In Blender, you add lighting effects primarily by placing light sources into your 3D scene and adjusting their properties.
Adding lighting is a fundamental step in creating visually appealing renders in Blender. Good lighting defines shapes, sets the mood, and guides the viewer's eye.
Adding Light Sources
To add a light source to your scene:
- Go to the Add menu in the 3D Viewport header.
- Select Light.
- Choose the desired type of light from the submenu.
Once added, the light appears at your 3D cursor's location. You will then need to position and configure it.
Types of Lights (Your Options for Lighting)
As mentioned in the reference, you have a couple of options when it comes to your lighting. These options are different types of light sources, each with unique properties and uses:
- Point Light: Emits light equally in all directions from a single point (like a bare bulb).
- Sun Light: Simulates light from a distant source like the sun, casting parallel rays across the entire scene.
- Spot Light: Emits light in a cone shape, useful for creating focused beams or stage lighting.
- Area Light: Emits light from a flat surface, often used for softer, more diffused lighting or simulating studio light boxes.
Positioning and Scaling Lights
After adding a light, you need to position it in your scene.
- Use the Grab tool (G key) to move the light.
- You can bring this up or move it around using the standard transformation tools.
- Viewing the scene from different angles, such as the front view, can help accurately place your lights.
- For some light types, like Area Lights, you can scale this up with s to change the size of the light-emitting surface, which affects the softness of shadows.
Configuring Light Properties
Select a light source and go to the Object Data Properties tab (the light bulb icon) in the Properties editor. Here you can adjust parameters such as:
- Color: Change the color of the emitted light.
- Power/Strength: Control the intensity of the light.
- Radius/Size: For Point and Area lights, this affects shadow softness.
- Spot Shape/Blend: For Spot lights, controls the cone angle and falloff.
- Shadow Settings: Adjust how the light casts shadows (e.g., shadow color, samples).
Experimenting with different light types, positions, and settings is key to achieving the desired lighting effects in your Blender renders.
