# UK CG training
Learn 3D, VFX, animation, and motion graphics.
Independent UK reviews of Blender, Maya, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Escape Studios, CGMA, and every serious CG course in 2026. Read before you spend a pound.
01 Independent editorial
02 UK salary + career context
03 Affiliate-disclosed on every review
04 Updated 2026
# trust
Independent editorial. No school pays for placement. We buy our own accounts, name specific mentors, quote GBP prices as we find them, and stamp the date on every review. UK salary and studio context on every career page. Affiliate-disclosed on every review that pays a commission.
# path
Choose your path.
Three routes into CG. Software-first if you know the tool you want to learn. Discipline-first if you know the job you want. School-first if you want a structured programme with feedback.
By software
Nine tools we review in depth: Blender (free, generalist, best first pick for most learners), Maya (studio-standard for animation and modelling), Houdini (procedural VFX, TD track), Unreal Engine (real-time and virtual production), Cinema 4D (motion graphics), ZBrush (digital sculpt), After Effects (2D motion and compositing entry), Nuke (studio compositing), Substance Painter (texturing).
By discipline
Eight disciplines with UK salary bands and studio adoption: 3D modelling, animation, VFX, motion graphics, character animation, game art, digital art, and the umbrella computer graphics primer.
By school
Twelve academies reviewed: Escape Studios, CGMA, CG Spectrum, Animation Mentor, Gnomon, NCCA Bournemouth, Rebelway, School of Motion, Mograph Mentor, Pluralsight, plus subscription libraries (Domestika, Skillshare, Udemy, Coursera).
# top picks
Four picks worth reading first.
Not sure where to start? These four cover the most common learner briefs we see.
- Best VFX course for a career switcher: Escape Studios PgDip VFX (12 months, London, ~£12k, ScreenSkills-aligned). Read the full review.
- Best online animation course under £2,000: Animation Mentor Character Animation 101 to 601 pathway (per-term pricing, mentor-led). Read the full review.
- Best free Blender path: Blender Studio training + Grant Abbitt YouTube + Blender Guru donut, in that order. See our 12-month plan.
- Most affordable UK 3D route: NCCA Bournemouth BA (SFE-eligible, £9,535/yr, industry-leading placement). Read the review.
# software cost ladder
What the software actually costs.
All prices in GBP, rounded, last verified 2026-01. Student and indie tiers apply where the licence terms allow.
| Software | Free tier | Student | Indie | Commercial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blender | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Maya | – | Free (edu) | – | £1,918 / yr |
| Houdini | Apprentice free | £215 / yr | £215 / yr | £3,830 / yr |
| Unreal Engine | Free under $1M | Free | Free under $1M | 5% royalty above $1M |
| Cinema 4D | – | £99 / yr | – | £719 / yr |
| ZBrush | – | £165 / yr | – | £328 / yr |
| After Effects | – | £16.24 / mo | – | £25.28 / mo |
| Nuke | Non-commercial free | £398 / yr Indie | £398 / yr | £4,290 / yr |
| Substance Painter | – | £15 / yr | £173 / yr | £433 / yr |
Verified prices in Mint. Amber = subscription. Last checked 2026-01-15. See the full cost-stack guide for VAT, currency, and licence-tier rules.
# UK career
UK creative-tech careers, at a glance.
The UK CG sector concentrates in Soho (VFX for film and streaming), Bristol (Aardman-anchored animation cluster), Manchester (Realtime, Flix, plus BBC-adjacent motion), and remote-first freelance. Salary bands, verified from Glassdoor UK, Indeed UK, and ScreenSkills 2025 data:
- 3D artist, junior: £24,000–£32,000/yr (London). £20,000–£28,000 regional.
- VFX artist, mid: £35,000–£48,000/yr. Comp/lighting leads reach £55k+ at Soho studios.
- Senior compositor / FX TD: £55,000–£85,000/yr. IMDB Pro credits become load-bearing above £70k.
- Motion designer, mid: £32,000–£45,000/yr agency-side. Freelance day rate £350–£600.
See the full UK career hub for studio directories, salary detail by discipline, London course pricing, and the freelance guide.
# academies reviewed
The five academies worth comparing first.
London-based, part-time online, mentor-led, or open-enrolment. Five different shapes of CG training, one honest verdict on each.
LONDON · IN-PERSON + HYBRID
Escape Studios
£8,900–£11,500 diploma
Recommended for London learners
30+ years training VFX artists into Framestore, DNEG, Cinesite. Best fit if you can commit 30+ hours a week in London.
ONLINE · MENTOR-LED
CGMA
£550–£790 per course
Recommended per-course
Working industry mentors, 10-week cohort structure, portfolio-grade output. Best fit for a focused specialisation.
ONLINE · PART-TIME
CG Spectrum
£4,800–£6,400 diploma
Alternative to Escape Studios
Australian, part-time possible, keeps a day job intact. Best fit for regional UK learners with a full-time role.
ONLINE · CHARACTER FOCUS
Animation Mentor
£7,200 character path
Recommended for character animation
Feature-film animators as mentors, weekly one-to-one critique. Best fit if character animation is the goal.
HOLLYWOOD · IN-PERSON
Gnomon
£28,000+ BFA
Not the right fit for UK learners
Elite Hollywood in-person school. Cost and geography make it a hard pass for most UK routes. Read for context.
Compare all 12 schools
Escape Studios, CGMA, CG Spectrum, Animation Mentor, Gnomon, Domestika, Skillshare, Coursera, Coloso, Pluralsight, Udemy, plus the UK university sector. Side-by-side price and verdict.
# start here
New to CG? Do this in order.
A concrete 90-day plan for a total beginner. No spending required until step 4.
- Days 1–7: install Blender (free). Watch Blender Guru donut tutorial start to finish. Do not skip. This is the industry-standard baseline test.
- Days 8–30: pick a discipline. Read our disciplines hub, then how to become a 3D artist or how to get into VFX.
- Days 31–60: follow our free curriculum on Blender or Houdini (Apprentice is free). Build one small finished piece.
- Days 61–90: decide if you need a paid course. If yes, read our academy reviews. If no, keep building; portfolio beats certificate in UK studio hiring 4 times out of 5.
# newsletter
Get the UK CG Training Buyer’s Guide 2026.
Free 20-page PDF. Every academy compared side by side, in GBP. UK salary bands by discipline and city. Software cost stack for the four most common tracks (VFX, animation, motion, game art). Sent once, then monthly editorial after that. No affiliate spam, no sponsored posts.