Welcome to

CG fundamentals

a brand-new academic structure crafted by professionals and industry veterans to help you kickstart your career in 3D.

Enroll now!
Enroll now!
Armored warrior with antlered helmet holding an axe in a dimly lit ancient stone chamber.
Best Game Development school in US and Eastern Europe
Character Creation
Environment Art
VFX Training
3D Animation
CG Fundamentals
The Students are our Portfolio
Autodesk Authorized Training Centre
Maxon Training Partner
Unreal Academic Partner Program
Top 15 Creative Schools in the World
Best Game Development school in US and Easter Europe
Character Art
Environment Art
VFX Training
3D Animation
CG Fundamentals
The Students are our Portfolio
Autodesk Authorized Training Centre
Maxon Training Partner
Unreal Academic Partner Program
Top 15 Creative Schools in the World
Best Game Development school in US and Easter Europe
Character Art
Environment Art
VFX Training
3D Animation
CG Fundamentals
The Students are our Portfolio
Autodesk Authorized Training Centre
Maxon Training Partner
Unreal Academic Partner Program
Top 15 Creative Schools in the World
Best Game Development school in US and Easter Europe
Character Art
Environment Art
VFX Training
3D Animation
CG Fundamentals
The Students are our Portfolio
Autodesk Authorized Training Centre
Maxon Training Partner
Unreal Academic Partner Program
Top 15 Creative Schools in the World

Program overview

CG Fundamentals is a brand-new academic structure crafted by professionals and industry veterans to help you kickstart your career in 3D.
Over the past 6 months, the team at M3DS has been hard at work on creating the best possible way to kickstart your creative journey in the CG Space. We’re not reinventing the wheel, we’re simply creating a more modern, updated, and better one. With all classes up to date with the latest software and programs, CG Fundamentals is a culmination of years of experience in the education industry from M3DS Academy.

REQUIREMENTS

No prior experience needed

DURATION

18 MONTHS

$14,835

Program Tuition

Spider-Man in a black and red suit with teal jacket swinging on a web.

DEDICATION

Approx. 24 hours/week

FORMAT

100% online with 1-on-1 mentorship

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YOUR FIRST STEP INTO 3D

Armored warrior with a horned helmet and skull decorations, with text 'CG Fundamentals'.

   Welcome to CG Fundamentals!

  • For those ready to take their first serious step into 3D art, CG Fundamentals provides a complete and structured introduction built around over 150 high-quality lessons, daily 1-on-1 feedback, personalized guidance from M3DS instructors, structured assignments with references, bonus classes for continued development, and access to a private learning portal and Discord community designed to support you from your first lesson onward.

1 on 1 VIP Support
100% practical learning
Top-ranked by the rookies
Lifetime access
Bonus classes
community driven

invest in your future

Level: Beginner to Advanced

18
12
9
6
3
1

$825

Price for 18 installments

$1,230

Price for 12 installments

$1,640

Price for 9 installments

$2,460

Price for 6 installments

$4,920

Price for 3 installments

$13,350

Price for 1 installment (-10%)

READY TO BEGIN?

Your journey into professional 3D art starts here. Complete your application and our admissions team will reach out to walk you through the process and help you take the next step with clarity and confidence.

Apply Now
Apply Now

tools you'll learn

Zbrush

Stylized white figure running on black background representing motion or athletics.

  • ZBrush is a digital sculpting software
    used to create highly detailed 3D models
    for characters, creatures, props, and more.

Autodesk maya

Blue Autodesk Maya software logo with a white letter M and AYA text beneath it.

  • Maya is a professional 3D software
    used for modeling, animation, rigging, simulation,
    and rendering in film, games, and visual effects.

Unreal engine

White stylized letter W on black background resembling a calligraphic or gothic font.

  • Unreal Engine is a real-time 3D creation tool
    used to build games, cinematic experiences,
    and interactive worlds with high-end visual quality.

Substance painter

Green square icon with rounded corners showing chemical element symbol Pt for platinum.

  • Substance Painter is a 3D texturing software used to paint
    realistic materials and surface details directly onto 3D models.

Substance Designer

Dark green square icon with bright green letters 'Ds' in the center.

  • Substance Designer is a procedural material creation software
    used to build detailed, customizable textures and surfaces for 3D assets.

