The book outlines the basics of optical imaging as a method of presenting numerical information in a form convenient for visual perception. Five sections describe the concepts of light and color, including photometric elements, physical and psycho-physiological color bases and overview of light sources, geometric optics problems are considered, including the propagation of light rays, the calculation of their intersections with various surfaces and the construction of optical effects - shadows, reflections and refractions on surfaces, popular models of mathematical description of color and mutual transformations of models are presented, models of illumination, reflection and surface painting functions that create a sense of realism in images of computer-synthesized objects.