Realistic Basics Material and Rendering
GCC Academy
Hello
This is Hwang Seong-min, in charge of 3D Blender lectures
In the previous lecture, we modeled
a small space using Blender
Due to time constraints, we kept the space simple
and arranged only a few objects
However, with more practice and by referencing various samples
you will be able to create more complex models
In this session, we will focus on
making the modeled space look aesthetically pleasing
This involves setting up proper lighting and positioning the camera at the right angles
to produce a well-rendered final image
We will cover material creation and application,
lighting, and rendering
The lecture will proceed step by step,
so you can follow along at a comfortable pace
Creating and Applying Materials
Before applying materials,
I will first demonstrate how an object appears
when a material is applied
Selecting an object, I will create a new material
and then adjust the color for better visibility
Although the material and color are applied,
the change does not immediately appear in the viewport
This is because, in Solid view,
objects are displayed with only basic shading
We need to switch the viewport mode by pressing Z
and change it to Material Preview
After pressing the shortcut for viewport mode, you get
Wireframe, Material Preview, Solid, and Rendered
There are four viewport modes
The first two modes, Wireframe and Solid,
are useful during modeling,
while Material Preview is what we will use now
The Rendered view will be used later
during the rendering process
By switching between Solid and Material Preview modes,
we can immediately observe the differences
To work more efficiently when applying materials,
I will adjust the viewport layout
I will add a new window by dragging
the boundary between the layout and the outliner
This allows for a dual-window setup
Drag to the left,
and it easily creates a new window
I will set the left window by pressing Z
to Material Preview
and change the right window to Shader Editor
through the header menu
This layout setup is not mandatory
You can adjust it according to your preferences
Now, I will explain the material functions
before applying them to our objects
Before I explain,
I will demonstrate first
so that it helps with the understanding
To illustrate, I will select a wall-mounted light
and remove its current material,
then assign a new one
This action generates a corresponding material node
in the Shader Editor
Blender provides multiple material types, each with different settings
For this session, we will focus on the Principled BSDF material
and explore its key parameters, such as Metallic, Roughness, IOR, and Alpha
I will demonstrate how adjusting these values affects the appearance of the material,
while briefly introducing the remaining settings
The Principled BSDF material
is Blender’s standard shader
based on the Open PBR Surface Shading model
It follows principles similar to those found in materials
used by Disney and other 3D software
The Base Color setting determines the material’s color
By clicking on Base Color, a color picker appears,
allowing for precise adjustments
through direct selection or dragging
To better observe material changes,
I will isolate the object by adjusting the viewport
As soon as the color is modified,
the change is instantly reflected
in Material Preview
The Metallic setting controls
how metallic an object appears
A value closer to 0 means the object will not have a metallic appearance,
whereas increasing the value toward 1 gives it a more reflective metal-like look
The Roughness parameter determines the surface’s texture
A value near 0 results in sharp, mirror-like reflections,
while a value closer to 1 diffuses reflections, making the surface appear rougher
When applying materials to our modeled environment,
we will use Roughness
to create softer-looking objects
The IOR setting affects how light bends when passing through the material
Most objects have an IOR between 1.0 and 4.0
The Alpha setting controls transparency,
with values near 0 making the material fully transparent
and values close to 1 making it opaque
Subsurface scattering is useful for materials
like skin or milk,
giving them a soft, organic appearance
Specular controls the intensity
of reflections on a metallic surface layer
Transmission is used for rendering transparent materials
such as glass or liquids
The Coat parameter functions similarly to Roughness
but adds a clear coat effect,
making the surface appear as if it has a glossy finish
The Sheen setting simulates the tiny fibers seen in fabric,
particularly enhancing reflections
along the edges of cloth, giving it a velvety texture
Emission allows objects to emit light directly from their material,
making them appear as self-illuminating
Thin Film creates a layered effect,
simulating materials that have a thin reflective coating
Adjusting the film's thickness
and refractive index changes how light interacts with the surface
If a created material is no longer needed, it can be removed
Let's learn how to remove it
The usual method is to go in the Shader Editor header
and use the Unlink Data button
