Computer desk

[Qq0]

This is my most recent project, I’m relatively new to blender and even newer to cycles so I was wondering what criticism people would have. It’s modeled on my home desk and I guess it looks similar but with no junk on it. Thanks!

[shajuke]

I see audio equipment on the desk but there aren’t any speakers, you should add some so it doesn’t look as empty. It also looks like none of your objects have any glossiness to them, it could be a problem with the lighting though.

[Aluxxi]

Objects look to-scale (for the most part) and no weird edges of deformities.

Everything looks very flat. It would seem you have used a bare colour image and none of the associated images that are combined to make photo-realistic textures (normal map, occlusion, displacement etc) This is noticeable with the computer screen edges and the table. Also between the computers you can see a “line” where the texture has tiled with seams.

My verdict is your models are pretty good but you need to work on textures and how they work with scene lighting. Overall looks to “flat” and “dull” making it unrealistic-looking.

[Qq0]

@shajuke

I see audio equipment on the desk but there aren’t any speakers, you should add some so it doesn’t look as empty. It also looks like none of your objects have any glossiness to them, it could be a problem with the lighting though.

Thanks shajuke! The speaker is actually off the table in reality, if in the picture in would be off screen on the bottom left I don’t think it’s my lighting, I shall redo materials. Thanks for the critique

[Qq0]

Actually, it probably is the lighting, I’m really not great at it. Any advice or good tutorials? Thanks.

[shajuke]

Emission planes are a good place to start.

They usually give decent results and are easy to setup, just make a plane assign an emission shader to it and rotate it to what you want to be lit. Since you’re lighting a room I would recommend placing a couple around the room where the windows would be.
If you search “blender lighting” on youtube theres alot of good tutorials. also this guy https://www.youtube.com/user/GlebAlexandrov shares alot of amazing information on lighting.

[Qq0]

Thanks I was already using emission planes, but only two from the front and bottom. Will check out tutorials, thank you

[MichelWeber]

It also depends on the size of those planes, the proximity and the intensity of the emission.

[Qq0]

@Aluxxi

Objects look to-scale (for the most part) and no weird edges of deformities.

Everything looks very flat. It would seem you have used a bare colour image and none of the associated images that are combined to make photo-realistic textures (normal map, occlusion, displacement etc) This is noticeable with the computer screen edges and the table. Also between the computers you can see a “line” where the texture has tiled with seams.

My verdict is your models are pretty good but you need to work on textures and how they work with scene lighting. Overall looks to “flat” and “dull” making it unrealistic-looking.

Thanks, will look into it