15 Of The Best Cinema 4D Tutorials To Up Your 3D Skills

Photo of author
By
Updated

Get 1 free month of Skillshare and access the WHOLE library of tutorials including my tutorials here is the link.

When you buy through my links, I may earn a commission which will support me in creating more helpful content for you.

Cinema 4D is an important tool for artists and designers who want to create interesting motion graphics. You can use Cinema 4D to enhance your graphics and visualizations with 3D objects, and it offers several unique tools that can create fascinating effects.

Cinema 4D remains one of the top solutions for 3D artists seeking to create compelling motion graphics. You can learn how to use this tool by taking courses and watching tutorial videos online.

Best Cinema 4D Tutorials

Here, we have compiled a list of the best Cinema 4D tutorials to help you improve your 3D skills.

Introduction to Cinema 4D: A Beginner’s Animation Guide

Introduction to Cinema 4D A Beginner's Animation Guide

58 video lessons explaining step by step for beginners how to use Cinema 4D. In total, there are 7 hours and 40 minutes of content that you could watch.

The course goes over the following topics:

  • Getting Started 
  • Modeling 
  • Lighting
  • Material
  • Splines 
  • MoGraph 
  • Animation
  • Cameras

In addition, there are examples of projects and workflows so you can get hands-on training on how to use Cinema 4D in real and actual projects.

Learning Maxon Cinema 4D – A Beginners Training Course 

Learning Maxon Cinema 4D - A Beginners Training Course 

This course is great for beginners and will expose you to the basics of creating models and animation with Cinema 4D. You will learn how to use the 3D tools to make your models. The course begins with a tour of the program and a detailed explanation of what 3D objects are all about.

You will learn how to create 3D objects with extrusion, lathing, splines, and sweeping. You can learn at your convenience, and the tutorial lasts for about 7 hours. At the end of the training, you will get a certificate of completion. It is a paid course that will cost a few bucks and is one of the best to learn about Cinema 4D. 

Cinema 4D Masterclass Course: Guide for Beginners 

Tutorial Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/cinema-4d-masterclass-training-course/  

For beginners trying to improve themselves as 3D artists, this training course will show you everything you need to know about Cinema 4D. It will help you build confidence to begin your projects. The 8-hour long tutorial teaches you how to do 3D modeling and animation.

At the end of the course, you get a certificate of completion. The best part about this course is at the end; you will be able to build your 3D model from scratch. You will learn the entire process involved, like texturing, lighting, animating, modeling, and rendering. This course isn’t free but is very comprehensive for beginners. 

Learning Cinema 4D R19  

Learning Cinema 4D R19  

You can explore the world of Cinema 4D with this tutorial. This course which was developed by the Greyscalegorilla team is one of the best tutorials online. Even if you are using an older version of Cinema 4D, you can still learn from the course.

They have over 200 tutorials to help digital artists improve their skills. You will learn how to create amazing animations. You can build your scene from scratch and learn other things like lighting, rendering, and modeling.  

Introduction to Modeling in Cinema 4D R16 

Introduction to Modeling in Cinema 4D R16

This course is great for beginners and is available on Pluralsight. It gives you a clear understanding of modeling and all the tools as well as the techniques needed.

You will need to subscribe to get access to the full training. It is a very relevant tutorial and will help you create better 3D animations. You will need to sign up on Pluralsight and also pay for the course.  

Rig A Simple Cartoon Character 

You can learn how to create a cartoon character with this Cinema 4D tutorial developed by EJ Hassenfratz. This training will show you how you can use Cinema 4D’s powerful sketch and the Toon module to make 3D artwork.

At the end of the tutorial, you would have learned how to transform 3D art into a cartoon character in just a few steps.

There is also a two-part video tutorial by Hassenfratz that shows you how you can create interesting animated GIF characters with Cinema 4D tools. It is free, and you also have access to many other tutorials as a 3D artist to improve your skills. 

Introduction to Cinema 4D Lite & Cineware 

This is another essential course for 3D graphic artists by the Greyscalegorilla team. This tutorial demonstrates how you can use the 3D animation tools in After Effects Cinema 4D Lite and Cineware to get amazing models. You will understand how to utilize Cinema 4D Lite in your animation projects. 

