Best Blender Books on the Market?

I thought I would add an update as I have now extended the book
3D Computer Graphics Using Blender 2.80 - Modelling Methods, Principles & Practice

The book now contains:
Pages: 506
Illustrations: 915
Format: pdf

This book gives a structured introduction to 3D modelling using Blender 2.80 giving an in depth reference to how Blenders modelling tools are used. Following the reference sections, the reader is guided through practical exercises that explain not only how to use the core modelling tools tools, but also the design considerations for the model being constructed and the reasoning behind why the tools being used were chosen.

As the reader works through the book each reference chapter is followed by a chapter putting the tools of the previous chapter into practice. This takes the form of two main projects, a Low-poly house model and a detailed spiral staircase.

The low-poly house demonstrates the basic principles of working in 3D and shows how a basic model can be UV Unwrapped and then detailed with image textures.

The spiral Staircase is a much more detailed model that was chosen because its complexity allows the book to demonstrates many of Blenders modelling tools in a single project. The user is guided from adding the first circle of vertices to a completed spiral staircase set in a house scene that gives both a finished render and camera fly through animation. The process of modelling is described in step by step detail along with images of each stage of the process and the reasons why the tools were chosen together with the design intent. The reader therefore not only learns to model a spiral staircase, but also how to plan and create their own models.

The book was originally started in 2012 for the Blender 2.60 and , but unfortunately other work got in the way of the book ever being finished. This has now been completely rewritten documenting many of the new ways of working in Blender 2.80 and brought together into a book structured to guide both new and intermediate users in the methods and principles of 3D modelling.

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts of 3D Computer Modelling
Chapter 2: Getting Started With Blender 2.80
Chapter 3: Working In Object Mode
Chapter 4: Mesh Modelling In Edit Mode
Chapter 5: Mesh Modelling – Practice
Chapter 6 - Modelling With Curves, Surfaces & Text
Chapter 7: Modelling With Curves – Practice
Chapter 8: Modifiers – Reference
Chapter 9: Modifiers – Practice
Chapter 10: Materials – Introduction
Chapter 11: Image Textures – Introduction
Chapter 12: Lighting & the World– Introduction
Chapter 13 Rendering & Output – Introduction
Chapter 14: Animation – Introduction

More details and a chapter by chapter breakdown can be viewed at: http://www.robertburkeillustration.co.uk/book-3d-modelling.php

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I’ve purchased a few of the mentioned Blender books through the years, but usually I end up not getting time to finish them before they’re “outdated”. Some concepts will still stay the same but writing books about moving targets aren’t an easy task.

I’m writing a book on Flutter development these days, which is very much a moving target, and the same problems exist when trying to write an updated book in the Blender world.

Personally I’m more comfortable with subscribing to CGCookie or Blender Cloud for updated video training and read the fundamentals that doesn’t change that often in books.

I know what you mean about a moving target, the book was released in August last year and I have already made a number of revisions to keep it up to date.

I’m a bit more old school (they had log tables when I was learning math) and learn better from reading, which is why I produced two Blender books. I do watch the occasional video tutorial and pick up some great tips, but a few months later when I am trying to do something I have seen in a video it can take ages to find the right video and then you have to scrub through it to find the bit you want. With a book you have an index. In a pdf book Ctrl-F search and you can find what you have previously read in seconds.

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I, too, appreciate reading an electronic book – a PDF that I can fill with bookmarks. I frankly find it tedious to scroll through a video, especially when the presenter really doesn’t know how to present.

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Thanks for posting this. I too have been looking for Blender books.
(Blender Cloud has been helpful for videos. )