First off, this article is based of my personal knowledge of 3D, which revolves around Poser and DazStudio. I don’t know anything about Bryce, 3DsMax, or any other 3D programs (yet).

The purpose of this article is to get you started in 3D art as quick and cheap as possible. I hope you enjoy, and please, any questions and suggestions are welcome!

What this article is not, is a tutorial on how to use the resources presented here. It's simply a list of the most useful places to find content. I've provided a list of tutorials at the end of this article to help you along, as well as linking to tutorial sections in the store descriptions. Fact is, getting your hands dirty in the programs is the best way to learn. ^_~


Programs
DazStudio: A free, user-friendly 3D rendering program by DAZ Productions. If you are willing to spend money, you can expand the versatility of this program with various plug-ins.

Poser: This program is far from free, but if you seriously delve into 3D art, it can be well worth the money.


Stores
Wait, why list stores if this is a quick and cheap list? Many, if not all, 3D stores have freebie sections that are well worth browsing. Just remember to read the terms of use- some content providers don’t want you using their creations for commercial use (so no prints!)

Renderosity: This is a huge sorce of both 3D and 2D content, and is by far my favorite place to shop. To my knowledge, they have one of the biggest freebies sections, too.
Freebies
Tutorials

Daz 3D Home of Victoria and Michael, two of the most popular 3D figures around. (Currently, you can get both V4.2 and M4 for free)! They also have a Platinum club, in which you pay a monthly or yearly fee to get huge discounts and sneak peaks.

As far as freebies are concerned, they don’t stay free. A new item in the store will be selected to be free for a short period of time, after which it will go on sale for all who missed it. Simple search by losest to highest in the store to fin the newest freebie.
Tutorials
Platinum Club: $5 Voucher Each Month, 30% Off ALL DAZ|Original items, New Platinum Club Products Each Week , Members-Only Forum, Platinum Club Monthly Gallery, Sneak Preview of Upcoming DAZ Products.
Victoria 4 and Michael 4 for free!*
3rd Gen Figures fro free: Download Victoria 3, Michael 3, Aiko 3 and Hiro 3 for free!*
*You do not get any morphs with these figures, so if you want to change how they look, you’ll need to buy morph packs for them. However, to learn how to use 3D content, or to use as a 3D model for your art, the base figures are fine.

RuntimeDNA: Yet another 3D content store, with a special affinity for the Miki figure (which I do not own, so I cannot tell you much about her). Their freebies and tutorial sections are great, and they have lost of bargains in their store.
Freebies
Tutorials


Other Freebies
By no means a comprehensive list. Just some of my favorites, and places I feel are extremely useful. Many Poser artist have even more freebies on their websites, so explore!
Whatever3D: Versatile search engine that allows you to search Renderosity, Daz 3D, Runtime DNA, and many other stores, including their freebie sections!
Chohole’s Space: Lots and lots of textures for Victoria, Aiko, Michael, David and Hiro clothing. Updates every Monday.
Aery Soul: One of my all-time favorite artists and content providers. Also Renderosity’s Vendor of the Month for this March, and Vendor of the Year for 4 years in a row.
ShareCG: Huge file hosting database filled with freebies for Poser and DazStudio, among other things. I love this place!


Tutorials
A collection of a few tutorials not connected to any of the previously mentioned store. There's far too many to list, really.

Poser
Pixel2Life
VTC
TechTut

Daz Studio
GeekAtPlay
Beginner's Tutorial for Daz Studio


Other Links of Interest
Poser Wiki
ArtZone Wiki
Renderosity on Wikipedia
Daz 3D on Wikipedia


Shameless Plug
My Store on Renderosity
My Share CG Account