Blender Best way to light characters?

[Appoggiatura]

Hello, I import my daz models to blender using diffeomorphic.

Usually my light setup consist on an hdri and one or two area light with very low strenght pointing to the character, usually to only one side so I can get shadows on the other.
I also use ies on my lights, are there better ways to light characters?

 

[n00bi]

Well.
Lighting is a big topic.

How to light a character in a scene depends on many factors. what is the best result is subjective.
There is no one solution that fits everything.
But always ask yourself, Where is the light coming from in the scene?

Usually there are some rules you can follow.
Use Three-Point Lighting. (Key Light, Fill Light, Back Light)

Consider the Style / Atmosphere / Mood of the scene.
For emotional scenes, shift the color to a more tempered one etc.
Add Eye lights/glare, small highlights in the eyes can bring the character more to life.
Etc.

Use additional visible light sources like lamps.
And|Or add a softbox to have more diffused shadows.

Avoid front-facing light, it flattens the face, have a slight angle.
Avoid symmetry, asymmetrical lighting looks more dynamic.
For Animation/Cinematic scenes use Blocking techniques with lighting.

You have to play around and experiment to see what you like best for your scene.
you can also try out different

You must be registered to see the links

But you also have to consider for realistic renders.
Just adding in good lighting may not be enough.
You also need to have materials on the characters that can interact with the light.
Example, usage of subsurface scattering etc.

 

[MissFortune]

I find area lights to be best for me as they're closest to Daz's spotlights. Between that and the PSA addon for outdoor shots I've had a relatively decent time. Two and three point lighting should make up most of your character renders. I usually prefer a key and rim light and then using a reflector/light blocker as needed for fills. Fill lights are fairly unused by me.

IES lights for the practical lights are usually good enough for most things. Can get kind of annoying moving them around and lining them up with other things (lamps, etc.) at times, though. I'd get familiar with techniques and their names, experiment with them with a model. Once you feel like you've got a solid grasp on that. Start introducing an actual scene (bedroom, etc.) with practical lights (lamps, window lighting, TVs, computers, etc.) while keeping the lighting you've learned for the model.

Some good videos that cover some of the basics and cinematic concepts:

 

[Appoggiatura]

I find area lights to be best for me as they're closest to Daz's spotlights. Between that and the PSA addon for outdoor shots I've had a relatively decent time. Two and three point lighting should make up most of your character renders. I usually prefer a key and rim light and then using a reflector/light blocker as needed for fills. Fill lights are fairly unused by me.

IES lights for the practical lights are usually good enough for most things. Can get kind of annoying moving them around and lining them up with other things (lamps, etc.) at times, though. I'd get familiar with techniques and their names, experiment with them with a model. Once you feel like you've got a solid grasp on that. Start introducing an actual scene (bedroom, etc.) with practical lights (lamps, window lighting, TVs, computers, etc.) while keeping the lighting you've learned for the model.

Some good videos that cover some of the basics and cinematic concepts:

Well.
Lighting is a big topic.

How to light a character in a scene depends on many factors. what is the best result is subjective.
There is no one solution that fits everything.
But always ask yourself, Where is the light coming from in the scene?

Usually there are some rules you can follow.
Use Three-Point Lighting. (Key Light, Fill Light, Back Light)

Consider the Style / Atmosphere / Mood of the scene.
For emotional scenes, shift the color to a more tempered one etc.
Add Eye lights/glare, small highlights in the eyes can bring the character more to life.
Etc.

Use additional visible light sources like lamps.
And|Or add a softbox to have more diffused shadows.

Avoid front-facing light, it flattens the face, have a slight angle.
Avoid symmetry, asymmetrical lighting looks more dynamic.
For Animation/Cinematic scenes use Blocking techniques with lighting.

You have to play around and experiment to see what you like best for your scene.
you can also try out different

You must be registered to see the links

But you also have to consider for realistic renders.
Just adding in good lighting may not be enough.
You also need to have materials on the characters that can interact with the light.
Example, usage of subsurface scattering etc.

This are some examples of my lightning, the first two (1 and 4) are just using an hdri, the other two (138 and 143) are using an hdri and 1/2 ies lights.
edit: Just tested the psa addon, amazing. Also included a quick render of it, thanks for the tip

 

[MissFortune]

You're already doing well. Just keep practicing and you'll be fine.