i would be glad for any sort of suggestions to improve this image:
done with a current svn-build and gen3, all textures except the sky and the floor are procedural.
the older version: http://home.arcor.de/simon.mauch/bonsai1.jpg
it’s the first of a series of independent one-day projects i plan to do, with the long term goal, to merge them into one animation at the end.
the second project: the alien … in an early state yet:
simon
Looks pretty good, except the sky has a shadow on it.
well, that’s the window… it’s material doesn’t seem to fit well.
what is and svn-build?
svn is a version management-system like cvs, it contains the current source-code of blender. you can download this sourcecode and compile (‘build’) an executable program out of it.
but as a matter of fact this was unnessecary information concerning this image 
I’ve been realizing more and more lately that it all comes down to lighting. Try changing your setup. I picture this image with a nice diffused glow from outside casting soft shadows. (As opposed to the general all-around illumination you have right now.) I would suggest area lights as a start…
yes, it’s better that way.
