This is an homage to Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and to Blender 2.35’s new selection tools :D.
I made it for the Splash Screen Contest 2.35. It took a while to figure out the particle settings for the apes’ fur. No post processing.
Cheers
Thorsten
This is a larger version: http://www.thoro.de/images/blender/2001_splash_full.jpg
I like that idea a lot, very imaginative. I don’t think the image quality is good enough for a splash though if the intention was for the 2.35 splash. The monkey hair look a bit odd - more like a carpet. Did you use a texture with an alpha channel? Mind you, you even have the suzanne faces. I would say that with some modfication to the fur, that would be an excellent image.
Very clever idea and design, it’s a good candidate for the splash.
Kansas_15: Thank you, let’s see how it competes with these great splash screens some others did…
osxrules: Thanks for your constructive criticism - I think you are right. I’m currently trying to get better fur settings. I’m using an alpha texture, but I think it can be improved - I will update the images.
By the way, is it allowed to use the Suzanne mesh in the Splash Screen Contest?
Are you using the beast script?
Not sure. I know you can’t use the blender logo but I think suzanne’s ok.
I really hope you get the fur thing better because I the concept is one of the best I’ve seen of the splash screens. Not sure if it breaches copyrights though :-?.
Stanely Kubric would be so proud. This is an amazingly clever piece of art and if it were up to me it would probably be the splash. Congrats on being the first to come up with such a clever idea, and congrats again on its fantastic execution 
My only suggestion would be adjust the shading of your monkeys. They seem to stand out from the background slightly and their fur is semi-yellow-ish. Good luck 
Great idea! I actually sat and chuckled at it I have no crits other than what has been posted already by people who know more than me anyway. I hope you manage to touch it up and make it even better
Very very clever! who votes on the new splashscreen? I’d vote for this one!
osxrules: No, I’m currently just using particles - the Beast feels a bit unhandy, how about the fiber script?
Desoto: Thank you, I’m glad that you like the idea - I updated the images, the particles are still hard to control - their material doesn’t get shaded properly.
=KH=Lupus: Thanks! 
Gr8RedShark: Hehe, thank you! I don’t know who’s in the Splash Screen committee but it’s good to see that I could get your vote.
That’s really a cool splash! But as mentioned before the fur needs some work. The rest is awesome! Btw; where is that splash contest thread? I can’t find it.
very nice idea
the material of the terrain dosn’t look realistic to me :\
Yeah… I think you’d win if it weren’t for the rug-like fur…
Best of luck nonetheless! I wouldn’t mind seeing this as my splash, for certain.
I agree with most everything mentioned here, in fact I supported this splash in the official thread.
It is a creative use imagery, it puts a new and fresh spin on the often “surreal” splash screens of past versions.
I’m so impressed I’ve considered a special build just for me (and those who use linux) with this splash, should it somehow not get chosen.
Truly excellent work.
H
the idea is excellent it would be really great as a splashscreen, but it is still too ‘unfinished 3D-like’ to be acceptable. I think a splashscreen must show what a soft is able to do, and this picture is not a the top of what blender can render 
But the idea and the concept deserve that you work hard on it to make it look neat and finished
Climate like “Fight for fire” :).
More AO samples with distance.
…btw… where can i download Blender 2.35 source code…not package… i want pure scratch? … i don’t see BF 4 stage nor cvs and ftp.
…bla bla bla… ok i’m in tha house.
Hehe, thanks for your crits - I guess you are right, I have to work on the ground structure to improve the rocks and get sand, the fur of the apes has to become shorter and smoother - and the lighting also needs some work… 
Your comments are very encouraging - I will work on this tonight to get a better quality.
Thorsten
4Daniel: Here’s a link to the thread - it’s in the ‘News & Chat’-Section - https://blenderartists.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32164
I updated the images in the first post - new fur, worked on the rocks & the lighting…
Finished - I can’t see these particle settings anymore :P.
Excellent work, I’ll continue to support this splash for the next release.
-h
