3D Lighting 101 with Nomad Sculpt

Overview

Welcome to 3D Lighting 101 with Dave Reed, where you’ll learn how to master lighting techniques that bring your 3D models and sculpts to life. Whether you use Nomad Sculpt or any other 3D software, the fundamentals of how light interacts with surfaces remain the same—and that’s what this course focuses on. Lighting can make or break the impact of your artwork, so Dave shares his passion and expertise to help you craft dynamic, realistic lighting setups that showcase your creations in the best possible way. This course is perfect for 3D artists, sculptors, and digital creators who want to deepen their understanding of lighting effects such as roughness, metalness, glow, and color dynamics. By the end of this course, you will be able to confidently apply different lighting techniques to enhance textures, materials, and moods within your scenes. You’ll also get hands-on experience with customizable 3D character and shape files, plus sample environments and background images to practice your skills. To succeed in this course, you should have basic familiarity with 3D sculpting or modeling and a general understanding of your preferred 3D software interface. Join Dave to illuminate your work and take your 3D art to the next level! Instructor hio: Dave Reed is a 2D and 3D illustrator and digital creator based in Brooklyn, New York. He holds a BFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, where he developed his craft in both traditional and digital mediums. With a passion for visual storytelling and design, Dave brings a creative and practical approach to his teaching, helping learners build the skills and confidence to create their own illustrations and digital art.

Syllabus

Getting Started with 3D Lighting

This module introduces you to Nomad Sculpt’s lighting capabilities. You’ll learn the essential workspace setup, explore core material properties like roughness and metalness, and discover how to make your objects glow for visual impact. By the end, you’ll be ready to approach more complex lighting setups with confidence.

Core Lighting Techniques

In this module, you’ll dive deeper into practical lighting design techniques. You’ll master adding and refining multiple lights, use color to enhance visual storytelling, and fine-tune surfaces to interact beautifully with light.

Advanced Lighting Styles

This module focuses on developing consistent lighting themes. You’ll learn how to craft a visual mood through layered light adjustments, ensuring your scenes have both artistic coherence and technical polish.

Project Lighting & Finalization

The final module guides you through applying your new skills to a complete project. From prepping a model to implementing creative lighting effects, you’ll bring your own 3D work to life and render it with professional-quality lighting.