ENTOURAGE BLENDING
ENTOURAGE BLENDING TECHNIQUES PART I, II & III
Lighting is a very important aspect of a rendering. Adjusting the lighting correctly will make the rendering seem more realistic. With this tutorial, I will be sharing some techniques on how to blend entourage to your image.
PART I - NATURAL LIGHTING
A | BASE IMAGE
We can start by observing the main aspects of the background image. With natural lighting, you will notice that the shadows are well defined and with a strong contrast.
In this case, the overall tones of the image are very similar to each other, this should inform your choice of entourage. When choosing the entourage, ask questions like: Do I want the entourage to blend in? Do I want it to stand out? What story am I trying to tell?
B | ENTOURAGE
In this case, I chose a cut-out of a girl with lots of bright colors. The colors are shifting the focus from the overall image to the new entourage, so blending it in will be very important.
By just bringing in this cut-out, we notice that there isn’t a strong contrast to the cut-out like we can see in the background. We also notice that without adding a shadow to the chair, the cut-out does not seem integrated with the overall image.
C | FINAL IMAGE
If you watch the video provided at the begining of this tutorial, you will see all of the steps to adjust the overall tones of the cut-out, as well as lighting.
To adjust the lighting, use the Dodge & Burn tool. When doing so, make sure to pay attention to sun angle. Take a look at the other objects in the scene as a guide when editing the new entourage. In this case, the right side of the objects are brighter than the left side. Do this with the cut-out.
The shadow in the chair is important so the cut-out becomes part of the image. Match the color of the shadow to the shadows on the floor and the chair.
PART II - EVENING LIGHTING
A | BASE IMAGE
Evening lighting does not have a strong contrast like natural lighting. Notice how the image has even tones, and shadows have soft edges.
In this case, the overall tones of the image are very similar to each other, there isn’t a strong focal point. This will help us when choosing the entourage.
B | ENTOURAGE
In this case, I chose a cut-out of a woman with bright but even colors. The overall mood of the image is calm, so her expression also blends in well.
For the cut-out to become part of the image, we will be bringing some of the cooler tones, to the entourage.
C | FINAL IMAGE
The overall mood of the image is also very important. Blending the entourage, but also choosing to highlight important areas will help you tell the story.
In this case, we are focusing on her face and expression, so use the Dodge & Burn tool to highlight it.
PART III - INTERIOR LIGHTING
A | BASE IMAGE
Indoor lighting requires a much more delicate approach. There isn’t much contrast like the other views, and the tones of the objects aren’t being affected by strong lighting.
The shadows are very soft, just enough to ground all of the objects.
B | ENTOURAGE
In this case, I chose a cut-out of a woman with colors similar to the overall tone of the image, but with more saturated colors.
Make sure the entourage does not have high contrast lighting, since it is situated in an interior setting.
C | FINAL IMAGE
Besides adjusting the overall colors and saturation, there shouldn’t be much lighting adjustment in the entourage.
In this case, I added some brightness to the face, as well as shadow in the chair, just enough to blend everything nicely.
Any questions or suggestions? Leave a comment!
Renderings and Tutorial by Stefani Fachini