# Shadows Strengthen Light - Blender 4.5.6 Cycles **URL:** \ **Category:** Finished Projects\ **Tags:** modeling, texturing, render, lighting, animation\ **Created:** [June 2, 2026, 5:37pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/shadows-strengthen-light-blender-4-5-6-cycles/1643161 "2026-06-02T17:37:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kousera.j](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/kousera.j/32/1492737_2.png) [@kousera.j](https://blenderartists.org/u/kousera.j)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 5:37pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/shadows-strengthen-light-blender-4-5-6-cycles/1643161/1 "2026-06-02T17:37:10Z")
_ **Shadows Strengthen Light.** _ _The darker it is, the brighter the light. The brighter it is, the more shadows are cast. Light and shadows both compliment each other._ ![0108](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/e/0/e/e0e81063c9649028c31ab971f2a502fc44a8a047.png) _ **Story Idea** _ _The Witch is conjuring lightning upon the castle through her magic. The weather is affected: the wind grows heavier, clouds swirl faster. Yet despite the storm, her surroundings remain eerily still — trees show no movement, fog drifts slowly, as if frozen by her spell._ _ **Concept:** _ _In this project, the witch is the center point of shadows — conjuring lightning upon the castle. The moon casts the brightest light, illuminating the entire scene, while shadows and fog breathe life into the environment._ https://player.vimeo.com/video/1194366785?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479 _ **Breakdown & Standalone Renders** _ _ **Witch Silhouette:** _ _The witch was modelled with simple shapes, but I added details to her staff and book — including paper that isn’t visible in the final video but adds to the environment for me._ https://player.vimeo.com/video/1197769492?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479 ![42th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/0/b/8/0b84f17c644667337bd785682f19c0658c6c9706.png) ![45th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/0/a/70a9e5f455e78dfdb61bca7dd1dcb2932f891a16.png) ![46th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/b/e/8/be82140b4e615594d341b74dc3319ac448cb1f19.png) ![42th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/0/b/8/0b84f17c644667337bd785682f19c0658c6c9706.png) ![40th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/b/3/8/b3805f572c28599cd1c163af5de9e14c3fde47c2.png) ![41th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/d/e/d/ded4d8a227f742417788748d6bb606716e550e31.png) ![45th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/0/a/70a9e5f455e78dfdb61bca7dd1dcb2932f891a16.png) ![43th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/4/f/b/4fb0a6cd6e4245c5bd1e150bb2af6942234244ee.png) ![44th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/4/f/e/4fe5edd30ca6b0b9c26225573c8732e0e7ddab5b.png) _ **Book** _ ![50th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/f/a/1/fa1ef4f99ab738b1dc4823b41cd5e14b3fb664f5.png) ![52th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/4/1/3/413125d4a72fd6db64bdc128c87b24997c1996af.png) ![56th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/2/2/e/22ed7711a88cc6161e930ce3d738b4daaa2bfece.png) ![55th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/9/4/794a40d9c5bd5c11bc2d2a7174ffec3001e71d9f.png) ![Book Paper](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/e/8/a/e8a4df5c0b8c593c94eae6a49685def4ec617594.png) _ **Staff** _ ![49th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/6/7/2/6728caaddc480b5087198561d99a6513494cb3e2.png) ![48th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/0/e/4/0e42b2e28ceebcd97394dcd5ec7873c9716b64bf.png) ![47th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/8/8/6/8866c74269c6bab4461966e0bd2950722e572a8b.png) _ **Castle:** _ When I first modelled and textured the castle, it looked more like a princess fortress and didn’t match the Shadows theme. By adjusting lighting, I transformed its appearance into something grimy. ![18th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/e/c/b/ecb534838c9974e00daeeae351e7f6517c4ae50d.png) ![57th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/9/2/3/9238b7293fe8e292feb7f0f325606b525d742ba3.png) ![18th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/e/c/b/ecb534838c9974e00daeeae351e7f6517c4ae50d.png) ![19th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/e/3/2/e320837fe667493a39f42de68d8ed15058b8c1df.png) ![57th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/9/2/3/9238b7293fe8e292feb7f0f325606b525d742ba3.png) _ **Ground & Fog:** _ The ground was simply modelled and​​​​​​​ sculpted with dark materials. The ground fog was created with a shader and animated for subtle movement, adding life to the environment. ![21th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/8/3/b/83bdd26a21ca37a4fe7a68831ca273e514a83477.png) ![20th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/8/d/9/8d9fce3fc03f03ec92dcb77a0d5f509a87e62072.png) ![23th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/2/e/72eb33371337bc7945df507a3e7157e503ff866a.png) ![22th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/c/7/e/c7e8d5ea6bd1591c8ca8201b9bd523ee5b62dc8c.png) _ **Moon:** _ For the moon, I used a NASA moon map to achieve realistic surface detail. Then added emission and a light source to make it glow. ![27th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/3/5/c/35c55669bc37d675b3327dc9e7ac96ebd07645d2.png) ![26th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/6/6/b/66b0d8e7cc1abca583a36639be38617fd4d50121.png) _ **Moon Texture.** _ ![lroc_color_2k](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/8/8/78857527d41eed9a694ec9cb2e09073b3fb1f67d.jpeg) _ **Clouds:** _ _ **- Behind the moon:** _\* Animated world shader creates swirling atmospheric motion.\* ![25th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/d/a/e/dae3f85270c340b9aeb62ec696614f3e99743b95.png) ![Screenshot From 2026-06-02 22-12-18](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/1/a/2/1a290ff6fca0a16ee3cb56d741a8dc972e57ca2d.png) [_(It was achieved by following this tutorial.)_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuqePxQHGP4) _ **- In front of the moon:** A plane with the same shader but different colors, animated at a slower speed for layered depth._ ![24th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/a/1/2/a12fa4487962d10948ea63a4c6b6b54767d1c602.png) ![Screenshot From 2026-06-02 22-09-44](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/3/f/9/3f9499c1203da3a1c6fdc413a152a81ab8819bee.png) _(Then copying the world shader nodes to a plane and by deleted unwanted nodes I achieved the result above)_ _ **Lightning Effect:** _ _The lightning is a modelled mesh, animated to strike. It adds extra detail to the camera shot._ https://player.vimeo.com/video/1197769493?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479 _ **- slowed down version** _ https://player.vimeo.com/video/1197769495?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479 ![16th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/0/7/7073b8f8115f9cafbcf34f12092f8d9b620ac4cc.png) ![17th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/3/8/f/38f784f4b8136bb3e5964a4caba7a8357b4fb61a.png) [_(I followed this tutorial for Lightining.)_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE-vT1ekvrs&t=13s) This tutorial uses grease pencil for Lightining but my whole project was done for cycles for better shadows and lighting. so I converted grease pencil to mesh. use a build modifier and instead of opacity modifier (which is for grease pencil) I keyframed Render visibility. [It took one day to figure it all, that’s why I’m sharing it here] 🙂 _ **Trees:** _ _I created four variations of trees and scattered them throughout the scene to fill the environment._ ![28th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/3/9/b/39b114d7b6aa358dc2a3d718c4b4552fa4d5bc88.png) ![33th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/4/c/2/4c27d6d9ff63765c623512668b9399a24d7d9a12.png) ![29th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/8/7/7876515b0ef368b32a0d28f3ba57bff557dd37a3.png) ![30th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/5/7/6/576eb898037644de177cce5ee846ae9f4d4223ee.png) ![32th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/c/c/5/cc5f3e51510b9433c3b818cc713cc5c6bba1ab07.png) ![31th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/b/2/4/b24c77214032dfebdedeea8be38535d81089ef57.png) ![34th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/b/b/1/bb1b0f6c3ab2f27f5bd6bb48560a054158ce6b33.png) ![35th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/e/4/7/e47b5828a1879bb5bb720dbd1d9cf418519cda8d.png) ![36th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/3/d/7/3d73430ebb0aa31ea9f4697a8de112e28fb1bcbe.png) ![37th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/5/4/0/54015a999b52c9f20b5b957032f906e8e61c7bf9.png) ![38th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/0/b/1/0b10a258832c2adef973aa224ee004e95eb05a0b.png) ![39th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/6/3/3/63378d80ec7123d27e6da33e3b910f36a0b338ba.png) [_(Tutorial