Graphics programming with Unity3D utilizes the GPU for highly parallelized operations like matrix and texture lookups. There are two main access points: shading which converts 3D to 2D, and post-processing which performs shader operations on the rendered image. The graphics pipeline involves vertex and pixel shaders transforming and coloring 3D models with effects like lighting, bump mapping, and textures. Multi-pass rendering and image effects allow combining results through scripts and shaders. Future improvements include deferred rendering, tessellation, and an expanded shader pipeline.