I’m learning a (stupid hard) computer graphics program.
I’ve been working on learning a new skill. No – not frying donuts. My waistline wouldn’t abide that. Digital donuts, on the other hand, are a whole other tub of lard. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing using an open-source (free) 3D program called Blender.
Blender is no joke! I feel like an old dog trying to learn a new trick. You can use it for anything that requires a 3D model, but I like to think of it as a tool capable of creating Pixar-like graphics and animations. Here’s a professionally made animated short, as an example. I’ve been wanting to learn the basics of 3D for years, but have never invested the time. And time is a necessity for this application because it’s really hard.
Like stupid hard.
I’m 2/3rds of the way through my first tutorial series: Making a Donut in Blender. This 17-episode video series is completely free, beginner-oriented, and has a ridiculously high dropout rate. The first video has 7.9 million views. The last one has ~750K. Less than 10% finish the tutorial!
Like I said, stupid hard.
So why am I doing a stupid hard thing? Principally, I believe that many of the best parts of life result from taking on new challenges. Professionally, I’ve nearly always found it beneficial (on multiple levels) to learn new skills. It fuels creativity, unlocks new ideas, and gives me new tools for problem-solving. Also, I like donuts.
In this case, I believe Blender will help me be a better illustrator and designer. I can envision using it to improve my map-making, for example. That’s my hope, anyhow.
This old dog would love to go cram a sprinkled glazed. Instead, I’ll get back to making one.
Have a great week,