Game Developer
VFX Artist
Animator
Rigging Artist
Technical Artist
Creature Artist
Game Developer
VFX Artist
Animator
Rigging Artist
Technical Artist
Creature Artist
Game Developer
VFX Artist
Animator
Rigging Artist
Technical Artist
Creature Artist
Game Developer
VFX Artist
Animator
Rigging Artist
Technical Artist
Creature Artist
Game Developer
VFX Artist
Animator
Rigging Artist
Technical Artist
Creature Artist
Game Developer
VFX Artist
Animator
Rigging Artist
Technical Artist
Creature Artist
Hard Surface Artist
Concept Artist
CG Instructor
Product Designer
Hard Surface Artist
Concept Artist
CG Instructor
Product Designer
Hard Surface Artist
Concept Artist
CG Instructor
Product Designer
Hard Surface Artist
Concept Artist
CG Instructor
Product Designer
Hard Surface Artist
Concept Artist
CG Instructor
Product Designer
Hard Surface Artist
Concept Artist
CG Instructor
Product Designer
Lighting Artist
Layout Artist
Environment Artist
Game Designer
TeLevel Designerchnical Artist
Lighting Artist
Layout Artist
Environment Artist
Game Designer
TeLevel Designerchnical Artist
Lighting Artist
Layout Artist
Environment Artist
Game Designer
TeLevel Designerchnical Artist
Lighting Artist
Layout Artist
Environment Artist
Game Designer
TeLevel Designerchnical Artist
Lighting Artist
Layout Artist
Environment Artist
Game Designer
TeLevel Designerchnical Artist
Lighting Artist
Layout Artist
Environment Artist
Game Designer
TeLevel Designerchnical Artist
1st month
2nd month
3rd month
4th month
5th month
6th month
7th month
8th month
9th month
10th month
11th month
12th month
13th month
14th month
15th month
16th month
17th month
18th month

Basics in Maya & Zbrush

In the inaugural month, we lay the foundation of your 3D adventure. It begins with an exploration of basic modeling, sculpting, and rendering techniques in industry-standard software like Maya and Zbrush. These skills will form the cornerstone of your journey. As you delve into the intricate world of 3D, you’ll discover that every polygon, every brushstroke, and every rendering is a brushstroke on the canvas of imagination.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Learn basic modeling tools in Maya.
  • Introduction to ZBrush sculpting brushes.
  • First rendering experiments.
  • Understand the creative process of turning ideas into 3D shapes.

Topology and UVs

By the second month, we start delving into more complex terminology and workflows. We’re still focusing on the bare basics of modeling, UV Unwrapping, and concepts of good workflows.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Introduction to clean topology.
  • UV unwrapping basics.
  • Explore workflows for optimization and efficiency.

Introduction to Texturing

In the 3rd Month, we start to piece everything together and create fully fledged models with good topology, UVs, and Textures. This is the first time we encounter Substance Painter and what it is used for.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Explore Substance Painter for the first time.
  • Learn the relationship between topology, UVs, and textures.
  • Apply realistic textures to your models.

Advanced Workflows

Now it’s time to step up our game. We’ll revisit everything we’ve learned so far and expand on that knowledge. We’ll also learn how to set up rendering scenarios for our models with software such as Marmoset Toolbag.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Deepen modeling and sculpting skills.
  • Rendering techniques in Marmoset Toolbag.
  • Lighting setups for portfolio-ready assets.

Real World Preparations

In the 5th Month, we’ll cover what it’s like to create a prop, similar to an artist working in a studio. We’ll cover all necessary steps to follow proper guidelines and prepare ourselves for our first portfolio project.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Follow industry pipelines for prop creation.
  • Learn how to meet professional standards.
  • Get guided on planning your first portfolio piece.

Portfolio Project 01

During this month, you will get to choose from a myriad of options on what you want to be your first personal project. We’ll go over inspiration, references, workflows, and everything needed to create your very own prop. This month is heavily dependent on feedback from the Instructors.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Choose a personal project (prop).
  • Develop concepts, references, and workflow plans.
  • Heavy instructor feedback & pushback to refine results.

Game Engines

Halfway through the year, we’ll start looking into how game engines work, more specifically, Unreal Engine. We’ll learn the basics of the software, what it’s used for, and how we approach it as artists.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Learn game engine fundamentals.
  • Import assets into UE and set up basic scenes.
  • Understand how artists interact with game development tools.

