Learning Maya isn’t always easy for newbies. It, however, is very important to understand it if you intend to know how to create animation. If you are a beginner and you are trying to get good at Maya, you shouldn’t feel intimidated. It will take some time to master it but eventually, you will.
Tutorials are the best way to master this program. We have provided a list of the best Maya 3D tutorials to help you learn all about Maya. We will look at each of the tutorials and show you just how you can benefit from them.
Learn Maya In 3 Hours
In this complete course, Ruan Lotter teaches us a bit of everything about Autodesk Maya. If you want to learn about most aspects of this amazingly powerful and industry-standard software this course is the one for you.
This course contains 27 Video lessons and as the title says its only 3 hours packed with so many tips and tricks about Maya that will get you going in this software very quickly.
But as advice please try to practice with each lesson what the instructor does in front of you because if you don’t try the thing it won’t stick in your brain, practice always makes perfect.
Basic Skills Of 3D Maya
Matt Chan, a senior content experience designer, made this tutorial for beginners. It contains all the basics of Autodesk’s Maya.
He takes beginners through a step-by-step learning approach and has covered all the essentials you will need on your journey to learning animation. In this tutorial, beginners will learn how to create basic shapes and gradually improve their learning skills to build simple 3D models using Maya.
The tutorial series also includes other basic skills like coloring, shading, and animation processes. Beginners can build their confidence when they master the basics of using the Maya software.
The tutorials, which are a compilation series, are clear and easy to understand. One of the benefits of using Matt Chan’s tutorials is that it is free, and you also get to master the basic techniques of Maya.
Maya 2022 Essential Training with George Maestri
Tutorial Link: https://www.lynda.com/3D-Animation-tutorials/Create-high-quality-3D-models-animations-Maya/2873282/3142472-4.html
This tutorial is great if you are a beginner and is one of the easiest to understand. George Maestri is an expert in animation and is a trusted professional. George provided a 4 hrs in-depth course for beginners on Lynda (LinkedIn Learning).
This beginner’s course is available for free, but you will need to first sign up for the free one-month trial on the LinkedIn Learning platform. You will only need to pay after the one-month free trial if you want to take other courses available on the platform.
George Maestri, in his course, gives a very comprehensive introduction to Maya and then moves on to show you other skills like sculpting, smoothing, creating curves, and modeling mashes.
Maya Modeling: Beginner Projects
Tutorial Link: https://www.udemy.com/share/101TCk/
Udemy is a popular website that contains hundreds of thousands of courses both free and paid. John Stopforth developed the beginner project .
He is an educator as well as an expert in visual effects (VFX) and gaming. John Stopforth, in this tutorial, takes beginners through the basics of Maya by teaching them how to create simple everyday objects with Maya.
Beginners will learn his different modules, how to do things like image capturing and setting up viewports. John’s tutorials are recommended for designers with intermediate skills. If you are looking to improve your skillset in Maya, this Udemy tutorial is a great place to look at. The course is free, and it will help you improve on your basic knowledge.
Maya Head Modeling Tutorial
If you want to build your confidence in doing Maya Head modeling, TrimitKala’s YouTube tutorial is where you want to start. Learning and mastering head modeling is important, especially if you intend to animate a human character. TrimitKala has a very popular YouTube channel with many tutorial videos on doing 3D animation using Maya.
This tutorial is for anyone between beginner and intermediate levels. The videos are slow-paced, which makes it easy to absorb the information. And the fact that the tutorials are comprehensive makes it a great learning source.
The head modeling tutorial comes in two parts, and you get to learn the step-by-step approach to modeling the head. It shows you how you can go through the facial features with a detailed explanation. You can then build your confidence when you master this skill to create your characters. The YouTube tutorials are free and available to watch anytime.
3D Basic Walk Cycle 2018
Carol Ashely developed this model for walking. She teaches the basics of the walk cycle, an integral part of learning to use Maya.
The tutorial is very detailed, and Carol gives clear instructions on how to do the design. It comes in a set of several lessons which you can watch at your convenience. The video is free on YouTube and you will also have access to her various 3D modeling tutorials.
Maya 2020: Quick Rig and Attach Hands
Rolandd Reyer produced this tutorial on his YouTube channel. It teaches about how you can quickly add skeleton parts to your character using Quick Rig.