Learning Cinema 4D Lite For After Effects 

Tutorial Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/cinema-4d-lite-for-after-effects/  

This tutorial lasts for about 8 hours and is worth every minute of your time. It will help you improve your graphic skills, and you will learn to use the Cinema 4D Lite tool and Adobe After Effects.

It is a great resource for beginners wanting to learn how to create 3D models from scratch. This tutorial also will show you the entire interface of Cinema 4D. You will also learn how to use 3D objects to create motion graphics. 

Learning Cinema 4D R20 

Learning Cinema 4D R20

In this tutorial, you will be introduced to the Cinema 4D R20, one of the best tools for designers. The course introduces you to animation and logo creation.

It takes just 2 hours of your time to learn how to do rendering, reveal objects with sweeps, and create 3D objects. You will also get an introduction to topics like modeling, animation, materials, cameras, and many more. 

X-Particles Tornado in Cinema 4D 

In this tutorial, you will create a tornado effect using the X-Particles Tornado in Cinema 4D. This tutorial was developed by Mirrormaze, and it demonstrates the process to achieve this effect.

You will understand how to use the X-Particles with XP Trail, Hair, and Follow Spine to bring the tornado to life. Also, you can learn how to rig the helix spine with the use of basic Xpresso to gain control of the tornado’s movement and direction. 

Cinema 4D’s Character Builder

Cinema 4D's Character Builder

This tutorial is free and is useful for beginners. It takes you through the process of creating characters.

You will learn how to use both the standard and advanced Biped setup in the Cinema 4D Character Builder tool. The video demonstrates how you can confidently build your characters without any hitch. 

How to Make Your 3d Objects Dance 

This is an interesting course for graphics tutorials wanting to learn how to bring 3D objects to life. You can make your character dance to any music. The video demonstrates how you can do this easily in just a few clicks. You can create an animation with complex dynamics and expressions. 

Learn Cinema 4D – Create Abstract 3D Design Elements 

Tutorial Link:  https://www.udemy.com/course/learn-cinema-4d-create-abstract-3d-design-elements/

You can learn how to create your 3D designs, especially the abstract elements, with this course. The tutorial includes an introductory lesson on the basics of using Cinema 4D and 3D objects generally.

From the beginning to the end of the course, you would be involved in four projects. It will demonstrate everything you need to know about the tools in Cinema 4D. You will learn to build models from scratch without using any pre-made objects. 

Make realistic plants in Cinema 4D 

This tutorial makes it easy to learn how to create your scenery. You can learn how to make organic scenes with plants and trees. The tutorial shows you how to build this model with Cinema 4D.

The process is simple, and it also shows you the techniques to achieve this. You will learn how to use Mograph tools and work with a low polygon proxy object to serve as a placeholder. 

Cinema 4D Tutorial: Add Hair to Character 

Here is also one good resource that teaches you how to create beautiful 3D hair animations. You can give your cartoon character a great facelift with beautiful hair. The course teaches you how to make 3D hair look realistic.

It is one of the complex parts of character creation, but this tutorial makes it simple. The tutorial contains a step-by-step approach to make you a pro at designing 3D hair. 

Triggering Dynamics in Cinema 4D 

If you want to learn how to build dynamic simulations, you will find this tutorial helpful. It shows you how to use Cinema 4D to make these simulations and even have full control. You can control its direction with the Triggering Dynamics in Cinema 4D.

This course developed by Eyedesyn provides a useful guide to help you use Ghost Dynamics and learn how to trigger them. It also shows you how you can record the mouse movement with the cappuccino. 

Conclusion 

There are hundreds of courses that will help you improve your skills as a 3D artist using Cinema 4D. Some of these courses may require payment, while you will also find the free ones available. You will learn a lot from these tutorials and in no time be able to create inspiring 3D art as a professional.  

Cinema 4D is one of the best tools for character animations and will help you create very interesting motion graphics for your projects. You can hardly do without this tool today as a 3D professional.  

Whether you’re an upcoming or pro animator, these tutorials will surely help you get better at your craft.