Help with lighting when inside a room

Started by danbuddle, Sun 09/03/2014 14:16:26

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danbuddle

Hello again everyone,

I feel I am getting more confident now and I am starting to build up a few rooms which I am happy with. But, this last one is really getting me frustrated. I think mostly because it is the first real close-up, internal room I have done.

Any way here it is:

http://tinypic.com/r/ind4z6/8

I just can't seem to get the lighting to look natural from that light bulb. Circles of lighter shades look stupid. I tried some dithering which looked stupid. I tried just lightening the whole ceiling... which looked stupid. I can't find any tutorials or examples which help in this specific scenario and I am starting think I am missing something fundamental here.Any way I'd love some feedback on this one too.

I really have nothing to say...

Khris

Try something like this:

[IMGZOOM]http://i.imgur.com/CrQAVdT.png[/IMGZOOM]
(shadow layer of pure black at ~50% opacity)

Helplines I used (note the position of the light bulb in terms of which point of the floor is directly below it)
Spoiler
[IMGZOOM]http://i.imgur.com/2SKazVU.png[/IMGZOOM]I basically eyeballed where the "sphere of light" intersects with the six sides of room.
[close]
To construct the shadow of a point, go straight down from the point and light source, until you hit the floor. Connect those ground points to get line A.
Now connect the point and the light source to get line B. The intersection of lines A & B is the point's shadow.

danbuddle

Wow that has made my life a whole load easier. Creating a transparent black layer is genius and your directions where so helpful +100 internet dollars!
Any way I have just kept the original shading for now and added the layer on top and followed your advice to create something like...
[imgzoom]http://i58.tinypic.com/sc8etu.png[/imgzoom]
http://i59.tinypic.com/4gl0f5.png

Only thing I was struggling with was how big to make the circles. For example in this picture now, the circle which I drew flat onto the ceiling to give the light there is substantially bigger than the circle I draw flat against the rear wall. Does this matter? I feel like the edges of the circle of light on the rear should be nearer the edges of the circle of light on the ceiling. Either way, much thanks you have given me a really helpful new approach to lighting!
I really have nothing to say...

danbuddle

#3
Here I have tried making the rear wall circle of light closer in size to the ceilings circle of light.  I have also started playing with the angle at which the light lies across the appliances in the kitchen.
[imgzoom]http://i60.tinypic.com/nw0y1c.png[/imgzoom]
http://i60.tinypic.com/nw0y1c.png


EDIT:

Ah ha! This seems to making it look a lot more palatable, I'm mixing dithering in (see on kitchen cupboards.)
[imgzoom]http://i58.tinypic.com/2wpl2fp.png[/imgzoom]
http://i58.tinypic.com/2wpl2fp.png
I really have nothing to say...

Khris

Quote from: danbuddle on Sun 09/03/2014 17:20:05Only thing I was struggling with was how big to make the circles.
Did you look at the helplines I created? Assuming the bulb creates a sphere of light, the radius of the circle is determined by the distance.
Note that the way the bulb is positioned, the back wall is almost if not actually farther away from it than the floor.

Also, you still have other shadows in that image that are completely off. First of all, there are no overlapping shadows when all you have is a single light source.
The shadow of the cupboard next to the oven is pointing in the wrong direction by almost 180 degrees. Given where the light bulb sits, it won't throw any shadow at all in this image.

The shadow on the front of the hanging cupboard should be offset to the right, not to the left.
The shadow below all four should continue on the wall to the right.

What you need to do is draw an imaginary line from the bulb to the corners of the objects and eyeball where it is going to hit the wall / floor / other objects.

danbuddle

I see. I truly hadn't noticed how far forward I had placed the bulb. I made my life tricky from the start with room though because I placed the vanishing point a bit too high and didn't think about how this was going to effect the scene. Thank you again. I've not got round to changing the light on the back wall just yet but I have more or less just ousted the shadows and I think it looks better. Your feedback is much appreciated I think I will try a fresh room next so I can start with a lighting layer and some lighting guidelines from the off, and a less challenging perspective maybe :-D

I really have nothing to say...

Darth Mandarb

I based this on the last edit you posted (with the dithered look).  I prefer a more realistic feel, but you appear to be using a semi-limited pallet (which is, of course, fine).  I only focused on the 'main' area (didn't do the side room).  I left out some shadows (like the TV, radiator, microwave) but you can get the idea here.


- updated the shading/dithering
- changed the window a bit (was hard to 'read' before)

Technically the shadow for the chair is still wrong as you'd be able to see the chair back's shadow extending further out from the seat area's shadow but I have run out of time.

Also I have a question... it seems a tad odd that the chair is facing the microwave and not the TV.  Was there a specific reason for this?  I figured it might be a plot thing, but it still struck me as odd!

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