2 images: The flags (2nd re-render); Lair of the Brass Dragon revisited/revised.

Artwork Finished Projects
1

The flags
http://img168.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0315ob6.jpg
http://gallery.mudpuddle.co.nz/albums/kansas15/0315_G.thumb.jpg
Lair of the brass Dragon revisited/revised
http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0314aov4.jpg
http://gallery.mudpuddle.co.nz/albums/kansas15/0314a.thumb.jpg

On the first one
-Snow made with node material with slope detection, that way it doesn’t go on the sides
-Image intended to have semi dull contrast and be semi-black and white, not entirely in the way of photorealistic.

On the revisited/revised one
-Lighting completely redone.
-Horns have more of a base
-New floor
-Changed one of the spheres.
-Shortened the wrist on the hand
-Very slight change to Dragon eye shape.
-Other changes
On the scales, they look more bumpy then they really are because of the lighting and tangent shading, hope it turned out better though, I like this version better, the Dragon’s head stands out more. I had to go back to it since there was so much complaining about the origional. The rest of the Dragon didn’t change too much.

2

Okay, first, the flag: the particals are effective but appear to stop when the forground starts, i can see upon close inspection this isn’t true but the illuision makes it look pretty iffy.
The flag itself, forground, flag poll looks noobish, very noobish. And I know you know quite enough about blender to do better.

The Lair of the Brass [Cesored], is better than the other version. But still holds no wow factor, and for me is generally uninteresting.

Sorry.

3

I’m starting to wonder if what Plantperson said to me has come true.

Part of the problem you’re having is, I fear, a bad precedent. Your work has become perceived as something to make fun of and you have become perceived as someone who is fun to mock.

I fear another backlash against me solely because of what I made in Blender, if this is true then I probably won’t post in this thread again, letting your actions get it locked (again), if so then may this be my last post in this topic. Nowadays I’m happy with just one of two people liking my works.

4

“I fear another backlash against me solely because of what I made in Blender,”
Dude don’t say that. Even if they dont like it just keep makin it and dont be bothered by the comments. If something they say you should change sounds like a good idea change it. If you’d rather leave it how you made it, leave it. I hadn’t seen the flag one before. I think its a bit busy but still isn’t bad. Maybe if you gave it a DoF focused on the flag? I love Dof lol.
And the dragon one definitely has more life to it now. the scales look better and the eye. and the ground looks cooler too. The hand looks a bit flat at the wrist but other than that its a big improvement man. Blend on!

5

Busy it may be it was the intended effect, a flag in the snow in a snowy landscape. The ground was displaced, I even manually subdivided the mesh to give it more displacement detail in the front. It was also a good image to try out the new slope detection I developed in the node editor, a strength being unlimited resolution in the slope detection.

6

Yeah. I guess every image an artists sees makes them want to feel a certain way. So yours worked cause it was busy and made me want more of a surreal, soft, quiet feeling. So good job! Cause the art gave the feeling that was intended. Yeah, i saw your slope thingy, looks cool.

7

You just MADE it come true. You start the flame wars… At least 90% of the time. People critique your work… you fight back and bam… flame war.
As for the pics, the ground looks too unnatural in the flag one. I like the snow though.
Lair of Brass shows improvement… but still not there yet.
-Nums

8

I just decided I would try to improve the flag one even if most say it isn’t bad. I look at it and I think the rock texture could use improvement and could look more realistic overall. The ground will probably stay the same though. I found what may have caused it to take more then a day to render the first time, it’ll be avoided this time.

As for the brass one I think I’m done with it, I’m a bit more satisfied with the new version then the old.

9

Sounds good man. And ignore NumNums. That comment is just trying to fan a flame that already died.

10

Not the only purpose of his post.

He did admit the brass Dragon one showed improvement in the least and he liked the snow. He was not just to fan the flames.

11

I love it!! your work is always great!!! keep it up!!

12

I still think the ground in the flag one could look more realistic after looking at it anyway, and so, I’m improving the realism. Things are looking more realistic so far, including the flag.

13

the brass one looks totally sweet in the thumbnail… but looses that glamour at full size. not sure what it is.

