How to Give an Object a Material in Blender

Giving an object a material in Blender is done primarily through the Material Properties tab, allowing you to define its appearance and how it interacts with light.

Applying materials is essential for adding color, texture, and realism to your 3D models. Blender offers flexible ways to apply materials, either to an entire object or to specific parts of it.

Here’s a breakdown of the common methods:

Method 1: Applying a Material to the Entire Object (Object Mode)

This is the most straightforward way to give a single material to an object.

1. Select Your Object: In the 3D Viewport, right-click (or left-click depending on your settings) the object you want to add a material to.
2. Go to Material Properties: In the Properties Editor (usually on the right side of the screen), click on the Material Properties tab (it looks like a sphere).
3. Create a New Material Slot: If your object doesn't have any materials yet, click the New button. Blender will automatically create a material slot and assign a default "Material" to it. If it already has slots, In the Object Material Slots list, click the + button to create a new slot if you want to add another material possibility to the object.
4. Assign or Select a Material:
   • To create a new material from scratch, click New.
   • To assign an existing material from your file, click the Browse Material to be linked button (it looks like a sphere with dots) next to the material name and select one from the list.
5. Preview: The material will automatically be applied to the entire object when in Object Mode. You can see its effect by switching your viewport shading mode to Material Preview or Rendered.

Method 2: Applying Materials to Specific Faces (Edit Mode)

Sometimes, you need different parts of an object to have different materials (like a character with different materials for skin, clothes, and eyes, all on one mesh). This requires working in Edit Mode.

1. Select Your Object: As in Method 1, select the object in the 3D Viewport.
2. Enter Edit Mode: Press the Tab key to switch from Object Mode to Edit Mode.
3. Select Faces: Ensure you are in Face Select mode (click the face icon in the header or press 3 on your keyboard). Select the specific faces you want to apply a material to. You can use Shift + Click to select multiple faces.
4. Go to Material Properties: While still in Edit Mode, click on the Material Properties tab in the Properties Editor.
5. Create or Select a Material Slot: In the Object Material Slots list, click the + button to create a new slot for a new material, or select an existing material slot from the list if you've already added multiple slots using the '+' button.
6. Assign the Material: With the desired faces selected and the correct material slot highlighted, click the Assign button. Click the Assign button, and the material will appear on the selected object faces.
7. Repeat: Repeat steps 3-6 for any other sets of faces you want to assign different materials to.
8. Exit Edit Mode: Press Tab again to return to Object Mode.

Summary Table

Here's a quick comparison of the two approaches:

Feature	Applying to Entire Object (Object Mode)	Applying to Specific Faces (Edit Mode)
Mode Used	Object Mode	Edit Mode
Selection	Select the whole object	Select specific faces
Material Slots	Usually one slot, or multiple defined	Multiple slots typically used
Assignment	Material automatically applies to object	Click the Assign button
Use Case	Simple objects, single material	Complex objects, multiple materials

By utilizing the Material Properties tab and understanding the difference between Object Mode and Edit Mode assignment, you can effectively give your objects the materials they need to look their best.