Challenge #750 Voting CLOSED

This week’s theme:

Europe

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

  • TSF
    [post=3253594]final[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=503925&thumb=1

  • RayVelcoro
    [post=3253610]Silhouette Puzzle[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=503930&thumb=1

  • beau11
    [post=3253790]Sunset in Venice[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504017&thumb=1

  • Lux
    [post=3253971]challengeEurope[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504089&thumb=1

  • DM9
    [post=3253989]The making of ‘From Europe with Love’[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504099&thumb=1

  • PyBlend
    [post=3254132]Iconic[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504147&thumb=1

  • didierv
    [post=3254150]The abduction of Europa[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504158&thumb=1

  • purbosky
    [post=3254213]French Fresh[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504184&thumb=1

  • fdo
    [post=3254300]fragile[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504213&thumb=1

  • Millani
    [post=3254344]European Disunion[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504221&thumb=1

  • fcharr
    [post=3254075]Portugal[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504231&thumb=1

  • MACEPRODUCTIONS
    [post=3254383]Bodiam Castle[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504240&thumb=1

  • chris.hopper
    [post=3254391]Fine Food and Drink[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504241&thumb=1

  • wallacemarino
    [post=3254413]Remainer’s Lament - A Brexit Topography[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504249&thumb=1

  • FlyingBanana
    [post=3253707]Guten Morgen[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504277&thumb=1

  • DoriNori
    [post=3254508]Cool Castle in Europe[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504281&thumb=1

  • Bunnyhog27
    [post=3254538]European castle[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504286&thumb=1

  • robproctor83
    [post=3254202]Euro Still Life[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504289&thumb=1

  • str11
    [post=3254637]Holland windmills[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504317&thumb=1

  • caz747
    [post=3254657]Hern the Hunter.[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504324&thumb=1

Open Entries

  • Ryeath
    [post=3254372]F-1[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504238&thumb=1
    (Blender internal with paint.net)


  • mirek_snd
    [post=3254666]Grunwald Swords[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504328&thumb=1
    (Can’t call it Pure cause I used free grass add-on, so let’s keep it “Open”)

Non-competing Entries

  • OLG
    [post=3253619]What I recall of Europe[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=503932&thumb=1

  • Photox
    [post=3254283]Old Town[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504208&thumb=1

  • Helge
    [post=3254406]bergatroll[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504246&thumb=1

  • RobertT
    [post=3254579]RENAISSANCE, REASON, REVOLUTION, REVERIE[/post]
    http://artofinterpretation.com/images4/wc750-RenaissanceReasonRevolutionReverie-byrjt2017.jpg

  • bazevedo
    [post=3254621]Old and New[/post]
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=504312&thumb=1

@DoriNori and @Bunnyhog27 your entries look like they could be different views at different seasons of the year of the same place. Awesome job on them.

Hey helge, that’s an interesting sculpture, did you sculpture it or model it? Also is that a real sculpture?

And anyone else notice the new mobile theme for this site? Doesn’t seem to let me vote!

I modeled a rough base mesh but most of it was done with sculpting tools afterwards. As far as I can tell, the sculpture doesn’t exist in reality. But, of course, similarities between the sculpture and existing entities may not be completely accidental. :wink:


Oh, wow… I didn’t even realize it was made in the shape of Europe. I just thought it was an interesting sculpture, that maybe it was some kind of euro thing… lol… I’m from America and my geography is horrible, I don’t even know my own country. If you hadn’t uploaded that image I am not sure I would have ever realized what it was. I have a whole never level of respect for it now =) By the way Helge, I love your art style. You and Robert T are probably the two the most pronounced style that I have seen here on the weekend challenges, and your both non compete! All pros go non compete!

Thanks FlyingBanana! Love yours too! Looks like I could eat it!

Bunnyhug27

Not sure who to vote for yet. It’s gonna be DM9 or Millani. Both entries deserve some love. I’ll make up my mind on time!

oeps, that was double. my bad.

I didn’t recognise Europe either Helge, but now knowing it brings a whole new layer of flavor to your entry! Well done!

I love how Helge and RobertT put so much thought into their designs, while the entire thought process behind my entry was: “This looks cool!”

Lol, yea Dori I know what you mean. I think Helg’s is particularly interesting, though I believeit would probably be lost on most people (such as myself). Also, Dori, I really like your castle, I think it’s the best one of the submissions. I do have a couple critiques though, if your interested.

  • One thing, which I think would help a lot would be to add some atmosphere, I see you have some faint clouds, but I am talking more like a general haze on the horizon or something.
  • I like that you added white to the top of the castle parts, but it looks like you missed a couple? It might of also been nice to add some randomness to the snow. like maybe some clumps or missing spots.
  • The castle could use some wear and tear, it looks to perfect which makes it look 3d. You need some variations in texture, some cracks, etc.

