Anyone who practises 3D art knows it can be an incredibly time-consuming process, so help in the form of free textures and ready-made, free 3D models is always welcome. In recent years, a large number of websites have appeared offering just that and, while you have to pay for the majority of them, there are many free 3D models online too.
Here, we scoured the web for resources and found a selection of free 3D models, which will hopefully save you time on your next project. Enjoy!
01. Animal collection
Available in every major 3d file format, this low-poly wild animals pack are perfect for use in a variety of real-time environments, such as a mobile games and apps. The pack includes a deer, bear, wolf and boar, with the geometry on all optimised for animation.
02. Male base mesh
Humans are one of the hardest subjects to recreate in 3D, so save yourself some time with this male base mesh, which acts as a great start for sculpting and designing your own male characters. Available as an .obj file, this download is free for personal use only.
03. Cyclos Roadbike
Get your 3D characters out and about on this nifty free road bike model from TurboSquid. It comes in 3ds Max and Mental Ray formats, and it’s a perfect starting point for creating your own personal 3D bike design.
04. Goldfish
Bring your underwater scenes to life with this free goldfish model from Turbosquid. Available in .max and .3ds formats, this asset includes all textures and materials and should be used in accordance with Turbosquid’s royalty free license.
05. Orient watch
Need to accesorise your characters? Check out this free orient watch model from Turbosquid. Ready rigged and including all materials and textures, this .max file is available for use under a royalty free license.
06. Destan House
Clearly inspired by the work of iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright, this eye-catching house from TurboSquid will make a stylish home for your 3D characters. This free model is good for use in 3ds Max and V-Ray 3.
07. UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter
TF3DM offer thousands of 3D models that you can download absolutely for free. And this cool UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter is one of them. The four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter is available in .3ds, .obj, .mb, .lwo and .max formats and free for personal use only.
08. Daft Punk helmets
To celebrate the official release of a Daft Punk album, the Greyscalegorilla team decided to give away these professionally modeled Daft Punk helmet models for Cinema 4D. Texture and ready to render, incorporate these free 3D models into your sci-fi designs.
09. BB-8
Everyone’s favourite droid from Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been recreated and made available for free from TF3DM. This BB-8 model by Steve Lalonde is rigged two different ways for animation purposes and comes complete with high quality textures, and it’s available on .obj, .max and .fbx formats.
10. Epoca Selva table
After some designer furniture for your scene? Then look no further than this Epoca Selva table model, created by 3D designer Evgeny. The free 3D model is available in .fbx, .obj and .3ds formats and comes complete with materials and textures.
11. Wine glasses
Creating realistic looking glass in 3D is both tricky and time-consuming. Here, 3D artist Mihai Panait has done the hard work for you, creating a set of various-shaped wine glasses. Available in .max, .obj and .3ds formats, the models are offered for use under a standard royalty free license.
12. 1953 Cadillac Eldorado
Based in Barcelona, 3D illustrator Curro Astorza is the man behind this detailed 1953 Cadillac Eldorado. The free 3D model is available to download in both XSI scene and .obj formats. The asset is free for use in both personal and commercial projects.
13. Henry and Caroline
Created by students at Cogswell College in San Jose, this pair of adorable characters – named after the college’s founder and his wife – are fully rigged for animation and designed to be both simple to use and extremely versatile. They’re part of Project Avatarah, an ongoing programme to create an assortment of 3D characters for free download.
14. Turbo sonic car
TurboSquid is the largest library of 3D products in the world. You have to pay for the vast majority of its catalogue, but they also offer hundreds of free 3D models for download, this cool turbo sonic car being one of them.
15. Glasses
Ok, so it’s not the most exciting model ever. But creating convincing looking glass in 3D is no easy task. So, if you fancy completing your character with the Harry Potter look, save yourself some time and hassle and grab this free glasses download instead. Note: only for use in 3ds Max.
Next page: more great free 3D models…
