Eku, thanks very much for the info, which I had not previously come across. Very good references and information. 
A small update now, just experimenting with shaders, colours and lighting because I felt like it.
I will of course smooth those polys on the arches later on, for those who are wondering.
Amazing!! Great work!
Darn thats nice! 
Did you model the tiles on the floor, or is it a texture?
Thanks:). And no, that’s not a texture. I modeled one tile and then basically added a few array modifiers.
Looking fantastic. The color scheme is dead-on for the style. The floor is looking good, too. Add a subtle pattern, maybe? Ceiling coffers look great.
Suggestion: stretch the clerestory area between the top of the arches and the niche- not enough “meat” up there. Also, it’s not too difficult to string an arch molding like the reference photos Mats and I sent (spin button, I’m sure you know the drill.), it would add a lot. I know you’re under deadline, but hey…(when is this due, btw?) I’m also thinking the walls are a bit too thin, but that’s a bit harder to change.
Eku, thanks for the reply.
Though I’m not sure exactly which area you’re referring to (where you think it should be ‘stretched’…?
In terms of the floor, I may do a sort of diamond pattern, as in the basilica of san lorenzo, but I haven’t decided yet. I guess I’ll see how it looks and then make up my mind…
Hey, looking kewl. I didnt read that much, just looked at the pics, but things look good. I like the gothic style better but that just me. Keep it up!
yeah i like the gothic look too
it might look better if the pillards(i think thos r the things holding the top of the building up) had a old marble look…
Yeah, gothic’s cool. But
a) The assignment is about the renaissance 
b) It’s more interesting than I thought it would be. I’ve learned a lot so far…
Marsan: Thank you.
Lilgrudgeboy: Yes, that’s what they are (except it’s pillars, with no ‘d’). I may give them a more interesting look, yes, but I haven’t quite reached the texturing stage yet. I’m doing modeling and general materials/shaders simultaneously, then moving to texturing/lighting.
o sorry… haha… well it way it will look kick ass!
Bit of experimentation on the floor design. I’m kind of liking it.
Render in 3 minutes, 8 samples in both the x and y direction for the area light, 16 AO samples.
The floor certainly is shiny.
Problem is that all old churches I’ve been to has had granite floor, with large slabs of sculpted stone and people buried beneath. They aren’t shiny at all. Your floor looks like it belongs in a shopping mall or something.
Sorry. :^j The rest looks really good though.
Hmm. What you say makes sense, really. Check out this link though.
Maybe mine just needs to be more specular and less reflective (or more fresnel effect):eyebrowlift2:
Hm, those italian buildings have always been more refined than the gloomy hovels we call churches where I live. :^)
Carry on then.
Yeah, totally true:p.
I will modify the material a bit though.
wowow, alot of work went into that, especially adding the dome. Nut…you can hardly see it! Looking at the examples others have posted, it would probably be good to change that…if you still have enough time
Your floor is like a mirror. In the pic you linked to the floor has some specular but not nearly as much as yours. 
Also: Segmenting in the arcs (I know you said you would fix it… but still). Beveling the edges (will you be doing this?).
Will you be adding wear to this at all? Or will this be a high upkeep church?
Thanks for the replies.
+‘´¯)BonE(¯`’+ : Architecture evolves; I think I will keep the dome there But don’t worry, I will do some final renders where you can see it clearly 
zog34:
Floor: Workin’ on it.
Arches: At the end ;). Yes, I’ll probably bevel them as a final touch.
Wear: I think I’ll keep it clean
Now here’s an update. Sorry about the rather horrible rendering quality.
The statue is pretty much a MakeHuman mesh with some tweaks. I may sculpt later on.
The loincloth thing I made from scratch.
Hey, here’s a quick pic showing you what I meant earlier. Also, I think you’ll want some entasis on the columns. Easy enough to do, just add a few vert loops on the column and scale them up at the base a fraction. (I assume you still have the array mod on them, so you can just do it once.
)
The crucifix is looking great. I’d bet you could get away with it just as it is, just keep it more in the background of your renders. Put a little bump texture on the cross and you’re golden.
