Challenge #740 Voting CLOSED

This week’s theme: Castles

After 2 days of voting, a winner is declared: The voting will close on Wednesday.
The winner picks the theme for next week.

[ If the winner doesn’t supply a theme before Thursday 22:30 GMT, the organizer will select the theme. In this case, the winner’s theme will be used the next time we are lacking a theme on Thursday 22:30 GMT. :slight_smile: ]

Having selected the theme, the winner will not be eligible to enter that week. They may however still submit an image, but it won’t be included in the voting.

Pure Entries

  • Chavis
    Breach
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496108&stc=1&thumb=1

  • 3dnotguru
    Castle Bravo
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496181&stc=1&thumb=1

  • LeoBlenderToon
    Sand Castle
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496217&stc=1&thumb=1

  • purbosky
    Siege Scheme
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496238&stc=1&thumb=1

  • FlyingBanana
    Child’s Play
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496248&stc=1&thumb=1

  • Millani
    Playing Cards
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496269&stc=1&thumb=1

  • DigitalDemon
    Boss Fight
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496281&stc=1&thumb=1

  • kate_all
    Castle on Water
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496291&stc=1&thumb=1

  • Unicornaphobist
    Block Castle
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496313&stc=1&thumb=1

  • joshwinkler3d
    WINTER SIEGE
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496312&stc=1&thumb=1

  • didierv
    sandcastle
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496324&stc=1&thumb=1

  • benla
    Sands of Time
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496333&stc=1&thumb=1

  • RayVelcoro
    0033
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496384&stc=1&thumb=1

  • g60
    Pile of rooks
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496391&stc=1&thumb=1

  • Photox
    Das Schloss
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496393&stc=1&thumb=1

  • texasfunk101
    Cardboard Kingdom
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496420&stc=1&thumb=1

  • fcharr
    Remote Location
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496402&stc=1&thumb=1

  • Roken
    castle
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496443&stc=1&thumb=1

  • usernew
    Castle
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496320&stc=1&thumb=1

  • Fulip
    Break out from prison of imagination
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496452&stc=1&thumb=1

  • kr4st
    Castle defence
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496472&stc=1&thumb=1

  • SonnySee
    Bad Wicked Naughty Zoot
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496479&stc=1&thumb=1

  • str11
    Swallow’s Nest Castle
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496503&stc=1&thumb=1

  • YAFU
    Down with the Monarchy !!!
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496510&stc=1&thumb=1

  • Miatpi
    In time
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496531&stc=1&thumb=1

Open Entries

  • caz747
    Dark Tower.
    [The moon is a model I made some time ago, the castle is all new though, made this weekend. I used the MB Lab for the human model and did some work in Gimp to get the clouds in front of the moon.]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496488&stc=1&thumb=1

Non-competing Entries

  • Helge
    Nut Castle & Castle Nut
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496350&stc=1&thumb=1

  • OLG
    Alien Fantasy Castle
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496360&stc=1&thumb=1

  • RobertT
    FOUNDATIONS FOR YOUR SKY CASTLES
    http://www.artofinterpretation.com/images4/wc740-FoundationsYourForSkyCastles-byrjt2017.jpg

  • DoriNori
    A Castle From Dark Souls Except its not Quite as Good and it took forever to make so please like it please
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496419&stc=1&thumb=1

  • Hiryuusan
    Small Art Online
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=496460&stc=1&thumb=1

Lots of nice entries, I had some difficulties casting my vote :wink:

@purbosky: If this were the screenshot of some computer game, I would most likely buy it! Colours are very pleasing, the models are very nice (specially the ballista) and the viewer feels the inevitable doom of the green army as the red one advances.

@DigitalDemon: Very creative. If it weren’t for the title, I would say that the castle creature is more curious than aggressive. I think you made a nice job in lighting the side of the castle, making the geometry stand out.
One thing that bothers me a bit are the glowing cubes inside the creature’s head. When looking directly at some light source I would expect it to appear saturated. You can achieve this with the compositor by using the emission pass as a mask.

@kate_all: This reminds me of the classic picture of the Taj Mahal, specially due to the water reflections. I just think the water is a bit too still, that is, it is perfectly flat. Having some ripples would help make it look more like water.

