Learning Blender 3D

There are several aspects that you need to know to get comfortable with working in Blender 3D.

1. The basic layout and controls in Blender are substantially different from the general application, which we are generally familiar with. It has been designed to make working with Blender more fast and efficient from a professional's point of view. Hence the difficulty faced by a newcomer. Once we get over this hurdle, things get much more comfortable and enjoyable. Then learning Blender become fun.
2. First, we need to get comfortable with the Blender interface - its various windows, mode of operation, the different control panels and buttons, drop-down menus and features. It will cover getting familiar and comfortable with Blender.
3. We need to learn how to open and save Blender files, both programme files and the final image or video output. We need to know how to import photos or data into Blender.
4. The basic idea of 2d and 3D concepts, orthographic and perspective, is essential to make good progress with Blender.
5. The concept of basic working modes like Edit mode and Object mode should be clear and work in these modes.
6. While Blender can be used for practically any application in the CG domain, to start with, we must decide what is that we want to develop. For example, do you want to design a table or a flower vase or a cup or robot? We need to start with simple designs and gradually move in to make more complex designs based on our skill level in using Blender.
7. In the case of the design of any object, the broad steps are outlined below. It would significantly help full to design a product. Let us take up designing a cup to keep things simple to begin with.

• Design the basic shape of the cup in edit mode, design the hollow part and the handle. Join them into a single part. 
• Smoothen the surface to make it look realistic when we see it in the object mode.
• Add a colour (material and shine- diffuse and specular ) to the object.
• Add a plane on which the cup will be kept, set its size. Set its material.
• Set up the camera and view-angle and position to get the desired view.
• Add lights to illuminate the cup and the base plane.
• Render the cup to see the final image.
• Save your Blender file and the output files in the image or video format. Save at each stage. Save frequently.

Getting an overview of the workflow involved in any project like the one discussed above makes learning Blender easier. For any other project taken up with Blender, whether it is animation or game development, or any other project involving Blender, this sort of approach would make the whole process more organized and systematic. Plan your steps to achieve the final result. Jumping in into design, with an idea that, I will think as I make progress, may work for experimental purpose only.