Working with a reference makes the difference

Sharing a quick test of underwater lights made together with our Director of CG Kubrat Tomov in 2020.

The right selection of the main reference is a must for every element in the scene.

The following example is for the water surface and how it reacts to the lights in the foreground.

The best way to use a reference is to insert it into the program. Usually, the main mistake is opening the image on the next monitor and comparing both images. I consider this as a big mistake in many ways starting with the dereference in the color temperature of every monitor no matter how many calibrations were made there are always slight shifts in the matrix.

Another mistake is not working in the same color space, which can also generate variations in the result. The only way to prevent this is to put the references in the same compositions and then compare the elements.

In case there is a dynamic mood, it is important to invert the reference.

Color spots help the eye work better. Inverting the reference image provides a better base for what needs to be touched.

The time for fun has begun.

In conclusion, the time spent on finding and using the reference in the right mood, same angle if possible, is not losing a time and doesn't mean you don't know how to build the scene. It is the only way to make the 3D closest to the real environment.

And now, what is a scene with open water without a shark?

If you are doing your work for fun don't forget to put a smile at the end! The sense you have left in the scene will reflect afterward!