5. Fundamentals of Blender Shading

If "Texturing" is like a paint's color then "Shading" is like a paint's finish: matte, semi-gloss, hi-gloss, etc. Shading is what makes an object appear metallic, transparent like glass, or translucent like wax. In this course you will first learn how to construct materials for the Cycles physically-based render engine. You will see how to navigate and function inside the node editor, mix basic shader components together, as well as construct a practical material using multiple material layers influenced by image textures. These principles will establish the shader foundation you will need to construct any kind of Cycles material you can imagine. 

WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS COURSE

Chapter 1: Node-Based Material Construction with Cycles
Cycles takes advantage of Blender's "Node Editor" for maximum flexibility compared to a traditional panel user interface.
* Node Editor Overview
* Mixing Shader Components

Chapter 2: Application (Cycles)
Using our knowledge of node-editing, let's construct a realistic material using multiple BSDF layers controlled by textures.
* Metallic Base
* Diffuse Color
* Glossy Reflection
* Adding Grime
* Scratches & Bump

Chapter 3: Material Panel (Blender Render)
Blender Render - aka "Blender Internal" or "BI" - is Blender's legacy, non-physically-based render engine.
* Diffuse and Specular
* Shading and Transparency
* Mirror and SSS

Chapter 4: Texture Panel (Blender Render)
* Texture Panel Overview
* Texture Influence
* Layering Texture Influence
* Procedural Textures

Licensing: You're free to use this resource in up to three classrooms and of course for yourself!