Quote from r4ptor :
I personally didn't get to where I am from one day to another. It's in a way very much like racing. You can do tons of readying on the subject, but in the end experience and routine is needed along with sense/eye for the smallest of details. Heck, I'm still learning - but the day I stop learning will probably also be the day I wont admire 3D any longer. Fortunately I don't see that coming anytime soon.
I would add to my previous reply that lighting is the key in archiving any kind of good renders. Realistic or stylish... doesn't matter. Crap surfaces with good lighting will look like a million. But killer surfaces etc. with crap lighting will look like shit. However that doesn't mean that a good lighting solution is by populating (polluting) the scene with numerous lights. Keep it simple
HDRI lighting is cool and "easy". But it's sloppy too. If you really want (and you should.. you must!) to understand lighting, then you need to get down and dirty with the basics in lighting.
What I would like to add
search for tutorials on the internet.
and how boring they are, make and learn from it.
and ask how this or that should you learn nothing of it.
I do this now 2 years and still learning everyday
but you really learn a lot of tutorials to do.
keep up the good work r4ptor
Last edited by Boekanier, Sat 23 May 2009, 21:43 .