I have to agree with RobynsVeil Wings would be a great place to start. It's just a modeller. Wich is one of the reason it is easier to learn. Also the comand menu is always rellavent to your selction. For instance if you have vertices selected, when you right click it brings up a comand menu that has only vertice commands. Wings makes it easy to focus on modelling.

Having said that don't rule Blender out. It is an extremelly powerful program. I use to think yuck my self but after fooling with it a while I began to see the Blender way as it were. There are some great sites out there with tuts for Blender: plus there is always youtube. Video tuts really speed up the learning curve.

If you do decide to go with Blender  check out blendercookie.com and blenderartists.org

Some of the things Blender can do

1. model 2) render 3) animate  4) particle, cloth, hair and water simulation 5) a sculpting mode 6) bake normals maps 7) excellent UVmapping tools  8) really easy to learn rigging system 9) retopology...... and much more

and it's free :)

Well Good luck and if I can help you let me know.

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"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination".

Albert Einstein