Step-by-step material check

one Scene basics

The first thing you need to do is build a scene for your material creation. I tend to use a simple cyclorama-style studio in Cinema 4D, with the grid on it for scale reference. Then you need the actual reference object. I’d opt for an adapted sphere, with an internal object and a base with sharper edges. Choose a size that’s easy to work with and allows for tiling.

two Lighting rig

Next, you need a sky with your chosen HDRI applied. As mentioned you will probably want to set up a couple of image-based lights as well as procedural ones. Adding the imagebased lights to parametric geometry will make it easy to activate/deactivate them as needed, saving on scene management while you work.

three render Settings

It’s hard to dictate what the appropriate settings should be, but I’d suggest saving a few presets, one for each type of situation you think you might work in, such as different GI types, AO passes and even NPR types like Cinema 4D’s Sketch and Toon. Working like this means you save time and retain consistency, plus you don’t need to record or remember your settings.

four baseline renders

It’s probably a good idea to make a library of materials, rather than creating them ad hoc, and a good place to start is with a few basic materials that you will use most often. These will most likely be metals, woods and so on. This not only means you’ll have a solid collection, but also gives you a great baseline for comparison.