Material suggestion needed

Artwork Works in Progress
1

screenshot of astrocytes.JPG768×970 135 KB

This is part of a 3D animation as related to brain cells (Neurons, astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and capillaries)

I need to produce a few still images and the white of the astrocytes just does not come out how I would like when a single image - in the animation I think it passes, but once shown as still image I am not happy.

Any material/shader suggestions?

node setup.JPG1017×733 73.4 KB

(this is my current node setup - with “paper crumple” from cgtextures.com

any help would be much appreciated - thank you in advance!

2

I think some depth of field and sub surface scattering would do a lot to illustrate the scale. Maybe see how that looks.

3

Great animation. I think the emission shaders, which you used as part of the shading, are part of the problem. Because they overexpose the details in the objects. Maybe it wold be better to work without them or make them even more subtle. More light from the side could also help, because lighting from the side can be used to bring out textures.

4

thank you Minoribus and cgCody. I agree with both of what you guys said and am working on a new material. Thanks for looking at this and knowing what I did wrong.

The blender community has to be one of the best that I know of…

thank you very much.

5

up close for blend artists.JPG716×950 88.4 KB

thanks for the input guys! I think i got it a little closer to waht I like.