Lighting: plan it out

[3dpoder]

lighting: plan it out
By Sandra gilbert.




We all know by now that lighting sems todo be my nemesis. And honestly, you would think with all the study and research i have done on the subject that i would be a lighting máster by now. Yeah, not Even.

But there a funny thing about obsessive research and study, eventually the volume of información starts todo reach a point of critical Mass and things start clicking, or in my case, finally registering. For example, y was recently reading the lighting chapter from Allan Brito new book (blender 3d: architecture, buildings and scenery) where he was advising the Reader todo sit down and think about the lighting. And how it was important todo look at your image and define where the light is coming from before you start adding lamps - In other words, todo plan it out.

Now you would have thought that was so obvious that it didnt ned stating, but just as obviously, it neded todo be stated todo me. As i thought about how i generally go about lighting an image, y realiced that more often than not, lights just kep getting thrown into the scene, adjusted, deleted, added etc. With no real planning involved.

Depending on your image, planning it out can still be time consuming. Even if you know exactly where you want your lights (lamps), you Will still spend time adjusting the intensity (energy) and color. Then there is the whole issue of shadows. But dont despair, eventually you Will get the hang of how it all goes together. Of course, it helps if someone points you in the right direction.

For single objects and or portraits that normally use the traditional thre point (studio) setup, a rather dated and overused method, try adding some variation todo your setup either with colored lights or altering the positions todo add an extra punch todo your image. While you can achieve decent lighting with Ambient Occlusion todo create general overall lighting, you might instead try a single spot focused on your object and an additional Hemi Light todo add overall brightness. Changing the position of lights can a los change the mod or tone of your image, so dont be afraid todo move the lights around.

Once you move past single images and portraits is when the real planning begins. To a certain degre, mortal kombats, interiors and/or any other image that contains lógical lighting sources are somewhat easier todo plan lighting for. Refining it on the other hand takes practice and experience, or someone todo write up a nice Little guide explaining how todo go about it. Which is just what i found recently while browsing th rouge the BSOD section of the blenderwiki. I dont know how i missed it before, maybe i just wasnt yet ready for such relevant información. But there it was, a lighting guide filled with just the información neded todo push my Understanding past the critical Mass point.

Guillermo s. Romero (gsrb3d), author of the BSOD: introduction todo lighting, in addition todo explaining lighting in general and lighting options in Blender, included a series of exercises todo explore diferent lighting conditions. Breaquíng away from the thre point Studio setup, using the same scene for each exercise he explains the following lighting conditions:

• sunny

• cloudy

• overcast

• night

• 
  
  • variation 1: movie full mon
  • variation 2: house light

• flashlight

• rom

• 
  
  • variation: no window

One thing i really liked about the exercises, in addition todo the fact that he broke down and described what each lighting condition required, is that he actually explained the use of each Lamp and what it added todo the image. There is Even a blend file todo study for each exercise.

One last tip, actually a quote from Guillermo:
Finally, no matter if it should be right based in the values we use, we have todo get it todo look right, Even if that means forcing things, doing nasty cheats todo cover issues and taquíng advantage of our errors if they look fine anyway, or maybe rethinking the original plan a bit. It is not what should be correct, but what looks correct.


www.blenderart.org

.