Sonny Yan
100 Days of 3D Modeling
Project Type: Individual Project
Time: January, 2023 - Present (Ongoing)
Tool: Blender
Document Instagram: @ynnos_100days
A documentation of my 100-day challenge of 3D modeling, which involves my learning process of various 3D modeling techniques, including software proficiency, scene design, and rendering skills.
DAY001 - The Very Beginning Donut
To start my 100 days of 3D modeling, I began with following a few intro tutorials of Blender. I’ve used Fusion360 and Tinkercad for 3D modeling before, but this is my first time using Blender. I think Blender is a very useful tool for 3D modeling, and it can achieve amazing outcomes. I’m really looking forward to what I can output at the end of this 100 days challenge:)
I followed four tutorials of Blender Guru (https://www.blenderguru.com/) to make a very basic donut, starting from the very beginning Torus shape. I learned how to build a basic model, play with different features, and sculpt the model to be more realistic.
DAY002 - Donuts with Different Flavors
I did some texture painting on the donut to create the “Cooked” effect, and added a marble countertop to place the donut. I also created two more donuts with different flavors.
DAY003 - Donuts with Sprinkles
I followed the tutorials to add some round and long sprinkles onto the surface of the donuts. By adding the geometry nodes, I can manipulate the density, size and rotation of the sprinkles.
DAY004 - Better-Rendered Donuts
I turned all of the sprinkles into random colors, and also added some shiny sprinkles with silver and gold colors! I also learned how to better render the scene to make donuts more realistic.
DAY005 - More Donuts to Display
I made a new plate today! Also added more donuts into the scene and piled them up. By adjusting the donuts’ positions and angles, they became more natural.
DAY006 - Adding Sunlight into the Scene
Let there be light!
DAY007 - Compositing for Better Rendering
I added some decorations in the background, and adjusted the image effect by changing the color contrast, adding glowing effects, and distorting the lens.
DAY008 - Donuts Coming Alive!
My first ever Blender animation! These donuts are finally coming alive!
DAY009 - Finale!
This is my last day following the Donut tutorials🍩 with a better rendered donut animation! I added the depth of field to make the camera focus on the donuts themselves and blur out the background. Will keep working on other themes with Blender later:)
DAY010 - Girl with a Pearl Earring
I started to follow a new tutorial series to practice Blender! And the first model I made is a geometric version of Girl with a Pearl Earring.
DAY011 - Mushroom
Learned some new tools in Blender today and used them in making this cute mushroom.
DAY012 - Flower and Tree Trunk
Used a spin tool to make the flower petals and an extrude tool to make the tree trunk.
DAY013 - Monstera Deliciosa
Learned to create a new type of plant using face extrusion and also created another tree trunk.
DAY014 - Tree
I used Array to make multiple leaves out of a plane and then turned them into a tree.
DAY015 - Leaves and Vine
I made another types of tree with thinners leaves and used the path tool to make a vine.
DAY016 - Branches
After extruding several branch shapes, I applied a modifier called Skin to model the real tree branches. By adjusting each vertex, I can modify the branch shape as well as the thickness of branches.
DAY017 - Landscape and Stones
Learned to use the displace tool to make landscape and stones.
DAY018 - Little Fox
Can you believe I just used six cubes and one cylinder to make this little fox🥺
DAY019 - Cube Character 1️⃣
I found a reference character online and freestyled a little bit. Instead of following the tutorial, I made this cube character by myself.
DAY020 - Cube Character 2️⃣
Made another little monster with an online image reference.
DAY021 - Cube Character 3️⃣
A smiling little monster🙃
DAY022 - New Mushroom Texture
Today I went back on the tutorial and applied a new texture to my previous mushroom model. I mixed two layers of image texture for the mushroom head, applied a gradient color on the stem, and added some emission for the mushroom dots.
DAY023 - New Stone Textures
Adding multiple texture layers to create more realistic stones🪨Also learned several different ways to do this texture mapping.
DAY024 - Mix Stone Textures
Learned to mix two layers of different textures onto one object with various node connection.
DAY025 - New Fox Skin
Applied some new textures with gradient colors to my little fox using the UV editor! Also drew some fur-like color on the neck of the fox.
DAY026 - New Textures for Tree Trunks and Tree
Added new patterns and gradient colors for the tree trunks and tree.
DAY027 - New Textures for Branches and Leaves
Changed a new texture and color for branches and leaves.
DAY028 - Particle System
Played with the particle system (hair feature specifically) and made some flower arrangements and grassland.
DAY029 - Cloud and Rain
Played with another feature of the particle system (emitter) to make a raining cloud.
DAY030 - Bonfire
Used the particle system and made a short bonfire animation.
DAY031 - Scene Setup
Started to gradually put everything together and make some arrangements on the objects in the scene.
DAY032 - Lighting Setup
Changed the background of the scene and added some spotlights, area lights and point lights for better visuals.
DAY033 - Grass and Tulips
Used the particle system to add some grass on the ground and added some tulips to enrich the scene.
