How to Make a Model in Blender: Easy 3D Modeling Guide

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How to create 3D models of anything in Blender
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Blender 3D is a free, open-source computer graphics program used to create 3D models and effects for animated videos, computer art, video games, and applications. Blender 3D's interface may seem complicated at first, but you'll get used to it pretty quickly. Soon, you will find yourself easily making any object you want. This wikiHow teaches you the basics of how to use the modeling tools in Blender 3D.

Quickly Model in Blender

  • Click Add in the menu bar and then select an object.
  • Use the tools in the left toolbar to move, scale, and rotate objects.
  • Enter Edit mode and use the Grab tool to move faces, edges, or vertices.
  • Use the Knife tool to cut more edges and faces.
Part 1
Part 1 of 5:

Navigating in Blender

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  1. Blender has an icon that resembles an orange, white, and blue target circle with three orange lines on the top-left side. When you open Blender 3D, you will see a title screen with some settings. Simply click off the title screen to close it.
    • If you do not have Blender 3D, you can download and install it from www.blender.org/download . It is free to download and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
    • We recommend using a full keyboard with a number pad and a mouse with a mouse wheel when using Blender 3D. The number pad makes it a lot easier to navigate the 3D environment.
  2. Blender opens up with a basic scene that includes a mesh cube, a light, and a camera. To zoom in and out on the scene, simply roll the mouse wheel. [1]
    • Alternatively, you can zoom in and out by pressing Ctrl and “ - ” or “ = ” on Windows or Control and “ - ” or “ = ” on Mac .
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  3. To rotate around an object in your scene, click and hold the mouse wheel (M3) and drag the mouse to rotate around your scene.
    • Alternatively, you can rotate around an object by pressing the arrow keys on the number pad (2, 4, 6, and 8).
    • If you don't have a mouse wheel, click Edit in the menu bar at the top. Then click Preferences . Click Input in the panel to the left. Then click the checkbox next to "Emulate 3 Button Mouse." This allows you to click the third mouse button (M3) by pressing Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and left-clicking.
  4. There are two view types you can use in Blender 3D, perspective and orthoscopic. [2]
    • Perspective: Perspective view is how objects appear in real life. They appear to get smaller in the distance.
    • Orthoscopic: In orthoscopic view, there is no perspective. Objects appear to be the same size no matter how far away they are. This is useful when modeling, as it allows you to view the exact dimensions of an object.
  5. Pressing 1 on the number pad makes the viewport jump to a front view of the scene in orthoscopic view. [3]
    • Hold Ctrl or Command and press 1 on the number pad to view the scene from the back.
    • Alternatively, you can access the different viewpoint options by clicking View in the upper-left corner and then clicking "Viewpoint." Click the viewpoint you want to jump to.
  6. Pressing 3 on the number pad makes the viewport jump to a view of the scene from the right in orthoscopic view. [4]
    • Hold Ctrl or Command and press 3 on the number pad to view the scene from the left.
  7. Pressing 7 on the number pad makes the viewport jump to a top view of the scene in orthoscopic view.
    • Hold Ctrl or Command and press 7 on the number pad to view the scene from the bottom.
  8. Press on the number pad to view the scene from the camera. When you render a scene in Blender 3D, the view from the camera will be the final output. To view the scene from the camera's perspective, press 0 on the number pad. The light area in the center of the screen is what will be rendered when you render the scene.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 5:

