Does this sound familiar: you desperately want to create nature scene for your portfolio, but don’t know where to start? Or you are struggling with particle systems and end up making a boring grass lawn (insane render time included)? Then watch this tutorial.
In this tutorial which we will go through creating a nature render in Blender, step by step. Actually, it will take us only 10 steps to get the result.
We are also going to use The Grass Essentials pack by Andrew Price. I’m sure you have heard about it, because Blender community seems to go crazy about it. 😉
Having a Nature Render in Your Portfolio is Beneficial, Even if You Specialize in Machinery.
It doesn’t matter if you are well-versed in making hard surface industrial drills, it is still okay to try something new an make a nature render.
Why?
1. Showcase your lighting skills (subsurface scattering, translucency, complex objects)
2. Brag about complex particle systems
3. Rare opportunity to obtain a dominantly green picture. No kidding. If you love green.
“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.”
Hal Borland
The Interest for Nature Renders is Still Huge
I was pretty much obliged to talk one more time about creating nature renders.
Why?
Because the previous How to Make a Grass Field tutorial gathered nearly 100.000 views on Youtube. Amazing! For me, it means that the interest for nature renders is very high. Before we move on to actual tutorial, I’d want to say thanks to each one of you and keep being awesome!
One more reason behind it was the exposure which The Grass Essentials Pack gained in Blender community. Having tested it extensively, I want to share with you one more way of using the Grass Essentials Pack.
Hopefully, just by following this advice you will eventually make a nice nature render for your portfolio.
This is especially true if you just begin struggling with greenery, and have troubles with overly complex scenes and mind-boggling particle settings.
Want to Learn More About Lighting in Nature?
Discover a new way to look at lighting in nature scenes by reading this tutorial.
Imagine a brightly glowing grass blades, swaying in the wind. What you actually see here is the light itself, captured inside a translucent foliage. While probably you can’t see the light photons traveling through space, you can see how they interact with matter.
Original Blender Tutorial: How to Make a Grass Field
Watch the tutorial which started it all. Over its lifetime, it received nearly 100.000 views, woah!
Bonus Tutorial: 5 Tips for Creating a Wild Grass Field, That Looks Believable
And here is even more learning (as if you aren’t tired of it already).
If you feel like learning some tips and tricks on making a digital nature, make sure to check this tutorial.
I have compiled some useful bits to help you with complex grass scenes like the ones you see on the picture.
Where Can I Get the Grass Essentials?
On Blender Guru website. Or alternatively, you can buy it using my referral link. I will appreciate it, because if you make a purchase using this link, I will receive the percentage of its cost. And it will let me to renew my coffee supplies. Sure thing.
Share Your Renders in the Comments!
Rendered nature? Feel free to share it in the comments together with the link to your blog/website/social media.
Nathan L.
Great to see an entire workflow in a tutorial! I want to try some nature scenes now!
Gleb Alexandrov
Share the results afterwards! 🙂
sommarviking
inspiring… but a clear lack of shrimps :p
Gleb Alexandrov
oh yeah!
Stepan Komisov
Спасибо за хороший урок Глеб, как всегда очень полезно. Кстати не знал где написать, поэтому напишу тут, заметил что на мобильных устройствах меню на сайте (pie menu) работает немного не корректно (разворачивается а при закрытие переходит на главную страницу) и подтормаживает.
Gleb Alexandrov
Thanks, I’ll check the pie menu and see what I can do to fix it.
Спасибо, попробую пофиксить меню.
J.y. Amihud
подфиксить lol … You’ve got russian and english blended LOL
Stepan Komisov
By the way, Gleb, you have huge experience with Light, could you tell how to make a glow light bulb?
Stepan Komisov
Like this one
p.s. cant share pic in post bellow
Gleb Alexandrov
That would be interesting, I think I’ll do it later on. At first glance seems very simple thing, but I know it can be tricky to make.
Stepan Komisov
It will be great, i’ll check for new tuts! Thanks!
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Alex Kelly
Hi Gleb. Thanks for latest #glebspeedtut on nature renders.
I have a couple of questions for you about the node setup at 2.45:
1. Why do you use translucency and subsurface node?
2. Why do you have the fresnel node controlling the glossy node?
3. Also should glossy shaders always come after the diffuse shaders in the node chain?
4. Finally how about making an advanced #glebspeedtut on node setups for materials and also composting (maybe that’s two different tuts though 😉 )?
Adam
This is what i got 🙂
Gleb Alexandrov
Ah, very cool, Adam! Reminds me about grapes and when I refocus my vision, looks like olives 🙂 All in all, we can relax by looking at this picture.
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Blender Crystals
Thanks for the tutorial Gleb Alexandrov! You make it so easy! This is my result!
Gleb Alexandrov
I like it and thanks so much for sharing your artwork!
I wouldn’t mind, though, if the main plant was a bit more separated from the background, and the shadows were more pronounced. Maybe, we can achieve it by changing the angle of the sun? (to make it hit the grass from the side, like during sunset).
Cheers!
Blender Crystals
Hey Gleb!! Thanks for the critique! Is this better?
Gleb Alexandrov
In my opinion, it’s A LOT better already! 😉
What we can do from that point is:
1. add aerial perspective
2. tilt camera a bit to make composition more dynamic
3. add light and contrast to the main plant
I’m attaching a very rough sketch of what I mean.
Thanks!
Blender Crystals
Thanks once again Gleb! Here is my updated version…
Gleb Alexandrov
Cool 🙂 Thanks, mate.
Blender Crystals
Thanks! 😉 If you don’t mind answering, how could I get more contrast on the main plant?
Gleb Alexandrov
Try placing the additional light to illuminate it (maybe the spotlight?).
Blender Crystals
Thanks so much for all your help!! This is my final result! (Not much of a difference from the last one though.)
Gleb Alexandrov
Anyway, it’s cool that you are moving forward. Keep it up! Looking forward to your new artworks. 🙂
Blender Crystals
I tried your Si-fi option of this image and I loved the result!! 😉
kman
created this after watching your tutorial….modeled everything myself so it took much longer than your video….
Gleb Alexandrov
Mate, that looks cool! Especially the veins on the leaf. Did you sculpt it?
Java
Hey Geleb, when I tried to make the particle system, all my models showed up rotated sideways, how do I fix this? Really cool tutorial btw.
thisisprabha
Hi i have 2 sugesstion
1. change origin(small orange color dot) to bottom of ur object…..
2. try rotation tab in particles……
both 2 worked foe me…….
Guest
Hey Gleb, thanks for all the great tutorials!!
Gleb Alexandrov
Thank you!
thisisprabha
After i playing with ur techniques finally it worth…….Grass looks fine for me….. thanks @Spelle:disqus
Gleb Alexandrov
You are welcome 😉
Piotr Jędrzejko
I’m fighting with nature recently (Spring at last!).
Gleb Alexandrov
Be careful, tomatoes are freaking hard to make look right 🙂 But you have a chance!
vernitasquad.nanc
Hi Gleb,
You make me feeling free as a bug 😉
First time I was using SSS in a render. Not understanding everything about it for now but amazed to see how it’s efficient.
I’m starting to stick around with your lighting open project and already want to thank you for bringing the light to my mind 😉
Thanks for your awesome work and gorgeous art.
Daniel Krafft
Hey @Gleb Alexandrov I came up with this and it works as a desktop background! I had to model it myself and since it was my first plant render it took awhile to get right. Do you have any suggestions?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fb931c247cc08770319109379e274aca511a9148aa739c1638bf9e06084d4855.png
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