Creating a Realistic 3D Backyard In Blender

Name: Creating a Realistic 3D Backyard In Blender
Rating: 4.5 (39 reviews)

Improve your 3D modeling/rendering skills by creating a realistic backyard scene from scratch. Perfect for beginners.

Created byDanan Thilakanathan

Last updated 3/2017

English

What you'll learn

Develop skills and techniques necessary to produce photo-realistic exterior renderings.
Improve 3D modeling, lighting, texturing, shading and rendering skills.
Gain experience working with Blender.

Course content

5 sections • 40 lectures • 7h 53m total length

Introduction2:11
In this video, you will be introduced to the course, what we will cover and the main benefits of enrolling in this course.
Downloading and Installing Blender3:09
In this video, you will download and install Blender on your machine to help set you up to create your 3D backyard.
Looking for Inspiration8:11
In this video, we will start off by looking at ways to get motivated and inspired to create our backyard scene. Specifically, we will look at the importance of reference images and video. These can help us decide what elements we can add/avoid to our own backyard scene.
Planning The Backyard Scene13:05
In this video, we will look at planning our backyard scene. We will design the look of our backyard by first sketching out ideas using GIMP (or Photoshop if you prefer), and then we gauge an idea of the scale of our scene within Blender. It is important to note that getting the scale right in your scene can be one of the main factors that will really help sell the idea that our render is photorealistic.
Online Planner Tools4:08
In this video, we will look at some online planner tools which you can use to plan your garden scene. These tools can essentially be used to replace or even be used in conjunction with your sketches to design your own backyard scene.
Secrets of Photorealism in CG4:48
In this video, you will learn the secrets that will help push your 3D renders to a level of photorealism. You will discover the key ingredients that you will need to pay attention to, if you are to reach a level where people will wonder whether your render is a real photograph or not.

Creating Realistic Grass - Part 119:52
In this video, you will create realistic grass that will suit your typical backyard. We will be creating various grass strands to increase realism and also we'll be creating dead grass as this is quite common in backyard grass.

We start off by modeling the grass strands and then we apply textures and create shaders using the Cycles Rendering engine.
Part 1/3
Creating Realistic Grass - Part 215:23
In this video, you will create realistic grass that will suit your typical backyard. We will be creating various grass strands to increase realism and also we'll be creating dead grass as this is quite common in backyard grass.

We start off by modeling the grass strands and then we apply textures and create shaders using the Cycles Rendering engine.
Part 2/3
Creating Realistic Grass - Part 312:20
In this video, you will create realistic grass that will suit your typical backyard. We will be creating various grass strands to increase realism and also we'll be creating dead grass as this is quite common in backyard grass.

We start off by modeling the grass strands and then we apply textures and create shaders using the Cycles Rendering engine.

Part 3/3
Modeling the Fence - Part 119:12
In this video, we will be modeling, texturing and shading the fence for our backyard scene. We will be creating a modern, stylish looking wooden fence.
Part 1/3
Modeling The Fence - Part 211:06
In this video, we will be modeling, texturing and shading the fence for our backyard scene. We will be creating a modern, stylish looking wooden fence.

Part 2/3
Modeling The Fence - Part 318:20
In this video, we will be modeling, texturing and shading the fence for our backyard scene. We will be creating a modern, stylish looking wooden fence.

Part 3/3
Creating the Flowers - Part 119:10
In this video, we will be creating beautiful red flowers that will increase the beauty and appeal of our backyard render. Although we've chosen a red color for the flowers, you will be able to change the color to your own preference.

We will model, shade and texture the flowers, stem and leaves, then use the particle system to distribute flowers and leaves over the stem.

Part 1/5
Creating the Flowers - Part 217:07
In this video, we will be creating beautiful red flowers that will increase the beauty and appeal of our backyard render. Although we've chosen a red color for the flowers, you will be able to change the color to your own preference.

We will model, shade and texture the flowers, stem and leaves, then use the particle system to distribute flowers and leaves over the stem.

Part 2/5
Creating the Flowers - Part 314:20
In this video, we will be creating beautiful red flowers that will increase the beauty and appeal of our backyard render. Although we've chosen a red color for the flowers, you will be able to change the color to your own preference.

We will model, shade and texture the flowers, stem and leaves, then use the particle system to distribute flowers and leaves over the stem.

