Step 1

In this tutorial I will create a love-heart by using a standard NURBS sphere, and tweaking its control points. Start off with a clean blender [CTRL][X]. Delete the default cube and add a NURBS sphere to a new scene. NURBS spheres are located in the toolbox ([SPACE]or [SHIFT][A]), under ADD and then SURFACES.

Before you continue, scale up the sphere so that it fills the better part of your screen by pressing [S], moving your mouse and left-clicking when you're satisfied.

Step 2

Go to frontview NumPad [1], and enter editmode by pressing [TAB]. Deselect all vertices by pressing [A]. Use border select [B] to select the middle vertices in the top-row of the controlpoints. The figure shows which area to select.

Step 3

If you switch to topview by pressing [NumPad 7], you can see that you have actually selected a couple of vertices that were hidden from your view in the frontview. Using box-select in front-view selects all vertices within the box, even when they are hidden behind each other Before going on, return to frontview by pressing NumPad [1].

Step 4

The next step is to enter grabmode [G], and move the three selected vertices slightly downwards. This will create a nice, smooth bump in the sphere. (I've switched from wireframe to Shaded view by pressing [Z]


Hint: Click the middle mouse button to constrain the motion along one axis.

Step 5

Deselect all selected vertices with [A]. (This is a step that you have to make each time in the remaining steps of this tutorial). Select the three vertices in the top- left and the three in the top-right, and scale them a bit by using the scaling mode [S] so that the top becomes a bit wider. When you are satisfied with it, use the grabber [G] to move the vertices up a bit.

Step 6

Now I will to taper the bottom of the heart. Box-select all the vertices at the bottom [B] and scale them down:

Step 7

The heart is starting to look good, but the bottom is still a bit blunt. Make it more pointy by box-selecting [B] the middle vertices at the bottom and using the grabber [G]to move them downward.

Step 8

Now, in the frontview our heart looks just fine, but when you switch to sideview NumPad [3], you will see that you have drawn a mighty fat heart!

Step 9

Select all vertices (press [A] twice), and scale everything in the x-dimen- sion. To do this, enter scaling mode, move your mouse horizontally and then press the MiddleButton. This will lock the scaling to only one dimension.

Step 10

Result after scaling

100 Comments

  1. Could use a little work. Try using proprtional vertex editing when you do your scaling [o key] (if it's possible to use proportional vertex editng with a NURBS object.). Other than that its a pretty good tutorial. Explore a bit to find different ways to do it (like a lattice).

  2. No Trouble Today! on

    This is the first blender tutorial I have EVER finished (no really, I always get stuck :-). It was simple, taught be a ton about NURBS, and now I am trying to create a bird with the same techniques. You are so helpful, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

  3. I really think this tutorial make blender appear to be easy to use . So all i have to say is I'm waiting to read more tutorials like this .

  4. At first i was confused about the last part then after experimenting i finally got it! Thanks so much! Great tutorial for beginners like me ;)
    Make more tutorials! They are fun.

    -Kate

  5. instead of clicking middle mouse button while scaling/rotating/grabbing, you can also press the x,y or z key to lock the action to one dimension. I found that method easier to use because if you hold the middle mouse button too long, it will change the lock again ;)

  6. Thanks a ton on

    Wow, thanks alot, i really liked this one, effortless and fun, i wish all blender tutorials where like this!

  7. Yes, a great tutorial! I wish you had the time to do the complete set of functions (yeah, right?) - I feel like I'd have blender down in a week with this approach.

  8. grinningtiki220 on

    Great tutorial, the only one that did not cause me to mash my keyboard repeatedly with my face.
    Thank You

  9. WOW that was great i got it the first time threw i woulnt have been able to do that in a million years withough really good instructions. but now that i understand that it has opened a world of new things i can make by myself. I wish i could fined more of your tutorials!

  10. This is the first 3D Blender tutorial I have completed all the way through. It is a very nice, gentle introduction that also revealed to me how nice Blender is to use: So much easier than I expected! Thanks for making it all look so possible.

  11. Well done, majorly inefficient though. Try using a Poly cube, SSD, and Loopcuts, you will have way better results much faster, and it will render faster.

  12. I am new to Blender, and I've never done 3D Animation before. I feel kinda bad that I cant even complete this one, I get stuck because I don't know how to selct verticies. Can anybody lead me along on this one, I'm really interested in 3D Animation and I can't seem to get on the right track.

    Thanks,
    TyPod

  13. You have to press b then click and drag to draw a box to select the verticles, I hope that this helps you. Also this tutorial helped me so much so thanks for making it.

  14. The 7th step I cannot perform. When I grab the upper right corner one, it enjoys to infuriate me by also pulling all three bottom verticies as well. I only box the one, but the four come...

  15. Sorry. Solved it. It honestly took me an hour+ to just do the ten simple steps... Good way to break the beginners in, though, thanks.

  16. great tutorial but i dont no how to scale

    i did 1 to 8 steps in like 5 mins but i cant do step 9

    whats the key to scale????

    thanks

  17. oooo im a retard lol nvm i just worked it out

    well great Tutorial and i will hope to see more tutorials like yours.

  18. This is the first blender tutorial I have EVER finished (no really, I always get stuck :-). It was simple, taught be a ton about NURBS, and now I am trying to create a bird with the same techniques. You are so helpful, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

    I´m so happy that a copied and pasted the same answer as "No Trouble Today!" issued.

    Probably this tutorial helped me to decide going on using Blender.

  19. I finally got the heart made and it was cool until I went to the side view. Instead of being fat, it looked like a heart laying down with one of the corners flipped over. So what caused that? Also you say push the A 2 times and move horizontal. Can't do that either.

