Impressively Realistic 3D Render Made with Blender

Have you been tricked by this image? If it weren't posted in the Blender subreddit, we would probably scroll past without a single thought that it wasn't captured on camera. But it's actually a high-quality, realistic 3D render by an artist known online as S4mu3lll.

To prove it, the artist also showcased a WIP – and it's totally mind-blowing. Created in Blender 5.0.1, the render features lifelike wood and plastic textures, complete with a realistic scattering of elements and a camera angle as if it were a casual photo. S4mu3lll also added realistic fingerprints, which adds to the graphic fidelity of the work.

The key to a hyperrealistic effect is incredibly detailed textures and, additionally, camera work that resembles casual movements of a person taking a picture with their phone. Rayan Zomorodi, the author of a setup looking so realistic that it was removed from the Blender subreddit, shared a trick he used for a realistic camera setup – he recorded the camera movement using the VirtuCamera iPhone app connected to a Blender plugin, added motion blur, and keyframed the focus distance.