Challenge #744 Voting CLOSED

Contests Weekend Challenge
#1

This week’s theme: macro

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

  • texasfunk101
    To the moon
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499226&stc=1&thumb=1
  • #BlenderDude
    Big brother.
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499264&stc=1&thumb=1
  • fdo
    waterdrop
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499394&stc=1&thumb=1
  • KingofSpeed
    It’s a tiny little world
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499393&stc=1&thumb=1
  • DM9
    Deadpool Macro
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499407&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Hiryuusan
    Autumnal Fantasy
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499414&stc=1&thumb=1
  • bazevedo
    Just Slidin By
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499427&stc=1&thumb=1
  • RayVelcoro
    Barbed Wire
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499435&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Fulip
    Hazard?
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499446&stc=1&thumb=1
  • purbosky
    NanoDoc
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499463&stc=1&thumb=1
  • skadoosh
    Mushroooom
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499550&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Millani
    Philosopher’s Stone
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499560&stc=1&thumb=1
  • HISEROD
    Dew Drops
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499563&stc=1&thumb=1
  • BlenderrMan
    Nes Console
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499568&stc=1&thumb=1
  • DoriNori
    Navigating the Infinite Fractal of Infinity Which is Blue for Some Reason
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499593&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Enos Shenk
    Let’s do this chums
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499594&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Dragonfire
    Chinese Mantis
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499597&stc=1&thumb=1
  • finalbarrage
    Marbles
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499621&stc=1&thumb=1
  • FlyingBanana
    The First Date
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499633&stc=1&thumb=1
  • joshwinkler3d
    The Curious Spider
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499638&stc=1&thumb=1
  • robproctor83
    Two Frogs on a Rock
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499651&stc=1&thumb=1
  • dudecon
    Wasp Eye
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499653&stc=1&thumb=1
  • david.speer
    Sparks
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499673&stc=1&thumb=1
  • caz747
    Proteus
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499676&stc=1&thumb=1
  • fcharr
    Computer
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499697&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Photox
    Ice Storm
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499698&stc=1&thumb=1
  • str11
    Dragonfly
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499704&stc=1&thumb=1
  • appie.123
    Strawberry
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499706&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Bunnyhog27
    Bean Sprout
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499716&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Helge
    The Search
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499600&stc=1&thumb=1
  • Miatpi
    Give a sheet
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499720

Open Entries

  • Beam Ninja
    GuitarMacro2
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499489&stc=1&thumb=1

Non-competing Entries

  • OLG
    Macro eye photography - blender style
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499347&stc=1&thumb=1
  • g60
    My brain during this week’s challenge:
    https://blenderartists.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=499581&stc=1&thumb=1
  • RobertT
    MICRO-OR-MACROCOSMIC
    http://artofinterpretation.com/images4/wc744-Micro-or-Macrocosmic-byrjt2017.jpg
#2

So many great entries this week! Everyone wants an excuse to try out the new Blender features? There are four or five I want to be able to vote for.

#3

Woohoo it’s voting time! Helge, I like your piece a lot, I really think it has the potential of a master piece. I would suggest continue working on it and make it a portfolio piece. Can you clarify how you made the lighting. Is that atmospheric lighting there or something else? I so want to make lighting like that!

#4

KingofSpeed +1
robproctor83
Helge
Photox
amazing works!

robproctor83 ​if your image was a little more saturated would be perfect.

something like that https://ibb.co/ivHReQ

#5

Hey Nativo, thanks for taking the time to do that, it does look a lot better. I was hoping to see a non compete from you this week, but hopefully we see an entry from you here next week. Thanks again :slight_smile:

#6

Helge particiate and Helge leads. I’m not surprised :wink:

#7

@Helge, you should polish up the piece even more (it doesn’t need much) and post in finished, it’s a classic and deserves a shot at the gallery.

@nativo, thanks man. :cool:

@robproctor, great piece! I made a reptile sculpt in a WEC almost 2 years ago, that took home the prize. Your entry reminded me of it. “Jungle Friday”


#8

I was working on something but unfortunately I don’t have time to finish it

untitled.jpg960×540 349 KB

#9

@Nativo I really like what you were making! Did you sculpt those army men?

#10

@robproctor83
Regarding the lighting: the scene uses three lamps. The main (sun) light is shining trough a window from the right. Another sun is adding a little blue light from the back and an additional (white) spot helps to brighten up the dwarf and his telescope. Most of the scene lives inside a cube using a light volume scatter shader. (And filmic is helping out a little as well.)

dwarflighting.png694×480 56.6 KB

@robproctor83, Photox
I’ll see what I can do. My initial idea contained much more details - so there is a lot to be done. (Apart from working on the little bugs and glitches.)
And while we are reviving the past: I’m still planning to finish/redo my “Photography” entry from May 2015. Just haven’t gotten around to do that.

