Overview
Materials give your 3D models their surface appearance (metal, plastic, wood, etc.). Blender uses a node-based shading system that supports physically based rendering (PBR). This article explains material basics and the PBR workflow.
What is a Material?
A material defines how an object's surface reflects and absorbs light.
- Color: The base color of the surface
- Reflection: How light reflects
- Roughness: Surface smoothness/roughness
- Metallic: Whether it's metal or non-metal
Adding a Material
- Select the object
- Properties → Material (sphere icon)
- Click "New"
This creates a new material and assigns it to the object.
Shader Editor
For more detailed material settings, use the Shader Editor.
How to open:
- Select the "Shading" workspace at the top
- Or in any area, "Editor Type" → "Shader Editor"
Connect nodes to build your material.
What is PBR Workflow?
PBR (Physically Based Rendering) is an approach to material setup based on real-world physics.
Benefits:
- Achieves realistic appearance
- Looks natural in any lighting environment
- Industry standard with high compatibility with other software
Principled BSDF Node
This is the central node for PBR materials in Blender. It's added by default to new materials.
Key Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Base Color | Surface color | Color |
| Metallic | Metal level (0=non-metal, 1=metal) | 0-1 |
| Roughness | Surface roughness (0=mirror, 1=matte) | 0-1 |
| IOR | Index of refraction (for glass, etc.) | 1.0-2.5 |
| Transmission | Transparency (for glass, etc.) | 0-1 |
| Emission | Self-illumination color and intensity | Color and intensity |
Common Material Presets
| Material | Metallic | Roughness |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | 0 | 0.3-0.5 |
| Wood | 0 | 0.5-0.8 |
| Polished metal | 1 | 0.1-0.2 |
| Rusted metal | 1 | 0.6-0.8 |
| Glass | 0 | 0 (Transmission=1) |
| Rubber | 0 | 0.8-1.0 |
Applying Textures
Use textures (images) for more detailed surface appearances.
Adding an Image Texture Node
- In Shader Editor, press
Shift + A - "Texture" → "Image Texture"
- Click "Open" on the node to select an image file
- Connect the color output to the corresponding input on Principled BSDF
Common Texture Maps
| Map | Connect To | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Diffuse/Albedo | Base Color | Base color |
| Roughness | Roughness | Surface roughness |
| Metallic | Metallic | Metal/non-metal areas |
| Normal | Normal | Simulated bumps |
| AO (Ambient Occlusion) | Multiply | Shadow emphasis |
Connecting Normal Maps
Normal maps aren't connected directly - they go through a "Normal Map" node.
- Add "Texture" → "Image Texture"
- Add "Vector" → "Normal Map"
- Image Texture Color → Normal Map Color
- Normal Map Normal → Principled BSDF Normal
- Set image texture color space to "Non-Color"
Where to Get Textures
Sites for free PBR textures:
- Poly Haven: https://polyhaven.com/
- ambientCG: https://ambientcg.com/
- Texture Haven: https://texturehaven.com/
Common Problems
Texture Not Displaying
Switch viewport shading to "Material Preview" or "Rendered" (Z key).
Texture is Distorted
Check and fix your UV mapping.
Colors Look Wrong
Check color space settings. Color textures use sRGB, data textures use Non-Color.
Summary
- Material: Defines object surface appearance
- Principled BSDF: The core node for PBR materials
- Metallic/Roughness: The two key parameters for material feel
- Texture Maps: Used for more detailed surface representation
Understanding PBR materials allows you to create realistic, convincing 3D scenes.