5 Factors of a Realistic Renders

I have been doing 3D visualization since 2003. In 2009, I started my first 3D studio called River.black.

We work with clients from all over the world, mostly in Europe. For the past 5 years, I have been teaching 3D artists how to create impressive renders.

I have noticed patterns among the many projects my staff and students have worked on, so I have created simple principles that will help you improve your renderings.

This is why 3D renders don't always look beautiful. Let me explain some common mistakes that both beginners and experienced artists make when working on their projects. Once you understand these mistakes, you can correct your actions and know how to make progress.

There are a lot of things on the internet that can help you make pretty pictures, like scripts, plugins, and lifehacks. But those things won't make your pictures beautiful by themselves. Don't get me wrong, scripts and plugins are really neat, but they're just tools.

To make beautiful pictures, you need to think about other things too. I'll talk about those things below. The tools can help you save time so you can spend more time being creative and earn more money. But they don't directly make your pictures beautiful.

This problem is more for beginners, but even experienced 3D artists sometimes forget to use references.

When you're setting up the lighting and camera and everything seems right, you make a preview. But you don't like the picture. You redo it, change something, make another preview. And it keeps going on and on. Sometimes it feels like doing so many test renders and previews is just procrastinating.

Why does that happen? Because you don't have a clear idea of the final result you want. You're not sure what you want and when it's time to stop.

After a while, you get tired of the project and it's not clear whether it's going well or not.

In this case, you need either an outside perspective or proper use of references.

A professional has a clear goal in mind and doesn't waste time on unnecessary actions.

To work effectively and consistently on a project, you need to start by selecting appropriate references.

To use a reference effectively, find a project that is similar to yours in its configuration, style, or feeling. After that, decide how your project should look by creating a mood board with images that match your style. You can use resources like Pinterest or same.energy to find similar images easily.

Once you have collected 10-15 images, you should notice similarities between them. Choose one image and use it as a reference for your project's mood, angle, or lighting. This will help you clearly see your goal.

Take the time to select a reference before starting your project. Although it may seem like a waste of time, it will actually save you a lot of time and effort in the future.

Workflow is how we work.

Changes from the client can have a big impact on the project process, but sometimes not as much as we want.

Without a good workflow, changes can build up like a snowball, causing more changes and leading to wasted time and an unhappy client.

This can result in a project that nobody wants to see. As artists, we become exhausted and just want to finish the project at any cost, but the final result ends up being worse than we wanted.

This happens when there is no proper sequence. So, what is the right sequence?

Project estimation - information needed to assess the project's cost and timeline initially. A complete set of information is not necessary, but it's important to understand the scope of work costs.

Materials for work - this stage requires more information than the first one to fully comprehend all the details and nuances. It may be possible to clarify things if the project doesn't undergo any drastic changes during the process. For instance, evaluating an interior project requires a floor plan and style references, but drawings of the ceiling and references to furniture and accessories are required for the actual work.

Clay render - at this stage, the room's angles, geometry, and architecture in general are coordinated without details. A gray-colored render is created to avoid distraction from finishing materials, colors, and details. At this stage, the principle lighting scheme can be agreed upon. Sometimes, decor and small elements are not added to reduce the work time.

Preview - this is the stage where we coordinate the image and make comments on details, materials, and colors. It is often the most difficult stage with a lot of changes, but the foreshortening at this stage does not change. In our studio, we make a preview with a size of 2500 pixels on the largest side and allow a little noise on the render.

Final result - this is the large, final quality render with minimal noise, deep post-processing, and color correction. Usually, no edits are made at this stage.

Of course, this is an ideal workflow, and there may be some deviations from the rule in every project. The most important thing is to discuss the workflow with the client at the beginning and stick to it during the work. This way, you can save a lot of time and stress.

Well-made materials make things look real and detailed. Usually, materials aren't totally perfect and new. They usually have a few scratches, signs of use, and wear that make them look more realistic.

To make good materials, you should add some roughness.

Almost all materials in the real world have reflections, even if they are weak and blurry. These reflections are important for making things look real.

Details, even if not very visible, add to the realism.

