Robot Modeling by Onur Erbay

This course walks you through building a complete sci-fi robot, Botley, from the ground up. You’ll start with Plasticity for the hard-surface modeling, then move to Blender for materials and rendering, and finish with a cinematic post-process in Photoshop. It’s a practical, no-nonsense look at the entire 3D pipeline for artists.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Confidently translate ideas into 3D shapes using Plasticity’s tools.
• Master a wide range of Plasticity commands for flexible problem-solving.
• Understand the full 3D pipeline: modeling, export, rendering, and post-processing.
• Develop an intuitive feel for navigating and using Plasticity effectively.

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Some familiarity with Blender’s UI is helpful but not required.
• Tools: A trial version of Plasticity (no Studio version needed), Blender, and Photoshop.
• Hardware: A computer capable of running Plasticity and Blender.

📝 Description

This course is built around a single, focused project: creating the sci-fi robot Botley. You won’t get lost in theory or abstract exercises. Instead, you’ll learn by doing, applying Plasticity commands directly to a real-world model.

The teaching style is direct and practical. You’ll cover both solid and surface modeling techniques, learning how to use curves, booleans, and isoparam curves to build complex shapes. The course also covers how to use PureRef effectively for reference images and provides custom radial menus to speed up your workflow.

After the modeling is complete, you’ll export your work to Blender for shading, lighting, and rendering. The final step is a quick post-processing pass in Photoshop to give your render a cinematic look. No third-party plugins or addons are required for either Plasticity or Blender.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Illustrators and graphic artists who want to add 3D modeling to their skillset.
• Artists looking for a creative, non-engineering approach to CAD modeling.
• Anyone who wants to learn the complete pipeline from modeling to a final rendered image.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Onur Erbay is an Istanbul-based illustrator, graphic artist, and 3D designer. He studied Communication Design in Germany and has over 20 years of experience working with clients across Germany and Turkey. His courses focus on combining 2D and 3D skillsets for creative projects.

🏁 Final Result

• A fully modeled and rendered sci-fi robot character, ready for your portfolio.
• A solid understanding of Plasticity’s core modeling workflow.
• Experience with the complete pipeline from concept to final image.