14

Okay, re-rendered the flag one, it has more of that dull effect I was looking for initially and is more realistic.

15

I won’t say a thing aout the dragon, but the flag scene. Only thing bad in it is the prime subject it’s named after. The ground with snow is very nicely rendered, yet then the flagpole looks like it was just attached there in postpro, and what’s worse, done very poorly. You should redo the whole flagpole and the flag material, as they just don’t work.

Oh, and the snow particles could be more visile in the lower part of the pic too.

16

I already changed the flagpole to an extent from the origional yesterday, and did slight changes to the material. When I made the second version I didn’t really know how to improve the flag material like I knew how to improve the ground. I thought the pole looked nicer then it was in the very first version. I tinkered with the flag material a little, only I didn’t think it was really improving it. I didn’t want it also to look too soft as well.

17

i like it, just wanted to say…

18

not with the dragon again,… it looks better, but its still nothing great yet.

as for the snow flag thingy, i would put some kind of dirty tassle thingies around the flag as a border. i love the snow but it stops at the foreground. also the flag and the pole look like they were done by my 8 year old brother. throw some tears and dirt on the flag. add an interesting design on it. redo the flag pole completely, and throw some frost on the new pole. the pole now looks like some cheap nail stuck in the ground. i also dont see how the flag attaches to the pole.

the enviroment looks good besides the snow stoping at the foreground. but the flag looks like you got lazy. a new flag shouldnt take too long to model, do that and you should have a three or four star image. maybe. i cant speak for other’s opinions.

19

cyborg_dragron, read this here because it’s an important message from me.

You did impress me this time. As always, I was expecting something…well, like usual. And altho I have to agree with the others, the flag pole and the flag itself isn’t so great…the ground and the material is very interesting. I like your material. there I said it.

20

hey,

I dont like commenting on Your works, because i dont want to be on either side of the “flame-wars” and sometimes it appears that criticism is equal to flaming… but i still hope it isnt true…

anyway, back to the topic:

The flags
I quite like the geometry of the mountains, but the material needs some work. Mainly because the snow seams very thin, it actually reminds me of frostings:stuck_out_tongue: (dont know if its the right translation…). I’d also get rid of the bigger flat parts, because they look unnatural. Another thing is that the surface could use a small bump map because some areas look too solid.
As far as the foreground flag goes, it’s poorly modelled (flags arent just glued to a pole right ? and id say the pole is too thick) and the cloth part is badly uv-mapped. The material on the pole should look like chrome i think or at least some kind of metal so a strong reflection is needed, maybe blurry but strong. The “broken” specular really makes it look bad.
About that cloth part, i’d encourage u to use soft-body for it instead of displace as it’s responsible for that texture stretching. Soft-body would also make it look much more real.
And some comments in general, the scene seams a bit dark overall. U could make the snow more white and add some fog/mist to the scene, because the snow makes even a night a lot brighter.
I think that would be all for that one :wink:

Lair of the brass Dragon
I’m not gonna write as much as for the previous one… because there isnt really anything to comment. I’d call this render a 3d sketch. You can see basic primitives all over the place, everything is more or less a rectangle-based mesh (except the head) so it doesnt look too good, especially that it’s posted as finished.
I’d say u should finally start modelling, stop experimenting with various effects and make a model of decent quality. The head doesnt look too good as well although compared to the background it’s much better.
Everything has the same material… lots of repeating geometry… It’s hard to suggest anything.

Now, time for some overall feedback.
I really think You should start a modelling based WIP thread (even the best do that, because everyone can use constructive criticism to make their work better). Spend about 2 weeks on a scene just modelling (that’s more or less my modelling time for the C2), do some gray/clay renders to check if the mesh is looking alright, dont bother making everything at the same time (modelling, texturing, posing, post-pro).
I honestly think You’re able to make a good render, but You need good models to produce a good render.

For now i can give You 3 stars maximum (3 for the flags and 2 for the lair), because it is very average, but if u wont make any progress You will start to get even less, because the average quality is getting better and better every month.

start modelling and surprize us with some stunning artwork :slight_smile:

  • Kroni

PS. sorry for the long post :stuck_out_tongue: