I have been working in 3d for 20 years. I dislike character animation. I've done some, but I prefer more a corporate style.

Currently I am using Blender and Corel Paint. In the past I used Sculpt 4D, Imagine, Real 3D, and Lightwave 3D. Someday I will return to Lightwave, but Blender has impressed me with its power. Blender is has a environment which is quick flexible. It's documentation is not very good, but I like to experiment.

I have been using Terragen 2 almost exclusively now. This is a great program. Try the free version, you'll be hooked!

Enjoy my pics.