Have you ever watched a movie and thought about what it would feel like if you were in that very scene?

The atmosphere and mood of the room can both be expressed through the acting of the actors, or through the room setting itself. Well, in 3D rendering, lighting is one of our “actors” to express and show the experience to the viewers. Lighting is how we are portraying our scene for the captured emotion in the image.

Shaping Emotions Through Interior Lighting

The basics of lighting starts when we as artists learn about color. When the color blue meets the color red, it creates a fresh ambiance feel to it. Thus, it plays a crucial role for creating the overall look and feel of an image.

Before creating an interior lighting, there are a series of considerations we ought to go through. It all starts with determining our reference image, references are important to help us cut out the time we would waste excessively tweaking an image due to not having a plan in mind. It all starts with determining a reference image, from there we must not just see it, but we must feel the image. Visualize ourselves being in that image, feel, and analyze. The time of day, the sun position, the light’s tone, analyze what makes the reference image so good. Then other factors such as light placement, artificial and natural light balancing, and tone will follow along.

First, please take a look at our project “Duta Indah”, here we can see that the lighting itself isn’t too bright or too yellow, but just right that it shows what an early morning situation would look like in the bedroom. The light is soft, and when the light comes in contact with our skin it's warm and comforting. Check out our instagram posts for more of our emotionally bonding renders.

Strategic Lighting for Engaging Interiors

Light placement must be planned carefully with the viewer’s perspective in mind, the placement of light sources will be a key point in a viewer’s perspective when imagining how the room would feel like. Respect the purposes of each room, ensuring authenticity in how light interacts with textures and colors. Meaningful illumination should enhance the overall mood, avoiding irritation or distraction. Light bounces are also a key point in creating realistic renders, light bounces are just a part of the process that must be done to imitate real-world occurrences. 

Consider light as a helpful guide, providing solutions to point out focal points and address any shadows that may hinder the visual experience. This approach allows its viewers to feel the realism, the real-life situation of what our render is trying to show. The usage of artificial lighting has always been to aid in our daily life, be it reading a book, or to provide necessary light sources. The key is to keep the placements realistic.

Determining Light Tone

Tone of light in renders depend on the reference, as well as the look and feel we want to achieve. Even though it is impossible to create the exact same image as the composition and materials might be different,  the key in reference images is to create the same look and feel in our own render.

Cool-toned lighting evokes a modern, crisp feel similar to early morning freshness. Warm-toned lighting creates a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

Please do not get me wrong, but both cool and warm toned lighting can both achieve a fresh feel, but to each their own they serve their own purposes according to our needs. It all comes back to our reference images, and our game plan. There is no one stop formula in 3D rendering, it is a series of trial and errors. Remember, it is not the reference image we’re trying to recreate, but the look and feel of the reference image we want our image to have.

Common road-blocks when doing interior lighting

Sometimes, determining the direction of sunlight really impacts the storytelling in our images. Just a few degrees off can make a significant difference. The struggle usually lies in getting the sunlight angle right; it can be such a headache trying to position the sun accurately. Even a slight deviation can alter the outcome and tone drastically. Lighting is a process that requires resourcefulness and a lot of attempts.

“Achieving a similar look and feel to our reference is crucial, relying heavily on each artist's sense and artistic quality.”  - Ryan Bagus Nur Alif, 3D Artist of 2G Studio

Aligning with references is challenging because it is not just about the technical aspects; it's about capturing the essence. Despite our best efforts, it's nearly impossible to match every element precisely due to the complexities involved. However, achieving a similar look and feel is crucial, relying heavily on each artist's sense and artistic quality.

A Balanced Blend

Occasionally as 3D Artists, our artistic senses make the most creative ideas. The issue in hand is when those ideas are not what the clients wanted initially, or different from what they had pictured in mind.

Just like coffee and milk, interior lighting consists of our client’s needs and our artistic senses. Where we are able to both fulfill our client’s requests and as 3d artists, put our skills to work. Provide drafts or examples if needed.

Remember, we are here to be the solution, the help our clients need to make their imagination to life. Make sure to communicate thoroughly with clients, both when jotting down their requests, or when you wanna suggest any ideas of your own. It is important that you and your client reach the same page of understanding, client’s happiness is our happiness as service providers. Then with that in mind, center our rendering around it. Convey the right message that you need to, through your render.

Interior lighting is not merely about illuminating spaces; it is about crafting experiences and evoking emotions. From the cool, crisp tones reminiscent of early morning freshness to the warm, inviting hues of a sunset, each lighting choice shapes the ambiance and mood of a scene.

The journey of perfecting interior lighting is not without its challenges. From navigating the complexities of sunlight direction to aligning with references while maintaining artistic integrity, it is a process that demands resourcefulness and perseverance. Remember to create a game plan, make a mood board, look for reference images that captures your ideas. Gameplans are a necessity, they help guide you to your desired lighting.