Viewpoint shading: Texture & rotation of object. Side of image is completely black?

Support Materials and Textures
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Concern:
Under viewpoint shading (pressing z on keyboard) takes me to “texture mode”, why does my object look black on a couple sides? Had to go into “texture mode” because the picture image I imported or even dragged and dropped into blender wouldn’t show up unless I pressed z (texture mode). I suspect it has something to do with where the “lamp/light” is positioned. But is it possible to get rid of the black in “texture mode” (pressing z).

Picture image of alien is from a random internet search for 3d modeling, not mine. My goal right now is to learn how to create a 3D model. Grabbing any picture and trying to model it for practice. Youtubing tutorials and going from there. Practice is suppose to make for perfect, so I’m going to be spending my time learning to create models and honing my skills so I can do them efficiently and quickly.

Ultimate goal is to create a 3D animation similar to those professional looking youtube animated shorts. First post ever. Heard about blender several months ago. Finally decided to dive into it two days ago. Youtubed tutorials on what the possibilities might be with blender. If I had to do it all over again, would have gone to art school. Hopefully it’s not too late to learn blender, create 3D models and 3D animation shorts, and if my ambition challenges me, an animated flick. Lots of “professional” looking 3D shorts on youtube that has pixar-esque quality is my “immediate” goal.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/strawberrysundayshortcake/Blender/Blender%20test%20image1.jpg
Blender%20test%20image1.jpg800×450

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/strawberrysundayshortcake/Blender/Blender%20TEST%20rotate%20b.jpg
Blender%20TEST%20rotate%20b.jpg800×450

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/strawberrysundayshortcake/Blender/Blender%20TEST%20rotate%20a.jpg
Blender%20TEST%20rotate%20a.jpg800×450

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/strawberrysundayshortcake/Blender/Blender%20test%20image1%20texture.jpg
Blender%20test%20image1%20texture.jpg800×450

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/strawberrysundayshortcake/Blender/Blender%20test%20image1%20solid.jpg
Blender%20test%20image1%20solid.jpg800×450

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Under viewpoint shading (pressing z on keyboard) takes me to “texture mode”, why does my object look black on a couple sides?
Have you any lights illuminating those sides or is the light just pointing vertically down ?

3

Oh this one’s easy just delete the main lamp.

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Looks like the default lamp/light was still present at it’s preset original location. I simply opened a new project, had everything in default mode. Didn’t delete the lamp.

An additional concern after this paragraph, but first. Deleting the main lamp did the trick. I like to keep threads with at least a “conclusion.” So here’s the result when deleting the main lamp as fdfxd suggested and as Richard Marklew got my brain waves thinking.

(1) Is there a way to keep the main lamp on and “decreasing” the amount of shadow/shade cast on the side of the object? “Normal” shadows aren’t usually that “dark.”
(2) Because the only way to see the image is in texture mode (press z on keyboard) (if I use the “import” picture as plane feature), is there a way to see the image (alien in this example) without textured mode when I start rotating the picture with the main lamp still on?

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/strawberrysundayshortcake/Blender/Blender%20test%20image7%20texture.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/strawberrysundayshortcake/Blender/Blender%20test%20image7%20texture.jpg800×450 46.4 KB