CG Forge offers various certifications (Beginner - Intermediate - Advanced) that highlight your accomplishments.

You must complete the following courses:

⦁ Course exercises must be completed and submitted for review.

⦁ At least one project needs to be fully rendered.

⦁ The rendered project must include something that was not part of the original course. For example, you can choose different lights, shaders, models, or fx elements to make it different from the original course.

⦁ You must be enrolled to CG Forge for at least 4 months -- OR -- you must purchase the necessary courses at a flat price.

⦁ You must schedule at least two one-on-one sessions through CG Forge Academy.

You must complete the following courses:

Houdini For The New Artist

Houdini For The New Artist II

Vex Foundations I
Shading Theory

At least four other intermediate-level courses of your choosing

⦁ You must schedule at least four one-on-one sessions through CG Forge Academy.

⦁ You must have at least three projects rendered.

⦁ The rendered projects must include something that was not part of the original course. For example, you can choose different lights, shaders, models, or fx elements that make it different from the original course.

⦁ You must be enrolled to CG Forge for at least 4 months -- OR -- you must purchase the necessary courses at a flat price.

You must complete the following courses:

Houdini For The New Artist
Houdini For The New Artist II
Vex Foundations I
Vex Foundations II
Shading Theory

Color Management

At least one advanced course

Any courses which lead up to an advanced course

⦁ You must complete a mentorship through CG Forge Academy -- OR -- Schedule at least 8 sessions through CG Forge Academy

⦁ You must submit a demo reel containing at least one completed personal project, one advanced CG Forge course, and one other project of your choice.
⦁ The CG Forge course cannot be a direct replica of the original course. You will need to do something to make it your own by changing the models, lights, shaders, and various fx elements in a way that goes beyond the original course.

Commonly Asked Questions

Is the Houdini Fundamentals Certification the best option for me?

The Houdini Fundamentals certification is ideal for new Houdini users because it offers courses and exercises that are designed specifically for beginners. If you're not sure if this is the right path for you, then try honestly answering the following questions:

1. Do you have any work fully rendered out? (not including viewport renders)
2. Are you somewhat comfortable coding basic things with vex?
3. Do you understand the various contexts (SOPs, DOPs, VOPs, etc...) and what purposes they are made for?
4. Are you able to work at all in Houdini without entirely relying upon tutorials?
5. Do you feel comfortable creating and adjusting attributes?
6. Is the concept of attributes, geometry components, and data types clear to you?

If you answered "no" to at least two of those questions, then you are not yet ready to handle the intermediate or advanced certifications.

Is the Houdini Specialist Certification the best option for me?

The Houdini Specialist certification is ideal for Houdini users that have figured out the basics but need to go further through practice and deeper study. If you're not sure if this is the right path for you, then try honestly answering the following questions:

1. Do you have multiple renders that can be refined into demo-reel pieces?
2. Have you established a shading, lighting, rendering, and compositing pipeline for your work?
3. Have you chosen a specific area of study that you would like to pursue yet?

If you answered "no" to any of those questions, then you are not yet ready for the Houdini Mastery certification.

Is the Houdini Mastery Certification the best option for me?

The Houdini Mastery certification is ideal for those who are close to (or are already) applying for professional work. The Mastery certification requires a mentorship through CG Forge Academy (or at least 8 consultations) because this level of professional work requires a high degree of personalized advice, critique, and direction according to your specific goals.

Run through the questions above for the Houdini Fundamentals and Houdini Specialist certifications first to see if this path is right for you. If you have a strong idea of what you'd like to specifically do and have established some projects that can be refined or added to your demo reel, then this may be the right path for you.

How do I submit my work and apply for this certification?

To submit your work and receive your certification, e-mail [email protected] directly with exercise files and a link to your renders (can be YouTube or Vimeo). From here, your account and work will be reviewed, and if you have met all the requirements, then you will be awarded a certification.

How do I know which courses are, "beginner," "intermediate," or "advanced?"

Each course at CG Forge is ranked as either "beginner," "intermediate," or "advanced."

When you browse for courses, you have the option of filtering courses based on their difficulty. So, just filter the courses by the skill level you're looking for and you will be left with all the courses that qualify for that category.

How much do the certifications cost?

There are many different ways to unlock courses and consultations at CG Forge. Have a look at the pricing tables below for a breakdown:

Which order should I take the courses in?

For beginners, it is important to take the courses in the order described above in the course requirements (starting with Houdini For the New Artist). For intermediate and advanced users, the order doesn't matter as much, and you can safely take the relevant courses in whichever order you'd prefer.

What do I get with my certification?

If you earn the certification, you'll receive a pdf containing a unique certification ID, LinkedIn awards/recommendations, and (optionally) social media posts from CG Forge celebrating your achievements to industry leaders, recruiters, and other artists.

I've already watched 3rd party courses, so do I still need to watch CG Forge courses to qualify?

It is possible to substitute the course requirements listed above, but it depends on which courses you have in mind. If that's the case for you, then please e-mail [email protected] for further details.

Questions About Certifications?

Thank you!

Certifications

Houdini Fundamentals Certification

Requirements:

Houdini Specialist Certification

Requirements:

Houdini Mastery Certification

Requirements:

Commonly Asked Questions

Is the Houdini Fundamentals Certification the best option for me?

Is the Houdini Specialist Certification the best option for me?

Is the Houdini Mastery Certification the best option for me?

How do I submit my work and apply for this certification?

How do I know which courses are, "beginner," "intermediate," or "advanced?"

How much do the certifications cost?

Which order should I take the courses in?

What do I get with my certification?

I've already watched 3rd party courses, so do I still need to watch CG Forge courses to qualify?

Questions About Certifications?

About CG Forge:

Featured links

Find us Across the Web