Part 3/5
Creating the Flowers - Part 47:12
In this video, we will be creating beautiful red flowers that will increase the beauty and appeal of our backyard render. Although we've chosen a red color for the flowers, you will be able to change the color to your own preference.

We will model, shade and texture the flowers, stem and leaves, then use the particle system to distribute flowers and leaves over the stem.

Part 4/5
Creating Flower Variations9:39
In this video, we will be creating variations of the flower that we created in the previous lecture. After this video, you will be able to create quick variations of flowers starting with the original flower as the base.

Part 5/5
Creating the Plants - Part 115:16
In this video, we will be creating plants to help compliment our backyard scene. We will be creating a plant based off a reference image and make use of the particle system to help speed up the process.
Part 1/2
Creating The Plants - Part 219:38
In this video, we will be creating plants to help compliment our backyard scene. We will be creating a plant based off a reference image and make use of the particle system to help speed up the process.

Part 2/2
Creating a Realistic Tree - Part 19:05
In this series of videos, we will be modeling, texturing and shading a realistic tree. We will be using the Sapling add-on in Blender to help speed up the process of modeling the branches. We will also make use of the Particle System to help realistically distribute branches and leaves on our tree.
Part 1/5
Creating a Realistic Tree - Part 24:36
In this series of videos, we will be modeling, texturing and shading a realistic tree. We will be using the Sapling add-on in Blender to help speed up the process of modeling the branches. We will also make use of the Particle System to help realistically distribute branches and leaves on our tree.

Part 2/5
Creating a Realistic Tree - Part 315:25
In this series of videos, we will be modeling, texturing and shading a realistic tree. We will be using the Sapling add-on in Blender to help speed up the process of modeling the branches. We will also make use of the Particle System to help realistically distribute branches and leaves on our tree.

Part 3/5
Creating a Realistic Tree - Part 412:15
In this series of videos, we will be modeling, texturing and shading a realistic tree. We will be using the Sapling add-on in Blender to help speed up the process of modeling the branches. We will also make use of the Particle System to help realistically distribute branches and leaves on our tree.

Part 4/5
Creating a Realistic Tree - Part 510:15
In this series of videos, we will be modeling, texturing and shading a realistic tree. We will be using the Sapling add-on in Blender to help speed up the process of modeling the branches. We will also make use of the Particle System to help realistically distribute branches and leaves on our tree.

Part 5/5
Creating the Pine Trees19:55
In this video, you will create realistic pine trees. Using the Sapling add-on only, we will tweak the settings to shape out our pine tree and then shade and texture the trees so that it will look good when rendered.
Creating the Walkway - Part 119:01
In this video, we will create the walkway that will direct people from the back of the house to the clothesline. This will help to add more visual interest to our backyard. We will model, texture and shade the walkway from scratch.
Part 1/2
Creating the Walkway - Part 210:17
In this video, we will create the walkway that will direct people from the back of the house to the clothesline. This will help to add more visual interest to our backyard. We will model, texture and shade the walkway from scratch.

Part 2/2
Modeling the Clothesline - Part 117:31
In this video, we will model, shade and texture a realistic clothesline from scratch. We will be creating a clothesline using a real image of a clothesline as reference. We will carry out 3D modeling techniques such as extrusion and loop cuts. We will also look at making use of curves when we create the wire where the clothes will hang off from.
Part 1/3
Modeling the Clothesline - Part 219:01
In this video, we will model, shade and texture a realistic clothesline from scratch. We will be creating a clothesline using a real image of a clothesline as reference. We will carry out 3D modeling techniques such as extrusion and loop cuts. We will also look at making use of curves when we create the wire where the clothes will hang off from.

Part 2/3
Modeling the Clothesline - Part 318:56
In this video, we will model, shade and texture a realistic clothesline from scratch. We will be creating a clothesline using a real image of a clothesline as reference. We will carry out 3D modeling techniques such as extrusion and loop cuts. We will also look at making use of curves when we create the wire where the clothes will hang off from.

Part 3/3
Useful Resources0:40

Setting Up The Assets4:45
In this video, we will setup all the assets that we created from the previous section to be ready to be imported into our final backyard scene.
Building The Scene - Part 117:40
In this video, we will import all our assets that we created in the previous section and design and organize them so that it will be ready to render.
In this part, we will bring in the fence, walkway and grass as well as set up the ground where our grass will grow.
Building The Scene - Part 217:13
In this video, we will import all our assets that we created in the previous section and design and organize them so that it will be ready to render.

