Mastering the Black Point
Use this trick to add depth and realism to your images
In last week’s article, I talked about the importance of training your artistic eye as the key to building a long career as an artist. Software, tools, technology, and the 3D industry will forever be in constant flux, but if you have a well-trained eye ready to comprehend and create beautiful images, you’ll be fine.
Over the next few weeks and months, I'll be throwing in some write-ups about aesthetic techniques and tricks I've picked up from spending countless hours in dark screening rooms, staring at massive images projected on the wall, and listening to brilliant people talk about the art of image-making.
First things first... let's talk black points.
How Did I Learn About Black Points?
How did I stumble upon the concept of black points, you ask? Well, let's rewind back to the year 2010. Katy Perry's "California Gurls" and Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" were blaring through everyone's shiny new iPhone 4s. Internet Explorer was still ruling the web browsing game, and some poor souls in China were trapped in a monstrous 62-mile traffic jam for a mind-boggling 12 days.
At that time, I was wrapping up my gig as a Lighting Artist on the film "Rio" and was assigned to help out the Compositing Artists with those final touches that make the movie truly magical. Now, for those not familiar with the film industry, compositing artists are the wizards who bring together various visual elements and seamlessly merge them into a final shot. They work their magic by combining live-action footage, computer-generated renders, matte paintings, and other visual effects to create stunning and technically flawless images.
Now, the senior artists I worked with were doing some mind-blowing stuff. They created breathtaking matte paintings, used 2.5D projections, and even generated 3D imagery within the compositing tools. It was pure sorcery, turning a basic shot into something absolutely glorious that matched the director's vision.
And then there was me. My job was handling the more straightforward tasks, like making minor color adjustments and cleaning up any visual flaws in the final images. If a foot was floating a bit above the ground, I was the guy meticulously painting a shadow frame by frame.
So there I was, attending my very first compositing daily reviews. I had been part of lighting dailies for a couple of years by then, so I had some experience under my belt. I walked in, sat down with my coffee and notepad, and the first shot came up. The supervisor and leads started giving their feedback, nothing out of the ordinary. But then a shot appeared, and the Compositing Supervisor, Dan Cayer, looked at it and asked the room, "Black points?" And Ari Rubenstein, the compositing lead on the sequence, replied with a resounding "Black points." This call-and-response continued for a few more shots.
Let me be clear: I had no clue what they were talking about. So when my first shot appeared, I winced a little. And, as luck would have it, I received the dreaded black points note.
So what did I do? I did what I always do in that situation. I wrote it down, circled a dozen times, and returned to my desk, desperately Googling for an answer.
But in the end, there was only one thing to do. I swallowed my pride, admitted my ignorance, and scheduled a meeting with Ari to get schooled. Luckily, he was patient and kind and explained that they were referring to layering the black points in a shot to create a sense of depth. It was a small but crucial part of what's known as Aerial Perspective.
What is Aerial Perspective?
Aerial Perspective, also called atmospheric perspective, is a technique artists use to add depth and distance to their two-dimensional artworks. It mimics the way the atmosphere affects the appearance of objects as they recede into the distance. This includes changes in saturation, tone, clarity, and, you guessed it, the black points of the image.
In this technique, objects in the distance appear lighter in value compared to those in the foreground. The air particles scatter light, making it look more diffused. As a result, the contrast between light and dark diminishes, creating a softer and less defined appearance. Additionally, depending on the specific particles in the air, distant objects might take on a cooler color palette.
This impacts the dark values immensely. You can see in the image below how the "black” area gets lighter and shifts more blue as it recedes into space.
Compare that to this image of the moon without atmospheric perspective and you can feel that lack of spacial depth and comprehending distance.
By using aerial perspective, artists can create a convincing sense of depth and space, making their artwork more realistic and captivating to viewers. It's commonly employed in shots featuring expansive environments.
How Do Your Actually Do It in 3D?
Now, how do we actually make adjustments to the black points in a 3D environment? Well, the most common method involves generating a render that calculates the depth of objects in the scene. This could be done through a z-depth pass, an atmospheric fog render, or an AOV in an EXR file—whatever works for you to create clean masks for different image sections at various distances from the camera.