@Unicornaphobist: Nice work with the saturation! The colours are also very pleasing to the eye. Makes me wish I were 10-years old again :wink:

@benla: At first, I was unimpressed by this, but after looking at it at full resolution I changed my mind. The monochromatic scheme makes the image very soothing. You also managed to capture the emptiness of the desert very well. The castle, submerged in sand, raises my interest in the picture, making me wonder what kind of stories lie beneath the surface.
This would make for a very good wallpaper.

@RayVelcoro: There is a mysterious feeling to this image. The light, coming from below, helps to intensify this feeling. The fog also makes it fairly eerie. The leaves give me the impression that I’m inside the image, finding this castle in the middle of the night.
The only problem that I see is that the leaves are too bright, taking the attention away from the castle.

@Photox: I don’t if it is because of the small resolution, but this image appears to have no foreground. The person looks out of focus, and the castle is lit only from the back, which prevents me from concentrating on something. The colours are nice though :wink:

@usernew: This looks a bit like a chimney, specially because the roof looks a bit metallic. Which is quite cool, I like this kind of industrial look :slight_smile:
I just think some colour here would be nice. Maybe some flag?

@kr4st: Very dynamic! The colours are pleasing. I particularly liked the soldier who jumped from the wall in order to hit the monster. I guess somebody forgot how much gravity hurts! :wink:
My only critique is the camera: It is focused away from the interesting part of the scene, leaving a lot of empty space on the left. Or maybe it is focused on the dead guy and this piece is more about the sad part of war?

@YAFU: Ha! That’s a funny one! I guess it was a bad day to wear that crown on the beach, young man! Also, the expression of the boy is marvellous.

@caz747: Spooky! You really managed to make that castle look threatening. The red clouds make it look like a place of evil. I just think the person should look more mysterious though. Entering such a building without wearing a dark robe feels wrong! :wink:


A good wall should withstand a little bump …

thx Millani!

Great entries as usuall. I’ll try to give some critique.

Chaviz: This is cool. I like the colours, and there’s a story. What takes me away is the simple style of the witch/mage compared to the details of the rest of the scene.

3dnotguru: “Castle bravo”… had to google that up and I must say that the idea is pure genious. A castle yet not a castle. The lighting is great - you can feel the intensity - and the palms make a good foreground. And who doesn’t like explosions?
The smoke could really have a higher resolution, especially the rings, and the palms are too straight.

LeoBlenderToon: the models and textures are great, but the lighting feels pretty flat. I also miss a sky, and the sea (or is this in a desert?). Anyway I really like the calm mood here, makes me want to go to that beach (or desert? :p).

purbosy: I want to play risk NOW! If this were from the cover of a board game I would buy it. Technically it’s fantastic, it could very well be a photo. Very creative as well.

Flyingbanana: A bucket and spade, sandcastle, parasol, swimming ring, starfishes… there’s a lot of fun going on here (so why is is empty? ;)). The problem to me is that it lacks focus, it feels pretty unorganized and I don’t know what to look at.

Millani: this one is REALLY good. The lighting and composition just draws me into it, the colours are so pleasing… I literally wouldn’t mind living there. The details are stunning, like the pillars of coins/whatever-those-bricks-are-called. Voted for this.
My only critique would be that shadow falls right on to the playing field, so it took a moment for me to realise that the cards actually played badminton.

DigitalDemon: This looks like a screenshot from a game, and I would love to play it. The composition is great, you feel the size of the castle-beast-thing, and I love how you made it’s eyes to light sources: It makes it stand out and feel very intimidating. It also feels alive, as if in motion.
Though the ground looks a little to flat to me. There seems to be a bump map there, but I would also like some true displacement to it. Atleast that’s my two cents.

kate-all: this would work well as a postcard. The castle look fine, and it all feels like a warm summerday. However, there’s not much happening and it overall doesn’t really feel interesting.

Unicornaphobist: simple, fun and creative - just how Lego should be. I like this, escpecially the diverse colours, they make an interesting and joyfull mood.

joshwinkler3d: I dunno why, but I can’t stop laughing every time I see this (in a good way, it’s hilarious). I guess the snowman want’s to break into the castle, and I can’t help rooting for him. I like the cartoon-ish motion blur (the lines behind the snowman and snowballs).
Maybe it’s a little too gray, as it’s a little hard for me to see the details. And if it’s meant to be eavining/night the lighting should (realistically, there’s no rules) be a little bluer.

didierv: sandcastles are popular this week (I myself are a part of the trend). It’s good, but honestly to me the castle look more like cardboard than sand. Partly due to it’s different colour than the sand beneath despite being the same sand.

benla: is it inspired by Aladdin? 'Cause instantly I could hear “Arabian niiiiights…” in my head.
Anyway, I don’t know if it’s a buried castle or just some towers in the desert, but is sure looks cool. There’s a strong mood to it, a sanse of beauty and loneliness (for me at least).

