While I am doing this to teach myself 3D modeling, I’m obviously hoping I can help a few other people follow along (all part of my plan for world domination). To that end, I’ve chosen tools that are both free and available for all of the major operating systems. Just because they are free doesn’t make them toys though — you can create some truly amazing things using these tools. Right now I’m barely scratching the surface of what is possible.
The GIMP
GIMP (which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a general purpose image editing application similar to Adobe Photoshop. I’ll be using it for preparing the blueprints on which my model will be based, and later for painting the textures (I think - I haven’t actually done much with textures yet).
Blender
Blender is a 3D modeling application, similar to 3D Studio Max or Maya, with a high-quality renderer and even an interactive game engine. Take a look at the Features and Gallery page for a better appreciation of what Blender is all about.