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[mozzy]

So I've dabbled in just about every art form there is, failed at most but succeeded... sometimes. However I've never had the the opportunity to do 3D. Is there a free, easy to use program to make 3D models? Note, I would be doing this just for fun, not much else really. And tutorials, tips, tricks, comments and general advice and such would be awesome.

[P-Flute]

Welcome to the wild and woolly world of 3D modelling.  Heh.  There are a couple of free programs out there that people use.  I think Blender: http://www.blender.org/ still might be the "best"? 

I also don't know a thing about it, but Google Sketchup is supposed to be pretty slick, at least for more inorganic things: http://sketchup.google.com/

I think any free modelling program you'll find will have tutorials...somewhere.  I'm sure Blender has some on their site.  I don't have many tips to offer, as it's been a while since I learned myself and I haven't much used these programs: Start from primitive shapes, learn the tools, and bend them to your will.  It does sort of depend, a little, on what you want to model.

Good luck!

[Player 3]

Sure, Blender may be better for more flexibility and power, but it's also the most difficult to attempt.

It'd be better to start off with Wings 3D for best starting.

[Chris Z]

Blender is the best free tool for 3D hands down.  Its also widely used, so you'll find tons of tutorials on any given subject on Youtube or Vimeo.  The interface will be intimidating at first if you've never done 3D, but it's easy to get used to since there are plenty of tutorials for it too.

[Rykuth]

Google Sketchup is amazing for certain things, but it's probably not really what you're looking for. It's really great for architectural and furniture mock-ups. It has all sorts of measurement tools so you can make and plan out accurate real-world objects. If you're wanting to make character designs or really anything that's not made of straight lines then it's probably not for you.

I've never done much with it, but from what I have used I recommend Blender. I personally didn't find it very difficult, though that could be the fact that I'm used to using Maya which has more features than one person could ever hope to master.

[Elliott D.]

Try sculptris
http://www.sculptris.com/gallery.html

It's prolly the best for jumping right in.

You'll likely end up with pretty high poly models, so they won't be fit for games without working them through some other programs.

[XRA]

I highly recommend the free version of SketchUp for 3D level design needs, I use it at work and for personal stuff. 
Another good program to try out if you're drawn to the sculpting workflow is 3D Coat ( http://3d-coat.com ), it has excellent retopology tools and the voxel sculpting has a different kind of feel compared to polygon sculpting, since you can cut right through 3d volumes or mash different shapes together with ease, it's more like you're dealing with real chunks of clay and not just pushing and pulling a mesh shell around.

[mozzy]

Wow awesome! Lots of great info, thanks guys! I took a shot at blender, but didnt have time to get into the meat of it. I'll try some more soon. Thanks again!