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 Labor Day, enjoy $120 off Coursera Plus. Unlock access to 10,000+ programs. Save today.


3D Lighting 101 with Nomad Sculpt
This course is part of Nomad Sculpt for Beginners Specialization

Instructor: Skillshare
Included with
Skills you'll gain
Details to know

Add to your LinkedIn profile
August 2025
4 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course
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.
What's included
5 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt
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.
What's included
4 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
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.
What's included
2 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
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.
What's included
3 videos1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Instructor

Offered by
Explore more from Music and Art
- Status: Preview
Eindhoven University of Technology
Why people choose Coursera for their career





Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
More questions
Financial aid available,