>>280289742
no, you can totally use 2.81 and there's other tutorials to do the same on 2.81, the basics and shortcuts are the same and you can choose 2.79 key shortcuts and mouse commands when you install. 
if you dig around on youtube you'll find lots of tutorials like it. 
the basics remain the same, aquire turnaround reference artwork, place on x and y axis, pull verts to match artwork, subdivide, make mesh/vertx groups, make armature to match that, texture, export to fbx just like a game rip