It detaches the material from the object
However, the material remains stored and can be reused later
To permanently delete a material,
you could do this instead
Switch the Outliner display mode
to Blender File,
navigate to the Current File section,
and find the materials in the list
These have been something previously created
Select the material we want to remove,
right-click,
and select Delete
The first object to receive a material is the wall
Selecting the connected wall and floor object,
create a new material through the Shader Editor
Then, the currently selected object
will have a new material applied
Each material can be renamed for easier identification,
which is helpful when managing multiple materials
later on
The name can be changed in the header of the Shader Editor
Adjusting the Base Color
in the Material Preview mode immediately updates
the object's appearance in the viewport
I will set the wall color to a beige tone
and, to create a softer look,
increase the Roughness value to 0.8
Next, I will apply a material to the window frame
To view the frame more closely, I will select it
and use the View Selected function to zoom in
After opening the Shader Editor,
I will create a new material and rename it
Adjusting the Base Color to a darker shade can be done
by using the color selection tool
and dragging the scroll bar downward
Finally, I will set the Roughness value to 0.8
I will select both the main frame
and the inner object
Using the shortcut Ctrl+L
opens the Link/Transfer Data menu,
where I will choose Link Materials
This ensures that all selected objects
share the same material
Let me stay here at Link/Transfer Data menu
and talk a little about Link Materials
Link Materials apply the material
from the last selected object to all others
First, select the object that needs the material
Then, select the last object
that already has the desired material applied
Press Ctrl + L
Choose Link Materials
This will apply the material of the last selected object
to the previously selected ones
Make sure you follow the steps correctly,
and it will be helpful
Selecting multiple objects
and then choosing a material from the Shader Editor
might seem like it would apply the material
to all of them at once
However, when removing the existing material
from the window frame bars
and selecting a new material from the material list,
only the last selected object
receives the new material
Because of this, using Link/Transfer Data
is a better approach
Selecting Link/Transfer Data and choosing Link Materials again,
I will apply the material to the window frame
Now, moving on to the bookshelf,
I will select it and open the Shader Editor
Pressing New, I will create a new material and rename it
Then, I will adjust the Base Color
to match the intended look of the scene
After selecting the desired color,
I will modify the Roughness value to 0.8
Once the Roughness is set, I will check the color again
and make any necessary adjustments to refine the appearance
Next, I will select the top section of the bookshelf
and apply a material to it
I will create and rename a new material,
then adjust the Base Color
to complement the rest of the scene
I will try some options
and fine the best color for me
After confirming the color choice,
I will set the Roughness
to 0.8, ensuring consistency across the materials
Select the table legs and apply
the same material as the tabletop
Press Ctrl+L to open the Link/Transfer Data menu
and use the Link Materials function to apply the material
Next, let’s apply the material to the drawer next to the desk
Select the previously applied object materials,
then use the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions
to apply different materials to the exterior, interior,
and handles of the drawer separately
The desk’s material color looks slightly off,
so I will select all its components one by one while holding Shift
and apply the same color as the window frame
Since the repeated color makes it look unnatural, I will revert the change
I also noticed that one of the desk legs does not have the correct material applied,
so I will select the corresponding material from the material list
and apply it to match the other legs
Next, I will apply materials to the chair using the previously applied materials
By using the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions,
I will efficiently apply the materials
Now, I will apply material
to the pages of the books on the bookshelf
After selecting the pages, I will create a new material
and choose a slightly darker shade than white
Then, I will set the Roughness value to 0.8
To quickly apply the material to multiple book pages,
I will select all relevant pages and use the Link/Transfer Data
and Link Materials functions
Moving on, I will apply the material to the book covers
irst, I will select one book cover,
create a new material,
and rename it
After selecting the desired color,
I will set the Roughness value to 0.8
Just as I created a red book cover,
I will now create blue, green, and yellow
book cover materials
With four different book cover materials prepared,
I will distribute them evenly
