Blender for Illustration by Sam Carr

A practical, no-nonsense intro to Blender for illustrators. Sam Carr skips the technical deep dives and focuses on getting you from zero to a finished, paintable 3D scene. You’ll learn the core tools, build a simple environment, and then paint over it in Photoshop to create a polished illustration.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Navigate and manipulate objects in Blender’s 3D viewport.
• Use Edit Mode for basic modeling and shape creation.
• Apply materials and set up lighting for a moody scene.
• Render your 3D scene and paint over it in Photoshop.

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic familiarity with digital painting in Photoshop.
• Tools: A 3-button mouse with a scroll wheel.
• Hardware: A computer capable of running Blender 3D.

📝 Description

This course is built for illustrators who want to use Blender as a tool, not a career. You won’t be learning every button or modifier. Instead, you’ll follow a streamlined workflow: model a simple fantasy ruin, set up a quick material and lighting pass, and then render it out to paint over.

Sam’s approach is hands-on and transparent. He includes all his Blender and Photoshop files, plus a kitbash set and a character model, so you can dissect every step. The goal is to get you comfortable enough to start using 3D in your own illustration pipeline immediately.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Illustrators curious about adding 3D to their workflow.
• Beginners who want a focused, project-based introduction to Blender.
• Artists who prefer a “learn by doing” approach over technical manuals.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Sam Carr is a professional illustrator and concept artist based in Stockholm, Sweden. With years of industry experience, he specializes in creating narrative-driven fantasy art. His teaching style is direct and practical, aimed at helping artists level up their skills without the usual fluff.

🏁 Final Result

• A finished fantasy illustration created by combining a 3D Blender scene with a Photoshop paint-over.
• A reusable fantasy ruin kitbash set and a character model for future projects.