Update.

Now following Blender 2.5, since the interface has been revamped, I decided to directly get acquainted with the newer version in preparation for the future. The python API is still in its infancy(it´s been rewritten), but overall it looks more efficient in every aspect of usability.

Keyboard shortcuts.

Blender is all about keyboard short-cuts. Ignoring those keyboard short-cuts is a straight way to un-productivity. So here are the most basic.

tab switch object/edit mode.
shift MMB + move mouse pan the view port.
ctrl MMB +move mouse Zoom in (move mouse up) Zoom out (move mouse down).
LMB select(either object or vertices or edges or faces).

Smow Man.

OK I must admit Blender is different from 3D studio Max and Maya. I have tried all three 3D graphics packages and I must say Blender, while being different, is very powerful, and because it supports Python scripting, it might turn into a very fun experience to learn through all of it.

So I followed a tutorial in which a snow man is gradually created with simple shapes. The picture on the left shows my progress.

I am actually thinking of animating this smuggler with the Blender skeletons, and actually render the animations so I get 2D pictures that can be used for the main character of a 2D Pygame platformer. More updates coming soon.