THE BIG ONE
RenderJuice is hosting an exciting Blender animation contest with a total of $1,500 in cash prizes! The theme? Speed. You have the freedom to create a 5-30 second animation, whether it's a tiny story, a procedural experiment, or just something funny. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your skills and possibly earn some cash while doing what you love. Plus, participating in contests like this can be a great confidence booster and a chance to receive feedback from the community. So gather your ideas and start animating! Learn more here.
QUICK HITS
All Loop Tools Now Native in Blender 5.3
The latest Blender 5.3 beta has made all Loop Tools native! What does this mean for your workflow? It simplifies your pipeline by removing the need for add-ons, making it easier for students to adopt these tools directly. Check out how they work and whether they're better than the add-on version. More info here.
NVIDIA RTX Spark Launch
NVIDIA has unveiled their new RTX Spark laptops, designed for creators, gamers, and AI agents. With powerful Blackwell RTX graphics and up to 128GB of unified memory, these machines are perfect for rendering complex 3D scenes in Blender or Houdini. If you’re looking to upgrade your hardware, this might be worth considering. Read more here.
Creating a Mech Girl Character – Part 2
Daniel Orji continues his in-depth series on character design in Blender with Part 2, focusing on clothing and accessories. This is a valuable resource for students looking to enhance their character modeling skills, particularly in creating detailed, functional designs. Check it out here.
NVIDIA Expands AI Resources for Europe
NVIDIA is ramping up its AI resources for Europe’s scientific community through collaborations and open learning resources. This is significant for students interested in combining advanced computing with scientific research, as it opens new avenues for exploration and innovation. Learn more here.
Character WIP Shares
The Blender community is buzzing with creativity, showcasing various works-in-progress (WIPs) across platforms. Engaging with these posts can provide both inspiration and constructive feedback for your own projects. It’s a great reminder that sharing your journey is just as important as the final product!
ONE THING TO TRY
This week, experiment with the new Loop Tools in Blender 5.3. They’re now native, and you can try out features like Edge Slide and Loop Cut with ease. This will not only streamline your modeling process but also help you teach your students about efficient workflows!
SIGN-OFF
That’s it for this week! Dive into those projects and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or want to share your work. Happy rendering!