For your remarks and critique

[Anonymous]

Thought I'd be brave and show y'all these to get an idea on how I'm coming with rendering.

Thanks for having a look.

[Erika Epstein]

Wrath,
Its coming along very nicely. What renderer are you using?
I would add some light eminating from the hanging fixtures and some light in general to the kitchen area. This will make the space more inviting and show off your design

[Anonymous]

Erika wrote:
Wrath,
Its coming along very nicely. What renderer are you using?
I would add some light eminating from the hanging fixtures and some light in general to the kitchen area. This will make the space more inviting and show off your design

I'm using the LightWorks engine.

I'll try your suggestions. All the light used above is from Window Light objects. I was afraid more would over-expose everything.

[Anonymous]

After adding a general light, some light to the pendant fixtures and a small levels adjustment in Photoshop.

[Erika Epstein]

I keep general lights low, more to take the murk and gloom out. Then add directional light for the pendants, and, well I think this is a job for the Dwightster. He's an expert.

[Anonymous]

Erika wrote:
I keep general lights low, more to take the murk and gloom out. Then add directional light for the pendants, and, well I think this is a job for the Dwightster. He's an expert.

I have the general lights down around 20 now , but I'll keep working on it.

[Dwight]

That scalded murky light making the creepy fuzzy shadows is caused by window lights.

Window lights bad.

Get a photo of a kitchen scene and figure how the photographer modeled the light.

[Anonymous]

Dwight wrote:
That scalded murky light making the creepy fuzzy shadows is caused by window lights.

Window lights bad.

Get a photo of a kitchen scene and figure how the photographer modeled the light.

Wow! That sounds like a really good tip, but now I have to be a photographer too?

WADR, I'm just a simple guy trying to recreate what I see in real life.

As I see it, if you're in a house (or cabin as it were) and it's 3 in the afternoon and no lights are on inside, it makes sense to me that the room would be lit by light coming in through the windows.

That's the mindset I take when approaching this task. Not looking for something artsy, just the best I can do to make it realistic.

You've been very helpful, Dwight. I appreciate all your input. I'll keep striving to make my renders better.

Making good renderings, to me, would be a bonus in my bag of things I can offer to my clients, but for the most part they just want good working drawings. I do it more for me to see what I can accomplish.

Hope this doesn't sound negative. I didn't mean it to be.

[Erika Epstein]

Wrathchild wrote:
Wow! That sounds like a really good tip, but now I have to be a photographer too?

Yes, that is one of the first things Dwight teaches you. You want to create the look and the mood. Start in the dark and gradually add the lights you need.
Seriously, if you don't have his books get one!

[Dwight]

You mean to think that the word "Window Light" is equal to "light coming in windows." There's your mistake. That is not what the window light is for.

And, while you may be happy that your rendering looks like something that might happen in real life, who wants to look at reality? Consider this:

When we are in a space, we look around. Our eyes accommodate all of the exposure changes and our brain accumulates a forgiving memory of the space.

Photographers supplement and focus light to recreate that memory in just one view. And so must you with LightWorks.

THINK LIKE A PHOTOGRAPHER.