Using the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions,
I will apply the materials to the books
After finishing the materials for the books inside the bookshelf,
I will apply materials
to the books on the desk as well
By reusing the page material from the bookshelf,
I will apply it to the book pages on the desk
To do this quickly,
I will use the Link/Transfer Data
and Link Materials functions
Similarly, I will apply the cover materials using the same process
while adjusting the color distribution for a natural look
Make sure to assign appropriate colors to each
For the final touch,
check the material list
and assign appropriate colors to the book covers
and pages on the desk
Next, I will apply materials to the sofa
I will create a new material in the Shader Editor
and name it accordingly
Let's change the name
and color it beige
The Roughness value will be set to 0.8
For the rest of the sofa, I will generate new materials, rename them,
and select similar beige shades
The Roughness value will be set to 0.8 for all
For the sofa legs, I will apply a wood-like texture
by reusing a previously assigned material
Using the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions,
I will quickly apply the material to all sofa legs
Now, I will apply materials to the table
First, I will create a new material
in the Shader Editor,
rename it, and keep the default base color
The Roughness value will be set to 0.5,
and the Alpha value will be set to 0.25
to create a slightly transparent table
I will also adjust any areas where the sofa’s Roughness value
was not properly set to 0.8
before moving on to defining the table leg materials
I will create a new material and rename it accordingly
To achieve a metallic appearance, I will set the base color’s Metallic value to 0.6
and the Roughness value to 0.2
To prevent the legs from looking too starkly white,
I will slightly darken the color
Finally, I will select the remaining table legs
and use the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions
to apply the same material
Next, I will apply materials to the TV
In the Shader Editor, I will create a new material
and rename it
The base color will be adjusted to a dark shade,
and the Roughness value will be set to 0.8
For the TV screen glass,
I will simulate a turned-off screen
by setting the color to black
and the Roughness value to 0.8
For the TV stand, I will apply the same material used for the drawer handles
by utilizing the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions
The legs of the TV will be assigned the same material as the TV body,
also using the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions
Next, I will apply materials to the picture frames hanging on the wall
Using the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions,
I will assign the book page material to the inner part of the frame and the table material to the outer frame
Moving on to the wall-mounted lights,
I will apply materials to them
First, I will select one of the lights
and create a new material in the Shader Editor
I will rename it and set the color to a dark shade
I will then adjust the Metallic value to 0.8
and the Roughness value to 0.25
The remaining three lights
will be assigned the same material
To do this efficiently, I will first select the three other lights,
then select the already assigned light last,
press Ctrl + L,
and choose Link Materials to apply the same material to all of them
The picture frames placed on the drawer
will be assigned the same material as the wall-mounted frames
using the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions
Next, I will apply material to the desk
The lower support and columns will receive the same material as the table legs
through the Link/Transfer Data and Link Materials functions,
while the main body of the desk will be assigned a new material
In the Shader Editor, I will create a new material, rename it,
and change the color to gray
I will then set the Roughness value to 0.8
and the Alpha value to 0.25
Now, I will apply materials to the tiles
Since the tiles were modeled as a single grid-shaped object
during the modeling stage,
I can easily apply materials
in a checkerboard pattern
First, I will select one tile and create a new material in the Shader Editor
After renaming it,
I will adjust the color to a slightly darker shade than white
and set the Roughness value to 0.8
Then, I will duplicate the tile material
and change only the color
Finally, I will apply material to the cup
In the Shader Editor, I will create a new material,
rename it,
and adjust the color to be slightly darker than the default
The Roughness value will be set to 0.8
Lighting Types and Placement
Now, I will explain lighting
In Blender, there are four main types of lights: Point Light, Sun Light,
Spot Light, and Area Light
After covering their basic properties,
I will place lights in the scene
To explain lighting,
I have set up a simple scene
I will go over each light type while demonstrating them on screen
Point Light
emits light evenly in all directions,
similar to an indoor lightbulb
Sun Light projects light in a single direction
