Heres just a little poll to see what you guys/girls think. Poll results will be used in my career project.
Modeling to me takes at least a slight bit longer on average then anything else when I make images. Then again if it’s real complex and has AO and everything then rendering could easily match it.
I had to vote for animation, since I am so new to blender and animation in general, I have to learn as I go…
You forgot the obvious answer: Planning.
python scripting (I make games)
Yes, planning is important and so is python scripting, but planning is more the the pre-creation stage and python scripting is more a specific thing for game design. This poll is intentionally focusing on 3D for static animations rather than realtime interactivity. Just leave your vote under ‘other.’
Texturing. I think I make pretty descent models. But when I texture them? It just ruins them usually. I think I’m getting better, though.
-Laurifer
I use Wings 3D because I haven’t been able to figure out Blender’s texture system yet. 
It’s still a pain in the butt regardless, especially the way I have to texture mine: Lego model skins applied over lo-res versions. :-?
-Stefan-
Well, I guess it depends on how much quality you are going for 
Anyway, I think that Modeling is a little more strait-froward then Texturing (and lighting for that matter), since you can see what you are doing in realtime in the 3D window, rather then Render it every time you make a quick tweak %|
So if I make hi-quality Textures, or try to paint somthing with a Mouse as a whole, it will litteraly take a full day.
So to me, Texturing is the most pain-staking part of 3D.
For me design. Idea to finished product doesn’t take really long for me, but getting the idea in the first place is the hardest part.
modeling takes forever, especially when your me. i redo a lot of the stuff it its too low-poly for me.
I would most certainly say conceptual design. I have been working on a character for a few weeks just in sketches and I’m still not ready to start modeling. Modeling for me seems to go pretty fast. I spend a lot of time on texturing (the less conceptual sketches I do the longer texturing takes), so I think for a still scene planning and then texturing takes the longest. If I was doing an animated short then I could see animation taking the longest. But since I havn’t done character animation in Blender of that magnitue I can’t say.
When it comes to my good stuff, planning takes the longest amount of time. However if I didn’t plan as much as I did, those projects would have taken a lot longer and not be nearly as good. So, personally if you are not planning/sketching more than you’re modeling then there’s something wrong with your process :).
You, sir, have said this better than I ever could.
I’m more of a animator,but pre planing in the begining of any project is important.
In Blender, animation is a little hard,so development and Design in the begining,is very important.
oh i’m such a noob! what is rendering?
UV texturing… it has to be so perfect for low poly models.