Intro to 3D for Concept Art
Beginning to Master 3D Tools to Elevate Your Concept Art Designs
Teacher Artwork by Colin Quigley
Intro to 3D for Concept
Join experienced concept artist Colin Quigley as he guides you through the world of 3D for concept art using Blender. Drawing from his own experiences and struggles from when he was a beginner, Colin shares the essential techniques and insights that helped him navigate the early challenges of learning 3D.
This course is designed for students new to 3D, focusing on how to integrate Blender into your 2D workflow to enhance your creative process. You’ll explore key features such as modeling, texturing, and rendering, and see how these tools support the development of strong initial designs.
Colin will demonstrate practical applications of 3D that can elevate your concept work, offering the same tips that made Blender click for him. By the end, you’ll have the skills and confidence to incorporate 3D into your artwork, bridging the gap from concept art to 3D model and expanding your visual storytelling abilities.
- Course Type Online Concept Art Classes
- Duration 10 Weeks
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Skill Level
Level 2 Level 2
Second level classes are for students who have a good foundation in the basics of realistic drawing (such as perspective, proportion, shading and colour theory) and already know how to use Photoshop, but need more in-depth knowledge to create professional and complex artwork.
This level is about expanding knowledge, strengthening skills, and transitioning to the world of concept art and illustration.
- Language English
You can now combine 3, 4 or 5 classes to avail a 5, 10 or 15% discount on your purchase!
Our Online Courses are now priced in Canadian Dollars to provide you with quality artistic training at affordable prices.
Schedule
Note: This class will be offered online only
Term: Fall 2025
Class Timings: Sundays from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT or UTC-4h)
Date of first class: September 28th
Duration: 10 weeks
Please note that our classes times are listed as EDT (GMT-4) but that starting on Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, all class times will go into EST (GMT-5).
If you are unable to attend the class during the times listed above, you will still have access to video recordings of the class lectures and will still receive personalized feedback from your instructor.
*Please note that the duration of this course is subject to change (1.5 hours or 2 hours) depending on the number of students enrolled.
These shorter courses are conducted with a more personalized mentoring style, allowing students to spend more time critiquing their work and asking more questions in class, while retaining all the theory and curriculum scheduled for the normal course duration.
Pre-Requisites
Skill requirements
To enroll in this course you should have:
- Intermediate drawing and digital painting skills (use of proper perspective, proportions, shading and colour).
- Proficiency in Photoshop.
- Some 3D modelling experience in either Blender, Maya, Modo, or 3ds Max.
- Ideally completed our Intro to Digital Painting, Fundamentals of Perspective, and Analytical Sketching classes or have equivalent practice/experience.
If you are unsure of your skill level, please contact [email protected] for additional guidance.
Language and age requirements
You should have at least intermediate level English to take this class. Please also note that Syn Studio’s classes are targeted towards adults and students should be 16 years or older to enroll.
Required Materials
You need to have a desktop computer or laptop with Photoshop installed and a tablet sensitive to pen pressure (such as a Wacom tablet). Or you need a tablet-computer with Photoshop installed that is sensitive to pen pressure (such as the Cintiq Companion).
Photoshop and Blender must be installed and working properly BEFORE the first class, as well as your Wacom tablet. We will not have time to resolve technical issues in class.
Programs Taught: Blender (free), Blender Add-Ons (Paid), 3D Coat (Free trail) Plasticity (Free Trial) Zbrush Core Mini (free), Daz3D (free) adobe mixamo (free) Marvelous Designer (free trial) Photoshop/Procreate/Clip Studio Paint (Any simple drawing software will do)
(Students should not install free trials until instructed since it could run out before they are covered in the course.)
Tech Requirements for Attending Syn Studio Online Classes
Minimum Requirements
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 600kbps bandwidth (up/down).
- A Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a single core processor (at least 1 GHZ processing speed) or a smartphone/tablet with equivalent processing capabilities
- Good speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser - IE7+, Safari 5+, Firefox, Chrome
- Operating System - Windows XP, Mac OS 10.6, Linux distro based on 3.0 kernel, Android 5.0, iOS 10
Syn Studio Recommendations
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 1.5Mbps bandwidth (up/down). You can also connect to the internet directly using your ethernet cable to improve your experience.
- Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a dual core processor with at least 2 GHZ processing speed and a 4 GB RAM
- High Quality speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser & Operating System - We recommend using the latest version of the browser and operating system for an optimal online classroom experience.
Course Outline
Week 02: Using 3D for sketching and storyboard creation.
Week 03: 3D techniques for environment concept art.
Week 04: Efficient 3D workflows for prop design.
Week 05: Character concept design using DAZ3D and Zbrush Core Mini.
Week 06: Refining character designs with advanced 3D techniques.
Week 07: Techniques for vehicle design in 3D.
Week 08: Preparing assets for a final portfolio project.
Week 09: Assembling and rendering the final scene.
Week 10: Presenting the final project and career strategy discussion.
Registration
You can now combine 3, 4 or 5 classes to avail a 5, 10 or 15% discount on your purchase!
Our Online Courses are now priced in Canadian Dollars to provide you with quality artistic training at affordable prices.
You will soon receive an email receipt for your purchase.
Please bring a photo ID for the first day of class.
Your transaction was not completed. Please try again. If the problem persists, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 514-998-7625
Questions and Assistance
Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 514-998-7625
Please consult our FAQ; most of the commonly asked questions are answered in detail there. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please feel free to fill out the form below, or, send an email to [email protected]