I’ve been working mostly in 2D animation for a while, but lately I keep getting asked if I can do 3D product mockups or basic logo animations in a 3D space. I downloaded a trial of Blender and the whole process of modeling something simple just feels so alien to me compared to drawing keyframes. For those of you who made a similar jump, how long did it take before that initial awkwardness started to fade?
I felt that switch too. The first couple of weeks in Blender were rough, but after building a few tiny props—just simple shapes and boring test renders—the 3D space started to make sense. It wasn't magical, more like you loosen a stubborn knot in your thinking.
From a mental-model view, 2D animation trains you to time motion on a plane; 3D asks for space, depth, and a different handle on lighting. Start with low-risk projects, like a mug or a logo extruded, and treat shading as a separate skill to build later.
I misunderstood Blender at first too, thinking you must sculpt every curve by hand. In reality you can block out shapes with simple primitives and iterate. It helped to pretend I'm planning stop motion in 3D, which keeps the process grounded.
I’m a bit skeptical about the timeline. Awkwardness isn't the only hurdle; the UI in Blender can feel chaotic, and if you need fast logos, maybe outsourcing to a dedicated 3D studio is viable.
Challenging the framing: maybe the question isn't about fading awkwardness but about choosing the right tool for each job. If a 2D skill set gives a certain vibe, maybe you lean into that rather than forcing 3D into every piece.
A reframing idea: you can leverage your 2D chops with a few 3D tricks, like using projection mapping to get a logo into 3D space without full modeling. It buys time to decide whether you want to go deeper.
Mine took around a season of weekends before the 3D space stopped feeling totally alien, and even then some days feel awkward.