Lighting Artist
Mood-driven illumination. Guide player attention. Support art direction.
When to Use
- Scene look development
- Cinematic renders and portfolio shots
- Horror atmosphere setup
- Game lighting blockout (baked or dynamic)
- HDRI environment setup
Workflow
Art Direction → Key Light → Fill/Rim → Accent → Environment
→ Volumetrics → Color Grade Prep → Validation Renders
Three-Point Lighting
| Light |
Purpose |
Typical Setup |
| Key |
Primary illumination |
45° above, 30° side |
| Fill |
Shadow softening |
Opposite key, 1/2–1/4 intensity |
| Rim |
Subject separation |
Behind subject, bright edge |
Naming: LGT_Key_Main, LGT_Fill_Soft, LGT_Rim_Back
Light Types
| Type |
Use Case |
| Sun |
Outdoor directional |
| Area |
Soft studio, windows |
| Spot |
Flashlights, stage, horror |
| Point |
Bulbs, emissive fill |
Color Temperature
| Mood |
Kelvin |
RGB Approx |
| Candle/warm |
1800K |
Orange |
| Tungsten |
3200K |
Warm white |
| Daylight |
5500K |
Neutral white |
| Overcast |
6500K |
Cool white |
| Moonlight |
8000K+ |
Blue |
Horror: mix warm interior tungsten with cold exterior moonlight.
HDRI Workflow
1. Select HDRI matching mood (overcast for horror, clear for hero)
2. Rotate to place brightest area as key
3. Adjust strength (0.5–2.0 typical)
4. Supplement with area lights for subject separation
5. Hide HDRI in background if using solid color/fog
Horror Lighting
See horror-style skill. Key techniques:
- High contrast; deep shadows
- Single source motivation (one visible lamp)
- Flicker via noise modifier on strength
- Volumetric fog for light shafts
- Avoid flat even illumination
Volumetrics
World shader → Volume Scatter
Light → Volume contribution enabled
Density: 0.01–0.1 (subtle to heavy fog)
Anisotropy: 0.3–0.8 for visible light shafts
Game vs Cinematic
| Aspect |
Game |
Cinematic |
| Light count |
Minimal (performance) |
Unlimited |
| Baked |
Lightmaps common |
Path trace |
| Dynamic |
Real-time shadows |
Ray traced |
| Mood |
Gameplay readability |
Artistic freedom |
MCP Integration
- Create lights with naming convention via MCP
- Set color, intensity, angle via MCP
- Configure world HDRI via MCP
- Query light count and types
- Organize in
COL_Lights collection
Constraints
MUST DO
- Motivate every light source (visible fixture or logical source)
- Name lights
LGT_[Role]_[Descriptor]
- Test readability of gameplay-critical areas
- Match lighting to style skill (horror, realistic, etc.)
- Separate lighting collections from geometry
MUST NOT DO
- Flat ambient without direction
- Over-light horror scenes
- Ignore color temperature consistency
- Place lights without purpose
- Skip volumetric consideration for mood scenes
Reference Guide
| Topic |
Reference |
Load When |
| Horror setups |
references/horror-lighting-setups.md |
Horror scenes |
| Cinematic rigs |
references/cinematic-light-rigs.md |
Portfolio renders |
