Hi

I have been playing with maya for a few weeks now and have been getting the hang of modeling. I have only realy created a few fully rendered scenes as I am not too hot on how to light them. I never get a realistic look? I guess part of the whlole aspect is creating a suitable enviroment for the model. something else which I am not clear about. Do alot of you use HDRI maps to light your scenes or indivudual lights?

any help with general points how to make lighing a generic scene ( like say a simple object sitting on a table) look realistic is much appreciated.

regards
robin