Blender 2.8 Character Creation

Video description

Blender 2.8 is an exciting milestone in the history of Blender, and there's no better time to start learning its new tools and workflows for 3D animation. You can now delve into 3D animation with the Blender 2.8 Character Creation course and gain the skills you need to build interactive new characters.

In this course, you'll use Blender 2.8 to model a character's face with the correct edge flow to ensure it animates credibly. You'll learn how to create hands and feet, along with the character's spacesuit and helmet. In addition to this, you'll use Blender 2.8's sculpting tools to form wrinkles and folds in the spacesuit. Next, the course will guide you on how to bake a normal map to capture high-resolution details and apply them to a lower poly version. To further enhance the character, you can use the new Eevee render engine in Blender 2.8 and create PBR materials for the character. You will also create UV maps so that you can apply textures and add greater detail to the model. From painting eyelashes and eyebrows in Krita, through to mapping textures using transparency in Blender, you’ll be adding life to the character step-by-step.

When the character has been modeled and textured, you will then turn your attention to rigging. You'll learn how to create the underlying skeleton, or armature that will control the character, before going on to place the character in the scene. You will later explore how to create lights and a turntable animation.

By the end of this course, you will be well-versed with Blender 2.8 and have developed the skills you need to build your own 3D characters.

What You Will Learn

  • Create a 3D character with Blender 2.8
  • Learn to use the Sculpt tools in Blender 2.8
  • Bake a normal map
  • Create PBR materials with the Eevee render engine
  • Use Krita to paint textures
  • Rig a 3D character in Blender 2.8
  • Light and render a turntable animation with Eevee

Audience

This course is for amateur Blender users who are looking to create their own 3D characters.

About The Author

Darrin Lile: Darrin Lile is an animator, developer, and Blender Foundation Certified Trainer teaching courses in computer animation and game development. He received a Bachelor's and Masters degrees in Film and Media Studies from the University of Kansas and has worked as an animator, a producer of educational films, a sound editor for film and television, and as a computer security analyst.

Table of contents

  1. Chapter 1 : Introduction
    1. Welcome to the Course
    2. A Brief Introduction to Blender 2.8
  2. Chapter 2 : Modeling the Body
    1. Importing Reference Images
    2. Beginning the Face
    3. Establishing the Face Loops
    4. Completing the Loop Mask
    5. Adjusting the Face
    6. Creating the Top of the Head
    7. Modeling the Eyes
    8. Placing the Eyes
    9. Creating the Side of the Head and Neck
    10. Modeling the Ears
    11. Creating the Nostrils
    12. Beginning the Lips
    13. Extruding the Inner Mouth
    14. Creating the Gums
    15. Beginning the Teeth
    16. Finishing the Teeth
    17. 019-Modeling the Eyelids
  3. Chapter 3 : Modeling the Body
    1. Extruding the Torso
    2. Creating the Legs
    3. Modeling the Arms
    4. Beginning the Fingers
    5. Continuing the Fingers
    6. Extruding the Hand
    7. Modeling the Thumb
    8. Connecting the Hand
    9. Beginning the Foot
    10. Finishing the Feet
    11. Beginning the Body Suit
    12. Finishing the Body Suit
  4. Chapter 4 : Creating the Space Suit
    1. Beginning the Space Suit
    2. Creating the Sole of the Boot
    3. Modeling the Boots
    4. Creating the Glove
    5. Continuing the Space Suit
    6. Working on the Breastplate and Belt
    7. Finishing the Breastplate and Belt
    8. Creating the Knee and Elbow Pads
    9. Preparing to Sculpt
    10. Beginning the Legs
    11. Sculpting the Upper Legs and Hips
    12. Sculpting the Torso and Arms
    13. Sculpting the Boots
    14. Sculpting the Gloves
    15. Finishing the Sculpting
  5. Chapter 5 : Modeling the Helmet and Cap
    1. Beginning the Helmet
    2. Continuing the Helmet
    3. Adding Thickness to the Helmet
    4. Finishing the Helmet
    5. Starting the Snoopy Cap
    6. Continuing the Snoopy Cap
    7. Modeling the Cap Mics
    8. Creating the Chin Strap
  6. Chapter 6 : UV Mapping and Baking
    1. Beginning to Organize the Model
    2. Finishing the Organization
    3. UV Mapping the Suit
    4. UV Mapping the Cap
    5. UV Mapping the Head
    6. Baking a Normal Map
  7. Chapter 7 : Creating Materials and Textures
    1. Assigning Materials for the Suit
    2. Assigning Materials to the Head
    3. Adjusting the Materials
    4. Adding Textures to the Suit and Eyes
    5. Texturing the Snoopy Cap
    6. Beginning to Texture the Face
    7. Finishing the Face Textures
    8. Texture Painting Details on the Suit
  8. Chapter 8 : Creating the Eyebrows, Eyelashes, and Bangs
    1. Modeling the Eyelashes
    2. Texturing the Eyelashes
    3. Beginning to Texture the Eyebrows
    4. Finishing the Eyebrow Textures
    5. Modeling and UV Mapping the Bangs
    6. Texturing the Bangs
  9. Chapter 9 : Rigging the Character
    1. Preparing the Character for Rigging
    2. Creating the Armature and Adjusting Joints
    3. Placing the Joints of the Hands
    4. Adjusting the Joints of the Face
    5. Placing the Joints for the Mouth and Eyes
    6. Generating the Rig and Binding the Mesh
    7. Parenting the Eyes and Teeth
    8. Adjusting Weights of the Face
    9. Testing the Face Controls
    10. Adjusting the Neck and Chest Weights
    11. Painting the Weights of the Hand
    12. Painting Weights for the Elbows and Knees
    13. Weight Painting the Torso and Hips
    14. Weight Painting the Boots and Testing the Rig
  10. Chapter 10 : Lighting and Rendering the Scene
    1. Posing the Character
    2. Lighting the Scene
    3. Setting Up the Transparent Glass Material
    4. Animating the Camera
    5. Rendering the Animation
    6. Conclusion and Thank You

Product information

  • Title: Blender 2.8 Character Creation
  • Author(s): Darrin Lile
  • Release date: June 2019
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781838989453