[ENDED] BC4-1810 - October 2018 Class Homepage - Shading & Lighting with Blender
I published a collection of my light match .blend files, as was discussed during the class. You're welcome to reference those if you'd like. Also here's links to the reels shiennar put together:
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #4 (Oct 31, 2018): Class is officially over! Please check the closing post and don't forget to fill out the questionnaire 🙇🏻♂️
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #3 (Oct 9, 2018): Grades for week 1 homework are recorded. Feel free to keep an eye on this spreadsheet (BC4-1810 tab at the bottom) throughout the month. Please let me know if I miss anything!
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #2 (Oct 3, 2018): 4 mighty Citizens have heeded the call to become Volunteer Assistants (VA's). They are: silentheart00,
thecabbagedetective,
csehz, and
galledark. This means that between the 5 of us, there should always be a helpful presence both in this homepage thread and your individual homework threads throughout the month. Thank you VA's!
CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT #1 (Oct 1, 2018): Class is officially in session! Check the syllabus below for Week 1's focus and assignments. Begin watching the pre-recorded courses if you haven't already and I'll see you tomorrow at the first Live Event! 💡
SYLLABUS
Welcome to the CGCookie Class: Shading & Lighting with Blender! The art of shading and lighting your Blender scenes and models can make or break your renders. It's a very important - even enlightening - skill to develop as a 3D artist.
This "Class" format invites all Citizen members to focus together on a particular topic/skill for a month. Participation looks like this:
- RSVP and attend the Live Events
- Watch the pre-recorded education outlined below
- Ask questions, answer other's questions
- Submit homework by creating a unique forum thread to contain all your homework submissions for the month.
- Generally be active in this homepage thread and other's homework threads.
WHEN? The class will take place from October 1st - Oct 30th.
✅ WEEK 1: Shading & Lighting Primer (Oct 1-7)
Abstract: There are some core concepts to lighting and shading (S&L) that need to be understood first. Things like global illumination, render engines, shaders, materials, and node networks some of the things we will be over-viewing this first week. I
Goal of the Week: Familiarize (or re-familiarize) ourselves with core S&L concepts.
Pre-recorded course to watch:
- Fundamentals of Shading (skip the Blender Render chapters)
- Fundamentals of Lighting
- Fundamentals of Rendering
Week 1 Live Event (Remember to RSVP)
Homework:
- Shading a Toy Truck [post an image to your BC4-1810 homework thread + link to your exercise page]
- Lighting a Simple Bedroom [post an image to your BC4-1810 homework thread + link to your exercise page]
✅ WEEK 2: Vehicle Shading & Lighting with Eevee (Oct 8-14)
Abstract: The Eevee render engine is the latest and greatest rendering tech in Blender and we're going to stretch its legs for week 2. The subject is going to be a sports car, but any vehicle will do. After all many of us spent this past June modeling vehicles and we're eager to get them lit and pretty!
Some topics we'll cover along the way include materials like car paint, rubber, metal, and leather along with HDRI environment lighting.
Pre-recorded courses to watch:
- Shading the Sci-Fi Helmet - While this course isn't a vehicle, the aspects taught are very relevant (metal, paint, wear and tear). The first two chapters are about texturing which you can skip. Chapter 3 is the important stuff for this class
Week 2 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)
Homework:
- Find a vehicle model, use one of your own, or download this vehicle model. Then light it and shade it with Blender 2.8 and Eevee in a manner that's meant to impress.[Post a screengrab/render to your BC4-1810 homework thread]
- Lighting Match #1: This light matching exercise is based on this thread where the assignment is to find a 3D render we like and do our best to match it. Use your own model of anything, find one on blendswap.com, or use the same attached vehicle model. [Post a screengrab/render next to your chosen source render (post to your BC4-1810 homework thread)]
✅ WEEK 3: Lighting Characters with Blender (Oct 15-21)
Abstract: Character lighting is a very intentional art and how to do it well is often a mystery. This week we'll look at how to develop striking character renders, build simple materials that accentuate your model, and even the concept "painting" you character with light for surreal effects.
