5 Tips for Better Materials

Shading (the process of setting up materials) is an often over-looked step in the CG pipeline. I used to just play with the material settings until it looked a bit like what I was trying to make, and then move onto texturing thinking that that was all there is to it. A wood texture slapped on a diffuse shader. Bleh. However, in my never-ending quest for realism I’ve come to realize that shading is in fact the most important step in creating something believable. Of course modelling, texturing, lighting and all the rest are also very important, but shading is what determines how tangible your surfaces appear – it shows your audience what it might feel like to touch; how soft, sticky, or flexible it might be, and what it might be like to live in this new world that you’ve created with your render. Now that’s a much more interesting surface! Lets take a simple ceramic teapot for example. OK, so it looks to be pretty much like a diffuse surface with a glossy coating right? So what is it? PS.

Any good free materials libraries online? current community your communities Sign up or log in to customize your list. more stack exchange communities company blog Stack Exchange Inbox Reputation and Badges sign up log in tour help Blender Ask Question Blender Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people who use Blender to create 3D graphics, animations, or games. Here's how it works: Anybody can ask a question Anybody can answer The best answers are voted up and rise to the top Any good free materials libraries online? 4 Answers active oldest votes Your Answer Sign up or log in Sign up using Google Sign up using Facebook Sign up using Email and Password Post as a guest discard By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service. Not the answer you're looking for? Get the weekly newsletter! The week's top questions and answers Important community announcements Questions that need answers see an example newsletter By subscribing, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service. 9 votes · comment · stats