I’ve decided to attempt a realistic banana still life. This is what I have so far (just the peel)
I’d love to have input as I go along on this project.
Thickening the peel and adding the banana didn’t take as long as I thought it would:
(This banana is half eaten BTW.)
I think the bends on the banana peel are a bit to ocomplicated. The banan peel should actually bee quite stiff like this
I’d agree with you, but I’m working from a real banana. Right in front of me. And that’s how the peel is:).
Thanks for the pic and stuff though. I think the stiffness of the peel depends on how ripe the banana is. I’m using a quite brown one.
wow, you must have one stinky bannana in fornt of you! looking nice but if the bananna is half eaten, give it bite marks :rolleyes:
Hah! I’m reminded of the baroque still life paintings, with the bread and fruit and dead birds. It was a real tour-de-force to get a fish into the painting, since they spoiled so fast. Anyway, I think you should consider using Morio’s photo for the shape of the peel, since that looks like most people’s experience of what a banana looks like. Unless, of course, you’re doing a banana that was half eaten then forgotten for several days…
Yea I that you should go with the classic look of the banana peel. Good job so far!
Cool little project. It’ll be interesting to see your textures, since they’ll be carrying a big part of the look. Be sure to be thorough when doing those.
I also agree with the crit on the peel shape. The look you have now might be possible, but it’s a too special. Classic is better
And I think you should make the banana a bit thinner at the bottom. It’s got something to do with the shape of the curve towards the narrowest part where that black thing is (some sort of flower or something…?). It just seems to thick there compared to the image Morio posted.
Hope this helps. Keep it up!
//Mathias
i assume that banana is on a table laying down if so it will make more sense to put it in its enviroment
I agree on the classic banana issue. Also, I think your version is too smooth. All bananas I’ve seen are of the classic variety above, with fairly angular sides, and hard edges – almost polygonal.
For those who must know, here is the real banana. I know the peel looks crazy in my version, but I think the textures will fix that.
iliketosayblah: Will do the bite marks (somehow my biting it didn’t leave any though. I think the banana broke off a bit;))
Orinoco: Yeah, i should add in a skull beside it. Thanks for the reply/crits, and see the photos above about the peel.
Dudebot13: Thanks. See photos for the peel…
The M.h.p.e: Thank you. It’s just that I don’t want to do the cliché banana… the main reason I started this project is because the peel was in such a cool, fluid looking position! 
I agree about the textures. They’ll probably be the most challenging part of this.
And I thinned out the bottom.
BionicGordon: It’s on a plate, so I’ll do that in the next render.
Jel: True about the edges. I’ll fix that.
Thanks for all the replies, and hope to see the crits keep coming :).
Update:
Did the peel textures (phew!), environment (plate, etc.) and lighting. The plate texture is probably temporary, as is the floor texure (i.e… none). No texture on the banana itself yet.
I think the peels edges are too sharp. They need to be more smooth. And the actual peel needs to be more cupped.
And you are planning on adding a bump map to the inside of the banana? Other wise you are going to have to do some sculpting. Because there should be cracks, and pieces of those string things.
Just thought I would throw those out since you are going for realism.
Good job so far. 
I’d brighten the peel texture up a bit, infact, brighten the whole thing up a little. Dont forget the annoying stringy bits.
Thats a bad banana. Dont eat it ;))
Rise up the light a bit , texture must be more detailed and the “mouth” teeth landmarks must be present.
Now looks like a white chocolate banana. Put some tiled “cube” texture for the banana interior and all.
Coming along nicley. The texture helps a great deal to explain the crazy peel shape. Have to agree with superkoop you need those stringy things hanging from banana and you need to give structure to the inside peel to make it realistic.
I’d also work on the lightning since it is awefully dark.
Can’t wait to see what you do with the banana itself. You allready hit the correct color now give it structure.
Thanks for all the crits! I haven’t finished this yet, but I thought I’d keep you all updated on the progress anyway.
Hey, the textures look really good :yes:, but the part of the banana that is bitten looks too smooth and the texture looks blurred there. There is also some A.A. issues like at the top of the peel and edge of the banana, and the scene in general looks too dark.
Keep up the good work :).
Is it me, or do the peels seem rather thin?
Whoa, photorealism caught me off guard. Damn, I still can’t function. It looks too real.
Hey, put one of those surprise brown spots on the actual banana, the edible part. If the banana is as ripe as the peel suggests, then the edible part would be much more spotty than it is right now.