Learning Dark Arts

Come learn the art of 3D computer generated art and animation. This blog deals with the lessons learned and the art created by Robert G. Male using DazStudio from Daz3D. Also covered are the ancillary software, tools, techniques, and processes needed both before and after rending in the 3D software.

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Spell casting woman.


R.M.T.P. Co.


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May 13, 2013

Better Orbs and Barns

Very shortly after I posted last week I decided there was a serious flaw in the render that went along with the post. It had nothing to do with the lighting technique, so no worries there. The problem is that there is no indication of the position of the glowing orb in the picture. The shadows tell a story about where the orb should be within the barn, but the orb itself shows nothing of that. I discussed the problem online and some options were determined to help cement where the ball is. Meanwhile I had almost immediately come up with a very simple answer and went in and re-rendered the following version of the scene.

As you can see I added a pool of light directly below the glowing orb. That says where the ball is. It likely should not be the only place the light is seen though. Distances from the objects catching the light, and angles between the light pools and the viewer come into play. To further cement the reality of the ball I included two more lights. All three of those are Spotlights. There is also a likely pool of light directly behind the ball of light, but obscured by the orb and its halo. There is also a Point Light hiding in the sphere to make it brighter, but it has no effect on the lighting in the rest of the scene even if the sphere is removed--the point doesn\'t cast light far enough away. The last effect I added to the scene is a sunburst that is done entirely in postproduction thanks to a handy function in PaintShop Photo Pro.

Click to Enlarge
Click to enlarge.

Some of the other options for giving the viewer a sense of the position of the sphere include the following. Volumetric effects such as visual cones or streams of light emitting from the sphere, such as you might see streaming in through a window. Dust or hay chaff floating in the air showing varying amounts of light. Objects behind and in front of the sphere being blocked and blocking it--not a handy option in this particular scene. Lack of focus or distance blur beginning behind the orb--again requires items at certain positions in the scene, which this one is lacking.

Music: Love by Def Leppard.

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About Me

Robert G. Male

Name: Robert G. Male
Location: Ontario, Canada

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Suggested Reading:

This scary book

available at Battered Spleen Productions™.


Suggested Listening:

This free scary audio book

available at Battered Spleen Productions™.



Learning Dark Arts is a presentation of

Battered Spleen Productions™