Learn Basic Texturing in Maya for Free!

Here at Animation Apprentice we focus primarily on character and creature animation - we don't dig deep into the rest of the 3D animation pipeline - there just isn't the time. But we do expect our students to master the basics of the Maya pipeline, so as to be able to make a killer demo reel (or even a short film).  Fortunately, for those who want to expand their skills beyond animation, there are now many, many free resources on the web, especially at YouTube, to learn many of the basic disciplines in Maya.

Kellog's in 1910.

The video above by Mr H. is hosted at YouTube and is an excellent (and fun) tutorial in the basics of texturing in Maya. To do this tutorial, you will need to take pictures of your favourite breakfast cereal, and then re-create the cereal box in Maya.

It's a simple, straightforward exercise, well thought-out and well explained, and easy to follow.  Follow all the steps and you will have your very own cereal box in 3D.  It will take about 1-2 hours to complete, depending on your level of familiarity with the tools.

I personally try to do at least one new video tutorial a week, to force myself to learn new stuff and expand my skills beyond 3D animation.

---Alex