DAY034 - Leaves Opening Animation
Arranged the position of the leaves curtain and the moving path, and made a leaves opening animation.
DAY035 - Butterfly Animation
Made a little flying butterfly (that can light up itself!) and created an animation of it flying around the scene.
DAY036 - Fox Tail Animation
Applied an armature to the fox’s tail and made some poses of the tail to let it sway. Also duplicate another fox sitting right next to the fire.
DAY037 - Fox Head Animation
Set a tracking to the butterfly for both foxes head so that they can watch the butterfly flying around and move their head. Added a mushroom lighting effect when the butterfly is approaching the mushroom. Added another fox hiding behind the tree and peeking around.
DAY038 - Fireflies and Butterfly Dust
Added some particles falling from the butterfly after it hits the mushroom, and some other particles appearing like fireflies. However, the particles kind of going crazy in the last few seconds😢Gonna work on this issue tomorrow!
DAY039 - Final Video!
Fixed yesterday’s particle system issue, and added some random movement to the bush and tulips. And officially finished my second Blender tutorial series with three cute little foxes.
DAY040 - Low Poly Scene1️⃣: Spring
Started my third Blender tutorial series! This time, I followed Polygon Runway to make some low poly scenes, and planed to spend three days for each scene. Today I made a small pond surrounded by some rocks.
DAY041 - Tree and Stones
Used single vertex to make a tree, and also made some random stones to be placed in the scene. Made a terrain effect to the “land” cube.
DAY042 - Spring
Added some leaves and flowers onto the tree branches, and applied a cloud texture to the water surface. The first low poly scene “Spring” is done.
DAY043 - Low Poly Scene2️⃣: Water in the Park
Started a new low poly scene today. Made a basic land shape and create a bridge in the middle.
DAY044 - Cube Tree and Bricks
Made a new type of tree with cubes (kinda cute tho) and added some bricks onto the pavement and bridge.
DAY045 - Water in the Park
Added some stones and decorations to the scene. Played with different object materials and colors, and having some fun here:) The second low poly scene is done!
DAY046 - Low Poly Scene3️⃣: Rocks and Waterfall
Decided not to follow the tutorials and make my own low poly scene. Found a reference image on Pinterest and started to build up the scene with basic landscape and several random rocks.
DAY047 - Grass and Trees
Used the particle system to add some grass on the landscape and used vertices to make two trees (without leaves yet). Will work on adding some leaves and make a wooden bridge tomorrow.
DAY048 - Rocks and Waterfall
Struggling to make the trees look good but didn’t have enough time to make them perfect😢But I got the wooden bridge done and kind of like it:) The third low poly scene is done.
DAY049 - Low Poly Scene4️⃣: House in the Woods
Started another new scene today! Will test out some new techniques to make different shapes.
DAY050 - Details of the House
Created some details for the house (including windows, door frame, and fence). Also made a pavement to the house. Reorganize the trees’ position a little bit to make them not overlapping with each other.
DAY051 - House in the Woods
Applied some cloud texture to ground, and created some wood as well as an axe in the scene. The fourth low poly scene is done.
DAY052 - Low Poly Scene5️⃣: Vacation House
Exploring different shapes of landscape and houses for now. Also getting ready for the Spring Break!
DAY053 - Palm Trees and Small Objects
Added some palm trees to the scene. Also made a buoy and a surfboard to add up the vacation vibe.
DAY054 - Vacation House
Added three beach loungers by the pool. Also applied different textures and colored materials to different objects in the scene. The fifth low poly scene is done.
DAY055 - Low Poly Scene6️⃣: Tropical Breeze
Exploring the structure of stilt house in the tropical area! First time making a house with stairs by the beach.
DAY056 - Details for the Stilt House
Created more details for the house. Basically used wood displacements for the texture of the house, and added some decorations around it.
DAY057 - Tropical Breeze
Finished the scene with some additional trees, plants, stones, and a boat🛶 Also spent some time on different objects' materials. The sixth low poly scene is done.
DAY058 - Low Poly Scene7️⃣: Raptor Pen
Welcome to the Jurassic World! Decided to recreate the Raptor Pen in the movie. Created a basic shape of the architecture based on several original manuscripts that I found online. Having so much fun playing with new tools.
DAY059 - More Details of the Raptor Pen
Added more details to the Raptor Pen. Got a rooftop for the watchtower, and "plant" some trees inside the Raptor Pen.
DAY060 - Raptor Pen
Enriched the scene by adding some trees and stones in the environment. Feeling so accomplished right now! The seventh low poly scene is done.
DAY061 - Low Poly Scene8️⃣: TRON Arcade
Decided to follow the tutorial (and also freestyle a bit) to recreate the arcade in my favorite movie “TRON: Legacy”. Started with a basic curvy shape of the architecture.
