In order to build a model, a 3D artist needs to understand the project. Using plans, sketches, and reference images provided by the client, a 3D artist starts by visualizing the project in his or her head. From this point camera angles are typically agreed upon based on the 2-dimensional plans.

The 3D artist uses specialized 3D modeling software to create a digital model. This phase is analogous to building the structure of a physical model, except that the model only exists digitally.

The 3D artist applies images to the 3D models to make them look as realistic as possible. This step is analogous to painting a physical model or gluing materials and photographs onto it. In most cases, there is also material setup. This refers to the settings that control if something is matte or glossy. The artist can also modify the roughness of surfaces and many other parameters depending on the software used.

The 3D artist sets up lights in the 3D scene to replicate real-world lighting. This process is similar to the way a photographer or videographer would set up lighting before shooting with the addition that the 3D artist needs to setup the sunlight and or ambient room lighting.

Rendering is when the computer generates the 2D image or images from the scene created in the steps above. It is analogous to taking a photo in the physical world.
Rendering can take anywhere from a fraction of a second to several days. Rendering time is depending on the complexity of the scene and the quality desired. This process is completed solely by the computer. In some cases, images are rendered on large clusters of computers called render farms.

During the refining, process drafts are provided to the client for feedback, usually in a low-resolution format to speed up the revision process.
The artist makes the requested revisions to the scene, textures, and lights until the desired results are achieved. Generally, changes can be made independently: for example, most changes to the model do not require the texturing to be updated.

The agreed-upon final 2D image or images are provided to the client. Depending on the desired resolution, the images will be provided in a specific format to support and size. For web, images are generally optimized medium size jpg, while for print images are high-resolution raw files.