Other
Enable Denoising
Use OpenImageDenoise or Optix denoising to render with lower sample counts.
02 / tips
Tips
Loop cuts are one of the most common methods for adding geometry. Use Ctrl+R then the mouse wheel to add more cuts. Left-click to confirm, Right-click or Esc to cancel.
The Principled BSDF is Blender’s Uber shader and should be the first port of call for your shading needs. It covers most PBR requirements and you should only swap to component BSDFs if you really require something it cannot do.
Smart UV Project is one of Blender’s automatic UV unwrapping algorithm. It can work well for quick unwraps but hero models or complex models should use seams and manual unwrapping.
Three-point lighting is one of the foundational lighting systems and can usually be thought of as a triangle with your subject in the center. The key light is your main light source, placed in front on either the left or right side. The fill light is softer/weaker and placed on the opposite side to reduce harsh shadows. The rim light goes behind the subject to create separation from the background.
Hold Z to open the shading pie menu. Wireframe sees through objects and shows the underlying mesh, Solid is a ‘clay’ like material generally used for modeling, Material Preview for quick material feedback, and Rendered to use your selected renderer to preview the scene. Material Preview uses a built-in HDRI so you can check materials without setting up lights first.