Custom Materials

In the 8th month, we’ll take a look at Substance Designer, a software used to create your very own materials that can be used in any software.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Create procedural materials from scratch.
  • Export materials for use in multiple software packages.
  • Experiment with shaders and node-based workflows.

PBR Material Workflows

By combining Unreal Engine and Substance Designer, we’ll take a look at the fundamentals of Environment Art and how physically based rendering works. Here is where we dive deep into more complex setups to achieve amazing results.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Deep dive into PBR theory and practice.
  • Apply Substance Designer workflows inside Unreal Engine.
  • Learn environmental material setups.

Blocking and Forms for Characters

In the 10th month, we circle back to characters. This is where we encounter our first anatomy classes, proper blockouts, and great topology for characters.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Character blockouts and anatomy basics.
  • Sculpting proportional forms in ZBrush.
  • Learn topology for character models.

Advanced Character Workflows

After we revisit creating forms and shapes for characters, we’ll take a look at some more advanced workflows to bring the other aspects of the characters to life, such as hair creating, realistic skin textures, and more.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Skin detailing and realistic texturing.
  • Hair creation techniques.
  • Preparing characters for rigging and posing.

Rigging and Animation

By the end of the year, we’re going to close it out with a little bit of Rigging and Animation. Every single artist should know how to bring their work to life, and rigging and animation allows us to do that.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Rigging fundamentals in Maya.
  • Simple animation principles.
  • Pose and animate your own characters.

Environment Basics

After a full year of studying, it’s time to start choosing how we want to focus our efforts. For the next few months, we’ll cover the 3 Major areas where you will be able to specialize. In the first month, we’re going to start off with the basics of Environment creation.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Environment art fundamentals.
  • Blocking scenes and layouts.
  • Composition & storytelling in environments.

Character Basics

After revisiting Environment Art, we’ll circle back to Character Art. We’ll be going over the full process of creating our first full character, from blocking to shading to rigging and animation.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Blockout → Sculpt → Retopo → Texture → Rig → Animate.
  • Character shading and storytelling.

Game Development Basics

We’ll take a look at the basics of programming and coding with Unreal Engine. While this may not suit all students equally, it’s important to try out the Development process and choose whether or not you would like to specialize in it later down the road.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Introduction to Unreal Blueprint scripting.
  • Explore game mechanics.
  • Learn collaboration between artists & developers.

Portfolio Project 02: Initiation

Once all is said and done, over the course of the next 3 Months, we will work closely together to create your very own Environment, Character, or Game! This is the point where we focus all our energy on finding what we truly love doing.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Choose your path: Environment, Character, or Game.
  • Start 3-month guided personal project.
  • Find your true passion in 3D.

Portfolio Project 02: Production

It’s Specialization time! Once we have gone through the basics of all 3 major specialization routes, it’s time to choose what you want to further expand your skills in. This Portfolio Project varies from student to student and is tailored to everyone differently.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Discussing your future in the Gaming Industry.
  • Building a solid portfolio.
  • Specializing in a chosen Area.

Portfolio Project 02: Finalization

After we finish the Portfolio Project 02, you’ll be on your way to specialize in one of the 3 major routes. We also learn how to market ourselves in the Industry, what makes you stand out and what can make you blend in with other artists.

FRAMEWORKS

  • Refine, polish, and finalize portfolio pieces.
  • Real-world Preparations & Marketing.
  • Choosing a learning path for Year 2.
3D model of a fantasy humanoid with braided hair, tribal necklace, and facial markings in grayscale.
Profile of a blue-skinned humanoid with yellow eyes, tribal markings, and braided hair wearing a necklace.
Portrait of a fantasy creature with textured skin, mismatched eyes, and gold chain jewelry on the face.
Circular emblem with crown, R logo, stars, and laurel wreath labeled The Rookies Certified School.

WHY CHOOSE M3DS?

Many artists in the 3D learning journey often struggle with where to start and which software to focus on, which can lead to losing their passion for this creative industry. This can result in taking courses that do not cater to their individual needs, leading to confusion and a lack of direction. At M3DS Academy, we understand the importance of structured programs in achieving success.