Pre-recorded courses to watch:
- Modeling Realistic Characters ("Presentation" Chapter)
- Texturing & Shading a Stylistic Character (Chapter 2-3)
Week 3 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)
Homework:
- Find a character model (from sketchfab or blendswap), use one of your own, or download the this goblin character. Then light it and shade it in a manner that's meant to impress.[Post a screengrab/render to your BC4-1810 homework thread]
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Lighting Match #2: Just like the week 2 light match but with a different source render for a new light setup to match. Repetition makes the exercise stick, plus it's just fun.
✅ WEEK 4: Shading & Lighting an Arch Viz Scene (Oct 22-28 )
Abstract: Arch viz rendering is often a coveted skillset among lighten enthusiasts. This week we're looking at lighting interior architecture for realism, featuring natural outdoor light from windows and artificial light from light fixtures. We'll also explore creating the necessary materials for our interior.
Pre-recorded course to watch:
- Interior Architectural Visualization (Chapters 3-4): Note that this is an older course but still full of good information.
Week 4 Live Event (Don't forget to RSVP)
Homework:
- Find an interior model (from sketchfab or blendswap), use one of your own if you've built one, or download this bathroom scene or this kitchen scene. Then light it and shade it a realistic manner. [Post a screengrab/render to your BC4-1810 homework thread]
- Lighting Match #3: Just like the week 2 and 3, find a third source render to match its lighting.
✅ Class Wrap-Up Stream (October 30th)
This thread is reserved for CG Cookie Citizens that are participating in the "Shading & Lighting with Blender" class. Its purpose is to serve as central communication for all participating Citizens (excluding Hobby plan Citizens) to ask Kent and fellow participants questions and to post homework. As the instructor of the class, Kent will be monitoring this thread on a daily basis (especially Mon-Thurs) throughout the month of October to review homework and answer questions.
Free members are welcome to observe the thread but please respect that communication and participation is reserved for Citizens.
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smurfmier1985
Here we go, looking forward to it! 😊
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My avatar is in the video, hooray! I'm famous!
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Whoop whoop! Looking forward to this!
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Looking forward to this!
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I always love coming to these new cla- workshop threads after being away for a bit and seeing all the familiar names, like a little reunion every other month.
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thecabbagedetective Nice to see you back, too!
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silentheart00
thecabbagedetective
nekronavt yyukinoh1989 @everyone-else-too-ofcouse Nice to see you guys back here too, gonna be a fun class again!! :-D
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i also look farward to this. i watching the prerecorded courses now but damn it looks complicated. so far i get the collors of the plates need to match when you link them.
I am sure that this month i will again learn so much :D -
Prepare to class topics zerg rush :)
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Will definitly participate. However, I've already have done some of the homeworks. Is it advised for me to redo them?
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tr4zodone Whichever you prefer. Whilst you're most welcome to redo them for the class if you want to use your old work that's just as valid as well!
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This is super interesting topic. Lighting is so important but difficult to learn (at least that's what it is for me) so it's perfect to do this in a cla- workshop format.
However I'm going to miss the first stream because I'm hiking in Lapland but totally going to sit tight the rest of the month. It was a relieve to notice that I've done the first weeks homework exercises already so I won't fall behind.
Ps. Nice to see you all again!
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Homework:
- Shading a Toy Truck [post an image to this thread + link to your exercise page]
- Lighting a Simple Bedroom [post an image to this thread + link to your exercise page]
theluthier Just wondering, do we have to post our homework for week 1 in this thread or in our own homework threads? I'm guessing option two but just to be sure 😊
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ssmurfmier1985 Whoops, I messed up the instruction about where to post week 1 homework. I'll update it to say "your thread" only (not this one).
