Lighting a 3D Maya scene should follow a similar process to modelling, starting with research and compiling a mood board. Images should consist of real and fictional photos, focusing on light direction, color and shadows. A scene's lighting will benefit from proper visual research.
Lighting in the Day:
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| This render consists of a ramp Skydome, emitting a subtle blue to replicate a realistic sky. I've also included a vertically-angled directional light, casting shallow shadows. Additionally, an area light is used to replicate bounce-back light from the ground plane. |
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Lighting at Golden Hour:
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| This sunset scene adapts the previous daytime lights, using purple hues instead of cooler daytime colors. Additionally, I repositioned the directional light to cast long shadows. I also created a mesh light to emit an artificial blue light that can be seen hitting the front of the spacecraft. A pink-colored spot light illuminates the background hills. |
Lighting at Night:
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| In this render, I deepened the skydome ramp and reduced the exposure of all my lights. I made my directional light a washed-out yellow and increased the artificial blue light exposure to give the composition some interest. |
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