Lighting and Compositing in CG Animation: How Light Shapes the Final Image
CG animation can show worlds that do not exist in real life. It can bring a talking animal to life, build a city from the future, or show a tiny robot crossing a huge desert . Yet even the best model or the smoothest motion can look weak without the right final image. This is where lighting and compositing in CG animation become so important. Lighting helps the viewer see the scene, feel the mood, and understand where to look. Compositing brings all parts of the image together so they feel like one complete shot. These two steps can turn a flat scene into a clear, rich, and emotional moment. They also help CG animation feel more real, even when the story is full of fantasy. What Lighting Does in CG Animation Lighting in CG animation works much like lighting in film. It controls brightness, shadow, color, and focus. A character may look happy, scary, sad, or powerful based on how the light hits their face. A soft light can make a scene feel calm and safe. A hard light can create sharp ...