For our first week in our 3D Literacy class, we began by learning how to use Blender. Before learning this, I had never had any experience with any type of 3D software, so I was really excited to learn how to use it! To get us used to the tools on blender and the interface, we were tasked with making a table and some chairs in class. This exercise taught me how to scale, how to colour and made me learn a little how to navigate blender. This is my final render: 

 

 

I struggled with trying to move around and how to navigate blender therefore, I watched more videos which were uploaded which really helped me! Our homework for the week was to create a Snowman and to add some type of animation to him. While making my snowman, I found it difficult trying to understand how parenting works and how to get the spheres that I added to sit flat (as you can see below with the eyes) and getting the cylinders symmetrical. 

 

 

By watching some videos and with some trial and error, I finally got them sitting right and I was happy with the way my snowman looked! I also began to understand how parenting works and that, for example, it meant if I was to move my snowman’s head, the hat would stay with it as it is parented but it also meant, I could move the hat on its own! I then added a few different colours to him and this is what he looked like (he looks a little goofy): 

 

 

After this, I decided to try adding some lighting to him however, I realised that meant I would need a room for him to stand in. I struggled again with trying to make the walls for the room, but I finally figured it out in the end which meant that I was also able to add lighting to my table and chairs exercise! 

 

 

Finally, we had to animate our snowman. I wanted to try to tell a story behind this animation – I first of all wanted him to look like he was looking for his friend and couldn’t find them so in the end he would scratch his head.

 

In the middle of trying to do this, I noticed that for him to scratch his head I would have to try move his fingers/ hand in a certain way and whilst trying to animate it, I messed up quite a lot… But I gave myself some credit as I am only new to using 3D and so I came up with a different way to tell this story. Instead, I kept moving his arms about and tried to figure out which way would look the most natural. So, in the end, the story is that he is looking for his friend, he cannot find them and therefore he gets disappointed to then realize his friend just walked in front of him and gave him a bit of a fright!

This is my final render as video: