DHALGREN

Sky Hndx

"Dhalgren" is a novel by sci fi writer, Samuel R. Delany. I've been creating characters and scenes from the novel for practice. I created clothing, back drops and props using Hexagon and rendered them in DAZ Studio using M4 for the characters.

So far my modeling skills have been improving but I really need to work on lighting and effects in DS. I'm math dyslexic and at times UV mapping can be a challenge. Clicking on Unfold sometimes seem to be like playing 52 pick up with the faces and wot not.

My latest series of renders involve a surreal scene where the main character attempts to retrieve a boy fallen down an elevator shaft in a mostly deserted apartment building. He enlists help from a gang who've taken over a floor of the empty building. He asks for flashlights and rope but all they have are "light shields", hologram emitting devices worn around the neck, and a small line. A woman called, Dragon Lady, takes point for the gang and offers strong support.

She's a gruff brash, no nonsense woman and I tried to model her based on her one comment to protagonist as they peer into the condemned elevator shaft. I ain't gonna let you fall, motherf%&er;!

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Dragon Lady

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An alternate view.

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Looking down.

Jaderail

Very Well done!! This is one Book I have read over and over. But in the book (to me) the shields only Covered the wearer and they could still be seen sort of with the Holo's projected around them. I'm thinking leg's and such from the center of the projections.

But that is my view and I see the book in your Renders. If this is going to be a Graphic Novel version of the book count be in as some one who MUST have this. I love the Time Trap.

EDIT: How do you plan to do the Double Chapter parts? The story changes depending on which side you read first.

Sky Hndx

Jaderail said:

Very Well done!! This is one Book I have read over and over. But in the book (to me) the shields only Covered the wearer and they could still be seen sort of with the Holo's projected around them. I'm thinking leg's and such from the center of the projections.

But that is my view and I see the book in your Renders. If this is going to be a Graphic Novel version of the book count be in as some one who MUST have this. I love the Time Trap.

EDIT: How do you plan to do the Double Chapter parts? The story changes depending on which side you read first.

I searched the novel for descriptions of the holograms. I one that stated "kid" saw figures behind a wearer and they looked like ghost images through the hologram. At first glance I thought Delany was describing the wearer and was going to include something a flickering image of sort of the person in the hologram. But thought it would clutter up the hologram.

One thing I decided regarding the style is that I'd fore go trying to update the stories look and technology. The novel was written in the early 70's and I wanted to try to keep everything close to that time period.

Here's a model I made of the Light Shield itself. Delany describes a few people who wear just the shield only so I didn't have to bother with clothing this model. ..heh.

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"Tak Loufer" Character from Samuel R. Delany's "Dhalgren". He states his name translates as Red Wolf, Fire Wolf or Iron Wolf but prefers Red. He assigns the moniker "kid" to the main character who does not remember his own name.

Character created using Michael 4 with morphs. Clothes, street scene created using Hexagon 2.5. Clouds and smoke created using photoshop and Hexagon.

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Prism, Mirror, Lens

A moonlit encounter with a mysterious woman ends in stunned confusion. The protagonist, who cannot remember his own name, thought the woman he just made love to directed him to a cave where he would find something he lost returns instead with jeweled chains then finds her in a field transforming into a tree.

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"She stood up, two dozen feet down and away, wearing only shadows the moon dropped from the viney maple; moved, and the shadows moved on her."

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Here are some reworked versions of the prior renders I posted. I lost the original Daz Studio scenes when my computer crashed so I rebuilt them with the Hexagon models I managed to back up before the crash. Models are Michael 4, clothing, props and sets created in Hexagon. Some sets and tree props came from Daz Studios Environments folder. The morphing tree was created in Hexagon and included Victoria 4 base.

The morphing tree scene is closer to what was described in the novel. And the reworked "kid" render has props I've been improving on in Hexagon since I created the first render.