Manipulating and Adding Objects

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  1. The selected object will be highlighted in orange. [5]
    • When you start a new Blender project, there is an example cube in the scene. Try clicking the cube to select it.
  2. To move an object, click the icon that resembles crossing arrows in the toolbar to the left. Then, click one of the colored arrows over the object and drag it to move it along a particular axis. [6]
    • Alternatively, you can select an object and press G on the keyboard to "grab" the object. Then drag the mouse to move it. Click again to place the object. [7]
  3. To rotate an object, click an object to select it. Then click the Rotate tool in the toolbar to the left. It has an icon that resembles two arching arrows around a diamond. Click and drag one of the colored bands around the object to rotate it. [8]
    • Alternatively, you can click an object and press R on the keyboard, then drag the mouse to rotate the object. Click again to place the object.
    • You can also type a number (i.e., “90”) to rotate the object a specific degree angle.
  4. To change the size of an object: [9]
    • Click an object to select it, then click the Scale tool in the toolbar to the left. It has an icon that resembles a small square inside a large square.
    • Click an object to select it and then click and drag one of the colored arrows over the object to stretch the object along a particular axis.
    • Click and drag the circle around the object to scale the object uniformly.
    • Alternatively, you can click an object and press S and then drag the mouse to scale the object uniformly.
  5. If you want to delete an object, click the object to select it and press the Delete key. If the example cube from the start-up scene is still present, try to delete the cube in the scene.
  6. You can add a new mesh shape, light, camera, and more to a scene. Use the following steps to add a new mesh shape to a scene.
    • Click Add in the upper-left corner of the viewport.
    • Click the Mesh menu.
    • Click a shape you want to add.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 5:

Editing an Object

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  1. This can be the cube you start with in Blender 3D, or you can click the object you added in the Mesh menu.
  2. To switch to edit mode, click the drop-down menu that says "Object Mode" in the upper-left corner of the viewport, then click Edit Mode . Edit Mode gives you new tools you can use to edit the shape and details of an object. [10]
    • While in Edit Mode, you will not be able to select any other objects.
  3. In Blender 3D and other 3D modeling programs, mesh shapes are made of three elements: vertices, edges, and faces. Faces are small shapes (usually triangles or rectangles) that make up the surface of an object. Edges are the lines in between the faces, and vertices are the corners where the edges meet. You can use one of the three select modes and click to select individual faces, edges, or vertices. Click one of the three select mode icons in the upper-left corner of the viewport to change select modes: [11]
    • Vertice Select: Vertice Select has an icon that resembles a cube with the corner highlighted.
    • Edge Select: Edge Select has an icon that resembles a cube with the right corner edge highlighted.
    • Face Select: Face Select has an icon that resembles a cube with the entire front side highlighted.
  4. Use one of the select modes and select some vertices, edges, or faces. Then, use the Move, Rotate, or Scale tools to manipulate them. Hold Shift to select multiple vertices, edges, or faces. Move the vertices, faces, and edges of a mesh to create the shape you want.
    • Press A on the keyboard to select all faces, vertices, and edges in an object.
    • Press B on the keyboard to activate box-select mode. This allows you to select multiple vertices, edges, or faces by clicking and dragging a box over them.
    • Press C on the keyboard to activate circle-select mode. This turns the mouse cursor into a circle that you can click and drag to select multiple vertices, edges, or faces.
    • X-Ray Mode: Click the icon that resembles a square in front of another square in the upper-right corner to toggle X-Ray Mode on and off. When X-Ray Mode is on, you will be able to see through the objects and select any vertices, edges, or faces from any side. When X-Ray Mode is off, you will only be able to see the side of the object facing the viewport, and you will only be able to select the vertices, edges, and faces that are visible in the viewport.
  5. To add more detail to an object, you need to cut more edges and faces into the object. One way to do this is by using the Knife tool: [12]
    • Click the knife tool icon in the toolbar to the left. It has an icon that resembles a cube with a green line cutting through it at an angle.
    • Click an edge or vertex in the mesh and drag a line to another edge or vertex.
    • Press Enter to make a cut.
    • If you don't like how the cut looks, right-click to undo the cut and try again.
  6. 6
    Use the Loop tool to cut around an object. The Loop tool in the toolbar to the left creates a single cut around an entire object down the center. Hover over the face you want to place a loop cut through, and you will see an outline of how it will cut around the object. Left-click to place a loop cut around the object.
  7. A quick way to add more detail to a mesh is to subdivide it. You can subdivide individual objects or entire objects. Use the following steps to subdivide and add more detail: [13]
    • Select the faces you want to subdivide or press A to select the entire object.
    • Click Edge in the upper-left corner of the viewport.
    • Click Subdivide .
  8. Extruding a face extends the face outward (or inward if you prefer). This adds more edges, faces, and vertices, and makes the shape more complex. You can use the Extrude tool in the toolbar to the right to extrude a face. It has an icon that resembles a cube with a green top sticking out of it. Use the following steps to extrude a face:
    • Select a face you want to extrude.
    • Click the Extrude tool.
    • Click and drag the yellow arrow over the face to raise or lower it.
    • Click the plus (+) sign over the arrow or press Enter to finalize the extrude.
  9. When modeling in Blender, initially, your models will be very flat and jagged. This is fine if you are making objects like buildings or furniture. However, sometimes you want objects to look a little smoother and more organic. Use the following steps to smooth an object or individual faces:
    • Select the faces you want to smooth or press A to select an entire object.
    • Click Mesh in the upper-right corner of the viewport.
    • Click the Shading sub-menu
    • Click Smooth Faces , Smooth Edges , or Smooth Vertices
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Part 4
Part 4 of 5:

