Focusing on beautiful and appealing lighting with a specific way of thinking while designing and rendering a space, Thanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese interior designer and 3D artist, recites the way he materializes his images. Enjoy!
About Me.
Greetings community!
I am Thanh Nguyen an interior designer and 3D Artist based in Vietnam. The moment I began learning how to use 3DS Max, I embarked on a journey with the enchanting render software Vray 1.5 and later, the captivating Corona Renderer. I became utterly addicted to the world of 3D, for in moments of idleness, I sought solace in exploring various layouts and delving into the study of new styles or drawing inspiration from the works of interior designers. From there, I would create mesmerizing scenes, bringing me immense joy.
Software Used.
I have been working with 3D for nearly 11 years, primarily using 3DS Max and Corona Renderer. Occasionally, I also explore Chaos Vantage as it is quite convenient and allows me to discover new software. Autocad and Sketchup are essential for my profession at my workplace as they facilitate easy communication with clients.
When it comes to 3D work, I adhere to a philosophy of using minimal post-processing. I usually rely on Photoshop for post-processing, but only for adjusting brightness or contrast. I do not utilize channels or lightmix.
About The Project.
This is a project I have recently completed, an interior design project for an apartment consisting of a living room, kitchen, dining area, and 3 bedrooms in Saigon, Vietnam.
The project is called "PL Apartment", and I have designed it following the Japandi style.
Watching the video below you can learn more about this beautiful interior design style.
Lighting.
I preferred to use natural daylight to allow customers to feel the abundance of natural light in the space. This is also one of the few projects where I use such a significant amount of light. Usually, I prefer to use more overcast lighting. However, for this project, I wanted to try something new and see if I could showcase them effectively.
In this video below you can find some pretty informative tips and apply them in your scenes according to the lighting scenario you wanna use:
The way I create light is rather simple, following the philosophy of light that I employ in a 3D design project, I will divide it into three sources: Environment lighting – Main lighting - Accent light.
First, I will begin with the environmental lighting, which is the sunlight. I use HDRI for the environmental light and add a corona sun for the sunlight.
Another very great video on how to light a real space can be found below:
With the main source of light, I arranged a downlight system on Autocad with reasonable and sufficient power. Then, based on that AutoCAD file, I will work on 3DS Max. The key here is that I use ies lights and always use color temperatures of 3000k, 4000k, or 5000k for accurate lighting. I do not adjust the color of the ies lights with color because it would create unrealistic lighting. Similarly, for the brightness intensity, I will search the catalog for the intensity of the types of lights I want to use and then set the brightness intensity exactly as stated in the catalog.
Regarding the final source of light, I exclusively utilize 2700k or 3000k light and also incorporate the use of IES lighting. Additionally, I will add a circular corona light to create a glowing effect.
Rendering & Post-Production.
The final rendering is accomplished with the remarkable Corona Renderer, which, in my personal opinion, is a software that works great in portraying light. It is akin to a spellbinding enchantment.
I employ Denoise 0.7 for this scene with a Denoise limit set at 4.5%. Afterward, I used Photoshop to adjust and manipulate the lighting.
Summary.
That encompasses everything about the project that I wish to share in this article. Hopefully, it will be beneficial for the readers. You can explore my projects on Behance or engage in a discussion about 3D on my personal Facebook page, where the realm of creativity knows no bounds. Gratitude and appreciation flow through every word, painting a vivid tapestry of thanks.
Kind regards,
Thanh Nguyen.
About the artist
I am Thanh Nguyen, and I have a master's degree in interior design. I hail from and thrive in the bustling city of Saigon in Vietnam. Since my early days, I have been captivated by the enchanting world of interior imagery. In 2012, while pursuing my education, I stumbled upon the wondrous realm of 3DS Max and embarked on a journey of discovery. It seems that 3DS Max has bestowed upon me the ability to transform thoughts into tangible visions, a truly magnificent gift.
