The importance of lighting in animation.

Can we imagine life without lights? The expected answer would be "impossible". Same is in case of animation where lights bring life to a room or an object. Animation is about making real scenes, creating real characters and to put life into something non-living, lighting is essential. Light effect is normally used in 3D animation where there is a separate specialization for the subject. Lighting plays a pivotal role in defining the look of a scene. It adds visual depth and complexity to a scene, thereby heightening its dramatic impact.

Lighting is basically done in software applications like 3Ds Max and Maya and lighting of 3D models has two purposes. One is light produces shadow which causes the 3D model to appear clearly and two, it adds depth to the model through the use of advanced shading techniques. These two main uses of the light are one of the main differences between two and three dimensional models.

When a scene is rendered, modeling, texturing and the whole appearance of the scene is only visible due to lighting. Moreover, lighting can make or break your scene. When you find the scene to be dull or too bright, then lighting is the only factor responsible for the same. One needs to keep on experimenting and researching on the different effects of it. There are tutorials made available especially for this subject. Every scene looks different with same lighting, hence there a great scope to keep on inventing number of scenes and appearances of 3D models.

Mood and ambiance are also established by effective lighting. The use of color can be critical for setting the general tone of a scene. Often, red lights are used to excite the viewer, while green signifies a more calm setting. Tranquil scenes are often lit in high-key style. The use of shadows also enhances the mood of a scene. Hard, distant lights can produce crisp shadows, which often show a cold, barren environment. At the other end of the spectrum, soft lights are used in warm settings because they create pale, scarcely visible shadows.

Lighting is also a must in architectural designing, walkthroughs, however, one would wonder why lighting is essential if someone is specializing in modeling or texturing. This is because, it helps to present your work. Whichever topic you specialize in, you would require lighting to present it. The concept of lighting is not as simple as it sounds. There are different types of lights available in the software which gives you different effects. You need to play with its intensity and need to have a right knowledge of which light to use when and where. Then only your output would look up to the mark.

DSK Supinfocom’s foundation and advanced courses in animation are designed to master animation and it also includes a thorough study of lighting and its effects. A detailed learning is essential to understand the whole concept of lighting as great lighting is the only key to get professional looking output.