Changing Colors and Materials

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  1. 1
    Select the object you want to change the color or material of. Use the Select tool in the toolbar to select an object. Then click the object you want to color.
  2. 2
    Click the Material Properties icon. It’s in the menu bar to the right by default. It has a red icon that resembles a sphere with a checkerboard pattern.
  3. 3
    Clik New . It’ll be in the Material Properties menu to the right. This creates a new material . You’ll see a menu with a preview at the top to the right. By default, the preview object is a sphere.
    • You can change the preview object by clicking one of the shapes to the right of the preview image.
  4. 4
    Select a material type. Use the drop-down menu next to “Surface” to select a material type. The object in the preview window will change to display what the material looks like. The default is “Principled BSDF.” This creates a plastic-like look.
    • Other materials you can select include “Metallic,” “Sheen,” “Glossy,” “Glass,” “Refraction,” “Diffuse,” or “Emission.”
    • The adjustable values in the menu will change depending on which material you select.
  5. 5
    Change the base color. Click the colored box next to “Base color,” then use the color picker wheel to select a color. Use the slider bar to the right of the color wheel to adjust the brightness or darkness of the shade.
    • If you are in Solid or Wireframe viewport shading mode, you won’t be able to see the color. All objects appear as grey in Solid viewport shading mode. Select Material Preview or Rendered shading mode in the upper-right corner to see the color and material.
  6. 6
    Adjust the metallic value. You can either click and drag to adjust the value next to “Metallic” to adjust how reflective the object is. Alternatively, you can enter a value between “0.0” and “1.”
    • “0.0” just reflects the color in a very dull way.
    • A value of “1” makes the object very shiny and reflective.
  7. 7
    Adjust the roughness value. You can click and drag to adjust the value next to “Roughness” or enter a value between “0.0” and “1.” A value of “0.0” creates a very smooth and polished reflective material, like a mirror. A value of “1” creates a very rough and scattered reflection. Placing this value somewhere in the middle will make the object look like a dull piece of metal. [14]
  8. 8
    Adjust the index of Refraction (IOR). This adjusts the intensity of how the material reflects light. Click and drag the slider to change the value or enter a value.
    • For most materials, the value is between “1” and “4.”
  9. 9
    Adjust the transparency of an object. You can use the slider bar next to “Alpha” to adjust the transparency of an object. Click and drag to adjust the value, or enter a value between “0.0” and “1.”
    • A value of “1” is completely solid with no transparency.
    • A value of “0.0” will make the object completely invisible. Setting this value somewhere in between will make the object see-through.
  10. 10
    Make an object light up. To do so, select “Emission” as the material type, or expand the menu below “Emission” (if it’s available for your material type). Click the box next to “Color” and select a color for the light that the object emits. Then, adjust the value next to “Strength” to adjust how strong the light is. You can enter a number or click and drag to change the color strength.
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Part 5
Part 5 of 5:

