Private 3D Mentorship

One-on-One Private Mentoring

BLENDER | MAYA | ZBRUSH | SUBSTANCE | PROCREATE | FIGURE DRAWING


Private mentoring can be a great solution if you need focused guidance. You may be looking for help with coursework, wanting to stay current with the latest techniques, or exploring a career change. Mentorship provides an opportunity to work through challenges, build stronger projects, and develop practical skills.

Think of me as a coach, mentor, or instructor who understands how to guide artists forward. My goal is to help you improve your work, strengthen your portfolio, advance in your career, or break into the industry for the first time.

I’ve been tutoring online and teaching at the college level for over 20 years. On Wyzant, an online tutoring platform, I’ve logged over 2,500 hours with more than 500 five-star reviews. I’ve worked with students from around the world, ranging from those with learning differences to experienced industry professionals.

I currently mentor artists using Blender, ZBrush, Procreate, Maya, Substance Painter, and figure drawing. Feel free to schedule a time on my calendar. I look forward to meeting you.

Proven Experience and Results

Over two decades helping artists build skills, portfolios, and professional careers in the 3D industry

GAMES I'VE WORKED ON INCLUDE
NBA BOUNCE | BARBIE | BRATZ | CAT IN THE HAT | ELF ON THE SHELF | SESAME STREET | THE GRINCH | NBA BOUNCE - GOAT | MONOPOLY | PAW PATROL | THE ORDER 1886

Student Work

The work below was created by students I have taught through private mentorship and college-level courses. My goal is to help artists develop strong portfolios, master professional workflows, and produce work that stands out in the industry.

VIEW MORE STUDENT WORK

What Students Say

Absolutely Fantastic
David did an outstanding job at helping me with my project in Maya. I had tried 6 other tutors before David and got nowhere, usually ending up with me paying for someone to say "I'm not sure". However once I met with him it was fast, concise, easy to understand, and professional. I cannot recommend his services enough, and I will definitely be going to him first with any other questions I have! THANK YOU!!
John
3 lessons with David


A true expert and a great teacher
I had a somewhat advanced and complicated problem involving a character rig, weight-painting, and blendshapes in Maya and David was fantastic at helping me understand the problem and the solution. He not only took time to patiently teach me how to get my character where I wanted it to be, but he also sent video recordings of the lesson so I could be sure to follow through on my own after the lesson. I 100% recommend David as a tutor!
Sarah
1 lesson with David


Mentorship Options

All sessions are private and tailored to your skill level, goals, and areas of interest.
Due to teaching and production work, mentorship spots are limited. Please check availability prior to enrolling


SCHEDULE TIME

AVAILABILTY

You will receive a link to connect
when you schedule your time

SCHEDULE TIME

AVAILABILTY

You will receive a link to connect
when you schedule your time

SCHEDULE TIME

AVAILABILTY


You will receive a link to connect
when you schedule your time

Who is this Mentorship for?

Students: College Students | High School Students | Recent Graduates
Professionals: Portfolio Development | Learn Latest Techniques and Software | Pipeline Workflows
Hobbyist: Create own Cartoon | Learn a New Skill | Bring your Passion to Life
Skill Set: Modelers | Animators | Riggers | Texture Artists | Rendering Lighting | 3D Printing | VR | Figure Drawing
Software: Blender | Maya | ZBrush | Substance Painter | Procreate | Character Creator | Unreal Game Engine
Skill Levels: Beginners | Intermediate | Advanced

Questions?

If you have questions about mentorship or would like help deciding which option is right for you,
you can send me an email or schedule a short 15-minute call to discuss your goals.

questions@davidbittorf.com | Schedule 15-minute Call


Reviews


Phenomenal Lesson

I’m relatively new to Blender and David was able to answer all my questions and address my concerns. For example, David showed me that I can increase the resolution of my model a lot higher than I would have expected without my computer crashing. He also explained that there are advantages to working with a low-res model and to have the flexibility to go back and forth between low res and high res. I feel that I am in very capable hands. I have never felt so confident and optimistic about becoming a professional 3D modeler. I believe that David is a wonderful tutor. He has exceeded all my expectations.