In this part, we will setup the grass using the Particle System and also bring in all the remaining assets into the scene as well as setup a test render.
Tweaking The Scene (Timelapse)2:32
In this short timelapse video, you will see the little tweaks that I made to the backyard scene.

Lighting the Scene10:03
In this video, we will light up our backyard scene. We will look at pushing for photorealistic lighting through the use of HDRI images.
Adding Details to the Backyard Render (Timelapse)1:31
In this timelapse video, you will see my process of adding in the extra little details that will help make the backyard scene more realistic and "lived in".
Adding the Final "Pop" to the Render18:56
In this video, we will carry out post-processing on our backyard render using the Blender Compositor. The compositor can help push our final render from "good" to "wow".
Animating Realistic Camera Movements8:41
In this video, you will learn how to animate your scene to sell the effect that it was taken from your phone. This can also help push the realism of your final animation video overall.

Requirements

Basic knowledge of working with Blender would be advantageous

Description

Creating realistic 3D environment renderings can be a difficult challenge for any 3D artist to pull off, especially for beginners. If you've ever tried creating your own 3D environment renders and wondered why your renders always end up looking a little...flat, then you're probably missing a number of crucial steps in the modeling, texturing, lighting and rendering process.

This course aims to teach you how to create 3D environments from scratch using Blender. In this project-based course, you will get hands-on experience and create something that most of us are familiar with; backyards. Through the use of references, we will be aiming for photorealistic rendering. (Don't worry if you don't own a backyard, you will still be able to create awesome 3D backyard scenes.)

The course is aimed to be simple and easy to follow so if you are a beginner to Blender or even to 3D in general, you need not be overwhelmed.

What exactly will I learn?

You will start off with brainstorming ideas for your backyard scene followed by making use of references and planning your backyard scene.
You will learn the concepts needed to create realistic 3D environment renders and carry out the planning of your own backyard scene.
You will then work through and model, texture, shade and set up all the assets for your backyard one-by-one with the aim of photorealism. (this includes everything from flowers, trees, fences, grass, etc).
You will then combine all your assets in one scene and create your backyard scene.
Finally, you will bring your backyard to life by focusing on photorealistic lighting, compositing and rendering.

How will I benefit from this course?

Apart from getting the chance to show off your artwork to friends and family, there are a number of benefits to enrolling in this course.

You will gain an understanding of the process of planning a 3D environment scene which will set the foundation for a realistic 3D render.
If you are a beginner, you will significantly improve your skills in modeling 3D objects, realistic lighting as well as rendering scenes in Blender.
As this course is mostly project-based, you will get hands-on experience and thus, learn essential skills in a very short amount of time.
The course is aimed to be fun and easy to follow without much technical jargon, so you will be able to grasp the concepts easily.
PLUS You will get the BONUS Garden Asset Pack for FREE to play around with and enhance your own 3D backyards. The pack contains over 50 models that can be imported straight away into Blender and would be useful in any 3D garden scene.

What will happen after I finish this course?

By the end of this course, you will have completed your own realistic 3D backyard scene. You can expect to gain a deeper understanding of the process needed to create 3D environments and the best way to do that is by creating your own realistic 3D backyard scene from scratch.

You will gain motivation, experience and confidence to be able to pull off your own convincing 3D environment projects using the skills and techniques you learn from this course.

You will also have a series of awesome garden renderings to add to your portfolio. A portfolio is a great way to improve your chances of getting a job in the future.

In addition to that, you will also have over 50 garden models that you can make full use of in your next 3D backyard render.

Am I right for this course?

If you're a beginner to Blender or even to the world of 3D in general and you wish to create awesome and realistic 3D environment scenes that make people say "wow", then most definitely you are the perfect person for this course. I will walk you step-by-step everything you need to know to create a 3D backyard scene in Blender. This course may help push you to finding that dream 3D job in a shorter amount of time. Even if you're not really a beginner, there's tons of new content teaching new tips and tricks which may also be of benefit to you.

Who this course is for:

Beginner 3D modelers wanting to sharpen their 3D modeling skills.
Anyone interested in pushing their renders closer to a level of photorealism.
Perfect for beginners looking to enter the world of CG and/or Blender.

Creating a Realistic 3D Backyard In Blender

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction6 lectures • 36min

Creating the Assets25 lectures • 5hr 56min

Assembling and Designing the Backyard4 lectures • 42min

Pushing for Photorealism4 lectures • 39min

Conclusion1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: