The making of "The Book Sanctuary" by Irakli Shubashikeli

Introduction

Hello CGAward Community! My name is Irakli Shubashikeli, and I’m a 3D visualization artist based in Georgia, specializing in architectural visualization and CGI studies. In this breakdown, I’m thrilled to share the detailed creative and technical workflow behind my project, "The Book Sanctuary"—a space designed around warmth, tactile materiality, and the quiet comfort of reading.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the CGAward team for inviting me to participate and share this breakdown with the community. Below is a look into my process—from conceptualizing the spatial narrative to modeling, texturing, lighting, and fine-tuning the final images.

About the Project

"The Book Sanctuary" is a CGI study designed to explore how natural materials, soft daylight, and architectural proportion can create an inviting, contemplative atmosphere.

The primary intention behind this scene was to showcase architecture not merely as an enclosure, but as a framework for human experience—specifically the quiet act of gathering, reading, and reflection. Rather than focusing on grand commercial scale, this project focuses on intimate details: the natural grain of oak paneling, the subtle interplay of light across plaster surfaces, and curated close-up vignettes that ground the room in reality.

Concept & Artistic Direction

The conceptual direction was rooted in warmth and refined minimalism. Interestingly, the initial concept, overall mood, and visual references for this project were generated and explored with the assistance of Gemini AI. Using Gemini to formulate early concepts and reference ideas helped streamline the moodboarding phase before moving into 3D. I wanted the space to feel completely wrapped in natural wood, creating a seamless envelope between the floor, walls, ceiling, and built-in joinery.

Key visual pillars for this project included:

• AI-Inspired Concept & Tactile Materiality: Guided by the initial references generated via Gemini, I combined smooth, warm oak wood with neutral, textured plaster to maintain balance and prevent the space from feeling heavy.
• Warm, Natural Lighting: Soft daylight filtering through the large window bench, establishing a serene daytime ambience, complemented by warm interior spot lighting for evening warmth.
• Curated Storytelling: Integrating organic elements—such as custom raw-edge wood coffee tables, open book artwork, and detailed props (fluted glassware, books, candles)—to bring a lived-in human element to the composition.

Scene Foundation & Modeling

The entire scene was built in 3ds Max with precise architectural proportions and scale, ensuring the spatial flow felt believable and comfortable.

Joinery & Architecture

The built-in shelving, seating benches, and ceiling cladding were custom-modeled in 3ds Max to fit flush against the walls, creating an integrated, bespoke look.

Clay Render Validation

A clay render stage using Corona Override Material was crucial at this phase. Stripping away textures allowed me to focus purely on scale, spatial depth, camera angles, and how primary light sources bounced across the room geometry.

Materials & Texturing

Material development and Corona shading were central to achieving the serene, tactile mood of the room.

• Wood Surfaces: For the floor, wall, and ceiling paneling, I developed custom Corona materials with subtle bump and roughness variations to catch skimming light naturally without unnatural gloss.
• Wall & Plaster: The back accent wall features a subtle micro-textured plaster finish that catches soft shadows, adding tactile contrast against the smooth wood paneling.
• Detailed Shading: Special focus was placed on close-up Corona shaders—such as the glass refractions in the fluted decanter, the organic grain on the solid wood block table, and the layered paper textures of the open books on the wall sculpture.

Scene Lighting & Atmosphere

The scene was rendered using Corona Renderer. Lighting was designed to feel natural, soft, and photorealistic.

• Daytime Setup: A combination of Corona Sun/Sky and subtle HDRI filtering through the large window acts as the primary light source, filling the interior with soft, diffused daylight. This creates soft directional shadows across the rug, furniture, and wooden surfaces, highlighting spatial depth.
• Artificial Highlights: Subtle ceiling Corona Lights and warm candles were added to highlight specific focal points—such as the central coffee table and the featured book-wall art piece—adding depth and intimate warmth to the overall palette.

Post-Production & Closing Thoughts

Post-production was kept minimal (handled mainly within the Corona VFB and minor tweaks in Photoshop) to preserve the raw quality of the render. Slight color grading, contrast balance, and subtle warmth were applied to unify the entire image set and bring out the natural tones of the wood and plaster.

Closing Thoughts: Working on "The Book Sanctuary" in 3ds Max and Corona Renderer was a deeply fulfilling process focused on atmosphere, texture, and quiet storytelling. Focusing both on wide architectural angles and intimate close-up vignettes allowed me to fully explore the space's personality.

I hope this breakdown provides helpful insights into my workflow. Thank you again to CGAward and to everyone taking the time to read!

About the author

Irakli Shubashikeli