deal

Cancel Anytime

Ready to take an exciting leap into the world of 3D CGI? This section contains everything you need to master the fundamentals and achieve amazing results.

As Karl works alongside CGI experts Ethan Davis and Viktor Fejes, you’ll get to grips with two different pieces of powerful CGI software: Blender and Cinema 4D.

In this section, you’ll find a comprehensive A-Z introduction to 3D CGI terminology, followed by an 11-class course covering the basics of Blender.

We then turn to some in-depth demonstrations of CGI product work as Ethan shows you how to use Blender to produce stunning images of watches, bottles, and fragrances.

Next, watch Karl and Ethan go head-to-head in a series of 'photography vs Blender’ shootouts.

Finally, Karl and Viktor introduce you to Cinema 4D, demonstrating the fundamental tools and techniques as they model, light and render a CG wine bottle.

87 Classes
17+ Hours content
Level: All Levels

3D CGI Terminology A-Z

Blender 3D Basics

Blender 3D: Product CGI

Photography vs Blender Shootouts

Introduction to Cinema 4D

3D CGI Terminology A-Z

3D CGI Terminology A-Z

59 Classes
1+ Hours content
Level: All Levels

Daunted by depth channels? Confused by caustics? Perplexed by particles and primitives?

This handy video glossary, presented by CGI expert Ethan Davis, introduces you to the 58 key terms you need to know to succeed with CGI.

By the time you’ve worked through this accessible guide, you’ll know your vertices from your volumetrics, your N-gones from your normals, and your photogrammetry from your Phong!

Blender 3D Basics

12 Classes
4+ Hours content
Level: All Levels

Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation suite. It covers all aspects of 3D, from modelling, rendering and compositing to rigging, animation and simulation. Learn more about Blender in our ‘Introducing Blender’ blog post.

You can download Blender free at blender.org.

In this 11-class course, Blender expert Ethan Davis introduces you to the key tools and techniques you need to get the best results out of this powerful software.

You’ll cover texturing, lighting, sculpting, simulations, and much more. And in a bonus 12th class, you'll learn how to create and use custom textures. By the end, you’ll be fully equipped to start having a blast with Blender.

Blender 3D: Product CGI

6 Classes
4+ Hours content
Level: All Levels

In this series of in-depth Blender demonstrations, you’ll follow Blender master Ethan Davis step by step as he walks you through the modelling, lighting and rendering process.

As Ethan produces incredible ad-style images of products like watches, fragrances and whisky bottles, you’ll learn how to apply a host of useful Blender techniques that will enable you to harness the full power of CGI.

Photography vs Blender 3D Shootouts

4 Classes
3+ Hours content
Level: All Levels

In the Blender 3D: Product CGI section, Ethan created stunning CG images of products including watches and bottles.

Meanwhile, Karl used all of his product photography knowledge and lighting expertise to match Ethan’s product CGI results with his camera. You can find these videos in the Product section.

In these shootout videos, you can watch a play-by-play breakdown of the action as these two masters of the visual arts go head-to-head to match one another's amazing work.

Introduction to Cinema 4D

6 Classes
4 Hours content
Level: Intermediate to Advanced

In this six-class series, Karl is joined by professional retoucher and CGI expert Viktor Fejes. Together, they introduce Cinema 4D, a powerful and versatile 3D software suite.

Having covered the key concepts of 3D work and provided a guided tour of the Cinema 4D interface, Viktor shows Karl how to model, light and render a 3D model from scratch – in this case, a wine bottle.

For anyone interested in 3D and CGI and keen to try out Cinema4D, this short series offers a fantastic primer.

You can find more classes featuring Viktor in our Advanced Photoshop and Compositing Using Photoshop courses in the Post-Production section.