A comment about my lighting made me rethink everything

Someone on here told me my digital portraits looked flat because I was using only one light source. At first I was annoyed, but I tried adding a rim light on the left side for my next piece and it made a huge difference. Now I always set up at least two virtual lights in Procreate before I start painting. Has anyone else had a simple critique that totally upgraded their work?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucashart1mo ago

Three point lighting was the game changer for me after someone pointed out I was missing a backlight. It added that separation from the background that made my portraits pop instead of looking like stickers. Now I always have a rim light on the back side of the head and it fixes that flat look immediately.

jamesfox1mo ago

That video by Marco Bucci about edge lighting really stuck with me after someone on here said my work lacked depth. He explained how a rim light acts like a thin line of light wrapping around the form, which is exactly what my portraits were missing. Once I started painting that bright highlight along the jawline and shoulder edges, everything suddenly had shape and weight. It doesn't even have to be super bright, just a touch of warm light on one side changes the whole mood. My characters stopped looking like paper cutouts and started feeling like they belonged in the scene. Best part is you can fake it with just a couple of layers and a soft brush, so it's easy to add to any piece.