DAY062 - Bricks and Fences
Adding some details to the architecture by creating bricks and fences around the windows. Kind of struggled with objects’ rotation:(
DAY063 - TRON Arcade
Finished this scene with more details like traffic lights and flyers. Learned to add some fog to the scene to enrich the atmosphere. Felt really happy to recreate this scene using Blender🥰 The eighth low poly scene is done.
DAY064 - Low Poly Scene9️⃣: Stranger Things
Recreating the classic Will’s house in the “Stranger Things”! Made a sofa and a shelf in the living room. Also tried to apply some physics to the cloth covering on the sofa.
DAY065 - More Furnitures
Made two side tables and one more armchair in the living room. Will add more detailed decorations to the room tomorrow.
DAY066 - Stranger Things
Added some decorations to the room, such as books, a Rubik’s cube, and an axe. Also created the light bulbs that Will’s mom used to communicate with Will. The ninth low poly scene is done.
DAY067 - Monument Valley1️⃣: Basic Structure
Always be fascinated by the optical illusion in Monument Valley! So decided to recreate some scenes in the Monument Valley using Blender. Today I built the basic structure of the scene (and finally figured out the components’ real positions!)
DAY068 - Monument Valley1️⃣: More Detailed Structure
Today I worked on adding more detailed structure such as stairs, windows, and rooftops. Kinda fun working on the faces and edges.
DAY069 - Monument Valley1️⃣: Finale
Added the Princess Ida and the crow people to the scene. Also made a wavy flag at the top of the rooftop. Had a lot of fun with the optical illusion!
DAY070 - Monument Valley2️⃣: Basic Shape
Started a new scene with a much more complicated but also more interesting structure.
DAY071 - Monument Valley2️⃣: More Detailed Structure
Added some rotating structure and stairs into the scene. Also worked on curved edges.
DAY072 - Monument Valley2️⃣: Finale
Kind of struggling a bit with making the doors and windows, and also solidifying the architecture. Also trying to adjust the light settings to the best angles for better visualization. The second Monument Valley scene is done.
DAY073 - Monument Valley3️⃣: Basic Shape
Started a new scene with cubes and cylinders. Fell in love with the optical illusion:)
DAY074 - Monument Valley3️⃣: More Details
Increased more details into the scene with rooftops and pillars
DAY075 - Monument Valley3️⃣: Finale
Added windows and applied textures onto the scene objects. The third Monument Valley scene is done.
DAY076 - Character Sculpting
Started to follow a tutorial on sculpting a character. Today I started with the head. Just sculpted out the basic shape of the face and eyes.
DAY077 - Face Details and Hair
Sculpted out eyebrows, eyelids, ears and hair. Had to spend a lot of time on smoothing out the surface and shape of the hair.
DAY078 - Hair Details
Today I worked on the details of hair, and made a little bit of bangs for the character.
DAY079 - Body Modeling
Started to gradually reshape the body with arms and legs. Will work on the details tomorrow
DAY080 - Body Details and Hands
Worked on the body details to make the body more smooth. Also created the hand with fingers and bridged the hands to the arms.
DAY081 - Textures and Materials
Used UV drawing for the eyes and face textures. Also set up the lights and background
DAY082 - Cutout Ring
Tested some new shapes and materials! Made a cutout ring with metal material in rose gold color. Its a very simple model but the visual looks quite nice:)
DAY083 - Abstract Ring
Tried some abstract shapes with simple deform, wave texture and displacement in shading.
DAY084 - Mobius Strip
Had some fun with this Mobius Strip! Played around with lighting settings and deformation.
DAY085 - Liquidmetal
Followed a tutorial and made a liquidmetal sphere animation. Played with geometry nodes, shader and compositing nodes.
DAY086 - Liquid or Poison
Used geometry nodes and compositor to create this liquid-like virus.
DAY087 - Cubes
Another day of playing with geometry nodes to make some looping animation with maaaaaany cubes.
DAY088 - Waves
Used array and displace modifiers to make this waved ring. Also played with shader and compositor for the visual effects.
DAY089 - Bubbles
Played with geometry nodes and shader again for this animating bubbles.
DAY090 - Glass Plasma Orb
Learned to use shader nodes to create this glass plasma orb.
DAY091 - Enclosure
Made another looping animation using geometry nodes, shader nodes and compositor.
DAY092 - Smoothness
Played with the canvas and brush of dynamic paint from the physics property.
DAY093 - Connection
Another day of geometry nodes, shader nodes and compositor.
DAY094 - Spike
Started to follow a tutorial on basic knowledge of geometry nodes.
DAY095 - Generative Crystal
Used geometry nodes to make a crystal generator, and worked on the light settings as well as the lens.
DAY096 - Glass Faces
Played with geometry nodes and glass materials.
DAY097 - Loop
Made a simple looping animation with geometry nodes.
DAY098 - Waves
Used path and sphere to make another looping animation.
DAY099 - Cycle
Followed this interesting tutorial about the looping cycle of several metal beads moving in a circle using geometry nodes and modifiers.
DAY0100 - Force
Applied force and rigid bodies to make this collision animation. And I’m finally done with my first 100 days challenge🥳