Our structure programs provide a solid foundation that leads to success stories. As evidence of our success, we are proud to be ranked among the Top 10 Game Development Schools and Colleges worldwide in 2024 based on our students’ portfolios by The Rookies foundation. Join us, and let us guide you on your journey to success in 3D learning.

Close-up of a snarling, monstrous creature with sharp teeth and glowing eyes.
Dark fantasy humanoid with textured bark-like skin, pointed ears, and intricate facial jewelry.
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See What Our Students Create

Discover the incredible work crafted by our students — from 3D models and
animations to game environments and digital art.

Child wearing a red hat riding a green dragon with wide open mouth above fluffy clouds.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Police car with flashing lights blocking entrance of dimly lit tunnel with chain-link fence and warning signs.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Cartoon Spiderman with dog ears holding a wooden mallet on a blue surface with teal background.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Dimly lit rustic kitchen with a fireplace, pots, wooden barrels, and clay vessels.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Close-up of a terrifying monster with sharp teeth, yellow eyes, and a gaping mouth.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Wooden balcony and rooftop with a rooster weather vane under blue sky with mountains in the distance.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Child wearing a red hat riding a green dragon with wide open mouth above fluffy clouds.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Police car with flashing lights blocking entrance of dimly lit tunnel with chain-link fence and warning signs.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Cartoon Spiderman with dog ears holding a wooden mallet on a blue surface with teal background.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Dimly lit rustic kitchen with a fireplace, pots, wooden barrels, and clay vessels.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Close-up of a terrifying monster with sharp teeth, yellow eyes, and a gaping mouth.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Wooden balcony and rooftop with a rooster weather vane under blue sky with mountains in the distance.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Three stylized characters: a muscular frog holding a pole, a small armored turtle, and a bird with keys.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Fantasy character with purple hair, metallic armor, and staff with feathers on dark background.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
A fantasy village with timber houses, a bridge, sheep, waterfalls, and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Close-up of ornate golden sword hilt with a red gem and Game of Thrones text below.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Ancient statue of a warrior in an overgrown stone archway with sunlight shining through mist.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Elderly warrior with long gray hair and beard wearing tattered armor and holding a weapon.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Three stylized characters: a muscular frog holding a pole, a small armored turtle, and a bird with keys.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Fantasy character with purple hair, metallic armor, and staff with feathers on dark background.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
A fantasy village with timber houses, a bridge, sheep, waterfalls, and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Close-up of ornate golden sword hilt with a red gem and Game of Thrones text below.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Ancient statue of a warrior in an overgrown stone archway with sunlight shining through mist.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Elderly warrior with long gray hair and beard wearing tattered armor and holding a weapon.
Red arrow pointing diagonally up and to the right inside a white circle.
Explore All Portfolio
Explore All Portfolio

What Our
Students Say

Hear from students who turned their passion into careers. Our hands-on training, mentorship, and real-world projects have helped them land roles at top studios worldwide.

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

M3DS Academy is an exceptional learning platform. The courses are well-structured, the instructors are knowledgeable, and the community is supportive. I've gained valuable skills and insights that have truly enriched my professional journey. Highly recommended!

Portrait of a man with a beard and glasses wearing a white shirt with a black pattern.
Mario Stojanov

2023-09-06

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

M3DS is the perfect academy for anyone interested in learning 3D design. The instructors go out of their way to help and guide you through the learning process and they're passionate about sharing their knowledge and skills with you. All of the lessons are well thought out and teach you something useful. All in all, a great place to begin your journey into the world of 3D.

Person in casual clothes walking on a sandy beach with a blue sky and dunes in the background.
Petar Cacanoski

2023-08-24

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

I have attended Academy Year 1 % 2 here and I can say the whole program was on point! The classes were all focused on important learning that I could implement in wherever my creativity took me to. The instructors were very detailed and helpful, and whenever I would hit a wall they would help me out throughout the whole year. And just to note before M3DS Academy I had no experience in the 3D world, and after I completed now I feel confident in creating fully realistic environments, game-ready characters, game assets etc... If you would like to learn and receive the best education to enter the 3D world, this is where you should go!

Purple circular icon with a white letter T in the center.
Teodor Mihajlov

2023-08-23

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

Academy Year 1 was an excellent experience. I am glad that I took part and I am recommending this to everyone. Also, a big shout out to the great instructors who take a big part of the whole learning process.

