Hi, this is my entry for the splash screen.
When I read it in blendernation, I thought, hey I’ve never done a cat, should be fun. So I used some reference pictures from my cat, Musi, and got to it. Modeling and hair setup was about 4 hours. All textures hand painted inside blender.
This is the straight render, just signature added in compositor
Blender 2.73.2 and cycles, about 6000 samples 8hr render @GTX 780, total overkill, but I left it overnight.
This after some color correcting in compositor
suggestions are welcome.
If I have the time might try to improve it.
@kubo, I like the first one, but I find little weird the bokeh circles in the foreground. In my opinion, I would leave only the circles that appear blurred in the background.
@YAFU thanks, I was too lazy to setup an interesting background, so I just added some “flying” particles with a little emission + translucency, set a short focus range and turn on volume scatter for the world, I was looking for an effect but ended up with less control than something properly done. I agree that the ones on the foreground look a little wierd.
Allright, second iteration, added a paw, rectangular composition called for something there, and I’m still to lazy to make a proper background, so a little bit more of cat sounded like a good idea. Tweaked the proportions, even thou I used images for reference it didn’t look good, so I did some adjustmentes till it looked (to me) better. Changed the hair, more combing, and the material was all wrong.
Now the eyes don’t work,it’s the only color note on the picture, as planned, but the 5 minute hand draw might not be enough, either I do a better job with it or replace with a picture, my cat is not one of those that stays staring into the camera, so I might have to find some other source.
about 5hrs 4000 samples @GTX780 straight out from cycles just sig added
a little tone map in compositor
Suggestions are more than welcome.
I’ve played around with lights and volume scatter, tweaked the nails material, yet I need to address the eye. I love the ability to paint my textures inside blender, but usually I just need simple masks and such. If I have the time I’might check some tutorials and set some brushes and give it a new go.
In this new shot I’ve clamped the direct and indirect samples, and the glossy, the first ones were done using 3 mesh emmiters, this new one I’ve use a spot light which for some reason has added quite a share of fireflies.
Again, direct render, just sig added, 4k samples about 5hr @GTX 780
Little tonemapped on compositor
I wanted to create a “god’s rays” effect with the projected shadows, but for that to happen I need stronger light and the picture comes out all washed out. Might do some further tests.
This last iteration is looking a lot better, the composition is working more - it also seems like it is telling some type of story now. The claws also look a lot better. I think you could definitely keep pushing it though. Is there a way to pull more detail out of the eye? Maybe you can do something in the negative space to the left? (you could even add back in some particle effects, just maybe make them smaller and more subtle). Good work.
I am excited to see what others are working on for this. I am sure there are lots of places people can go with “cats”. I am working on something as well, but definitely a little weird…
@B-Rae, thanks, yes the eye needs some work. The material is all wrong, I’m certain about it, and the texture lacks detail, since there is still time I’ll do some more tests. On the other hand there is something going on off camera, once I figure out what could be it might clue me on how to fill the void…
Btw, bring on weird, that’s the whole fun of 3D
@Richcolburn he, nice one, now go for the other 2 of the Mawwwtrix trilogy
Thanks for the submissions sofar! Keep it coming 
(And don’t forget we need a 2 x 1 widescreen aspect)
what you mean exactly?
@erick. Final renders should be with Resolution aspect ratio of 2:1 (examples: 1024x512 or 2048x1024). Images like @Neow(which is very cool!) will be hard to fit in such area and require a lot of cropping - so be aware as you design/setup you renders
Hi, there is a template in first post for Gimp, image has to fit in.
Nice cats btw.
Cheers, mib
Here’s an old render; I’ll try to update this so it doesn’t look so CG. A little more fluff would also help too 
UPDATE: I might still tweak a bit, but here’s my entry:
Wel, after some thought, it came to me. What would MY cat play with… “a” blender… 
I had some time to kill yesterday and I gave it a try to hand paint the eye again. This time it has more detail. Also did some test and a total rework of the eye material and eyeball.
For the pendant I used the blend file of the blender institute to model it and some basic glass shaders, particles for the bubbles and a voronoi displacement on the surface to make for the imperfections at baking the glass coating.
I’ve brought back the “flying particles” in the background.
That’s about it. Since there are plenty of days left I might yet do some more changes, who knows, but for now I think it’s ok. I’ve yet to figure out how to create a volumetric shadow effect without loosing detail. But I’m open to suggestions.
Again 4k samples 5hrs @GTX 780, straight out of cycles without changes, only sig.
This is the same one after going thru the compositor
Hope you like it
@Garrison H, keep your “cat” away from mine, if your’s needs a dental floss please look elsewhere…
@kubo, blender logos and suzannes aren’t allowed in splash screens. no idea why…
but that’s quite an interesting render you’ve got
@khalibloo, lol, no kidding, I was thinking of doing something my cat would like to play with, a mobile or a pendant or something the like, so when I settle on a pendant the motive was obvious, or so I thought, no problem, I’ll find some glass bead that suits, that’s a good excuse to make some more tests :eyebrowlift:
@ Kubo: Lovely piece of art! Dunno whether it’s the volumetrics though, or the particles in the background, or the glazed eyes, but to me it looks like this is an under-water-picture.