3D Character Series Overview 

Throughout this series, students will learn how to create, model, texture, rig, and animate 3D characters in Blender. Creating and animating 3D characters allows students to explore interests and careers in game development, animation, design, and VFX, among many others.  

The series consists of three steps: 1) Hard Surface Modelling, 2) Painted and Procedural Textures, and 3) Rigging and Animation. To complete the series, students should attend one session in each step. Each step has two session dates that students may select from based on their schedule. Students do not need to attend both dates for each step in order to complete the series.   

Students will be able to follow along with a member of the Spark staff using in-space computers.  

Step 3: Rigging and Animation 

Students will be able to use their refined mesh from Steps 1 and 2. Learn how to navigate Blender’s add-on menu and bones to create riggable skeletons for their meshes. Students will be able to apply weight-painting and kinematic basics to animate a promo video using their pre-made static object and a test animation for their humanoid mesh.  

Course Goals and Objectives 

By the end of this session, students will: 

• - Learn about and apply Blender’s animation and rigging tools, 

• - Understand weight painting and kinematics and how they factor into the animation of static and humanoid objects, and  

• - Create two short animations demonstrating their knowledge of animation.