Different people use different programs, depending on their level of experience, comfort and personal preference. I'd say your best bet would be to download some free demos and see how you like the workflow in various programs. You'll need something which lets you model at mesh level rather than just with primitives (as Bryce, Vue, etc., do). A lot of people here I believe use Wings3D, which is a freebie. There's a forum here for it, you might want to start by checking that out ;-)

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"you are terrifying
and strange and beautiful
something not everyone knows how to love." - Warsan Shire