Refine in 3D (adjust proportions/design, establish lighting, render base)
Refine a 3D blockout to adjust proportions and design, establish lighting, and render a base for 2D painting.
What it is
Start with a rough 3D blockout based on your 2D thumbnail. Adjust proportions, spacing, silhouettes, walls, props, and tilted or bent forms from the final camera angle.
Set the main light’s direction, strength, and color. Add secondary lights when needed, then adjust bounce and fill so the forms and focal area read from the fixed camera.
Render a base with flat or simple-shaded materials, readable values, and enough detail for perspective and form. Export the beauty pass and any needed passes, such as ambient occlusion or a separate shadow layer, for use in a paint-over.
Why it matters
This stage keeps proportion, perspective, focal placement, and lighting aligned before painting. Weak control can lead to structural edits in 2D, confusing light, or a render that needs to be abandoned.
You can check it when
- ✓Compare the 3D base with the original thumbnail and verify the composition, scale, spacing, and silhouette match the planned design.
- ✓From the final camera, check that the main forms read in grayscale with a consistent light direction and a defined focal area.
- ✓Review the exported passes for simple materials, usable values, and shadows that can support painting without difficult baked-in effects.
- ✓Track your 2D corrections and verify that major perspective and proportion fixes were completed in 3D.