from a far distance, simulating sunlight
Because it represents the sun,
even a low strength value
produces a bright effect, making it ideal for outdoor lighting
The Sun Light’s angle can be adjusted to change
the direction of the light,
but moving its position will not affect the rendering
Spot Light emits light in a cone shape toward a specific direction
It works similarly to a flashlight or a car’s headlights
Area Light is used for light that spreads
from a surface
It creates soft-edged shadows and is useful for simulating objects
that emit light, such as
TV screens or fluorescent lamps
emitting LED light
Let's cover a fundamental setup widely used in film and photography,
which is three-point lighting
This method involves placing three lights
and is one of the most popular methods
As for the name goes, there are three light sources here
The first light is the Key Light, the primary light source
that determines overall brightness
and shadow direction
The second is the Fill Light,
which reduces contrast by illuminating darker areas of the subject
Since the fill light is responsible for illuminating the darkest areas,
it reduces the contrast between the brightest and darkest
The third light is the backlight,
which shines from behind the subject
Because it illuminates from the opposite direction of the camera’s perspective,
it enhances the object’s silhouette
By emphasizing the outline,
the backlight helps create a more three-dimensional effect,
making it an essential element in 3D space composition
Although I will not be applying
a full three-point lighting setup in this particular scene,
I wanted to introduce the concept since it serves as a fundamental guideline
for placing lights effectively
Before setting up the lights, I will switch back to a single view,
similar to the modeling workspace,
and prepare a wide floor area to ensure
that the lighting appears correctly in the final render
Press Shift+A to bring up the Add shortcut and add a cube
Then, in the Properties panel, change the Scale values
for X, Y, and Z to 3
Next, press the Tab key
to switch to Edit Mode
Using the Delete shortcut X key,
remove three faces of the cube
Then, switch back to Object Mode
and adjust its position and size as needed
Switch back to Edit Mode, select the cube’s edges,
nd press Ctrl+B to apply a Bevel
to split the edges
Set the Segment value to 5
Finally, right-click
and select Shade Smooth to smooth out the edges
Now, switch the view mode using the Z shortcut
and select Rendered View
Add a Point Light
and position it accordingly
Open the Properties panel
and navigate to the light settings
to adjust the Power and Radius values
Create an additional Point Light
and position it
Turn off the Shade function
and modify the Power and Radius values to suit the scene
Next, add an Area Light and position it
to simulate light coming in through the window
Adjust the Size to 3m, refine the positioning,
and tweak the light color
to create a warm atmosphere
Rendering in Blender
We will now cover rendering settings
There are two main rendering methods available
One is Eevee rendering
Eevee is a real-time rendering engine
focused on speed
It does not calculate each light direction precisely
but instead uses an approximate rendering method,
skipping some calculations
This makes it much faster but less accurate in terms of realism
Next is Cycles rendering
Cycles is a ray-tracing-based rendering engine
It calculates light directions and intensity
in a physically accurate way,
producing high-quality results
However, it requires much more computing power,
making the rendering process slower
Cycles rendering allows you to choose
between using the CPU or GPU for computation
When rendering in Camera view,
you can preview the output before finalizing your work
So let's set the camera first
To begin, add a camera
by pressing Shift + A
You can move the camera using the G shortcut
or adjust its angle with R,
to set up the camera,
but setting it up while in Camera view is more convenient
So let's switch to Camera view
To switch to Camera view,
press the ~ key
If you move the view with your mouse or keyboard,
it will switch back to Perspective view
To lock the Camera view while making adjustments,
you need to set an option
If sidebar is not enabled,
first enable the sidebar with N
Then, under the View tab,
check Camera to View
in the Lock menu
Switch to Camera View using the ~ shortcut
If you move the view using the mouse or keyboard,
it will remain in Camera View
and will not switch back to Perspective View
At this stage, I will proceed with
setting up the camera for rendering
Rendering offers various options
to produce different output styles,
but capturing the exact scene visible
in Camera View is straightforward
In the Properties panel, navigate to the Render tab,
adjust a few basic settings, and then proceed with rendering
There are many available settings, but to achieve high-quality results,
I will switch the Render Engine to Cycles
and set the Device to GPU
In the Sampling section under Render Settings,
I will configure the Max Samples to 2048
before starting the rendering process.
