Critiquing the Masters: Applying 3D Production Lighting Principles to Famous 2D Works of Art
type: CreativeWork
description: This thesis demonstrates the effects of applying lighting principles developed for 3D computer graphics production to well-known historical 2D paintings. The visual analysis and cinematographic direction is derived from the iterative review-critique- review process used in production of 3D animated films and the imposition of a narrative purpose for re-lighting. This thesis focuses on five of the important fundamentals of lighting design, adapted and defined by Pixar Animation Studios Director of Photography Sharon Calahan in ?Storytelling Through Lighting: A Computer Graphics Perspective.? The results are 2D images that are easily recognizable as adaptations from the original paintings, but that communicate a distinctly different visual impression. Each re-lit painting serves as an example of the lighting principle employed and offers a unique viewpoint on a well-known artwork.
abstract: This thesis demonstrates the effects of applying lighting principles developed for 3D computer graphics production to well-known historical 2D paintings. The visual analysis and cinematographic direction is derived from the iterative review-critique- review process used in production of 3D animated films and the imposition of a narrative purpose for re-lighting. This thesis focuses on five of the important fundamentals of lighting design, adapted and defined by Pixar Animation Studios Director of Photography Sharon Calahan in ?Storytelling Through Lighting: A Computer Graphics Perspective.? The results are 2D images that are easily recognizable as adaptations from the original paintings, but that communicate a distinctly different visual impression. Each re-lit painting serves as an example of the lighting principle employed and offers a unique viewpoint on a well-known artwork.
author: Ford, Angelique
language: en_US
keywords: computer graphics, visualization, lighting design, storytelling, cinematography
date published: 2012-10-19
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:19:32Z
provider: Texas Digital Library
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Texas Digital Library

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2012-08-11841