Thanks to everyone!
I managed to get a basic shape using cubes and SubD, as you can see in the viewport preview image here. I applied the SubD with level 3 to the torso and used the Grab tool in Sculpt Mode to shape it further. The hands and legs+feet also have SubD, but I turned on Optimal Display for them.
Now I’m not sure how to model the fingers. Could anyone please help me with this? I tried using the Skin modifier, but it doesn’t give me the kind of result I want. Here’s a reference:
Okay, but now you have five separate objects instead of one.
It would be a bit more complicated, but generally better, if you had extruded the arms and legs from the body. Even later, when you add the materials, it will look better if it’s a single object.
It’s the same with the hands: you need more geometry there and then extrude the fingers.
BTW
The white part of the frog is also a separate object. But the frog itself is a single object with one material.
…because we know how to model simple things, without having to sculpt and then use multiple tools and addons to clean up the mess.
Here’s my attempt at creating the hands and fingers. They don’t look quite similar to the original reference yet, so any advice would be appreciated. Again, I used subdivision surface on cubes.
I’m trying to apply the method shown in this playlist.
Pay attention to the thickness of the fingers at the base, and at the end. Scale your edge loops.
It looks to me like you are at the point that you are understanding how the tools work, but you need to use your own observational skills more to see how things need to be shaped.
For hands, it’s helpful to make the fingers first. If possible, just make one and duplicate. Then position the fingers, connect them, and proceed to the rest of the hand.
This is my attempt at creating the fingers and palm. I’m not sure how I can make it more similar to the original reference. I uploaded the project file, so if anyone can help with improvements or point out things I should fix, I’d really appreciate it. Also, how can I create those areas between the fingers like the ones I annotated in green?
frog_out.blend (129.3 KB)
A is a method that can be applied if you want to use the current topology.
The disadvantage is that the blue mark has an angle and is difficult to control
B can be created by adding edges.
In this case, it is easy to create curves such as the back of your hand or palm.
yyer.blend (132.7 KB)
Add…
If you carefully observe the reference material (wire frame), you can see how it was made.
It takes a lot of time and there may be several trials and errors, but it will be possible if you make it.
The default form starts with Cube and modifies to Subdivision modifier → modifier applied → cylinder form.
After that, we edit the edges to create a shape like a reference.
Thanks a lot. Looks like the original reference also used the B topology.
I tried scaling the hand from your file down and extruding it to make the arm, but I’m not really satisfied with the shape of the hand and fingers because the fingers look kind of bent in the final reference (and maybe longer too). I don’t know if that was done using rigging or if it can be made here too. I’m not sure how to replicate that and get a natural-looking hand and fingers. Every time I try, it looks bad.
frog_out_2.blend (136.1 KB)
Also, how do you make those bumps and pits for the eyes?
The length can be made to match just by dragging the ends of the fingers out to be longer.
For the bending, this can be done with the rigging/pose. Or to put it differently: in the reference image, for example, the frog’s arms are bent at the elbows, hands on waist. I would not model it in that pose, but model it with the arms down - then bend them with the rig.
Almost certainly with “proportional editing”.
In Edit Mode, select one of the vertices. Then you can move it up and down. Leave it where it belongs. Press the shortcut O and move it up and down again. You’ll see that, to a certain extent, the surrounding structures move along with it.
You can control how much of this movement occurs with the mouse scroll wheel. Scrolling the wheel reduces the size of the circle that includes the surrounding vertices. The smaller the circle, the fewer surrounding structures are affected.
I know about shape manipulation by moving or scaling the edge rings in SubD, but the problem with that, maybe because I’m not very experienced, is that it feels difficult to control the shape that way. It feels like when you know the shape of an object in your mind but can’t draw it correctly on paper, or like trying to tune one guitar string and accidentally putting the other strings out of tune, so you have to endlessly adjust everything.
Then there’s sculpting, but that can also get quite complicated for a beginner because you have even more points of control and can easily get overwhelmed.
Are there any exercises or anything to practice this without feeling like an idiot?
No, you’re going to feel like an idiot for a long time, and with any luck, for years to come. That feeling is essential- it’s what drives you to find ways to improve and do better. Complacency is the greatest enemy of an artist.
On a less philosophical note- the exercises to practice this are what you’re doing: modelling stuff, seeing what works and what doesn’t, doing it again
But the topology is also changed, so there’s this 5-edged pole under the eye, whereas I don’t get that pole with a subdivided cube.
To me you just started something that is yet too difficult for your actual level. If you need assistance all over the way…
What you can do is try to make some speed modeling of very simple objects. Like every day you take between 30mn / 1hour to make very basic shape like a vase, some bottles, a spoon, a pen, a cup, a lighter… Basically you look at objects around you and pick something you’re confident about doing…
And when you get the feeling it’s a bit too easy you pick something a bit more complex.
Eventually you can move on to more refined projects like this one, it’s ok to asks for help and this is what this forum is about, but this help should be just about solving one problem. Here it’s getting overwhelming and it’s even too many information for you to learn properly.
To me the sweet spot is to pick a subject where you know 70/80% of how you’re going to do it, and leave 20/30% of new stuff you’ll learn or discover. It’s really hard to get to a result when you’re in a 50/50 ratio or below.
If even modeling a bottle is complicated for you, my advice is to pick a tutorial, you do it, and you redo it until you don’t need to watch the tutorial anymore. Do that for a few simple one and then see what you can model with technique you’ll learn, and do speed modelings as well…
Speed modeling they don’t have to be perfect it’s about getting the most of something in a limited timeframe !
Have fun !
It seems you are not well-versed in Blender’s characteristics and modeling methods.
To move the fingers, you can use rigging, modify the model, or, fundamentally, move the joints to the correct positions.
※ To modify using rigging, sufficient edges are required around the joints.
Select the joint position to rotate.
Use a 3D cursor to set the axis reference.
Rotate in the Local direction based on the 3D cursor. (Settings included)
When rotated in this way, the edges are not in the exact position.
Rotate them again to the desired position.
Since using a 3D cursor is cumbersome during this process, change the settings.
Once all steps are complete, the desired shape will be achieved.
fsdfs.blend (103.9 KB)
For the frog’s eyes, place a button and adjust the vertices by moving them to match the button’s shape.
※ I do not use proportional editing for most of the modeling process.
Proportional editing causes unwanted parts to be moved. I use it only in limited cases.
One might think about the fact that learning some new skill always takes time..
..and thinking about how to do it is by far more salutary than “simple repeating steps shown by others”. It might help a bit at the beginning and one also always can learn some “trick”, but to recognize this as a trick or “better workflow” one also has to have some “experience” to judge this fact. Otherwise one always will be “only a follower”.. 
So there is a difference between copying some steps to achieve a very specific result and understanding the process and being able to do similar things or even “take this to another level”.
I think I’ve been stuck in tutorial hell, and this frog character is my attempt to break free from it!
