Great advice, DustRider. Finding the right modeling program is half the battle. The program I find easy, you might find impossible, and vice-versa. Shade is not for everyone. Try others.

Me, I tried a bunch of demos and free programs, but couldn't do squat until I tried Anim8or. I found that program very intuitive. Hadn't been able to make a thing with any of the others, but with Anim8or, I made something in an afternoon. I'm used to CADD-type programs, so Anim8or was a good fit for me. You might prefer Wings3D or Rhino or MilkShape or Truespace. Find the one that works for you. (And definitely try the demo before you buy!)