Overcast Front Light

Of all the different lighting conditions that I can use, overcast front lighting is the one that I consider being the safest. This is because overcast front light illuminates most everything evenly. Overcasting front light is good for white balancing since overall illumination is balanced. The softness of this light results in more natural-looking renderings and it also eliminates the contrast problems that a sunny day creates. 

Some of my clients have a preconceived notion of how a color should look. Holding the color swatch up to the print will usually not produce the expected result; "the colors don't match!", is a typical response I get. I can go into color theory, monitor calibration, gamma, but it's typically received with the deer in the headlight gaze. Instead of pulling out the before and after images as to proof, I am usually spot-on, I chose to go with a nice, and very safe, overcast lighting setup.

As for me, I prefer the high contrast, and more dramatic scenes. I understand basic color theory and how light and color react to each other. The work that I am most proud of, and has been recognized by my peers, has not been by playing it safe.  I can guarantee  that the color swatch will change colors with every light source you view it under. That color, on that color swatch, will not look that way on your building.

So, if you want to play it safe, I can recommend Peter Guthrie's 0902 Overcast HDRI.

Overcast HDRI by Peter Guthrie

Overcast HDRI by Peter Guthrie

Did you enjoy this blog post? If so, then why not:

Leave Comment | Subscribe To This Blog | Email Me

Bobby Parker
Hey there, thanks for visiting my online portfolio. My name is Bobby Parker and I’m a Minnesota based illustrator who specializes in photo-real architectural renderings, and I’m not afraid to turn my hand to animation if the job requires it. While growing up in Illinios I always had a childhood interest in drawing and artwork that has stayed with me throughout my career in architecture. I received my architectural education working for some of the most talented architects in Chicago. I’ve worked on a wide range of projects, and pride myself on the ability to deliver a valuable and visually-appealing end product, no matter what the scope. For me, it’s essential to achieve a balance between quality and speed. 24 years after working professionally, I am still combining the fundamentals of art with the most current industry technology, to create incredibly realistic 3D architectural renderings. I love what I do, and I hope that it shows in my portfolio. Please take a minute to visit my work page and drop me a message if you have any questions
www.bobby-parker.com
Previous
Previous

Creative Leaders

Next
Next

The Human Shape