Roland Reyer also has several tutorials that offer specific character modeling skills like rigging, tension, liquid objects, and UVs. In the Quick Rig tutorial, he gives detailed teaching on manually adding a hand skeleton to characters.
Maya Modeling Secrets
This is another YouTube tutorial available for free. It was developed by FlippedNormals, which is managed by Henning Sanden and Morten Jaeger, both senior character experts. This tutorial shows you the tips and tricks about Maya. It lets you in on useful secrets like keyboard shortcuts, edge flow, how to circularize, and custom hotkeys.
Maya 2017: Texturing Tutorials
Tone Santana provides this tutorial for people who already have their hands on 3D modeling on YouTube. This tutorial will help improve your skills, especially in the area of texturing. In the two-part tutorial, Santana shows in the tutorial how to use UVs for texturing in Maya.
Maya Tutorial: How To Model a Tractor Tire
The tire tutorials by Mike Hermes is available on YouTube for free. The videos are comprehensive and direct. You would be spending a couple of minutes learning how to improve and build on your skills using Maya. The tutorials focus is on tires which is an essential skill in vehicle modeling with Maya.
Dynamic nCloth Pillow in Maya and Arnold Renderer
This tutorial is available on Lesterbanks and developed by ReimagineFX. Here you will learn how to use nCloth to make the most comfortable pillow. This tutorial is for people who have experience using nCloth, demonstrating how they can make a soft pillow. You get to make a realistic design.
Intro to Maya: Interface Tour
This tutorial is for people who are just learning to use Maya. It has a very detailed introduction and explains the basics of this tool. The maker of Maya, Autodesk, develops the tutorial, and they have a complete series of videos showing the basics of Maya.
Maya Blend Shape Tutorial
This is a very useful resource that shows you just how you can blend shapes or morph targets. Learning this skill will help bring your model to life. This tutorial makes blending look easy. It shows how you can use the new tools in Maya to quickly make blend shapes.
Learn Maya Online
Tutorial Link: https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/maya-2019-fundamentals-overview-modeling
A group of trainers organizes this tutorial, and you can access it on Pluralsight. The trainers include Mark Butler, Eddie Russell, Rodolfo Baez, and Justin Marshall. You will learn how to make an animation environment, characters, and motion graphics using Maya. Also, the tutorial focuses on topics like advanced body mechanics in Maya and multi-pass rendering with V-ray and Maya. This is a paid course and would require a sign-up.
Maya 2018: Biofrost Fluids
Tutorial Link: https://www.lynda.com/Maya-tutorials/Welcome/639055/674258-4.html
This tutorial involves a complete series of learning with Maya. It is a combination of topics like advanced texturing, Bifrost fluids, and many others. This course is available on LinkedIn but will require that you sign up for the one-month free trial.
Simulate Explosions In Maya
Tutorial Link: https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/maya-fumefx-explosions
If you already have experience working with Maya, you can improve your skills with this course. The tutorial demonstrates how you can make amazing effects with nParticles and FumeFX. It is a comprehensive tutorial on the Maya software, and it will walk you through creating a realistic explosion.
Create a portal effect in Maya
You can learn how to create a portal effect like the one seen in the movie Dr. Strange. This tutorial shows you exactly how you can create this portal using nParticles and also nucleus mode.
Design scene with RenderMan for Maya
Jeremy Heintz, in this tutorial, demonstrates how to create winter scenery using RenderMan for Maya. The video focuses on other areas also, like making a compelling composition with lighting and shading.
Maya Shaders And Textures
Tutorial Link: https://3dtotal.com/tutorials/t/know-the-basics-maya-part-7-shaders-textures-paul-hatton-2017-tutorial-basics-viewport-navigation
This tutorial is done by Paul Hatton. It includes a complete eight-series training on creating models with Maya. The part seven contains a step-by-step approach on how to achieve shades and textures using Maya. You will learn about the different material types and how to use the Maya default renderer.
Conclusion
Every skill can be learned if you put your mind to it. Maya is a tool that high-end designers and animation creators use. There are so many tutorials online that will help you understand this software, and you can always learn at a convenient time.
The knowledge is free and available online for everyone interested in creating realistic models and animate with Maya. It will help you in your workflow and allow you to improve better on your creativity.