Learning · online tutorial
Learn OpenGL
Free, thorough tutorial site that teaches modern shader-based graphics, praised as the best OpenGL starting point. Critics say it stays tied to the OpenGL API.
Summarized from 24 comments.
Free, thorough tutorial site that teaches modern shader-based graphics, praised as the best OpenGL starting point. Critics say it stays tied to the OpenGL API.
- recommend
- 15
- criticize
- 3
- months recommended
- 3 of 13
Why people love it
Best OpenGL tutorial available · 5
You will never get the same quality of fundamental education material from any of the other tutorials
Jul 2026 · commentthe most useful resource for OpenGL by an order of magnitude
Jul 2026 · commentThe one and only Holy Bible of Graphics Programming.
Jul 2026 · commentThorough coverage of graphics fundamentals · 4
I've never seen a more detailed tutorial than LearnOpenGL that actually goes through the concepts of graphics programming thoroughly
Jul 2026 · commentlearnopengl explains a lot of basics like transformation coordinates, what a mesh is
Jul 2026 · commentwhat it covers is the fundamentals of real time graphics, not just OpenGL API
Jul 2026 · commentTeaches modern shader-based approach · 3
The site teaches you the shader approach (rather than the fixed function pipeline of the 90s)
Jul 2026 · commentWith the new/shader-based API, well... https://learnopengl.com/Getting-started/Hello-Triangle
Jul 2026 · commentthe learnopengl.com tutorial and examples will still work
Jul 2026 · commentGood introduction for beginners · 2
I used Learn OpenGL to learn about graphics
Jul 2026 · commentlearn opengl is a really good introduction
Jul 2026 · comment
What people warn about
Fundamentals tied to OpenGL API · 3
Is it? All the fundamentals are tied to how it's done in OpenGL with somewhat sparse explanations in between.
Jul 2026 · commentThen you should learn concepts of graphics programming that isn't defined with code snippets
Jul 2026 · commentEverything is steeped in OpenGL API. All the "fundamentals" are about OpenGL.
Jul 2026 · comment
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Every quote
The 23 most detailed of 24 comments. Each links to the original.
I've never seen a more detailed tutorial than LearnOpenGL that actually goes through the concepts of graphics programming thoroughly
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
You will never get the same quality of fundamental education material from any of the other tutorials
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
The site teaches you the shader approach (rather than the fixed function pipeline of the 90s)
Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
With the new/shader-based API, well... https://learnopengl.com/Getting-started/Hello-Triangle
Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
learnopengl explains a lot of basics like transformation coordinates, what a mesh is
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
what it covers is the fundamentals of real time graphics, not just OpenGL API
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
the most useful resource for OpenGL by an order of magnitude
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
the learnopengl.com tutorial and examples will still work
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
The one and only Holy Bible of Graphics Programming.
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
Most articles there are practically API-agnostic.
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
I used Learn OpenGL to learn about graphics
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
learn opengl is a really good introduction
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
by far the best tutorial on opengl
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “What to Learn to Be a Graphics Programmer”
found it of top notch quality
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
Is it? All the fundamentals are tied to how it's done in OpenGL with somewhat sparse explanations in between.
Criticizes · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
Then you should learn concepts of graphics programming that isn't defined with code snippets
Criticizes · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
Everything is steeped in OpenGL API. All the "fundamentals" are about OpenGL.
Criticizes · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
nowadays I would recommend getting Real Time Rendering and going through https://learnopengl.com/
Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Max Payne – two decades later – Graphics Critique”
one of the biggest things it helps with is explaining the setup boilerplate for OpenGL
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
If you follow the LearnOpenGL tutorials you'll get as far as HDR lighting and shadows.
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
learnopengl.com should have a mandatory section for how to use RenderDoc
Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
Please don't learn this; it's obsolete.
Criticizes · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
It hardly explains the necessary math.
Criticizes · Jul 2026 · in “Learn OpenGL, extensive tutorial resource for learning Modern OpenGL”
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