Image Based Lighting Help

# 1 30-06-2017 , 10:22 PM

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Join Date: Jun 2013

Posts: 19

Hi, I am looking for some experts or anyone really to give me a bit of help regarding a scene I am making.

So far I have built the scene and added some Image Based Lighting, while it looks ok the scene is a bit dark, the scene is Hell so I know it would be dark.

As this is the first time I am using IBL I was wondering what would people suggest to improve the lighting a bit, which lights to use and possible settings of the lights.

Here is the scene in question

hell2 by Owen, on Flickr

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# 2 01-07-2017 , 03:58 PM

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Sorry, I should have said I am using Maya to make this scene.

Is there somewhere I can find out about lights, different programs call them different names, like in Element I would use the Parallel & Ambient lights in a scene with Image Based Lights, I dont really know the equivalent in Maya

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# 3 01-07-2017 , 05:00 PM

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...basic lighting for architecture I recommend james Taylor on youtube and Jeremy Birn on Vimeo. Depends on exactly what you want to do but heres a few humble ideas. You generally want to light so as to bring out the 3d of the figure and structures in a way that creates your mood. Avoid flat lighting and areas that have no light.
baisc cinematic lighting is a 3 point setup. Your main light usually off to one side is the strongest. I like to use spotlights. The second light is a spot on the other side but weaker. Thus you get a kind of gradient of light across the mesh. And the third is a light behind the figure that cuts it out of the background.
But think about how they use light in scary movies. Whats going on in the scene? I'd want to try a low light shining up under his chin for effect. Do you want the figures in the bg to be seen at all or just a shadow. If you still want an overall light addition try an ambient light, just be carefull it doesnt wash out the differences in light quality. Could also try a volume light to help light the center. Many ways to do what you may want. I would recomend watching some tutorials and getting aquainted with the lights, then try things out, establish your basics...save often...and experiment.
Good luck

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# 4 02-07-2017 , 12:28 AM

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Hey thanks, I have made a couple of renders with different types of light, see how they work.

I have seen some of James Taylors tutorials before will check him out again, and will check out Jeremy too.

I think I am trying to go for the horror dark look, usually I would use the 3 point lights in a studio render type environment, just trying to expand on that and try out other things.

Thanks for the advice

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# 5 02-07-2017 , 06:15 AM

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...many things you can do, like have something offscene cast a creepy shadow. make his eyes glow
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/03...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://vimeo.com/user895130
https://www.google.com/search?q=jere...ghting+in+maya

have fun

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# 6 02-07-2017 , 04:46 PM

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Got some work done with the lighting a bit of an improvement, render time jumped from 40 mins to 1 hour 20 but not complaining. Will check out those other links now

hell5 by Owen, on Flickr

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# 7 02-07-2017 , 07:00 PM

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Join Date: Jun 2013

Posts: 19

...many things you can do, like have something offscene cast a creepy shadow. make his eyes glow
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/03...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://vimeo.com/user895130
https://www.google.com/search?q=jere...ghting+in+maya

have fun

Originally Posted by dimeolas

Just looking through those now, thanks for those links, will certainly have a go at these later, the horror one looks amazing