Why is lighting important in your renders?
In the realm of design and architecture, 3D visuals play a crucial role in selling projects and allowing clients to experience the emotions and reality of the proposed spaces. As a designer, I know that many times we lack time, budget, or equipment to create highly realistic renders, especially for smaller projects or initial renders. I always recommend investing in detailed renders for significant projects because it can be impractical to spend hours or even days on renders with numerous client modifications; this can be taxing on both computers and wallets.
So in this blog post, I will teach you a practical way to do your own renders, first how to select the right light depending, for example, on the location, season, or time.
Our goal as designers is not only to create aesthetically pleasing spaces but also to evoke emotions and a sense of belonging, making people feel safe and connected to the design.
How to set your render depending on natural light?
As in photography, select the best hour natural light, depending in what emotion you want to transmit in your project.
Noon:
This lighting offers bright and neutral lighting conditions, ideal for highlighting the true colors and detail of your materials and textures. You should create perfect clear, crisp renders.
Dawn and Sunset:
These times provide warm, soft lighting with long shadows adding depth and warmth to your scenes, excellent for creating warm and inviting atmospheres.
Blue Hour:
This magical time of day, just before sunrise or after sunset, provides a soft and diffused light that can add a dramatic effect to your renders, it creates serene and calm atmospheres.
Night or No Natural Light:
Rendering at night can highlight artificial lighting elements within your design. Use this time to showcase the interior artificial lighting design to create a vibrant or cozy scene.
Selecting the environment based in the season and location
The environment in your renders should reflect the season and location of your project. Whether it is a bustling city, serene mountains, or a tranquil beach. You can apply them using HDRIs (High Dynamic Range Images) are essential for creating realistic lighting based on the weather conditions and locations. Also another option is applying bacgrounds in post production in photoshoop.
City:
Normally if your project is in an apartment floor make the background city image depending on the hight and pay attention to the city, for example is not the same New York and Paris.
Mountains:
Normally if your project is in an apartment floor make the background city image depending on the hight and pay attention to the city, for example is not the same New York and Paris.
Beach:
For beach scenes consider using diffused lighting. Works well for creating a relaxed, coastal atmosphere. Ensure that shadows align with the direction of the sun. This consistency is crucial for maintaining realism.
How to set your render depending on Artificial light?
When applying lights in your renders, it is essential to consider the light temperature, just as you would in real life. Here are some recommendations.
Warm lights:
(2700k-3000k) Ideal for residential spaces, ideal for living rooms, bedrooms and other personal spaces.
Neutral Lights:
(3500k-4500k) For some residential, commerical like retail these lights are commended as they offer a balance between warmth and coolness, making products more appealing and colors more accurate.
Cold Lights:
(5000k-6500k) These are best suited for office spaces and some commercial where clear, bright light is necessary for productivity and focus. They make a crisp and energizing environment.
We offer professional rendering services and personalized mentorship to help you create 3D interior renders. Do not hesitate to contact us to learn more and get started on your 3D interior design visualization journey.
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