An image processing apparatus for finding reflectivity based on a BRDF
model expressing a ratio of reflection of light incident upon one point
of a surface of an object to be drawn at the object surface, the image
processing apparatus having an operation unit for calculating the
reflectivity based on a BRDF model calculated by a quadratic-form matrix
expression including a vector comprised of a light source direction
vector, a viewpoint direction vector, and a normal direction vector and a
matrix determining the characteristics of the BRDF model, thereby able to
achieve both a variety of expression power and good operation efficiency
when mounted in a programmable pixel shader and further having enough of
a compactness to easily cope with a shift-variant BRDF, and a method of
the same.