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Comments
I really like the posing and the use of the stone shaders! I've wanted to try that at some point to create statues. They really look great!
My only suggestion would be to increase the lighting (maybe just increasing the environment lighting intensity would be enough) so we can see Medusa better - I'm not able to see her face clearly on my screen.
What a great idea! Love all the details - of the curved background reflection in its eye and the altered armor colors. Nice use of so many textures!
"Floating" (Daz3D, Iray) - Beginner Challenge
I just recently spotted this set of challenges and really like how it focuses on a topic with helpful links to learn about it. I've been rendering with DAZ since March this year, but haven't done these challenges before, so I'll enter the beginner challenges for a bit.
This is a simple render - I used the LIE editor to change the hair flowers to a much lighter color palette to fit the scene (realized afterwards that I could have probably done this with just the diffuse settings?) and retextured the older hair. I also wanted the same flowers floating around, so used several more of these and the cutout opacity setting to hide the rest of the head-piece to just reveal the flowers I wanted. Just softened the render up a little in post. (Planning to use it as cover art for a piano ballad.) Feedback is welcome!
[edit: deleted the new version to avoid any confusion]
Beginner challenge
Repost of my first attempt and then I tried one with the blue water. I'm not sure I like the light source reflecting off the water but I can't figure out how to get rid of it so I could compare.
Anyone have a preference over which is better, blue water or clear?
Also, I colored the water material using Parmy's latest tutorial on water. Really nice video. hxxps://youtu.be/Kxg39jU_qZg
That is beautiful. Nice use of the cutout. Welcome to the challenges. I've been doing them since March and learned a lot.
Hi Alewis478 , thank you very much!. After doing a lot of renders for the PC Anniversary sale contest, I realized how much I ended up learning in the process, so was very happy to spot these challenges to continue with.
I really like your render. The close-up POV, the work on the skin, the eyes peering into the distance with great catchlights - it all makes for a great composition!
My preference is for the first render I think. The blue of the water feels a little too pure and dark in the second one (making me ask what blue it is reflecting?) and so the drops draw too much attention away from the rest of the composition maybe. My two cents. : )
Alewis478 said:
@katywhite brilliant, I love the posters coming with that!
this is a really nice idea and I like the way you changed them into stone, as it was mentioned before I think some more light on the character would be nice to give the viewe more of her. the foggyness of the place gives a great mood, so putting the lights in will not be simple you could tra a handfull of point lights arranged around her head which gives her a softer glow up that a more directed light source
such a brilliant idea with the giant eye and the reflections, Unfortunately this close (or scaled up this much) the texture of the dragonskin is getting dissolved.
if you dare you could tra and take the skin texture to a image manip program (photoshop/Gimp ... ) increase the pixel per inch by a good deal (300dpi) and brush it up by hand (since you need only the skin around the eye this shouldn't be that much).
An alternative idea is to group all of your scene and scale it down to a level where the texture cleans up. if you try that remember to change the parent of the camera you use to none afterwards (at the same place) and scale that back to 100% or you get funny results. might need some readjustment for the correct angle
try adding a higher subdevision on the dragon as well
Welcome to the NUC, this is a beautiful work and you've made a very good job with the flowers
If you could have made the changes with the diffuse settings isn't an easy thing to answer since I don't own the headpiece to check it out. But with DAZ there are often several ways to achieve what you want. You just need to start experimenting a bit.
So well done, I actually have no suggestions to add to this one
my personal preference is the one with the blue water but this is something you have to decide in the end.
The reflection of the water seems to come from the only light source you have in your image, taking that away wouldn't work. I didn't follow the linkt to the process but I assume that somewhere in that process the reflectivity of the water surface was increased, which make the light reflection more prominent. You could try to alter that in order to reduce the strenght of the reflection
Version B was rendered last night with a little texture work. Ment to post this earlier today.
Thanks @SapphireBlue and @Linwelly. I tried your suggestion of point lights around her head to brighten her face
Here is an entry for the intermediate contest on textrues/materials.
This image was created from scratch 11/27/21
Image title, "Mesh Man"
He's great with a can opener too!
Mesh Man is a superhero who fights for life, liberty... and also helps people cross the street.
Thank you very much @Linwelly! : )
@Shinji Ikari 9th Nice work on the textures for the walls and ground. The light reflection off his helmet and low fiery lighting really give a nice sense of mystery.
@aprilshowers2065 Yes, can see Medusa's face much better now. : )
@RexRed Very interesting use of textures in a fun artsy render. But is he a superhero or the villain... ?
He is a superhero, life, liberty... :)
so cool, I love it when you all go experimental, I think the colour scheme works really well with this one and the light is spot on.
Out of curiosity what is is he is standing on that floats in that water and what type of surface did you apply to it?
Hello Linwelly
The geometry I used for the platform he is standing on is from the "DMs Druid Valley" set https://www.daz3d.com/dms-druid-valley
...and the shader I placed on it is the "starburst" shader in the https://www.daz3d.com/fencing-and-perforated-metal-iray-shader-collection
Fencing And Perforated Metal Iray Shader Collection.
thatnks a lot @RedRex perfect example of how to make something new and interesting from an age old prop
Yes, many older products can be incredibly useful!
Your inquiry of the ground made me notice I forgot to check if SubD had been applied to the ground and it had not, I thought I noticed a bit of jaggies on the ground geometry.
When I added SubD it created distortions in the surface so I left it out.
Sorry for the late entry! I've been playing around a lot for this challenge, trying things, discarding things, but, hopefully learning some useful things along the way.
This is for the Intermediate Challenge. "Christmas Nook". Using DS, Iray and Affinity Photo for the postwork.
The main bit of kitbashing was inserting the window into the Holiday Nook set (I started off trying to use the Geometry Editor, but, in the end, used a transparency map.). Apart from that, the furnishings, toys and decorations have come from lots of different products and the two main figures have assorted clothing from different outfits. I used a geometry shell on the girl to prevent some poke through, and the geometry editor to get rid of hair showing through the Santa hat. The set is lit by several primatives used as light sources, and I also altered the colour and intensity of the Christmas Tree lights etc.
Lots of work done and with a very nice result. Very clever the way you added that window and I like the idea to use shader presets to give items from variable origin the look of belonging together. BTW if you need to prevent pokethrough one way to go is to close the eye next to the bone of the character in the scene tap, That way you can hide a complete leg etc. When it's close to the hem of the clothing it's of course a possibilty to hide the polys by the geometry editor
This challenge is now closed, thanks a lot for participating, the showcase will be up in a bit
see you soon in December challenge
Showcased Participants for the Materials Challenge
SapphireBlue
Floating
Alewis478
Showcased Participants for the Next Level Kitbashing Challenge
RexRed
Mesh Man
Stargazey
Christmas Nook
sueya
Temple Thief
Thank you all for participating!
Thank you !
Congratulations to the other winners!
Congrats everyone! Very nice work!
Wow, thank you so much!
Congratulations to the winners! Great to have these challenges to push our skills along and get out of our comfort zones. Thank you!
Congrats all!