CGCookie - Fundamentals of Rendering in Blender 2.7

https://cgcookie.com/courses/fundamentals-of-rendering

It's about bringing together all the distinct components - models, textures, shaders, lights, and animations. Just like setting the right oven temperature and timer for a dish, rendering requires setting specific parameters to ensure the final output is impeccable. However, mastering rendering is about striking the right balance between quality and efficiency. Naturally, higher quality takes longer rendering times. The challenge lies in answering, 'How can we optimize this scene's rendering speed without significantly compromising on its quality?' Rendering, in essence, becomes an art of making judicious compromises. Through this course, delve deep into the core concepts of Cycles, equipping you with the know-how to make the best rendering decisions.

1. Chapter 1 - General Options

2. Chapter 2 - Cycles Render Properties

3. Chapter 3 - Viewport

4. Chapter 4 - Quiz