100+ Maya 3D Tutorials For Beginners, Intermediate And Advanced Users
When it comes to high-end 3d computer graphics and 3d modeling software package, Autodesk Maya is always one of application to be considered. Maya plays an important role in the 3d visualization and animation industry and they are top choices for many designers on large or small-scale production.
If you are looking to pick up Maya to design your 3d models, this article is for you. We’ve collected more than 100 useful Maya 3D tutorials, ranging from beginner level to intermediate and advanced users. Full list after jump.
For Beginners
Flying Butterfly Animation – This tutorial teaches you how to create an animate a simple butterfly.
Animate a Logo Forming from Particles in Maya – In this tutorial teaches you how to make animated logo with particles in Maya and then reverse the rendered animation in any video editing software you like.
Create a coin 3D model – A tutorial that walks you through the process of creating realistic coin using Maya 3D.
Flying Arrows – In this tutorial you learn about creating flying arrows.
Creating Text In Maya – If you want to create text in Maya, this tutorial is for you.
Make A Screw-Driver – A basic modelling tutorial that teaches you about making a screw-driver and render it.
Basics Of Maya Key Frame Animation – Learn the fundamentals of the way Maya animates with this tutorial.
3D Street Lamp Modeling – This tutorial will walk you through the process of modeling a 3D street lamp.
Melting Text – Explore some of the tools and options of fluid to create melting text effect like smoke with this tutorial.
Spiral Modeling – An useful tutorial that teaches you how to model a spiral.
5 Tricks On Using Cameras In Maya – This tutorial covers 5 cool tricks you can do using cameras in Maya.
Create 3D Heart Model – Learn how to create a heart from poly cube.
Create Awesome Cloth Simulations using nDynamics – Learn how to use nDynamics’ passive colliders and ncloth objects, along with air and gravity, to easily simulate realistic dynamic objects.
Boolean Modeling – A tutorial that covers in depth basic boolean operations, anatomy of a boolean, where to use booleans, as well as common boolean errors.
Basic Technique of Creating An Animation – Learn the very basic techniques of creating an animation in Maya through this tutorial.
Animated Arrows – This tutorial will teach you how to create animated arrows.
How Shaders Work In Maya – This tutorial teaches you how materials work, and how to create materials in Maya.
Grab and Move an Object – This tutorial gives a great explanation on how to grab and move an object.
Finding Distances In Maya – With this tutorial you learn how to find distances in Maya.
Duplicate Special – This is a tutorial about Duplicate Special that lets you duplicate objects, change the transformation attributes of the duplicated object(s), as well as duplicate mulitple objects at a time.
Creating Natural Light – Teach yourself how to create a light rig that generates a nice and soft overall light that’s tinted green.
Creating Lightning In Maya – This tutorial teaches you on how to create lightning effects in Maya.
Create Simple Wave – You can learn in this tutorial as how to create simple wave using Sine Deformer for flag wave for fish tail.
How to Rendering Shadow Only – A quick and simple tutorial that teaches you how to render shadow only.
Importing Audio Into Maya – you can learn to import audio into Maya with the help of this guide.
Making Blendshapes – The first part of a multi-part tutorial that teaches you how to blend shapes.
Modelling Hammer – A useful guide about modeling a hammer with the help of poly and subdiv.
Model and Texture a Photo-realistic USB Cable with Maya and Mental Ray – In this tutorial you will go through the process of modeling and rendering a Photo-realistic USB cable in Autodesk Maya.
Modeling a Face – It’s a tutorial about learning how to model a basic face that can be used for cartoon or realistic drawing.
Modeling A Knife – A quick guide on how to model a knife using Maya.
Modeling Saw – If you want to learn how to model a saw, take a look at this tutorial.
Parent/Child in Maya – Teach your self how parent and child function works in Maya.
Pivot Points – A tutorial about editing pivot points in Maya.
Creating Gears – Lean how to create gears with this helpful guide.
Getting started with Mental Ray’s Final Gather – A tutorial designed to teach the art of rendering with Mental Ray’s Final Gather.
Two Tips For Move And Rotate Tools – This informative guide covers some useful tool settings to help you in the modeling process.
Understanding Lights in Maya – A detailed guide that explores Maya’s default light options.
Using Revolve – Learn how to use the revolve tool in Maya with this tutorial.
Using The Extrude Tool – A tutorial that covers in-depth guide on the extrude tool and all of its functions.