Looking at it now, this looks quite similar to the recent one. My brain seems to generate the same ideas if the theme is photography/macro related… :slight_smile:

@NATIVO:
Nice! You should have submitted the entry anyways. :slight_smile:
But even without it your theme broke some records.

New 2017 records:
Total entries: 35 (#744 “macro”, theme by NATIVO)
Competing entries: 32 (#744 “macro”, theme by NATIVO)

Still standing:
Non-Competing entries: 7 (#732 “City Lights”, theme by Photox)

#11

@Helge Thanks for explaining the lighting in your scene and posting that image. That really helps me understand how to get better lighting using volume scatter.

#12

@Helge, thanks soooo much for posting that, I’m going to definitely try that out. I tried use volumetric lighting a couple times but it always came out super glitchy and covered in fireflies. I need to figure that out because that volumetric lighting really, really, reallllly makes a big difference. Also, can I just say freaking bravo on your little rollie pollie insect dude… Very cool indeed.

@Photox I love your piece there. It’s really well done, I would love to see a large render of that. Also, I agree my frogs remind me of lizards as well. at one point I actually thought about scrapping the frogs and going with a lizard instead but… alas I stuck it out. Your piece is really awesome though, such a quality render.

#13

On the matter of frogs:
Originally I planned to do a frog (“Paedophryne amauensis” - the world’s smallest known vertebrate) for the “Skulls”-Challenge. But I couldn’t find any good reference images of the skeleton and went with the piranha instead.

This week, my vote jumped to your frogs. You clearly know what you are doing - and stacking frogs as well as stones is a funny idea. Especially, since focus stacking is a common practice in macro photography. :wink:

#14

Helge, thanks buddy, but i’m 99% sure your gonna win, and I will come in second, my designated place, if I am lucky that is :slight_smile: I appreciate the confidence, but to be honest I still feel extremely lost when trying to do stuff. I’m starting to get better of course, but I feel like there is just so much to learn that I struggle with any one specific thing.

By the way, Helge, I have been working as a professional web designer/developer for over a decade. If you ever need help with the site feel free to ask.

#15

Love all the entries.
It was so hard to decide as always!
Quite the broad range of submissions too, from amazing dead pool to frozen cherries over to frogs, great topic selection :slight_smile:
Looking for feedback, even if its Miatpi telling me I have become more crazy :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#16

@robproctor83 Thanks for your constructive critique.
Here is my updated version

Dragonfly.jpg1629×1079 140 KB

#17

I didn’t have time to complete my work in time, so here is a finished version:

Attachments

Render.png1152×648 662 KB

#18

@str11 wow that actually looks a lot better, I am impressed. Too bad you didn’t get that version into the contest, but it should definitely go in your portfolio. Very good.

@Miatpi I think your bug looks really good, very realistic. Besides the fact that I hate bugs and this one looks exceptionally creepy like a roach, it’s probably one of the best models I have seen from you. Did you make it? It’s done really well, looks very real. Maybe the eyes are off though, they look like shrimp eyes or something. Maybe that is correct though, so I am not sure.

@Nativo I just seen your entry. Wow did you actually model those figurines, those are exceptional. To be honest I am not feeling the overall image though, but it’s a WIP so I’m sure you would have done more.

@david.speer I took a good look at your piece, I think there are a couple things you should note. One is that your entry is lacking any type of entropy, everything is perfect and polished. There should be some rust, dings, scratches and scuffs on the metal objects. Also, I wasn’t sure what the object was at frst, and I am also still not entirely sure, but I am thinking it’s a spark plug, is that right? It’s not good that I didn’t immediately recognize it, your shapes should be recognizable if possible. And finally, I would just comment on the spark effect itself. It actually looks fairly realistic, but that is also kind of boring. You should maybe exagerate the sparks a bit more and have them kind of going everywhere more like your last submission with the robot.

#19

@robproctor83 Thank you, very glad you liked it. :slight_smile: Yes I sculpted it, and it was very fun too. The model is actually pretty simple, but the material was a very different story: it’s quite mess of SSS, glass and volumetrics (which is kinda similar to amber). Took me a hours too get it (somewhat) right.

Beside the bug, what do you think of the image?

#20

@ Nativo JOHNY BROVO!