Wood (raw, painted)

Render raw and painted wood with visible structure, appropriate surface finish, and consistent lighting.

What it is

Wood structure includes grain lines, knots, end grain across a trunk, and long grain along it. Group grain into broad value bands and color shifts on large forms. Add sharper lines and knots where they support the focal area.

Raw wood is usually matte to semi-matte, with soft light transitions and small specular highlights, meaning bright reflected-light spots, on smoother surfaces. Keep light and shadow planes readable. End grain can be darker and more porous, with softer edges, visible pores, and a slightly different color.

Painted wood follows the paint's finish. Grain may appear as a low-contrast pattern or disappear under thick, opaque paint. Match highlights and reflections to a matte, satin, or glossy surface while retaining wood construction, such as planks, bevels, joints, and slight warps. Apply consistent wear across wooden props and scenes, including worn edges, chipped paint, touch-darkened areas, sun bleaching, water stains, and dirt in grooves.

Why it matters

Wood rendering helps distinguish raw and painted surfaces while showing their structure, age, use, and place in a scene. Weak control can make wood look like plastic, a flat color block, or a grain pattern placed over a flat shape.

You can check it when

✓Paint a wooden plank from imagination that reads as wood through its structure and surface treatment, without relying on cracks or surrounding props.
✓Render a wood cube under one light source with distinct long grain and end grain, then show painted wood with a readable finish and chips that expose raw wood.
✓Place a wooden object in a scene and check that its highlights, bounce light, shadow softness, grain, and wear match the lighting and material treatment around it.

Wood (raw, painted)

What it is

Why it matters

You can check it when

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