Modelling LCD Monitor – Learn about modelling LCD Monitor with this tutorial that teaches you about allot extrude, scale, move, and split polygon objects.
Building a Polygon Arch – Learn how to make arches in a building with this interesting tutorial.
Wireframe Rendering – In this tutorial you can learn how to create wire-frame rendering in Maya.
How to Create a Wine Glass – A useful tutorial on creating a wineglass using the curve tool.
For Intermediate Users
Modeling a Coca-Cola Bottle – This tutorial shows you how to make a Coca-Cola bottle in Maya.
How to Create A Flash Photography Effect – This tutorial will instruct you on how to create a flash photography effect in Maya.
Modeling A Head Using Nurbs – A tutorial by Sasan Rafiee on modeling a head using Nurbs-Polygon technique.
3D Modeling Keroro Gunso – In this Maya tutorial you can learn about modeling Keroro Gunso.
Realistic Ear Modeling – Create a realistic ear in Maya, for those with experience in polygon modeling.
Realistic Eye Modeling for 3D Characters – This is a tutorial on how to model and apply shaders to create realistic eyes.
Build a Reusable Light Rig in Maya – Setup a basic light rig in Maya with this tutorial.
Caustics – A tutorial to learn how to make a picture of a glass using caustics in Maya.
Modelling in Alias – Ceiling light – A tutorial that teaches you about creating ceiling light in Maya.
Modeling Kempston Pro Joystick – Learn how to model kempston pro joystick using polygons and NURBS in Maya.
Animate a Dancing Ice Cream Bar in Cinema 4D and After Effects – A highly detailed tutorial to help you learn how to make a dancing ice cream bar animation in Cinema 4D, and then compose it in After Effects.
Adding A Vase on Your Table – Follow this tutorial to learn how to make a vase on a table in Maya.
Create Fire in Maya – Learn the process of creating fire effect from scratch using Maya particle system.
Create a New York Subway Entrance in Maya – A detailed guide on how to model the low-poly mesh from reference, and then creating the high-poly source for the purpose of making normal maps.
Tutorial on How to Make Car Rims – Create realistic chrome car rims in Mays through this step-by-step guide.
Creating A Holiday Ball – A tutorial to teach you how to create a holiday ball from polygonal primitives in Maya.
Creating a Lava Lamp in Maya – Want to create a lava lamp in Maya, then follow this tutorial that shows modeling, shading, lighting and rendering of a realistic lava lamp.
Create A Photo-realistic NutA tutorial guide on how to create a real-looking nut using Maya.
Maya’s Paint Geometry Tool – This tutorial teaches you about the basics of Maya’s Paint Geometry Tool.
How to Create a Realistic Looking Dirt Layer using Maya Transfer Maps – Follow this simple technique of adding dust and dirt to your 3D objects, to give a more realistic feel.
How to Create an Awesome Fire Effect Using Maya Fluids – A step-by-step guide to learn how to create a fire animation in Maya, which you can later use in any of your projects.
Modelling A Poly Table Fan – This video tutorial is about creating a polygonal fan table with some quick modeling techniques like curve extrude, surfaces, poly tube, smooth, bevel, curve revolve, extrude, and more.
Creating Dynamic Mud Effect Using Soft Body – A tutorial that teaches you how to create an effect that shows a dynamic sphere moving over mud.
Making Eyelid Rig with Driven Keys and Expressions – This tutorial tells you how to create blend shapes for 4 positions of the eye and drive these blend shapes automatically to show eye ball rotating.
Model a Spitfire War Plane – A detailed tutorial on how to model a fire-spitting war plane.
Modeling A Toy Dragonfly – This tutorial teaches you how to model, texture, and render a toy dragonfly in Maya.
Modeling Hand – Follow this tutorial to learn how to model a human hand.
Modeling Human – If you want to learn how to model a human figure, try out this tutorial.
Modeling Human: Naruto Chibi – This Maya tutorial will teach you about modeling human figure, specifically in the form of anime.
Create Cool Looking Cartoon Dog – Create a cool looking cartoon dog. the tutorial starts with the image planes and moves onto the modeling which covers nurbs, polygons and sub divs.
Spotlight Fog – A tutorial that teaches how to add fog to a spotlight in easy steps.
Page Turn Animation – Using Maya’s skeleton setup, this tutorial teaches you how to create a page turn animation.
