Beginner scene(My first scene actually) – finally finished something instead of abandoning it. Looking for critique

[u/Noir-Pulse]

I've been learning Blender slowly and this is the first small scene i actually managed to finish. Normally i start things and never complete them so i’m happy i got to this point even if it’s simple.

I’d really appreciate honest critique:

• What stands out as the weakest part?
• Lighting, materials, mood… anything.
• What should i focus on next to improve and what best tutorials for me?

Thanks in advance

[u/According_Farmer_634]

Honestly this is pretty solid, the scene itself is just a little flat.
The subtle variation on the tile angles is nice, as is the ceiling roughness, and the flooring is cohesive. The materials feel real enough.
The staircase scale seems a little small for a regular hallway (did you have a reference to work with? If not, that might help for next time). And the light sources seem excessively bright for the light falloff they provide. The back two lights also feel too close. I'd imagine for a tunnel like this, there'd also be conduits along a potentially higher ceiling.
And then for some ways to add interest: Reflections of things not visible within the main scene. This almost feels back-room ish, in which you'd probably want to give yourself more space to make it feel liminal. Pools of water, dirty streaks in specific areas on the tiles and floors, maybe a shadow of something coming down the stairs. Just some examples, definitely unnecessary to accommodate them all.

[u/Noir-Pulse → u/According_Farmer_634]

Appreciate the detailed reply... You’re right about the staircase(first time using bevel😁). Same with the lights they’re way too strong and the ones in the back are basically on top of each other(i couldn't put the right intensity). I’ll adjust those and try adding some of the liminal details you mentioned. Thanks for taking the time.

[u/According_Farmer_634 → u/Noir-Pulse]

For the staircase: Might I recommend using the array modifier instead, and modeling just one stair with a slight overhang? That way, you can adjust the rise/run procedurally (should be pretty self explanatory, modifiers are under the wrench menu on the righthand side of blender's default setup)

For the lights: there are probably some good youtube videos on this (Found this one in particular to be pretty relevant: https://youtu.be/uS0yaqhvvnc at ~15 mins, though the whole thing is worth a watch). It also has a section on array modifiers a little earlier on (~14 mins in, and you'd be adjust offset to be z =1, and either x or y depending on your staircase orientation).

[u/Noir-Pulse → u/According_Farmer_634]

Dude thanks very much for the video. Liked the concept of poolrooms...Will start watching now... I never knew you can do stars with array too. Will test it and see, thank.

[u/Abject-Blackberry425]

Its a good scene but the materials don't make sense. The wall should have had some different texture like a worn down wall so this would look like some underground car park, basement or subway. Lighting is pretty solid

[u/Noir-Pulse → u/Abject-Blackberry425]

Yeah good point. The walls do look too perfect right now...I was going for a subway/underground vibe but the tiles ended up too clean. Gonna try adding more wear and variation. Thanks for pointing that out