A Very Simple Coffee Scene#

Here I demonstrate the basic modeling tools while talking through how I make modeling decisions.

I was using an older version of Blender, but don't worry, the techniques are the same!

Watch this overview to see the final product.

I started by imagining a scene of a coffee cup scooped into a mountain of beans and I thought to myself, "That could look cool! And it would be a way to demonstrate some of the basic modeling tools in Blender!"

Once I could see the coffee cup, the spoon and the mountain of beans in my mind, I asked myself, "Which object should I model first?" And I chose the one that seemed the simplest, and to me that was the coffee cup.

As you watch this video, keep in mind that this was not the first time that I had modeled a coffee cup, so if you feel like you're struggling more than I seem to be struggling, just remember that I was just like you the first time I tried modeling.

Next up is the spoon! If you think you learned everything there is to learn about modeling by watching the coffee cup video, think again! There is so much to modeling that I'm really only scratching the surface in these three videos.

Lastly the bean! The bean is an organic form and organic modeling can be the trickiest to get right. So I saved this challenge for last.

Friendly advice:

Don’t model your whole scene in one sitting. That is an ineffective use of time, and leads to hand cramps.

Ideally, model for an hour, then take a break and come back to it later. A huge amount of learning takes place in those breaks between modeling sessions.

Block in your shape early so that you have a rough version of each object long before the finished version. Use cubes and other primitives to hack together the basic form and then start again on a more detailed model.

Save your work early and often!

Model alongside a buddy. It helps enormously to have someone there for the moments when you’re stuck. It helps to have someone who understands your pain. It helps to have someone who appreciates your progress.