The shortcut key for rendering is F12
Alternatively, in the Top Bar Menu,
clicking Render > Render Image
will render the current
Camera View scene
Once rendering begins,
the image may initially appear noisy
In the Status Bar, you can check the Sample Count,
which shows the progress out
of 2048 total samples
Once all 2048 samples are completed,
a clean and fully rendered image
will be displayed
To save the rendered result, go to the Top Menu,
click Image > Save As, and choose a save location
The Left and Center Panels
allow selecting the file path,
while the Right Panel provides options
to adjust image settings before saving
Let's continue with the default setting
By default, the image will be saved as a PNG file
in the specified directory
This method allows exporting the rendered view
in different formats for further use
In this session, we covered creating
and applying materials, lighting, and rendering in Blender
As you may have noticed during practice,
lighting plays a crucial role
in enhancing depth and realism
By practicing with various exercises
using the techniques learned today,
3D rendering skills can be further improved
Let’s summarize what we learned in this session
Thank you
Material Creation and Application Select the object, click the [+New] button, rename the material, adjust the color, roughness, and alpha values
Switch between Solid View and Material Preview Create a new window Left panel: Material Preview, right panel: Shader Editor
The Link Materials function applies the same material to multiple selected objects
Select the objects to apply the material to. Select the object that already has the material last. Press Ctrl+L, then select Link Materials
Deleting Materials In the Shader Editor, click the Unlink Data button to remove the material from the object
Change Display Mode to Blender File Mode and navigate to Current File > Materials
Right-click the unnecessary material and select Delete
Principled BSDF Settings Base Color: Sets material color Metallic: Adjusts metal properties Roughness: Controls surface roughness
IOR: Sets the material’s refractive index Alpha: Adjusts material transparency Subsurface: Defines soft surface effects Specular: Metallic layer
Transmission: Used for glass or liquid rendering Coat: Adjusts surface gloss Sheen: Modifies unique reflection effects on surfaces
Emission: Defines the intensity of light emitted by the material Thin Film: Simulates a thin film overlay effect on materials
Lighting Types and Placement Point Light: Evenly in all directions Sun Light: Simulates sunlight from afar in one direction
Spot Light: Projects light in a cone shape Area Light: Emits light from a surface, useful for soft lighting effects
Three-Point Lighting Setup A commonly used lighting method in film and photography Key Light: Main light source for brightness and shadow direction
Fill Light: Softens shadows by illuminating darker areas Back Light: Highlights object contours from behind to create depth
Background Setup Create a cube and switch to X-ray View, adjust its position, size, and smoothness
Shift+A to create a cube, set Scale X, Y, Z = 3 in the Properties Panel Press Tab to enter Edit Mode, select three faces, and delete with X
Select the three edges of the background, press Ctrl+B to bevel, set Segments to 5, then right-click and apply Shade Smooth
Light Setup Shift+A - Light - Point Light, then position the light In the Properties Panel, adjust Power and Radius
Blender Rendering Render Engines Eevee: Real-time render engine for speed Cycles: Physically based render engine, accurate
Rendering Process Shift+A - Camera, then press [~] - View Camera
Select the camera, go to the Properties Panel - View, and check Camera to View For high-quality render, Render Engine to Cycles, device to GPU
Sampling - Render - Max Samples = 2048 Start rendering with F12 or by clicking Render - Render Image