Student work by Matteo Valagussa
Hone your craft with mentorship from an expert 3D modeler. Learn advanced techniques to speed up your workflow and refine your digital sculpting and texturing skills. Graduate job-ready with a polished showreel to show employers!
Why study 3D modeling at CG Spectrum:
This course dives deeper into character, creature, and environment modeling. You will learn how to retopologize, texture, light, and render your 3D models to studio standards so you're ready to hit the ground running after graduation.
Industry Certificate
9 months
20 hrs weekly
Advanced
November 4th, 2024
December 2nd, 2024
January 6th, 2025
Weekly live online classes
Video lectures
Mentor feedback
Access to vibrant community
Our expert-led digital sculpting programs prepare you for a rewarding career in film and games. Hone your creativity while building practical job skills.
Plan your studies around your work and family commitments
Learn from mentors who have worked on major films and games
Build practical, relevant job skills that studios are looking for
Options to help you pursue your passion and start working sooner
Using human anatomy principles you'll jump right in to creating a character with believable form and proportions. Next, you'll learn how to retopologize your character to reduce poly-count and develop clean geometry while adding clothing, accessories and details to create a completely textured and rendered character for your portfolio.
Time to learn environment modeling for film and video games. Have a go at building your own digital scene. Create a base mesh using procedural techniques in Houdini to build your scene swiftly. Explore organic modeling by creating rocks, trees, and foliage and learn how to use them in your scene. Discover proper UV unwrapping techniques to texture large environments.
This final term is dedicated to getting you job-ready! With your mentor’s guidance, you’ll polish your best 3D art for your portfolio and learn how to develop your competitive edge, market yourself, and make the best possible impression in front of employers. You'll also receive additional 1-on-1 career support, portfolio reviews, and industry insights from CG Spectrum's Career Coach.
The 9-month Specialization Course is the second half of our Career Track, preparing you for your first day in the industry. Your future awaits!
Did you know that the subjects you complete in the career track courses can be used to apply for credit toward our accredited degrees and diplomas in the same discipline?
The skills and knowledge you build in any industry-certificate course can be transferred into academic credits through our Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer process. So, if you decide to take your studies to the next level, know that your prior learning will be recognized.
Compare your options and find out which course is right for you.
Our 3D modeling courses are taught by 3D modeling pros with years of experience working on blockbuster films and best-selling video games.
Bryan's award winning experience includes lead positions at ILM and Rhythm & Hues working films like The Golden Compass, Rango, Pacific Rim, and Transformers 2 and 3.
Curriculum Manager of 3D Modeling
Known for Pacific Rim
David is a Lead Hard Surface Modeler and Career Coach at DNEG and has worked on projects including Snowpiercer, Enola Holmes, and Moonfall.
Mentor of 3D Modeling
Known for Enola Holmes
Dept. Head of 3D Modeling
Known for Redfall
Mentor of 3D Modeling
Known for The Batman
Australian based 3D artist Rajbir has worked at D-Neg, ILM, Digital Domain and Rising Sun on features like Spider-Man: Far from Home, Thor: Ragnarok, Alien: Covenant, Logan, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Godzilla.
Mentor of 3D Modeling
Known for Alien: Covenant
Mentor of 3D Modeling
Known for Batman: Arkham Knight
With a focus on portfolio preparation, we help students craft impressive, high-quality work that stands out in a competitive industry. See what they are creating.
Our commitment to job outcomes and focus on career development have helped graduates find work at studios worldwide.
Learn more about the prerequisites for this course and the 3D modeling careers you could explore in the future. For general questions about studying at CG Spectrum, visit the main FAQ page or contact us.
This course requires the successful completion of the 3D Modeling Foundations career track or a portfolio submission and an accompanying reel/resume.
Your portfolio should demonstrate experience or education working in Maya, ZBrush, and Substance Painter, and evidence that you have modeled a humanoid character and an entire environment.
If you are unsure if your skills are sufficient, send us your portfolio when you apply, and we'll arrange for the department head to review it and, depending on the circumstances, a student interview.
