Beginner Blender 4.0 Tutorial - Part 10: Lighting

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create realistic lighting for a morning kitchen scene using Blender 4.0. The focus will be on utilizing natural light, specifically through the use of the Sky Texture feature, and how to manipulate the environment to achieve a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Chapter 1: Using Sky Texture

• Start by removing any default lamps in your scene.
• Go to the World settings.
• Click on the yellow dot next to Color and select Sky Texture.
• This will automatically add a sunlamp to your scene.
• Adjust the Exposure under Render Settings:
  • Navigate to Color Management and set the Exposure slider to -2 for a softer light look.
• Modify the Sun Elevation to simulate different times of the day:
  • Set to a low angle for a warm morning light (around 15°).
  • Adjust the Sun Size to soften shadows, typically between 2 or 3.

Chapter 2: Creating the Kitchen Enclosure

• Create a cube to serve as your kitchen enclosure:
  • Press Shift + A, select Mesh, and then Cube.
  • Scale the cube to fit your scene, ensuring it's not excessively large to avoid longer render times.
• Position the cube accurately using the new snapping feature:
  • Enter Wireframe Mode by pressing Z.
  • Press G to move the cube, then hit B to enter Snapping Mode.
  • Click on the vertex of the cube to set the snapping point, then click on the target point in the scene.
• Make sure the camera has enough space by adjusting the cube’s size.

Chapter 3: Removing Unneeded Faces

• Select the cube and enter Edit Mode.
• Select the back face and bottom face of the cube and press X.
• Choose Faces to delete these unneeded faces, resulting in an open box without extra geometry.

Chapter 4: Creating the Window

• To create a window, select the left face of the cube:
  • Press I to inset the face, adjusting the size as needed.
  • Delete the inset face by selecting it and pressing X, then choosing Faces.
• This will create a gap for the window, allowing light to enter.

Chapter 5: Shaping the Light

• Adjust the window frame to control light entry:
  • Move the edges of the window frame to increase or decrease light exposure.
  • Position the camera accordingly for optimal lighting.

Chapter 6: Controlling Negative Light

• To manage excessive light bouncing off surfaces, create a black fill card:
  • Select the cube representing the wall and add a new material.
  • Change the shader type to Diffuse and set the color to dark.
  • In Edit Mode, select the wall face and assign the black wall material.
• This helps control the fill light and creates more contrast in your scene.

Chapter 7: Tweaking Sun Intensity

• Adjust the sun intensity without affecting the overall Sky Texture brightness:
  • Lower the Sun Intensity to around 0.5 for a softer appearance.
  • Maintain exposure at its original setting for consistency.

Chapter 8: Importing a Model

• To enhance your scene with pre-made models, download necessary files:
  • Click on the provided link to download the desired model, such as wood utensils.
  • Unzip the downloaded file.
• Import the model into Blender:
  • Go to File, select Append, and choose the downloaded blend file.
  • Navigate through the collection to import the desired model.

Chapter 9: Installing an Add-on

• To expand your workflow, consider installing useful add-ons:
  • Download the add-on zip file without unzipping it.
  • In Blender, go to Edit, then Preferences, and select Add-ons.
  • Click on Install, locate the zip file, and enable the add-on after installation.
• Use the add-on to access a library of models and assets to enhance your scene.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we covered the essential steps to create a beautifully lit kitchen scene in Blender 4.0 using the Sky Texture feature. We explored how to manipulate lighting, create enclosures, and even import models to enrich our scene. Continue practicing these techniques to refine your skills and enhance your 3D projects!