Rayvelcoro: Mysterious castle, night, cartoonish style… well, Mickey Mouse was the first that came to my mind. And who doesn’t like Mickey Mouse?
Anyway I agree with Millani: I am drawn into the image, but the leaves are to bright.

g60: I don’t care if that’s too many rooks for chess, I love this entry. It’s fun, unique and very good-looking. Usually I complain about gray background, but here it kind-of fit the scene. The material for the rooks are great, but the gaming board feels flat: I miss some reflection.

Photox: there’s definitely something going on here, and it sure have gained my interest. The lighting, composition, modeling, the style are all amazing. The only thing that takes me away is that I can’t read the size of the scene. I don’t know if she’s a giant looking down on the castle in silouette, or if she is normal-sized and the castle is some paper-clip in front of her.

texasfunk101: another very solid entry. It really looks like a picture of someones model work. It’s very rich of details and I feel the passion of whomever built it. There’s nothing really I can complain on, but maybe there could be more motion? Maybe a model-knight/horse or something? But that’s just me.

fcharr: the lighting and modeling are great, and I like how the castle are made of individual stones: it makes it interesting. However it doesn’t really feel interesting, and the simplicity of the hills in the background doesn’t quite match the rich foreground of the castle and land.

roken: just like digitaldemons entry this could very well be a screenshot from a game, and it sure is interesting. I really like the detailes of that blue window, it feels enchanting.
I think it would have been even more interesting if the window had been the sole (or at least strongest) light source of the scene, it would have drawn focus to the room and window even more.

usernew: there’s solitude, there’s fog, there’s a strong mood. It’s strong composition-wise, and the clouds really help adding interest and breaking up the uniformity. It might be just me, but the roof feel a little flat. Maybe the bump should be higher?

Fulip: I had to look twice or trice to see what this represents, and now that I see I’m still not sure if I understand it. Is the big shiny yellow thing breaking through a wall of wireframe-blocks? It’s a little crazy - in a good way. Just the yellow thing itself makes the entry, it’s very cool.

kr4st: why does this make me think of runescape? It’s a castle, a dragon, canons, knights… ah that’s why! I like how it’s in motion, and the details are great. That guy doing a hero-jump onto the dragon is both fun and exciting.
I think it could be cropped quite a bit so it’s more focused on the battle.

SonnySee: from the quest of the holy grail, isn’t it? :slight_smile: I like the shine of the grail, and draws focus from the rest of the darker scene.

str11: the lighting is perfect here, it melts together greatly with the background. Very detailed too. Maybe it’s a little dark, and there’s some strange mapping on the rocks.

YAFU: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Love this.

Miatpi: My entry, and yes: it’s another sandcastle. But hey, at least it’s inside an hourglass. :stuck_out_tongue:
So I posted this like a couple of minutes before deadline, hence the name “in time”…
There’s a couple of problems here, like the sand particles outside of the hourglass (apparently I hadn’t a collision object) and the terrible looking snow (which actually is a failed attempt to make sand…).
I am currently rendering out a corrected version in much better quality (I can post it if you want to), but I’m nonetheless very proud of this as well.

thanks Miat :slight_smile: I should have added some alpha planes trees to those hills. Would have been cool :eyebrowlift:

Most entries ever? Well done, everyone!

Some observations…

Chavis: I appreciate the excitement you were going for – and achieved – here, among other things, such as the variations in the stone wall (textural and modeled), and the rising conflagration.

3dnotguru: This is a very different take on the topic, one with historical significance, and it’s rendered in a convincingly ominous manner.

LeoBlenderToon: I was hoping to see some sand castles, and you did not disappoint! The tiny shovel and flag are extra details that make this even more pleasing to see.

purbosky: Millani (in comments above) mentioned video game, and I too saw this as a game, but more of a board game, complete with tiny plastic soldiers. The arrangement of pieces and overal composition is perfect, in my opinion. Soft shadows look great, too!

FlyingBanana: Another sand castle, which I am happy to see, as well as a beach with nice details (starfish, umbrella, trees, etc.) which make for a complete and pleasing scene.