You're certainly welcome to use any textures of your choice this month. I'll mainly be focusing on material properties with some occasional procedural textures. But you can use whatever textures in your scene 👌 -
theluthier Awesome! Will look for some good textures then 😊 Pretty excited about these homework assignments, I think especially the light match exercises will be fun (and challenging!), glad we get to do those multiple times will be good practice 😬
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ssmurfmier1985 I'm glad you think so! It's my favorite lighting exercise :)
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I've brought the French Onion dip!
Naturally, I'm having some new computer trouble that requires a new part that I won't be able to order until next week; but unlike with the last week of the August class (hard to do anything in Blender without a working monitor), this problem isn't completely crippling, and I think it shouldn't interfere with getting the first week's homework done. Can't wait to have a little fun in this class!
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Hello!
Due to my work, I will not be able to follow this course, but I'm really interested on it; is it going to be possible for me to watch it later?
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nnicolasdamore Yes, you can watch the livestreams later. They are usually up within 24-48 hours after the stream on the Past Events Page (Community->Events->Past Events).
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silentheart00 Thanks a lot!
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nnicolasdamore No problem!
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theluthier Hi Kent, I have a question, are we allowed to use textures during this class or are we supposed to make everything procedurally?
For example, I was thinking of doing a bedroom scene in week 4, and I want to use a cloth texture for the bedsheets, just like you used for the pancake hobo's clothes. Maybe some floor planks with normal map an AO map. Or for example dust / fingerprints to make the car in week 2 look more realistic.
I think that's something that's difficult to do procedurally? Or can that be done, and is it just my skills that's lacking..? Haven't really shaded anything before, only assigned colors, except for the truck exercise of course :)
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Hey guys, nice to see the schoolmates again :-)
Well this area is not too familiar for me, that is why intending to learn a lot during the month. Slightly being worried about my computer, it is a little bit old from 2011 for rendering Blender scenes, as mostly I have just used to model things.
From the homeworks finding very interesting the 'Lighting Match' ones, that is so good idea and we can have even three attempts :D
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Hello everyone,
had to take a pretty extensive break from Blender and CGCookie.
So glad to be back and looking forward to this exercise.
Your monthly Blender-Classes look really amazing!-
Welcome back
bun-bun - Glad to have you in the class!
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It's October! Woohoo! Really psyched for this class!
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Question: What do we do with the blender render part of the basic shading course. Even though the render enigine is in 2.79, it will be removed in 2.8. So can we skip that part?
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aarev Personally I'd say so, it's outdated even in 2.79 (though it did have its occasional use). I'd hop straight on over to the Cycles part, as the shaders function very similarly in Eevee.
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aarev Yes, you can skip the blender render portion of that course. I'll update that in the description. May it rest in peace..
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Awesome! Looking forward to improving shading techniques.
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Hi Kent,
Is it necessary to attend live or can I follow later by recording lesson?
Many thanks
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gasteropode Welcome Umberto! While I'm not Kent I've participated in a class before, there are always people who can't attend live due to different time zones or work etc. and it's absolutely no problem if you watch the recorded version livestream later 😊
Usually it will be uploaded within 24-48 hours after it took place. Hope this helps!
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gasteropode I'll second what ssmurfmier1985 said, you don't have to be there live. If you do have any questions, feel free to ask in the forums. If something should be demonstrated, we'll try to remember to ask Kent about it during stream to remind him.
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gasteropode It's not required; you can get through the class fine with the recordings. I know the time slot isn't ideal for everyone.
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Question,
Blender 2.79 / Cycles
Can't figure this out.. how / where do you add an AO map when using the principled shader? Or do you no longer need that?
I know the principled shader automatically takes care of fresnel, maybe it also takes care of AO?
Or maybe there are better ways to add AO that I don't know of..
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ssmurfmier1985 you can add it to the base color with a mix rgb node set to multiply. That's what I usually do, though ;there may be other/better ways.
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pprocyonlotor Thanks John! 😄
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