White tuning fork icon inside a teal circle on black background.
Џингов. Јане

2023-08-22

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

Outstanding academy! Expert training in 3D design and game development. Cutting-edge curriculum, and amazing hands-on experience. A top choice for aspiring 3D artists and game developers.

Dark green circle with a white uppercase letter M centered inside.
Mihail Danilovski

2023-08-22

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

It's been wonderful journey, I learned a lot here, and I'm continuing to do so!

Cartoon elf wearing green clothes and hat, smiling with hands on hips.
Nikola Temkov

2023-08-21

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

I attended Academy Couse 01 & 02. Loved every part of it. They really put everything on the lessons, on teaching, and they make sure you go through and understand every detail. It's amazing how they also encourage you to work on your own projects and give you advices on how to make everything better. I 'annoyed' them with so many questions, however, the not just answered all of them but they made sure I understand by sending even screenshots and even video where I was doing something wrong.
And since I was one of the lucky ones to attend live, the atmosphere there was so nice and they went to each student to see who is doing what and advice and help on the times when one would get stuck somewhere.
Another thing is that they give homework and they literally tell if something doesn't look right, and if you forget a homework, they write and ask for them.

I highly recommend to take the courses with M3DS Academy, and work with these guys because they are really great people.

Bekim K.

Man sitting at a laptop in a circular cutout frame on a white background.
Bekim K

2023-08-21

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

M3DS Academy is an exceptional learning platform. The courses are well-structured, the instructors are knowledgeable, and the community is supportive. I've gained valuable skills and insights that have truly enriched my professional journey. Highly recommended!

Portrait of a man with a beard and glasses wearing a white shirt with a black pattern.
Mario Stojanov

2023-09-06

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

M3DS is the perfect academy for anyone interested in learning 3D design. The instructors go out of their way to help and guide you through the learning process and they're passionate about sharing their knowledge and skills with you. All of the lessons are well thought out and teach you something useful. All in all, a great place to begin your journey into the world of 3D.

Person in casual clothes walking on a sandy beach with a blue sky and dunes in the background.
Petar Cacanoski

2023-08-24

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

I have attended Academy Year 1 % 2 here and I can say the whole program was on point! The classes were all focused on important learning that I could implement in wherever my creativity took me to. The instructors were very detailed and helpful, and whenever I would hit a wall they would help me out throughout the whole year. And just to note before M3DS Academy I had no experience in the 3D world, and after I completed now I feel confident in creating fully realistic environments, game-ready characters, game assets etc... If you would like to learn and receive the best education to enter the 3D world, this is where you should go!

Purple circular icon with a white letter T in the center.
Teodor Mihajlov

2023-08-23

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

Academy Year 1 was an excellent experience. I am glad that I took part and I am recommending this to everyone. Also, a big shout out to the great instructors who take a big part of the whole learning process.

White tuning fork icon inside a teal circle on black background.
Џингов. Јане

2023-08-22

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

Outstanding academy! Expert training in 3D design and game development. Cutting-edge curriculum, and amazing hands-on experience. A top choice for aspiring 3D artists and game developers.

Dark green circle with a white uppercase letter M centered inside.
Mihail Danilovski

2023-08-22

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

It's been wonderful journey, I learned a lot here, and I'm continuing to do so!

Cartoon elf wearing green clothes and hat, smiling with hands on hips.
Nikola Temkov

2023-08-21

Google company logo with multicolored letters.Five yellow stars rating on a transparent background.

I attended Academy Couse 01 & 02. Loved every part of it. They really put everything on the lessons, on teaching, and they make sure you go through and understand every detail. It's amazing how they also encourage you to work on your own projects and give you advices on how to make everything better. I 'annoyed' them with so many questions, however, the not just answered all of them but they made sure I understand by sending even screenshots and even video where I was doing something wrong.
And since I was one of the lucky ones to attend live, the atmosphere there was so nice and they went to each student to see who is doing what and advice and help on the times when one would get stuck somewhere.
Another thing is that they give homework and they literally tell if something doesn't look right, and if you forget a homework, they write and ask for them.

I highly recommend to take the courses with M3DS Academy, and work with these guys because they are really great people.

Bekim K.

Man sitting at a laptop in a circular cutout frame on a white background.
Bekim K

2023-08-21

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