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3D Modeler Specialization

Level up your skills and prepare yourself for your first studio job with our career-focused course.

Student work by Matteo Valagussa

Overview

Master 3D modeling from industry pros

Get job-ready with expert career training in ZBrush and Houdini

Advance your 3D sculpting skills with an industry professional as your mentor. Learn complex digital sculpting and texturing techniques as you work with everything from hard surface modeling to character, creature and environment modeling. Graduate with critical job skills and a polished reel to show employers!

Why study 3D modeling at CG Spectrum:

  • Learn advanced skills studios are hiring for
  • Gain speed in Zbrush, Houdini, Maya & Substance Painter 
  • Additional career support to get you in front of employers
  • Private 1-on-1 or small group classes available (max 4 students)

[more]More[/more]

Discover the best ZBrush, Maya, Houdini and Substance Painter techniques to speed up your workflow. Dive deeper into character, creature and environment modeling, and learn how to retopologize, texture, light and render models to studio standard.

Meet your mentor online for weekly classes, get personalized video critiques of your work, and 1-on-1 career support to get you ready to hit the ground running after graduation!

 

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Qualification

Certificate

Study duration

36 weeks

Commitment

20 hrs weekly

Skill level

Advanced

Prerequisites

3D Modeling Foundations course or portfolio submission

Delivery

Weekly online classes, feedback and support

Software

ZBrush, Maya, Houdini, Substance Painter

Start date

Apr 8, 2024

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Why study with us

Learn 3D modeling from industry pros who have worked on major films and video games

Our expert-led digital sculpting programs prepare you for an exciting career in the industry. Unleash your creative potential while building practical job skills studios are looking for.

Flexible Scheduling

Plan your studies around your work and family commitments

Industry Mentors

Learn from mentors who have worked on major films and games

Job-Ready Skills

Build practical, relevant job skills that studios are looking for

Payment Plans

Options to help you pursue your passion and start working sooner

Curriculum

Industry-approved curriculum to help launch your career as a 3D modeler

Term 1: 12 weeks

3D Character Modeling

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.

  • How to gather reference to inform your models
  • Produce clean geometry
  • Create a fully rendered character
  • Deliver a character for film vs. game
  1. Character Sculpting
  2. Refining the Head
  3. Cloth in Houdini Part 1
  4. Cloth in Houdini Part 2
  5. Detailing Cloth
  6. Hard Surface Armor
  7. Retopology
  8. Character UVs
  9. Details and Displacement
  10. Character Texturing
  11. Accessory Texturing
  12. Materials and Final Presentation
Term 2: 12 weeks

3D Environment Modeling

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.

  • How to digitally sculpt immersive environments
  • Work effectively from a concept design
  • Add foreground and background details
  • Enhance your environment with lighting
  1. Introduction to Environment Sculpting
  2. Procedural Landscapes
  3. Rocks
  4. Creating Foreground Assets
  5. Modeling a Spaceship
  6. Texturing a Spaceship
  7. Foliage Part 1
  8. Foliage Part 2
  9. Vines and Ivy
  10. Refining Props and Adding Details
  11. Putting It All Together
  12. Final Tips and Tricks
Term 3: 12 weeks

Mentored Studio: 3D Modeling

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.

  • How to polish your portfolio to impress employers
  • Be more confident with negotiation
  • Network & self-promote effectively
  • Tap into the hidden job market 
  1. Career Pathways
  2. Industry Overview
  3. Portfolio Upgrade
  4. Networking and Online Presence
  5. Resume and Cover Letter
  6. Job Hunting
  7. Freelance Work
  8. Interviews and Pitching
  9. Personal Projects and Challenges
  10. Working in a Studio
  11. Contracts and Negotiations
  12. Personal Roadblocks
Course structure

Your pathway to the industry

Dive right into the full study pathway and be industry ready in 18 months.

Pathway illustration for 3D Modeling (Full pathway)
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Mentors

Have an experienced industry artist as your mentor!

To be the best, it helps to learn from the best. All 3D modeling classes are taught by industry mentors with years of experience working on blockbuster films and best-selling video games.

Pricing

Small Class

The most affordable way to learn from top industry mentors in a fun, collaborative environment, while still getting plenty of personalized feedback.

  • Max. 4 students per course
  • Affordable high-quality education
  • Network while you learn
Pricing

1-on-1 Private

Progress faster and enjoy more flexiblity with private mentorship. Ideal for busy schedules, career-changers, or artists upgrading skills or changing specialties.

  • Maximum level of mentor interaction
  • Greater flexibility to schedule classes
  • Customized learning experience

 

Monthly
$1,185 USD

(9 x payments)

Save 10%

Per Term
$3,200 USD

(3 x payments)

Monthly
$1,750 USD

(9 x payments)

Save 10%

Per Term
$4,725 USD

(3 x payments)

Frequently asked questions

Got questions? We've got answers.

This course requires the successful completion of the 3D Modeling Foundations or 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 and we'll arrange a review by the department head and a possible student interview, depending on circumstances.

SUBMIT PORTFOLIO 

Software:

You'll sign up for an educational license for Autodesk Maya and Substance Painter, and download Houdini Apprentice, which is free-to-use software.

Hardware:

You will need a dedicated graphics card, and a computer that meets the minimum requirements for Autodesk MayaSubstance 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.

Developing the following knowledge/skills before embarking on this Advanced 3D Modeling course will be highly advantageous to your studies:

  • Good understanding of human anatomy and musculature
  • Solid box modeling skills
  • Solid UV mapping skills
  • Solid knowledge of 3D geometry: points, edges, vertices, UVs, faces, and surface normals
  • Intermediate knowledge of lighting and rendering
  • Intermediate knowledge of texturing and materials
  • Introductory knowledge of the working of Houdini (very beginner level)  

On completion of the Advanced 3D Modeling Course you will have greater confidence in your abilities and a portfolio to show employers. 

You will also have personalized career services with our Career Development Manager which can help when applying for junior 3D modeling jobs such as:

Discover more about these 3D modeling jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:

While CG Spectrum's specialized students have a high job success rate, we cannot offer guaranteed employment as the film and game industry is competitive and there is no way of knowing what the market will demand.

The students who experience the greatest success are those who take responsibility for their career, put in the hard work to get their skills and portfolio up to industry standard, leverage their mentor's invaluable expertise and the networking opportunities provided through the CG Spectrum community, and take advantage of every opportunity to excel.

To help students find employment, we have a range of career services and a dedicated Career Development Manager who regularly hosts exclusive career-focused webinars, Q&As, artist interviews and workshops for CG Spectrum students and alumni, and is available to answer career-related questions.

Students in the 9-month programs receive additional 1-on-1 career support, CV/portfolio reviews and help with application/interview preparation. 

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

Student Showcase

High quality student work that speaks for itself

With a focus on portfolio preparation, we help students build their competitive edge with high quality work that gets noticed. See what they are creating.

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Studios that hire our students

Our commitment to job-outcomes and focus on career development has helped graduates find work at studios all over the world.