I'll throw in a vote for Wings, too. Wonderful app. Anim8tor and Blender are two nice free animation apps that have pretty good modelers, but they don't feel as slick as Wings to me. Also, you didn't mention texturing. Since you're an artist maybe you plan to just paint your own, but if you want software to make them or use as a starting point I highly recommend Genetica (www.spiralgraphics.biz). It's not a freebie, but their Wood Workshop is free and gives you a good feel for the app. If you decide to buy Genetica you'll be able to get version 2 (which is still in beta) at no extra charge.