Anyways, you probably already know this stuff, but I’m just throwing out my 2 cents. By the way, is this a real castle?

I like Dori’s castle also. It could use some depth of field. In general i saw like all castles positioned in the valley in stead of on top of the hill. Thats not accurate.

Oh? That wouldn’t have even crossed my mind. I guess it makes sense though, but surely not every castle is on top a hill? Or are they? This looks like a job for Google!

Alright I’m going to make a critique on my own entry, I really enjoy making critiques as I feel like it helps me understand the process of making art immensely.

  • First, the cheese. I think it came out okay, I like some of the texturing and shapes, but it isn’t quite where i want it. It doesn’t look very realistic, and there are a couple problem areas such as the bottom right, or the surrounding edge.

  • Speaking with a cowoker about my entry it became clear that I should have done the flag differently. I liked the wavy fabric look, but in real life it would never be like that. I should use a more paper style flag, much straighter with only a few slight bends.

  • The grapes should have a bit more SSS, and there should be just a bit more variation to the grape geometry (maybe one or two that have the skin split or peeling).

  • The bread came out okay, but on some of the insets the texture get’s a bit distorted/skewed. I tried to fix that as much as possible, but you can setill see it if you look closely.

  • I’m getting a strange reflection where the wine glass meets the wine stem, and it creates a strange concave shape where the wine ends. I’m pretty sure it’s being caused from some refracting glass, not sure how to fix that.

  • The stain on the left glass looks okay, but it shouldn’t be a stain. I was trying to go for some condensation or something along those lines, but it ended up looking like an actual stain… You wouldn’t be drinking out of a stained cup ike that.

Well, that’s enough for now, gotta to work!

Dori, hey, quick question, did you happen to use this addon?

I think it came out after your entry so I wouldn’t think so, but it has some very similar looking images to yours so I figured I would ask. It looks pretty cool, if it were not so expensive I would probably buy it. Did you use some addon for the terrain? Your mountain looks very good. Anyways, just seen this addon and I immediately thought of your entry.

@robproctor83 & RayVelcoro: Thanks for the (overly ;-)) kind words. I knew it would be hard to recognize - and rotating the map didn’t make it any easier. At first I planned to add some kind of sign showing the map - but then I figured it would be fun to keep it hidden for a while (like an easter egg).
Usually, I tend to interpret the themes with a little extra freedom. But in this case I followed it quite literally - probably without it being noticed by many. :wink:

I’m not sure if anyone ever build a real castle in a valley. It probably wouldn’t have lasted very long. On the other hand, if you have no enemies, you can save a lot of money by not having to carry every brick on top of a mountain.

And it does! When thinking about the theme I found all kinds of strange Europe connections - but castles didn’t come to my mind. We even visited one nearby a few weeks ago. However, after seeing this weeks entries it makes a lot of sense.

Germany has the most beautiful castles like Neuschwanstein castle and Hohenzollern Castle;



Once again, it was very difficult to vote. I was impressed by PyBlend’s entry and it got my vote.

If I had another vote, I would give it to DM9. The making of a postcard! I want more ideas like this one :slight_smile:

Robproctor83, since you made critiques of your entry, I’ll add a few:

  • For me the less realistic part of the scene is the cheese. It looks too much like plastic. And if it’s Emmental, this cheese is Swiss, not French :wink:
  • Wrong nationality for the flag, and as you said, it should be flat.
  • I would not serve wine in dirty glasses. The bottle can have dust if it waited for years in a cave. The glasses must be clean.
  • Pedroncelli??? Seriously, a Californian wine??? I would have tolerated an Italian wine, since the theme is Europe, but don’t we have enough wines in France?
    Oh, I’m French, by the way :stuck_out_tongue:

Morning everyone! Looks like I am in the lead, but not by much! I just wanted to say that if you all elect me as this weeks champion I promise to provide the best possible theme to you, our beloved community! This is no ordinary theme, mind you, it was crafted by a team of brilliant minds all working together to bring you the finest possible theme idea. So, if you would like to partake in a life changing theme then please, vote for me, and together we will make a difference.

@didierv that’s funny, I thought maybe I should check and see if that was a proper European wine, but the name sounded close enough so I thought screw it. Agh, shouldn’t have use that one… Oh well… But yea I agree with most of your points, especially the cheese… I couldn’t get it quite right.

Some comments.

TSF: I liked the satellite view, with strong vignetting and many scratches on the lenses. And beam of light draws a lot of interest and makes me want to know what happens next.

RayVelcoro: Looks like a fun way to learn a bit of geography. I liked the surroundings, but the lamp is getting in the way, blocking the view of the puzzle.

beau11: Nice view! Looks like a nice way to spend the day, watching the sunset and drinking wine with somebody else.

Lux: Cool idea. I wonder if the Europeans of Jupiter have as many alcoholic drinks as those of Earth :wink: I like how those containers are shaped like beer cans, though this is often a sign of low-quality beer (real bear is served in kegs). But maybe that’s why it is free.