However, it's important to have a sense of balance. There are cases where 3D artists put too many spots and imperfections, making the work look dirty. Always use references. Do you use them? :)

This is a common issue that affects how realistic 3D images look. It can happen to anyone, even experienced artists.

To understand this issue, it's important to know:

Light and Shadow:

Our eyes can better see the shape of objects when there are areas of light and shadow.

One mistake people often make is turning on too many lights inside, like backlights, lamps, and floor lamps. This can make the room look flat and unrealistic.

Color Contrast:

Remember that natural light from windows is cold, while artificial light sources have a warm hue. Finding the right balance between the two will create good color contrast and a pleasing look.

Brightness and light balance:

Sunlight from a window is usually much brighter than any light bulb.

A common mistake is when artificial light sources become too strong compared to natural light.

To make the image look more real, follow this rule and find the right balance.

Histogram:

Even if the image is dark or light, the histogram should be correct. This means there should be no empty spots and there should not be too many light or dark tones.

I made a training program about how to make interior visualization using 3ds max.

I used two render-engines at the same time in the lessons: Vray and Corona.

This lessons will teach you how to make interior visualization quickly, realistic, and accurately.

How it works:

Sign up with us to access our main training program. We're currently offering a detailed course on interior visualization in Corona and Vray.

We'll start by choosing a project. Then, we'll build the walls, decorate the room, and add some details.

Next, we'll cover camera placement and lighting in different situations. Then we'll create realistic materials!

You'll learn all about 3D visualization in a step by step manner.

Our unique feature: we use a commercial workflow. We focus on practical tips you'll need for commercial visualization. No unnecessary stuff!

The course has ~100 lessons, taking around 3 months to complete.

You'll get daily lessons lasting 10-15 minutes. This pace helps in understanding everything.

The course includes 7 homework assignments: selecting a project reference, modelling it, setting the light, adjusting the materials, rendering and post-processing.

You won't be alone. I'll be there to give homework, and provide personalized feedback on each one.

Why is this effective?

From my experience, there are three key things needed to fully understand lessons:

• time
• practice
• absence of stress

Without this, lessons are only videos. I believe each lesson should bring benefits and enhance the student's life.

We've organized the lessons and learning pace to help you study stress-free. This way, you can easily balance this with your studies, work, hobbies, and family.

Check out examples of students' work:

You can join using this link:

Light module curricculum:

How the physics of light in the interior works. What is the secret of realistic renders. Explore light contrast and histogram, how renders turn out realistic. How photographers manipulate images to maximize presentation.

Learn how to use Corona and Vray tools, including virtual framebuffer, different types of light sources, and how to control them in your work.

you will learn how to work faster with light and what to focus on. We'll cover different types of cameras, how to use albedo and synthetic light, and how to get a predictable result when working with gray materials

Learn how to quickly and flexibly set up the most popular lighting scheme, used 90% of the time. Discover a simple way for lazy people to set up the light. We'll also break down typical mistakes when creating a realistic background and practice with daylight in Corona and Vray.

when to use maps, how to remove the green tint, how to use a script with HDRI libraries, and how to stage lighting automatically.

Learn about noise: where it comes from and how to overcome it. Discover how to adjust render settings in Vray, including fast and final presets. Use a script to optimize noise automatically in Corona, which can speed up rendering by up to 50%. In the tutorial, the render was rendered for 2.5 minutes with a noise level of 3%.

Learn to create beautiful evening lighting by understanding how to play with light from lamps and floor lamps. Discover the differences between evening lighting and natural daylight and learn how to maintain the realism of the render. Explore the nuances of working with evening lighting to create stunning results

how interior photographers create artistic light and contrast. It goes into detail about the techniques they use when working with fake light and what they do when the light or contrast is insufficient

Tips to remove excess color and noise, how to remove orange colour from render caused by wooden floors, and how to restore the natural color of the render.

how to use white materials in interior design, how to defeat white haze and low contrast, and how to create realistic tulle with minimal noise

Tips for adding beautiful and realistic lighting to windowless rooms, including corridors and bathrooms

Common uses of lights in indoor spaces: chandeliers, sconces, spotlights, and backlighting. Learn how to control them and reduce noise.

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You can find additional information on the website of my project