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The Art of Lighting for Games

The Art of Lighting for Games

A 10 week course introducing students to the theory of lighting, and how to follow AAA production as a Lighting Artist using tools and workflows within Unreal Engine 5.
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Overview Gallery Instructors Pricing Benefits

Understanding light for digital environments

Understanding light for digital environments
This course will allow each individuals to learn the workflow of a Lighting Artist within a AAA production, varying from realtime rendering to pre-rendered shots for marketing scenes. The game engine that will be used for this course is Unreal Engine 5, created by Epic Games, which will build strong fundamentals on how to create Baked Lighting scene and a Dynamic Lighting scene.

The students will learn how to adapt to different scenarios using Lumen and explore their favorite area of expertise within the Lighting department, covering Prop/Character Lighting, Environment and Gameplay Lighting, finally an intro to Movie Render Queue for prerendered videos for your lighting scenes. The course will provide the students with a set of different environments and assets, created by Adriano Grasso, to gain more accessibility for each student’s artistic vision.


Registration Now Open
Registration Period
Jan 30, 2025 - Apr 22, 2025
Course Start
Apr 17, 2025

Course Format

Standard

Skills Level

Intermediate/Advanced

Duration

10 weeks

Q&A

Once a week

Feedback

Individual recordings

Lecture Type

Pre-recorded
Assignment
Due each week. Expect to spend 10-20 hrs/wk viewing lectures, Q&A, and time on assignments.
PREREQUISITES
Maya, Basic knowledge of Unreal Engine and its tools, Knowledge of Photoshop. Course recommendations: Intro to Unreal 5
MATERIALS
Maya, Unreal Engine, DaVinci Resolve, Photoshop, PureRef

The more you know, the better.

During this lesson we will dive into the basic fundamentals of lighting and where do we take inspirations from. The process will include useful links and Lighting Units to set the ground of the student’s formation. Basic Color Theory | Art Direction and Referencing | PBR/Lighting Units reference documentation
Quick Intro to Unreal Engine 5 and its Lighting Tools including Direction Light / Skylight / HFog / Reflections / Lightmass importance volume etc. Baking Instructions – EV Values | HDRi setup for baked PBR scene for Skylight | Presenting a general PBR accurate unit sheet as reference for students.
Outdoor Daytime – Skydome & HDRI | Reflection setup + VFX | Volumetric Fog | Player pathing
Dynamic Lighting approach on: Volumetric Sky and Atmosphere | Real-Time reflections | Fill/Area Lights | Dynamic Post Processing
Dynamic Lighting approach on: Volumetric Sky and Atmosphere | Real-Time reflections | Fill/Area Lights | Dynamic Post Processing
Dynamic Lighting approach on: Volumetric Sky and Atmosphere | Real-Time reflections | Fill/Area Lights | Dynamic Post Processing
Rim lighting | Scene temperature based on reference and mood | Turntable Shop and marketing shots
Rim lighting | Scene temperature based on reference and mood | Turntable Shop and marketing shots
Create an outdoor dynamic Lumen scene, indoor baked lighting scene. Or an outdoor dynamic cinematic lighting scene and indoor prebaked lighting scene
Quality and Balance overview | Performance and AAA production commitment times

Student Gallery

Your journey starts here

Adriano Grasso
Senior Lighting Artist
LECTURES BY Adriano Grasso
Course Start: Apr 17, 2025
Adriano Grasso is a Senior Lighting Artist with over 6 years of professional experience in the game industry. He has worked at several studios, including Behaviour Interactive, MoGi Group, and Intergalactic Agency. Adriano is currently working at Microsoft, where he is responsible for creating and implementing high-quality lighting solutions for AAA games. Throughout his career, Adriano has gained expertise in a range of lighting software, including Unreal Engine, Dunia & Snowdrop, and has contributed to the development of numerous successful titles.
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Instructor's Gallery

Game Art
Game Art
Game Art
Daniel Callejas
Senior Lighting Artist
LECTURES BY Adriano Grasso
Course Start: Apr 12, 2025

Daniel brings over 6 years of experience as a Senior Lighting Artist at Microsoft, contributing to the development of several AAA titles, including GEARS 5, HIVE BUSTERS, and HALO INFINITE. He is passionate about creating immersive and realistic lighting that enhances both gameplay and storytelling.
Currently, he is working on an unannounced project, collaborating closely with the art directors to bring their vision to life. His expertise in lighting, and Unreal Engine 5 allows him to set and achieve high visual standards, ensuring that every project he works on meets and exceeds expectations.

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Instructor's Gallery

Game Art
Game Art
Game Art

GET ONE YEAR ACCESS AND TRANSFORM YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY

Take your CGMA learning further with CGMA+, a companion add-on featuring over 70 new, stand-alone workshops—more than 250 hours of content you won’t find in your core CGMA program. You’ll learn from multiple instructors, each with a unique style, so you can see how different artists approach the same subject in various ways. This additional material builds on what you’re already studying, broadening your perspective and helping you look at topics from fresh angles. It’s a straightforward way to strengthen your studies and boost your skills.

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PRICING SCHEDULE

Even though our courses are the most affordable for the quality of education, these finance options allow you to focus on your goals instead of the barriers that keep you from reaching them.

3x Payments

$332.67

2x Payments

$499

Full payment

$998

View all CGMA+ courses
Spring TERM REGISTRATION Now Open
Jan 30, 2025 - Apr 21, 2025
COURSE BEGINS on Apr 17, 2025
The Art of Lighting for Games

What makes this learning experience unique?

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK

Receive personalized feedback on all assignments from the industry’s top professionals.

LIFETIME ACCESS

Enjoy lifetime access to the spectrum of course content, including lectures, live Q&As, and feedback sessions.

CERTIFICATION

Show off your Certification of Completion when you turn in 80% of course assignments.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Learn anywhere, anytime, and at your own pace with flexible, online course scheduling.

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