Once you have those masks, you bring them into software like Photoshop, Nuke, or After Effects to composite the final image. This is where you tweak the black points to achieve the desired look, ensuring that the scene falls back into space convincingly.
One important note: working with a base render in the EXR file format is best. This way, there’s pixel data in any dark areas, so when you lift the values, you won't end up with a dull gray output but something with detail and life.
Use Counting to Help
So, how do you evaluate whether the layering of black points is effective in your image? Well, I always use the counting method. I look at the image and ensure there are clear areas where it moves back into space. I start counting from 1 to 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on, going deeper into space. I know I'm on the right track if I notice distinct differences in the black points at each step.
Oh, and here's another thing: this technique isn't just limited to wide, scenic shots. I often use it in close-ups or tight shots when I want to guide the audience's focus to a specific part of the action. The adjustments might be more subtle, but they can elevate your work and have a profound impact.
Do I Still Need to Worry About This?
Won’t AI-Generated Images Take Care of it?
You might be wondering if AI can handle this automatically in the future.
Eh, not really.
AI will speed up the image creation process tremendously, allowing us to generate dozens of images in the time it currently takes to render just one frame. And of course, some AI tools might handle the black points well, but others will fall short.
That's where your knowledge and control over black points come into play. Regardless of the tools used to create the image, it's ultimately up to you, the artist, to control the final result. Even if the AI generates images with technically perfect black points, that alone won't be enough. In the film industry, we often make deliberate choices to bend reality in favor of aesthetic beauty. If something looks technically correct but feels lackluster, nobody will care how “physically accurate it is.”
You might be thinking, "Well, I can just instruct the AI to make the changes I want." But here's the thing: if you don't have the training to identify the issue in the first place, you'll look at the image and think something's "off." You won't have the know-how or the right terminology to make the necessary adjustments.
Having a solid understanding of black points and aerial perspective allows you to analyze existing images and make modifications that take them to the next level. Whether you're working with Nuke, text prompts, or even some futuristic cyborg producer reading your mind, your well-trained eye will determine the outcome.
So keep honing that artistic eye, my artsy friends, and embrace the power to create stunning visuals that captivate and inspire!
3D News of the Week
A roundup of interesting 3D related news you may have missed this week.
Cannes: How South Korea Became a VFX Powerhouse - hollywoodreporter.com
Optical dogs, Dailies and the Origin of ‘CBB’: 40 years of ‘Jedi’ - beforeandafters.com
Meta and BMW: Taking AR and VR Experiences on the Road - about.fb.com
Create & remix interactive rooms from your browser - rooms.xyz
Making a Stylized Ancient Temple Scene in ZBrush, Substance 3D & UE5 - 80.lv
Artist of the Week
This week’s featured artist is a bit different. This week we are recognizing a collective project. Directed by Pixar Animator Shad Lee Bradbury. This award-winning animated short film was created as a love letter to Bradbury’s dog Totti. Over 300 Artists from around the world volunteered over five years of their time and talent to help bring this story to life.
3D Tutorials
This week I released a free Substance 3D Painter Course on YouTube but this week I wanted to highlight the big announcement from Adobe that the Generative AI tool Firefly is now in the beta version of Photoshop. Here is a quick tutorial on one way you can use it as a part of your 3D Workflow.
3D Job Spreadsheet
Link to Google Doc With A TON of Jobs in Animation (not operated by me)
Michael Tanzillo has been a Senior Artist on animated films at Blue Sky Studios/Disney with credits including three Ice Age movies, two Rios, Peanuts, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, and Epic. Currently, Michael is a Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D Growth team at Adobe.
In addition to his work as an artist, Michael is the Co-Author of the book Lighting for Animation: The Visual Art of Storytelling and the Co-Founder of The Academy of Animated Art, an online school that has helped hundreds of artists around the world begin careers in Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Imaging.
www.michaeltanzillo.com
Free 3D Tutorials on the Michael Tanzillo YouTube Channel
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