I used for Trees)_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDXB3SDQHYw) _ **Extra Renders** _ ![0079](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/f/7/2/f72edf1afd36489392a81600d345c19d09c1d322.png) ![Untitled](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/3/d/c/3dc26d7369ee4928b58f53615fee096f88b181a5.png) ![Untitled1](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/0/d/0/0d02533100321b66e1c0b7d1d5a12a99a3dcc8a1.png) ![Untitled2](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/f/5/7f5a3e8ad9265da9d00f8954f776b51f7a84fe8c.png) ![12th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/b/f/b/bfbd411366e7428c1b7d1f572339f23975ea7f26.png) ![11th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/2/1/a/21a11882a94bad2fa3ef21fb04ede48128a8ad96.png) ![15th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/e/1/0/e10e084533008f61219b964a6de715c5ad6a7fd1.png) ![Untitled3](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/c/2/d/c2da7e8521aa6d11d3ad79b8ca980c981237b3a3.png) ![Untitled4](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/e/9/4/e940c4a0b17701ce0ea4e633705dfd7c70631dfd.png) ![13th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/0/7/7/0776629b4d892e4217e968a7e171bfdb239abc45.png) ![14th Render](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/b/3/4/b3464f1334061bae70ecb3f02a210b48b1c5a904.png) _ **Reference Image​​​​​​​s** _ ![References](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/7/9/f/79fba53311a799178b133ad8354ab05c0a1741b8.png) _ **Project Statement:** _ _I created this project to take part in The Rookies monthly challenge “Shadows.” Since I discovered the challenge late (around May 11), I began working on May 12 with only 11 days left before the deadline. At first, I was worried whether I could finish in time, but I set myself the goal of producing a short clip with an animated environment and a shadowy figure. It felt like too much work for such a short timeframe, especially as this was my first attempt at something like this._ _Despite my worries, I managed to complete the project in just 7 days, including rendering and video editing — an entirely awesome experience for me. The whole project was created using Blender, and for editing I used Kdenlive, combining free sound effects and music (no attribution required) with my rendered animation to achieve the final result shown above. Through this process, I gained a deeper understanding of lighting, materials, and keyframing. I also made mistakes that I’ve noted to avoid in future projects. Beyond the technical side, this project represents my passion for fantasy themes and my ambition to grow as a 3D animator._ _Thanks for taking the time to view my work — every comment or critique helps me grow. I’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions to help me improve future projects._ _ **Note:** _ _I didn’t make it to the finalists or winners of The Rookies challenge, but I’m proud of what I created and happy to share it here. This project was an important step in my learning journey, and I value the experience as much as the result._ _**[My Rookies Entry](https://www.therookies.co/entries/47040)**_ _**[My Project on Behance](https://www.behance.net/gallery/250310375/Shadows-Strengthen-Light-Rookies-Contest)**_ ---
**Author:** ![bartv](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/bartv/32/1477233_2.png) [@bartv](https://blenderartists.org/u/bartv)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/shadows-strengthen-light-blender-4-5-6-cycles/1643161/2 "2026-06-06T14:48:34Z")
I featured you on BlenderNation, have a great weekend! > **[Best of Blender Artists: 2026-23](https://www.blendernation.com/2026/06/06/best-of-blender-artists-2026-23/)** > > Every week, hundreds of artists share their work on the Blender Artists forum. I'm putting some of the best work in the spotlight in a weekly post here on BlenderNation. ---
**Author:** ![kousera.j](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/kousera.j/32/1492737_2.png) [@kousera.j](https://blenderartists.org/u/kousera.j)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/shadows-strengthen-light-blender-4-5-6-cycles/1643161/3 "2026-06-06T19:33:05Z")
Thank you 😊.