and even more to pick from... damnit blender settings... figured out a half hour just to know why the **** it saves the pic always in 860 * 520 or what ever :banghead:
Buck77:
There is unfortunately no shortcut to create good renders (except for some pre-made scenes and apps specifically designed for such purposes. But it's limited how much they can actually teach you). The best advise I can give is to keep things simple while learning and to experiment. Don't overdo with complicated setups (shaders, lighting, reflections etc. all mixed in the same render). That will only make it harder to "troubleshoot" your renders and slow down the learning process, if you don't understand each step properly. It may sound tedious, but it really isn't.
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.
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.