An Introduction to Light Interaction with Human Skin

Abstract

Despite the notable progress in physically-based rendering, there is still a long way to go before one can automatically generate predictable images of organic materials such as human skin. In this tutorial, the main physical and biological aspects involved in the processes of propagation and absorption of light by skin tissues are examined. These processes affect not only skin appearance, but also its health. For this reason, they have also been the object of study in biomedical research. The models of light interaction with human skin developed by the biomedical community are mainly aimed at the simulation of skin spectral properties which are used to determine the concentration and distribution of various substances. In computer graphics, the focus has been on the simulation of light scattering properties that affect skin appearance. Computer models used to simulate these spectral and scattering properties are described in this tutorial, and their strengths and limitations discussed. Keywords: natural phenomena, biologically and physically-based rendering.