  20. Connor Little on

    Thanks!!
    The tutorial is great Cheers...
    I was delayed slightly at the start as my Sphere was not wireframe, so that puzzled me unitl i worked out how to change it from wirefram and solid with [Z].
    But overall, a very well put together tutorial, my first and indead NOT my last...
    Brill!!!!
    Ta...

  21. Very nice tut, though adding something like saying how to color it would be helpful for beginners, anyways, very nice tut, the first I could follow.

  22. Hi, Great tuturial, im a noob and desperatly want to get to grips so i can stat making my tanks for C&C but i need help with the this tut as when i try to add a NURBS Sphere the Blender program cuts out, also when i tried a differnt NURBS shape it came up as not responding and a dont send think, Please help my version is 2.44, (NURBS circle works fine)

  23. Hi, Great tuturial, im a noob and desperatly want to get to grips so i can stat making my tanks for C&C but i need help with the this tut as when i try to add a NURBS Sphere the Blender program cuts out, also when i tried a differnt NURBS shape it came up as not responding and a dont send think, Please help my version is 2.44, (NURBS circle works fine)

  24. hi, does this work for version 2.41? i can not get where i can grab the vertices, and pull down the middle into the bump. i am good until this point. this pic just below step 2 shows a box around the top middle vertice, but when i press A, and then B and select the top middle vertice, there is no box. what am i doing wrong?

  25. Puuuuuuuurty...niiiiice did you give it to your girl? Nah, but really good job. You made it really simple for every one to follow. Thanks!

  26. cool the first tutorial that i fully understand and finished!
    lol....im such a noob...hahaha

    tnx for the help!

    ^_^

  27. hi, its so great how it is explained here. i got one problem though i just cant get the square on the top. meaning = Use border select [B] to select the middle vertices in the top-row of the controlpoints. The figure shows which area to select.

    do i have 2 hold G an pull with right mouse klick? hope it's not a stupid question, but i'm new 2 blender. everything else works fine, just don't get a heart shape, as i just dunno how 2 use G.cuz only one side moves down which doesn't help 2 get a heart shape. can someone help me please?

    thx phil

  28. sick dude!! great work...it would be a lot better for us noobs..if you put some tutorials on adding texture and lighting stuff.
    Thx a lot.

  29. Using Blender 2.46
    I use a quad layout
    TL-TopOrtho,TR-UserOrtho
    BL-FrontOrtho,BR-RightOrtho

    Step2 instructs
    Use border select [B] to select the middle vertices...
    B key,used RMB (?) to make small box like pic showed.
    All that happened was the widget moved to the top center of the sphere.
    When sphere was created it showed up solid each quad.

    This is my first working Tutorial.
    Step one, I did get through, I had to learn delete and the sphere can only be created in Object Mode.

    Step 2 so far I can not accomplish. I will keep trying.

  30. Sorry for above post.
    I turned TopOrtho into WireFrame Mode.
    Looks like your instruction pic.
    Oh I turned off my widget.
    Thanks :)

  31. Top View
    A key so I can pick Vertices.
    RMB at top center verticie, Then shift RMB to select top left, then topr right vertice.
    G key to grab and pull down. I did not get a heart. I got a dimple in the left portion.
    Oh the Z key needs to be mentioned first I think.
    This is a poorly written tutorial.
    The steps are not clear and many are not mentioned or assumed.

  32. great job. one of the only tutorials ive finished. everything was explained thouraly and the pics matched what i saw.

  33. HELPHHHHHHHHHHH........I TRY TO DO THAT AT THE PICTURE BUT.....AT THE STEP 4 I CAN'T MOVE THE "HEART" ...SO CAN SOMEBODY HALPH ME....???BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND SO GOOD ENGLISH AND I NEED A HELPH I'M FROM BOSNIA!

    YOU MERIMA

  34. first blender tutorial that i've actually finished! sooo much simpler than others but i think i learned way more. thanks!

  35. That was the first lesson for me into Blender. I am proud of my result, but it would be cool if you went on to colouring and lighting (maybe). I need to learn this software for work, and that was a great, helpfull start. Thank you very much. :p

  36. oh noesss =[ i cant do no.9, every time i go to scale, my heart just gets bigger, it doesnt become skinny...and how do you press A twice? when i do it, it turns the vertices on then off again

    pleaaaaaaaase help me =]

    but AWESOME tute!! first every one i did on blender and i feel like im actually getting somewhere =] btw does anybody go to, or attend Qantm College?

  37. oh no wait..i did no.9 by going to top view and changing the size of the heart using the box select then using the grab tool to make it skinnier...can i do it that way? coz it looks normal now =]

  38. Thank you so much, I also learned some short cut keys if anyone wants to use them, It has helped me tremendously. You can click S then X to keep it on the X axel or Y to keep On Y axel etc. So new to Blender, But with this tutorial and a few others I have seen, and learned from. Don't just open and close it out of intimidation LOL..I really love this program. I always thought it was too difficult for me to learn from. Oh how I was wrong. Great step by step walk though.

  39. Thank you so much for creating these instructions and keeping them around for so many years. I'm "relatively" new to Blender, meaning I have tried to figure the program out for quite a long while but wasn't successful. Then today I thought I'd give it another try and searched for a simple project that looked easy and wasn't a video (I don't seem to learn well by watching videos but can follow written instructions with pictures - old skool I guess.) I found this and I finally made something while learning a few things in the process. Maybe I'm not so dumb after all, or you are just great at putting simple instructions together, or maybe both. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for helping me feel like maybe I can learn how to use this program.

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