Computer Graphics for Beginners Course

Lesson 1 • Image File Formats and Compression

Surveys common raster and vector file formats and their compression strategies. Students learn to select formats based on quality and file-size needs.

Lesson 2 • How Screens Display Images

Explains pixel grids, screen resolution, and refresh rates. Connects display hardware behavior to image quality decisions made in software.

Lesson 3 • What Is Computer Graphics

Defines computer graphics and its major application domains. Grounds students in real-world context before technical concepts are introduced.

Lesson 4 • Color Models and Representation

Covers RGB, CMYK, and HSL color models and their use cases. Students gain the ability to choose the correct model for screen or print output.

Lesson 1 • Fills, Strokes, and Gradients

Teaches solid fills, stroke properties, and gradient types for 2D shapes. Students apply visual styling that communicates depth and hierarchy.

Lesson 2 • Basic Geometric Shapes

Covers creation and properties of rectangles, circles, polygons, and lines. Students build compound shapes by combining primitives.

Lesson 3 • Paths and Bezier Curves

Introduces anchor points, handles, and Bezier curve mathematics. Students draw smooth, precise curves for logos and illustrations.

Lesson 4 • Coordinate Systems and Canvas Setup

Establishes the 2D Cartesian coordinate system and canvas configuration. Students correctly position elements on a digital canvas from the start.

Lesson 1 • Text Effects and Styling

Covers outlines, shadows, gradients on text, and text on a path. Students apply effects that enhance rather than obscure the message.

Lesson 2 • Type Anatomy and Classification

Covers serif, sans-serif, display, and monospace typeface categories and their anatomy. Students match typeface choice to communication goals.

Lesson 3 • Hierarchy and Typographic Scale

Introduces modular scale and visual hierarchy through type size and weight. Students structure multi-level text layouts that guide the viewer's eye.

Lesson 1 • Scene Organization in 3D

Explains collections, object naming, and scene hierarchy for 3D projects. Students maintain organized scenes that scale to greater complexity.

Lesson 2 • Mesh Primitives and Topology

Introduces vertices, edges, faces, and standard primitive objects. Students understand how mesh topology affects modeling flexibility.

Lesson 3 • Basic Mesh Editing Techniques

Covers extrusion, loop cuts, scaling, and face manipulation for shaping meshes. Students transform primitives into recognizable 3D objects.

Lesson 4 • 3D Coordinate System and Viewports

Extends the coordinate system to three axes and introduces orthographic and perspective views. Students orient themselves in 3D space without confusion.

Lesson 1 • Three-Point Lighting Setup

Teaches the classic key, fill, and rim lighting arrangement for subjects. Students replicate professional studio lighting in a 3D scene.

Lesson 2 • Basic Material and Shader Setup

Introduces diffuse, specular, and roughness parameters in a PBR workflow. Students create physically plausible surface appearances for common materials.

Lesson 3 • Shadows and Ambient Occlusion

Explains hard vs. soft shadows, shadow maps, and ambient occlusion baking. Students add depth and contact grounding to 3D scenes.

Lesson 4 • Environment and HDRI Lighting

Covers high-dynamic-range image lighting and environment maps for realistic reflections. Students use HDRI setups to achieve photorealistic ambient light.

Lesson 1 • Tiling and Texture Optimization

Covers texture resolution choices, tiling strategies, and compression for performance. Students balance visual quality against memory and render-time budgets.

Lesson 2 • Texture Maps and Their Roles

Covers albedo, normal, roughness, metalness, and ambient occlusion maps. Students assemble a complete PBR texture set for a single asset.

Lesson 3 • Texture Painting Basics

Teaches direct painting on 3D model surfaces using brush-based tools. Students add hand-crafted detail that procedural methods cannot replicate.

Lesson 4 • Procedural Textures and Node Editors

Introduces node-based procedural texture creation without external image files. Students generate tileable, resolution-independent surface patterns.

Lesson 1 • Camera Setup and Composition

Covers focal length, depth of field, and rule-of-thirds framing in 3D cameras. Students compose shots that direct viewer attention effectively.

Lesson 2 • Render Settings and Sampling

Explains sample counts, noise thresholds, and denoising for clean renders. Students tune settings to achieve acceptable quality within time budgets.

Lesson 3 • Render Engine Concepts

Compares rasterization and ray-tracing render engines and their trade-offs. Students select the appropriate engine for quality and time constraints.

Lesson 4 • Output Formats and Color Management

Covers EXR, PNG, and video output formats alongside color space management. Students export renders that preserve quality through post-production pipelines.

Lesson 1 • Graph Editor and Curve Editing

Teaches F-curve manipulation to control animation timing and easing precisely. Students fix mechanical motion by shaping velocity curves.

Lesson 2 • Basic Character Rigging Concepts

Introduces armatures, bones, and weight painting for character deformation. Students set up a simple rig and animate a basic walk cycle.

Lesson 3 • Twelve Principles of Animation

Introduces the foundational animation principles developed in traditional film. Students apply squash, stretch, anticipation, and follow-through to digital motion.

Lesson 4 • Keyframes and the Timeline

Covers keyframe insertion, the timeline interface, and playback controls. Students set and adjust keyframes to define the start and end of motion.