Advice for my first render in Blender (super rookie)

Artistic Support Lighting and Rendering
1

Hi! Few months ago I decided to use Blender. I am mainly learning with you tube and modifying short tutorials with my own interest. I am following a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RumA5gkK28I&t=91s

My idea is to do the same with a different scenario and theme. I am also aiming to learn cycles so I am using cycles not eevee.

The scene is mainly a backdrop ramp with a poliigon wood and simple plastic for the scale. Then I am lighting the scene with an HDR from texture heaven.

Scale
Scale1920×1920 1.17 MB

I am trying to get tips/help to improve the scene towards something substantially more realistic and faster in terms of render times.

This render has 128 samples at 1920 px (1:1) and took 6:31 min
I am following the community since a long time, trying to make the switch to Blender, and I have noticed archviz with lot of props and highly realistic outcomes have better times than my 128 samples render with better quality.

I am using an MSI laptop with an RTX 2080 max-q, I know it is not the same as a Desktop Nvidia card, but still I was expecting better times for a simple 128 sample scene.

I am wondering if experienced users could give me some tips to improve times and quality.

My questions:

  • The image seems to be little bit washed out, with kind of dull results. Do you think I need to add area lights in order to improve it? I can see there is almost no contrast between the scale and the backdrop, plus there are no shadows casting from the scale on the surface, even with the HDR.

  • Do you think the time that the image took could be improved?

  • Would I benefit from using E-Cycles? Not sure if RTX laptop version also are capable of using the features that E-Cycles provide.

Please feel free to comment.

Edit: I added one area light on top and the render time went down to 1 min…
I guess something to learn there.

Scale_2
Scale_21920×1920 1.14 MB

2

It might be the issues about the result are related to the kind of HDR you are using. The advantage of HDRs is mostly to get something nice reflected from glossy surfaces, which make the mirror-effect more convincing. To see more depth with this kind of (mostly?) diffuse surfaces, directed light is important. Many HDRs have that, too, but the fact that there is no shadow and the general flatness of the result suggest that it is not the case with the one used here. Also I believe HDRs produce more noise than lamps.

I would suggest to create a simple lighting setup without an HDR and improve from there. Use a single-color world background and a single sun lamp and see what it gives you.

3

Thank you for such great feedback and insights. I will try to use a high contrast HDR + direct lights.
The reason why I would like to approach the scene via HDR is the diversity of color/detail of reflection on the brightest parts of the ruler/scale I can achieve. If you look in detail the colored strips are reflecting the environment although, not very efficiently.

I believe HDR heaven has this high contrast images.
Really appreciate your time and dedication to take a look. Best!