Ford Focus Tutorial Series – Follow this tutorial to learn how to model a ford focus WRX.
Model Airplane in Maya – This video tutorial shows you how to model an airpalne in Maya.
Video Tutorial Portal Light in Maya – It is an interesting video tutorial about creating portal light in Maya.
Using Projection Mapping in Maya – A detailed tutorial on how to use simple tri planar (box) projection and planar projection to shade two walls, all done in only one material.
Making A Battleship in Maya – This tutorial shows you how to make ship using Nurbs curves, surfaces and poly geometry features in Maya.
Creating a Low Poly Dragon – A thorough tutorial on how to use Maya polygons to create dragon.
Creating CG nature – If you want to make terrain, trees and grass using Maya, follow this tutorial.
Chain Gun in Maya tutorial – A tutorial to show you how to model a chain gun and control rig using basic MEL scripts.
Candle Flame – An easy tutorial on how to build a candle flame in Maya.
The Egg and The Fog – To learn how to crack an egg and have light beams coming out of the cracks, try this tutorial.
For Advanced Users
Non Photo Realistic Shading in Maya – A step-by-step guide that describes how to achieve a non photo realistic shading effect in Maya.
“Blind Warrior” by Ryan Lim – A tutorial by Ryan Lim that briefly describe how to create a blind warrior from a painting.
Modeling a foot in Maya – Teach your self how to model a realistic looking foot in Maya through this tutorial.
Low Poly Game Character Hair – Create an interesting hairstyle in low poly effect using Maya.
Sub Scattering of Particles – A video tutorial by Jason Welsh, that uses Brush, Blender to create sub scattering of particles. by Jason Welsh
Dr Julian’s Texturing Tutorial
Growing Flowers – A thorough guide that shows you how to create growing flowers from surface.
How to Build A Next-Gen Game Car – This tutorial is aimed at teaching you how to create a next gen vehicle asset.
Making of the Standing Beauty – This tutorial will explain you how to create the standing beauty.
Secrets of Swimsuit Babe – A great tutorial for CG enthusiasts that tells you how to form a beautiful woman in swimsuit.
Create a Cool Looking Molecule Effect – This tutorial focuses on creating a molecule type object with Maya and finishing it off in After Effects.
Create a Realistic Tree in Maya – A detailed guide on teaching you how to make a realistic tree.
Create a Spectacular Crash Animation With Maya Dynamics – Learn how to use Maya’s powerful animation, dynamics, and camera tools to create an explosive crash effect between two vehicles.
Creating Logo Effect from Matrix – A tutorial that tells you about reproducing some of the logo effect of the film “Matrix” using maya particles and expressions.
Domino Effect – A detailed guide that discusses several techniques like, how to setup the geometry and how to apply passive to active key switch among them.
Facial Animation Rig for Delgo
Making of Varga In MAYA – This tutorial summarizes the workflow used for one of author’s characters with a number of images and some print-screens.
Making of “The Tunnel” in Maya – Learn how to create a cool tunnel scene in Maya, and add some final lighting touches to it in Photoshop.
Making of Cheese Platter – An explaination on how to create Cheese Platter – the author’s discussion.
Creating A Spaceship Fleet Using Particle Instance – This tutorial shows you how to use particle instancer to create fleet of spaceships flying across the planes.
The Making of Mafia Wars 3D – A guide that tells you how the author made this “Mafia wars” picture.
Surface Emitted Particles on SoftBody Tenticles – A concept tutorial that covers surface emitted particles on softBody tenticles to create a spiraling array particle system.
Lava Shader Effects in Maya – Make a shader for lava effects using Maya’s material editor, called Hypershade.
Destroying a Wall Using Rigid Bodies and Particles in Maya – Know how to use rigid bodies, forces and particles to create shatter effect in Maya.
Organic Modeling and Animation
Creating A Flame Thrower – This tutorial that teaches you how can you create a flametThrower
Creating High Res Polygonal Models – This tutorial will concentrate on how to use smoothed polygonal geometry to create high res models.
How to Create A Model of Nissan 350-Z – A step-by-step tutorial that shows how to create Nissan 350Z’s body using polygonal modeling in Maya.
UV mapping Techniques and Workflow – A tutorial designed to explain about most of the UV mapping techniques and tricks that I use day in and day out.
Making of ‘Snapshot of a Zombie’