Age Minimum
The minimum age to be able to enrol in our career track courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.
English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.
Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).
Software:
This course requires you to sign up for an educational license for Autodesk Maya and Substance Painter and download Houdini Apprentice, which is free.
Instructions for how to obtain an educational license for this software will be provided upon enrollment.
Hardware:
You will need a dedicated graphics card and a computer that meets the minimum requirements for Autodesk Maya, Substance Painter, and Houdini Apprentice.
Please note: as the software we use is regularly updated, please check the specs against the latest available version at the time of enroling.
This 3D Modeler Specialization builds upon the skills offered in the 3D Modeling Foundations course and completes our career track offering. Students who are serious about pursuing a career in 3D modeling have an opportunity to explore the world of asset creation more deeply and progress further with 3D character and 3D environment modeling.
The Specialization course also offers an entire term dedicated to getting students career-ready. This includes building necessary job skills while working on your professional portfolio, with support and feedback from your mentor every step of the way.
Developing the following knowledge/skills before embarking on this advanced 3D modeling course will be highly advantageous to your studies:
On completion of the 3D Modeler Specialization course, you will have greater confidence in your technical and creative abilities and a polished portfolio to show prospective employers.
You will also have access to our career coach and personalized career services (including interview preparation, CV/resume assistance, and portfolio reviews), which can help when applying for junior 3D modeling jobs such as:
The CG Spectrum community is another great resource. Through graduates and mentors already working in the industry, you can network and learn about relevant job vacancies.
Discover more about these 3D modeling jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:
While CG Spectrum's advanced students have a high job success rate (83%), we cannot offer guaranteed employment. The film and game industry is competitive, and there is no way of knowing what the market will demand in terms of 3D modeling.
The students who experience the greatest success are those who take responsibility for their careers, put in the hard work to raise their skills to industry standards, leverage their mentor's invaluable expertise, and take advantage of every opportunity to excel.
Taking an advanced 3D modeling course not only keeps students focused while they grow as artists and build their portfolios, but it also increases their social scope as they make more contacts with more time and work, a key component in securing a job.
To help students find employment, we have a range of career services and a dedicated career coach who regularly hosts exclusive career-focused webinars, Q&As, artist interviews, and workshops for CG Spectrum students and graduates and is available to answer career-related questions.
The Specialization course also dedicates a full term to career and industry preparation. With your mentor's guidance, you'll refine your professional portfolio, build essential job skills, and learn how to market yourself.
If you have any questions about our career services as they relate to your personal career goals, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
CG Spectrum seemed too good to be true. Looking back, it was the best decision.
Every mentor and staff member has been so hands-on and directly involved in my learning. Co-Directors of top box office movies and supervisors of major Netflix TV shows are giving me feedback on my projects. Students also have access to a strong community, and an awesome career class to prepare you for your dream job.
You're not just another number.
I always dreamed of breaking into the entertainment industry and since joining CG Spectrum I realised it's not an unachievable dream. CG Spectrum has a way of mentoring students that I hadn't experienced before. My mentor was always pushing me in order to become industry-ready. Mentors are always available for feedback and take a proactive approach to teaching. Studying online makes for a more dedicated and uninterrupted learning experience.
I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience at CG Spectrum.
I recently finished Introduction to 3D Modeling course. I went in with about a year’s worth of other online 3D modeling courses, but nothing compared to CG Spectrum. I learnt so much from this course, and I had an amazing mentor (Anton Tenitsky) who pushed me to perfection. It was the best decision I made in order to pursue my end goal. I took the next step and enrolled in the advanced course!
I've just accepted an internship role at Pixar!
As my final semester of the Advanced 3d Modeling course is coming to an end, I've just accepted an internship role at Pixar! I've learned so much over the past year and am thrilled to have the skills now to make a career change for my dream job. I'm excited to begin this new phase of my journey—thanks so much CG Spectrum!
Study options for all skill levels, from short introduction courses to specialized industry tracks and accredited programs.