Millani: I love the visual play on words here, and I just want them to be so careful =) not to hit the ball too hard. The slight rotation on the cards makes this more convincing and less uniform. Shadows are complex, but can be expected in a scene like this.

DigitalDemon: This made me smile. The eyes really help to “animate” this wonderful piece. The castle looks a little friendly to me, but even a handshake from it would probably hurt =)

kate_all: This is beautiful, and, to concur with Millani’s remarks above, reminiscent of classic Taj Mahal photos. The sheer amount of symmetry here is pleasantly offset by suble variations in the trees, the sky, and the texturing on the castle.

Unicornaphobist: I recently built a LEGO castle for someone, and I smiled as soon as I saw this. Lovely colors, and a testament to the power of simple, clear ideas expertly executed.

joshwinkler3d: Setting the castle in a winter scene is a good way to distinguish this from the many other fine entries in this Weekend Challenge. I feel bad for that poor snow person. I wish Olaf could come along and make him smile =)

didierv: Another sand castle, and another job well done! The composition here is very appealing as well!

benla: A buried castle in the sand - great idea and very nicely done! I like that we can barely discern some sand / land formation in the back: this gives us a great sense of the density of the sand in the air. The color toning also helps make that sandstorm convincing.

RayVelcoro: I remember you said you ran into some memory/CUDA issues while working on this, but I’m glad you got this far. I have discovered most of the CUDA errors I’ve encountered could be traced to setting the render tiles too large. Samples too.I know 256 by 256 is the most popularly recommended setting, but I’ve found that lower settings sometimes work out better. Lowering “maximum bounces” and tweaking other sample/render quality settings (especially with the new denoising Blender 2.79rc2) can help reduce CUDA errors while speeding up render times.

g60: Besides sand castles, I was also looking forward to a chess reference or two, and I’m glad to see this one! Pieces are stacked convincingly, and I like the materials as well.

Photox: In 2006, I made an image called Grace’s Dream, and I also tried to have the main character deliberately out of focus so she (and we) could share in her focal point and begin to vicariously participate within her wonder. I know that was not easy to do, and I appreciate the effort you put into your image, the spark of light and life in your character’s eyes. I also appreciate what I’d like to take for as a Kafka reference (i.e. his novel Das Schloss / The Castle) – the castle everyone sees and hears about but always seems out of reach. VERY well done, Photox.

texasfunk101: This looks like an authentic paper (cardboard) model, something one might actually build in real life, and that is great! I especially love the notches in the cardboard and the little cobblestone road.

fcharr: The materials throughout this image are really nice, and I admire the tiny variations in the water reflections and things like the interesting variations in the brickwork on the castle itself.

Roken: Great idea going with an interior shot of the castle. And then to do it with stained glass! Those are some beautiful colors, especially as they are cast on the stone. The wood and stone textures help make this more convincing as well.

usernew: This has such a unique style to it, and the perspective is interesting as well. Any minute I hope to see someone peak out from one of those windows to see if the fog has cleared =)

Fulip: This is a bold and exciting piece, complete with glow and motion blur! I like how the wall slopes down where it was breached. The physics at play here are convincing and energetic.

kr4st: I have always admired the “low poly” look, and you pull it off here quite well! There’s quite a bit of action going on here! If I’m seeing correctly, there’s someone leaping from the castle wall to take on the green creature.

SonnySee: There’s a mysterious and mystic energy to this piece, even as I hear the Monty Python reference =) Always difficult to pull off very dark images, but, at least on this screen, I can see hints of bricks and trees behind the castle.

str11: A beautifully constructed castle, and yet so precariously placed – and just like the real one =) Very well done!

YAFU: Some humorous interplay between characters definitely makes this fun to watch and it helps to distinguish this image from the many other fine and serious entries in this Challenge. Great expressions too! He looks genuinely startled =)

Miatpi: You beat the clock, and it was certainly a render worth waiting for. Congratulations on such a creatively conceived castle. The falling sand particles produce a real sense of motion and passage of time.

caz747: You mentioned MakeHuman, and then I realized, after zooming in, where =) The castle and sky have a diistinctly sinister appearance, and I particularly like the angle and distance at which you chose to display the castle.

Helge: First, I want to thank you for your comment about the sky and my procedural texture work in the entry thread. I’ve been experimenting with Cycles procedural texture possibilities almost too much, but I am saving some stuff as I go along and will soon be releasing some very cool things. Now, on to your image: too bad about that bag of peanuts =) At least it did eventually serve as some inspiration for a completely unique and aesthetically admirable image! That’s one of the funniest things about inspiration: so many things, even random things, can eventually inspire some productive, if not important thoughts and creations. All the more reason to live mindfully!

OLG: I like the juxtaposition of textures and contrasts going on in your image, and the unique approach you took with your castle. The aline moon reflection in the water is also a nice thing!

DoriNori: First, congratulations on your winning the previous challenge! Never underestimate the power of “blue with a little purple” =) Now, on to your castle: absolutely wonderful modeling and a really nice render to show it all off. Bravo!

Hiryuusan: It is so nice to see another fellow “sky castle” builder out there =) I like that yours has something of a substantial foundation (unlike mine), and there’s definitely the sense of altitude and distance at work here. Great job!

RobertT

caz474: I really like the mood here, it’s quite omnious. Very cool. The cathedral is very good-looking too. The clouds however doesn’t really look like clouds and lack depth, like (if I’m not mistaken it’s a noise texture).

DoriNori: my gosh, this must have taken ages to make. The lighting is superb, the richness of details are staggering, Yes, I REALLY like it.

Thank you for the critique Miatpi and RobertT I really appreciate it. I kind of ran out of time as house projects kicked into high gear and that kind of takes priority. But this was fun and really enjoyed it and will definitely try and enter into more hopefully will get better and take the critiques into mind. Great entries to all of you. Thank you again Miatpi and RobertT

Thanks, Robert. If I sum everything up, I had a lot of fun because of that bag of peanuts. In the end I can’t complain. (Well … actually, I did and got a refund. ;-))
Regarding Cycles procedurals: Whatever you are planning to release, I’m really looking forward to that.

I haven’t checked any previous years but for 2017 this is breaking some records.

New 2017 records:
Total entries: 31 (#740 “Castles”, theme by DoriNori)
Competing entries: 26 (#740 “Castles”, theme by DoriNori)

Still standing:
Non-Competing entries: 7 (#732 “City Lights”, theme by Photox)

@RobertT: your renders are wonderfull as usual. May I ask how you animated those floating rocks?

thanks Robert :slight_smile:

Today I published the new version of the PHP / JavaScript application I use, to keep my precious collection of challenge renders:
http://blender-weekends.franciscocharrua.com/

new version: http://scripts.franciscocharrua.com/javascript-php/blender-weekends/

old not so cool AngularJS version:

http://scripts.franciscocharrua.com/javascript-php/blender-weekends/angularjs/

thx for the critique guys!

Thanks to reviewers! Good to know that my entry was funny for you.

Not completely satisfied with my entry. I have not been able to achieve motion effect on the girl’s leg of what would be a kick to the castle. At first I tried with motion blur but it started to make calculations with particles system and it took a lot (I should have isolated components, but no time for testing). I also tried with Vector blur but that did not work as expected. Next weekend I’ll investigate what was happening.

Lots and good entries this week!

@Miatpi AND @RobertT
Thanks so much for the critique. Yes, of course, this is the Castle Anthrax from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The scene in the movie where I derived my inspiration was a very dark and rainy one where a grail shaped beacon lured poor Sir Galahad the Chaste in. :slight_smile:
Had I to do it over again, I think I would have brightened it up a bit and taken more time with the modeling. I think it would have made for a much more interesting render.
However, I learned a few new techniques about procedural materials and I just had so much fun making the image and coming up with the title that it was worth participating in the contest for me.
Even given the short time I had, I was able to set a goal and reach it. That alone makes it a winning entry for me personally.

Thanks @Helge for the time and effort you put in to keeping this thing going and thanks to everyone that participated.
Every week, even if I do not have a competing entry, I am amazed and inspired by the many different interpretations of the theme.
Well done to all!

Cheers!

Thanks for constructive critique.Indeed i had some problems with shading(especially too sharp bricks edges).
I have fixed some imperfections with lighting and brick texture( i’m tried little bit decrease sharpness of the seams between bricks)


Thanks for the critique :slight_smile: A red Flag would have added some really good contrast. :frowning:

Thanks for the critique. :slight_smile: Initially, I wanted to make a Rapunzel tower high in altitude. But I struggled with the hair :frowning:

@str11: it shows, it’s more pleasing now :slight_smile:

So many beautiful and creative entries here going on. I love the expressions of the two child.