Howard Schwartz, 21 lessons with David


Knowledgeable and patient!

David has been an amazing tutor! He has helped our daughter learn Maya and was very professional and patient. Our daughter has more confidence now to tackle her assignments. I would recommend him highly to anyone!

Annalisa, 24 lessons with David


David saved my project at the 11th hour

I'd been working on a VR modeling project for weeks, but there were things I just couldn't understand. In desperation, right before it was due, I decided to find a tutor. David was expensive, but his knowledge and experience were just what I was looking for. He explained things clearly and helped me finish the project. It was well worth it.

Julia, 1 lesson with David


Keeps the Momentum

David was not just helpful, he kept the momentum of the lesson going. He was able to navigate with where I was..an ability of a real teacher…where many others aren’t as creative in the guiding process…presenting GIFTS of knowledge at the end. A real solid hour of going from ABC to at least LMNOP. Highly recommend if you’re ready to take things up a notch.

Keri, 2 lessons with David


Amazing tutor

I cannot say enough wonderful things about David. He was an incredible tutor who helped my son a lot. He really went out of his way to make sure he understood everything

Ryan , 14 lessons with David


The best instructor with many more talents

David is beyond just a tutor. He has a deep understanding of complex tasks in 3d modeling and animation that allow him to go above and beyond every session. He has granted me the confidence to undergo animation when I was almost going to quit! He also has a special expertise in human anatomy and the motions of the human body that all apply to every domain beyond just the structure and motion involved in the human body. When troubleshooting, he is able to do so quickly because of his deep understanding of animation software such as Maya. He has even built out a YouTube channel that has complete explanations of tasks that ever require further referencing for the user. Thank you David!!!

Victor , 7 lessons with David


ZBrush Lesson was 100% Worth it

David is very obviously an effective ZBrush teacher. I hired him because I have lost time/money on free/paid courses that left me feeling frustrated- and his credentials and work examples seemed to be very impressive. Within one hour class he got a feel for where I wanted to go with my learning and we covered UI basics, workflow concepts, brushes, masking, painting, and more. He was open to answering and exploring any questions I had (which was a lot). I look forward to having more classes. ZBrush is the least friendly to beginners and competent teachers are incredibly scarce. his rate is on the high end for Wyzant but I'd have to say it's definitely a steal as far as ZBrush is concerned and well worth the headache of watching aimless tutorials and time wasted thinking you'll figure it out on your own.

Levi, 2 lessons with David


David is great!

David is very knowledgeable and his explanations are patient and detailed. I have worked with him several times now and he’s always able to answer my questions thoroughly and in under an hour. David also provides additional resources to accelerate my progress after each session.

Nathan, 6 lessons with David




Frequently Asked Questions


Q: Do I need prior experience to book mentorship?

A: No prior experience is required. I work with students at all levels, from complete beginners to experienced artists looking to refine professional workflows or portfolio pieces.

Q: What happens during a mentorship session?

A: Sessions are personalized to your goals. We may review your work, troubleshoot technical challenges, improve modeling techniques, discuss workflow, or develop a plan for building stronger portfolio pieces.


Q: Can mentorship help me build a portfolio?

A: Yes. Many students use mentorship to develop strong portfolio projects for college programs, internships, or professional industry roles.


Q: Do I need to prepare anything before the session?

A: It's helpful to have your project files ready and be prepared to share your screen so we can review your work together


Q: What software can you help with?

A: I regularly mentor students using Blender, Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Procreate, and other industry tools used in 3D production.


Q: Are sessions recorded?

A: Sessions are not automatically recorded, but you are welcome to record them for personal reference if you'd like to review the material later. I can record them as well if you let me know before we begin.


Q: Is mentorship only for students?

A: No. I work with college students, hobbyists, and professional artists who want to improve their workflow or stay current with the latest techniques.


Q: How many sessions do most students take?

A: Many students start with a single session and then continue with additional sessions as they develop projects or prepare portfolio work.

For questions please email: support@davidbittorf.com