Jason Wiser's Madwomb.com

Welcome to the tutorial page.
Video and text instruction on 3D Modeling, Texturing, and Animation using Autodesk 3ds max and Maya, and Adobe Photoshop and After Effects.

Click on the YouTube icon to view in HD. Updates every few months.

Want to work in Games or Animation?:

1. General Modeling Advice (text only).

2. Texturing (including Tips and
Xnormal for Ambient Occlusion).

3. Character Development in 3ds Max and Maya:
Modeling, Unwrapping, and Rigging

4. Life Drawing (Do it!)

3D Studio Max - Introduction to Editable Mesh

Reference Diagrams (Photoshop & 3ds max)

Maya - Intro to Modeling and Planar Mapping

Download practice ortho images: [1], [2], [3], [4]

Maya / After Effects - Storyboard and Animatic:

The 3ds max Honest Abe
Character Creation series - 3DS MAX

3ds max - Part A: Full Basic Form:

3ds max - Part B: Revise Detail:

3ds max - Part C: Unwrap UVs: (Silent)

CheckerLetter Texture

Prefer text tutorials? See this detailed explanation of 3ds max unwrapping to paint model textures.

3ds max - Part D: Character Rigging:
Max Rigging and Skinning with Biped
and Morpher (mostly text).

The Honest Abe
Character Creation series - MAYA

MAYA - Part 1: Body: Form and Details

MAYA - Part 2: Head: Form and Details

Maya - Part 3: Unwrap UVs:

MAYA - Part 4: Character Rigging
A comprehensive look at introductory Maya Rigging using FK joints, IK limbs, Skinning, Controls, Set Driven Key, Connection Editor, Component Editor, Clusters and BlendShapes.

Maya Rigging:
Text tutorial with links to useful video tutorials on:
[a] Basic FK Skeleton and IK Limbs.
[b] Foot, Hand and Joint Controls.
[c] Spine and Face BlendShapes.

Download the
reference image for Autodesk 3ds Max.

Download the
reference image
for Autodesk Maya.

3ds max - Character Display: (Silent)

3ds max - Room Building Part 1:

3ds max - Room Building Part 2:

Maya Fundamentals:
Interface, Modeling, and Texturing
Created for a 2005 class at Pixar using Maya5,
this basic set of tutorials and explanations
still apply, aside from some outdated interface.

See 2013/2014 Modeling/Texturing videos, above.

Jason Wiser has taught college art and animation for games and film since 2001.

He has taught courses at Harvard, Tufts, Northeatern, and Lesley Universities, as well as The New England Institute of Art and the Art Institute of California - San Francisco.

He has lectured at the MIT Media Lab, for edX courses, and at Microsoft. In Summer 2005 Jason taught at Pixar Animation Studios: a Master Course in 3D Modeling with Maya for the Layout team.

In the 1990s he taught English and Humanities in the Baltimore Public Schools through Teach For America and was a volunteer art instructor at Long Lane Prison in Middletown, CT. As a high school teacher Jason received city and state awards for teaching excellence, and as a college art instructor Nintendo of America gave him this (as Jason Wiener).