Rendering the Bluish Appearance of Snow: When Light Transmission Matters

Material appearance is largely determined by complex light attenuation processes. The distinct bluish colorations that can be observed when light is transmitted through snow are among the most striking outcomes of these processes. In this article, we present a method for the predictive rendering of this phenomenon taking into account the variability of snow’s physical and morphological characteristics. To achieve that, we employ an approach centered on the effective use of spectral transmittance data obtained using a first-principles light transport model for snow. The suitability of the proposed method to rendering applications is illustrated through the synthesis of images depicting the bluish appearance of snow under different illumination conditions.