How to Perceive Sky Color?
How well can you read the sky? Are you able to decode the location purely by its colors - hue and brightness? That's quite a handy skill to have. Especially if you're a 3d artist. So let's dive into mastering the color of the midday sky, today!
Topics covered:
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01.
Common Knowledge
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02.
Clear Blue Sky
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03.
Atmosphere Impact
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04.
Well-Informed Decision
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05.
Color Approach
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06.
Color Strategy
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07.
Common Mistakes
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08.
Examples
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09.
Color Science
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10.
Conclusion
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11.
Annotations / Links
Common Knowledge
Clear Blue Sky
Atmosphere Impact
Well-Informed Decision
Color Approach
Color Strategy
Common Mistakes
Examples
Clear sky creates a dramatic juxtaposition with the vivid fabric cover. The bottom tint indicates dusty conditions.
Technique: Sun & sky with bottom clouds pasted on top of it
The colors of the sky are very vibrant and provide the image with a commercial punch. Deep shadows and elevated mid-ranges create a fresh seaside feeling.
Technique: Backplate integration
Natural, slightly desaturated sky puts the main subject in the spotlight.
Technique: HDRI
The composition is built around the vertical cloud formation. Pale, cyan-shifted sky indicates humid, convective conditions.
Technique: Backplate integration
Color Science
Cyan / Blue Range
On the left graph, we can see how many pixels fall into the specific color spectrum. On the right, the graph shows 0% saturation in the center and reaches 75% at the marked points. Interestingly enough, there’s a consistent range of hues that peaks in the middle between cyan and blue (shown both on the left/right graph). Do you notice how the colors create an arc on the right graph? That means more saturated colors tend to go blue, and desaturated colors shift towards cyan. Let’s dig a little deeper.
Brightness Range
On the left, you can see a “Waveform,” which tells you the brightness of the pixels. The brightest colors rarely go above 90% (besides the white spike in the center.) If you check the colors on the scope, you can also notice that the higher we go, the whiter the colors are (desaturated). Pixels below 65% seem to have more color (saturation)Brightness / Saturation Relationship
When images get lighter and more saturated, they become cyan, while darker and paler ones will be moved further towards magenta. We can see it very clearly in our example chart, even though we directly change brightness and saturation only. So, anytime you make adjustments, be aware of the nature of colors and compensate for it if needed.
Conclusion
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