DM9: Haha, funny one. I like the happy colours and the “under construction” feeling of the image.

PyBlend: Nice low-poly models. The blender logo is a nice focal element, but isn’t the Blender Foundation from The Netherlands instead of Germany? On second thought, such a huge logo would not fit in such a small country :smiley:

didierv: Interesting story behind the picture. The metallic look makes the objects look like statues, which is nice. Not sure about the colours though. The green supposedly represents grass, but I think it is too saturated. Orange, green and blue do not fit very well together. Maybe you could make only one of them saturated?

purbosky: Does this perfume really exist? Here in Berlin there are bottles shaped like the Fernsehturm (I think with Vodka, not sure). I liked the monochromatic colour scheme, and also the model of the tower as a closed object. It looks a bit like cardboard or plastic, though. I would expect something like this to be only glass.

fdo: Loved the miniature feeling of the image. The material on the land is pretty cool, but the water confuses me a bit: Is that plastic? Glass? The background with the glued stars is pretty nice, and I also liked the message on the image. But what is that metal stick doing there?

fcharr: I liked how the green area looks like grass and the red one like the sky. The small castles are also pretty cute. I think it could’ve made sense to make the image the same shape as the flag (that is, not a square).

MACEPRODUCTIONS: I think I saw a similar entry a few weeks ago when the theme was “Castles”. I liked the castle and the trees on the background. The water is nice, but for some reason it looks shallow, not sure why.

chris.hopper: I really liked the realism here. Those grapes look really tasty! It also has a cold wine cellar feeling. The glass is very well made (it even has an air bubble). But I think the image is too evenly lit, it could use some highlight.

wallacemarino: That’s a cool map, I liked the colours. Are they based on the population of each region? The scene could use a focal element though. Maybe if the camera were centred in one of the red regions?

FlyingBanana: That looks tasty! I liked those strawberries (I mean, they look nice. I did not eat them). The waffles look pretty tasty too. But what is that liquid which is being poured on top of them? Honey? It looks a bit too watery. Also, the background looks a bit pixelated, but that’s the image’s fault :wink:

DoriNori: Loved the landscape here, specially the mountains in the background. The castle is also pretty interesting. You captured the feeling of cold pretty well.

Bunnyhog27: Loved the colours of the trees. The laves are pretty amazing. The brick texture is also pretty nice. It is just a bit strange that the castle looks hollow (I can see grass and some trees from the forest inside). Also, those trees are growing out of stone, which is a bit strange.

robproctor83: Really nice lighting. I liked the details and the amount of objects. The bread is particularly nice. I think the flag was a nice touch (even though the nationality is wrong ;)). You already said that those glasses are too filthy, but it also bothers me that they are too thin: There is no space between the wine and the outer side of the glass. Also, I don’t understand much about wine, but aren’t wine bottles always dark?

str11: Beautiful landscape and really nice windmill models. I also liked the flowers and the way that they are arranged in circles of different colours. Very idyllic!

caz747: Spooky. I liked the cloth and the yellow eyes. I think the darkness is ok here, not too dark. Adding some fog might make the image a bit brighter without hurting the darkness (if that makes sense). But I think you could’ve made his horns more apparent, it took me a while to notice them.

Ryeath: Nice style. I liked those car models. The glossy effect is pretty cool, specially on the car on the front.

MonkeYceBear: I liked those toy models and their colours. The map is also pretty cool. Not sure about the background image though. It is a bit rare to have a wall painted like that.

mirek_snd: I liked how those swords look like “sisters” (or brothers, not sure). The model is pretty cool, but the grip looks like plastic. Also, the scale is not very clear: Are those huge swords, or is the grass very thin?

OLG: Ha! Loved the title :smiley: I suppose you’re not the only one who feels like this, considering how many entries are about alcohol. I liked the background and the way that you transferred the idea of drinking too much. Also, thumbs up for using European instead of Californian brands :slight_smile: (Sorry rob)

Photox: Loved the colours and the atmosphere. It looks a bit like an old photo, but some towers on the background look rather futuristic. Also, the fact that you used Suzannes for that is pretty amazing.

Helge: At first I thought you went lazy this week, making a very strange statue with cheesy edges. I shouldn’t have underestimated you. The fact that this has the shape of Europe is pretty cool, and it takes some much creativity to see a person and a two-headed lizard just by looking at the silhouette of the continent. The stone material is pretty cool too.

RobertT: I really love your style. It is hard to believe that this is 3D and not 2D art. I liked the sleeping head on top, and the colours are pretty awesome too. I don’t understand much about the history of art, so I think I can’t appreciate this in its true glory, but it looks pretty neat.

bazevedo: I liked the old photo look, with some regions being over and others under saturated. I also liked the contrast between the old castle and a modern city.