Blender Modeling Tips

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  1. 1
    Use reference images. When modelling an image, try to get a front, side, and top view of the object you want to model. If you have the physical object, you can take the pictures yourself or draw them on graph paper.
    • Try to make sure the proportions are the same in all versions of the image. You don’t want one image that’s slightly bigger or has a detail that doesn’t match the other images. You may need to do some editing in Photoshop or GIMP to make sure the photos all match.
    • To add a reference image, switch to arthroscopic view and press 1, 3, or 7 to switch to the side of the viewport that corresponds to the reference image side you want to add. Click Add , followed by Image , and then Reference . Select the reference image you want to add. You can then use the Move tool to move the image to the back or bottom of the object.
  2. 2
    Block out the shape of the object first. You don’t need to jump in and start modeling all the details of the object. Start by modelling the general shape of the image. You can use the reference images to trace the shape of the object from the front, side, and top. Once you have the general shape, you can start adding more details.
    • Only add as much detail as you need. Adding too many faces, edges, and vertices to an object can slow down your computer and make it take a long time to render.
  3. 3
    Use the Mirror modifier. There are a variety of modifiers you can apply to an object to change the shape. One of the most useful is the Mirror modifier. This is extremely useful for making symmetrical objects, like humanoid figures or faces. By default, the Mirror modifier will create a mirror at the origin point, which is in the center of the object. You can select which axis you want to mirror along in the Mirror modifier menu. Then any changes you make to one side of the object will be made on the other.
    • To enable the Mirror modifier, click the Wrench icon in the menu bar to the right. Then click Generate , followed by Mirror . Then select the axis you want to mirror along.
    • You can change the origin point of an object. To do so, click the 3D cursor icon in the menu bar to the left. It has an icon that resembles a crosshair inside a red and white circle. Then click where you want the object origin to be (i.e., on the left side). Then click Object in the menu bar at the top, followed by Set Origin . Click Origin to 3D cursor .
  4. 4
    Combine multiple shapes into one object. Sometimes you’ll need to use multiple shapes to create one object. This is especially true if different parts of the object have different materials. Don’t be afraid to add new objects and combine them into one object.
    • To join objects together as one, use the selection tool and hold Shift and click the objects you want to join. Then click Object , followed by Join in the menu bar at the top.
    • To separate objects that have been joined together, enter Edit mode and select the parts of the object you want to separate. Then right-click and click Separate .
  5. 5
    Check out specific tutorials. There’s a lot you can do in Blender 3D. You can spend years studying the manual and still not know everything about it. If there’s something specific you want to learn, search for tutorials online. Is there a specific object you want to model? There’s probably a tutorial on how to make it . Do you want to learn animation , armatures , video editing , texture mapping , sculpting, or physics ? You can find tutorials on all of this stuff.
  6. 6
    Practice. As with anything, it takes practice to get good at Blender. Practice modeling different objects and scenes. Try to push your skills. There’s nothing like creating a realistic-looking scene and showing it off to all your friends.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I undo something?
    Oscar Griffiths
    Community Answer
    You can press CTRL + Z to undo and CTRL + SHIFT + Z to redo. In some other applications you can use CTRL + Y to redo.
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  • Question
    How to Import your mesh to Roblox?
    Oscar Griffiths
    Community Answer
    Convert your blender model into another format like .obj or something else Roblox uses. You can also download an extension in Roblox studio that can import .blend files
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/editors/3dview/navigate/index.html
      2. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/3.6/editors/3dview/navigate/projections.html
      3. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/3.6/editors/3dview/navigate/viewpoint.html
      4. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/3.6/editors/3dview/navigate/viewpoint.html
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/t4MtOUyOkPM?t=10
      6. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/scene_layout/object/editing/transform/move.html
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/t4MtOUyOkPM?t=20
      8. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/scene_layout/object/editing/transform/rotate.html
      9. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/scene_layout/object/editing/transform/scale.html
      1. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/editors/3dview/modes.html
      2. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/de/2.81/modeling/meshes/selecting.html
      3. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/2.81/modeling/meshes/editing/subdividing/knife.html
      4. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/4.1/addons/mesh/looptools.html
      5. ↑ https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/shader/principled.html

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Click Add followed by Mesh and select a shape to add.
      2. Click the shape to select it.
      3. Use the "Move," "Rotate," and "Scale" tools to manipulate the object.
      4. Use the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner to switch to Edit mode.
      5. Select the Knife tool and drag a new cut in the shape and press Enter .
      6. Subdivide shapes and faces by clicking Edges followed by Subdivide
      7. Use the "Move," "Rotate," and "Scale tools to move vertices, edges, and faces of a mesh.
      8. Use the "Extrude" tool to extend faces of a mesh.

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