Stylized Environment Study – Riverside Adobe Retreat

This is a year old stylized environment I created as a personal study, focused on learning and refining my skills in material surfacing, composition, and lighting within a non-realistic rendering style.

The goal was to explore the visual language of stylized art - particularly how to control specular and roughness values in a way that feels intentional and cohesive. Unlike photorealistic PBR, stylized workflows often rely on handcrafted material response, and I learned a lot about how to flatten or exaggerate certain highlights to maintain the painterly feel without losing surface definition.

I also paid close attention to how light interacts with color and shapes in a simplified yet believable way, using warm tones and soft shadows to complement the desert canyon setting. Adding small details like hanging plants, wooden props, and water edge breakup helped enhance the charm and groundedness of the scene.

This was a valuable exercise in balancing clarity, readability, and artistic expression - and a great opportunity to practice pushing stylized work toward a polished presentation.