Opening Blender for the first time can feel like stepping into a cockpit. Blender for beginners comes down to this: learn to navigate the viewport, then shape a sphere into your first model.
Blender is one of many kinds of 3d modeling software, and this page covers only the basics.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost and licence | Free and open source |
| Objects in the default scene | 3 (cube, light and camera) |
| Orbit the view | Hold the middle mouse button and drag |
| Add a new object | Shift + A |
| Top view shortcut | Numpad 7 |
Sources: the Blender 3.5 Reference Manual and Grant Abbitt’s Blender 4 beginner guide. Shortcuts and menu names can change between versions, so check the source before you rely on them.
Download Blender and open the default scene
The first step is to download Blender from blender.org. According to Grant Abbitt’s guide of June 10, 2025, the front page has a prominent Download option, with other builds for Mac, Linux and other systems in the download section.
When Blender starts, a splash screen shows the version, your recent files and templates. Click General, or click anywhere outside the splash screen, to begin with a standard 3D scene. That scene holds only 3 objects: the cube, the light and the camera, as the same guide notes.
The official manual presents Blender as free and open source software. It documents an earlier release than the guide above, so expect small differences in menus.
If you have not picked a program yet, read how to choose 3d modeling software in how to choose 3d modeling software before you commit. You can also compare alternatives in the best free 3d modeling software overview.
What the Blender interface shows you
The 3D Viewport is the largest area in Blender and your main workspace, according to Abbitt’s guide. Other panels sit to the right and at the bottom. You do not need to master them all on day one.
These are the parts you will use first:
- 3D Viewport: where you look at and build your models.
- Outliner: on the right side, it lists every object in the scene, such as the default Cube, Light and Camera. Clicking a name selects the object.
- Eye and camera icons: in the Outliner, the eye icon controls visibility in the viewport, and the camera icon controls visibility in the final render.
- Axis gizmo: in the top-right corner of the viewport, it shows the X, Y and Z axes. Clicking a letter snaps your view to that axis.
The Blender 3.5 manual groups everything into sections such as User Interface, Editors, Modeling and Rendering. It describes rendering as shading and output with Eevee, Cycles and Freestyle, which you can ignore until your model is ready.
How do you move around the 3D viewport?
Navigation is built on three moves, and Abbitt’s guide says it works best with a three-button mouse that has a scroll wheel.
- Orbit: hold the middle mouse button and drag. You rotate around a focal point, usually your selected object.
- Pan: hold Shift and the middle mouse button, then drag.
- Zoom: scroll the mouse wheel, or hold Ctrl and the middle mouse button and drag if you have no wheel.
No three-button mouse or numeric keypad? Go to Edit > Preferences, open the Input tab and enable Emulate 3-Button Mouse and Emulate Numpad, as the guide explains. With emulation on, Alt + left-click does what the middle mouse button normally does.
Once you can move around, these shortcuts keep you oriented, again from the same guide:
- Frame Selected: Numpad Period zooms in on the selected object.
- Frame All: the Home key shows every object in the scene.
- Fixed views: Numpad 7 for top, Numpad 1 for front and Numpad 3 for side.
- Camera view: Numpad 0 looks through the scene camera, which is what your final render captures.
You can also switch between perspective and orthographic view. Orthographic flattens the scene so parallel lines stay parallel, which helps with precise alignment while you model.
Build your first model from a sphere
A simple exercise is the one in Make Tech Easier’s beginner tutorial, published on October 21, 2015 and updated on May 7, 2025. It turns a plain sphere into a smooth, organic shape. The author notes you only need a camera if you are going to render a picture, so you can delete the default camera and light while you model.
Add objects with Shift + A or the Add menu at the top of the viewport. New objects appear at the 3D Cursor, which you can move with Shift + right-click, per Abbitt’s guide.
- Press Shift + A and choose Mesh, then UV Sphere.
- Select the sphere, open the Modifiers tab in the right-hand panel and add a Subdivision Surface modifier.
- Raise the subdivision levels. The tutorial suggests 6 for view and render, or 3 for view and 6 for render if memory is tight.
- Press Tab to enter Edit Mode, then pick face select, the third of the three selection buttons (vertices, edges, faces).
- Select faces, holding Shift for several, and drag them along the axis arrows. View from the side rather than in perspective to move them accurately.
- Save with File > Save and choose a location for your .blend file.
The tutorial likens the result to digital plasticine. One caution applies: it says you select with the right mouse button, while the newer guide above selects with a left-click, so follow the convention your own version uses.
Habits that make the next model easier
The same tutorial warns that it is easy for the mesh to get away from you, so plan what you are making beforehand. It suggests drawing and measuring the object, finding its basic forms, and deciding what has to be real geometry and what could be a surface texture.
Practise navigation until it feels natural, because every later task depends on it. Abbitt’s guide makes the same point about the viewport controls.
When you are ready for more, the manual lists Modeling (meshes, curves, text and modifiers) and Sculpting & Painting as separate sections. Pick one and repeat the sphere exercise with a new goal, such as a mug or a simple character head.
Frequently asked questions
Is Blender free to use?
Show answer
Yes. The Blender 3.5 manual, last updated 05/17/2023, describes Blender as a free and open source 3D creation suite.
Do I need a three-button mouse?
Show answer
It is the recommended setup, but not required. Abbitt’s guide shows how to enable Emulate 3-Button Mouse and Emulate Numpad in Edit > Preferences, under the Input tab.
Do I need to keep the default camera and light?
Show answer
Not while modelling. Make Tech Easier’s tutorial says you only need a camera if you are going to render a picture. Abbitt’s guide hides them with the eye icon instead of deleting them.
Which version should I follow?
Show answer
Use the version you installed and expect small differences. Abbitt’s June 10, 2025 guide says Blender is constantly evolving, so menus may look slightly different in newer releases.
