Self study 1 - Hello Blender!

Barreling into Blender

First step was to learn blender - it's been many years (and some major UI updates) since I last touched blender.

I started with SirPinkBeards barrel tutorial (which itself is an update of Brackey's original tutorial).

Mersey Bluff

I then started work on my Tasmanian landmark - I decided to go with a low-poly version of the Mersey Bluff lighthouse in Devonport.

First step in Blender was to start blocking out the basic shape. Starting with an elongated cylinder with various loop cuts to add the various stages of different width and curves as the lighthouse gets taller.

When I got the top base I ran into my first conundrum... what's the best way to do the guard rails and posts?

I initially tried building a post and getting it to follow a circle path but I couldn't get that quite right. Next step was to try the mirror modifier, setting the post to mirror on the X and Y axis from the center of the lighthouse.

This worked well, but it only works for 4 posts at a time, so once I'd done the first 4, I made a duplicate (linked) group of 4 posts and rotated them by 45 degrees. The rails themselves I made from using circles with a solidifier modifier and then an array to make 4 rails vertically.

You can see below how the mirroring works from having just 2 original posts placed.

I then made the top part from an octagon, with various extrusions and loop cuts to build the roof shape. The model is relatively low poly and would benefit from from some subdivision surfacing before rendering.

Final stage was to cut in some doors and windows. I did this by adding more loop cuts/knife cuts to the model which on reflection may not have been the best method.

I think it may have been better to extrude in space to then have separate objects for the doors and windows. This would've kept a cleaner mesh for UV unwrapping which I couldn't get to work nicely with my final model.

My final goal would've been to add the signature red stripes and maybe a slight stone render surface to the entire model.