The hall of Al Sadin

http://img216.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0310jf4.png
http://gallery.mudpuddle.co.nz/albums/kansas15/0310_G.thumb.png
My first image making good use of my volumetric clouds technique, notice the shading on the clouds.

Did some postpro to an extent, but not on the clouds, it was to fix a bunch of artifacts on the vapor feeders in the little water strip in the middle. The clone tool was very helpful and I was sure to be very careful. It was a much better alternative then wait overnight for a re-render.

Your plume of steam/clouds looks fine, however from looking at this and other work you’ve made you seem to have gotton into the habit of creating environments of repeating tile patterns and artifacts which don’t really have any harmonious balance or visual reasoning.
Personally, I have no problem if you want to grow grass out of picture frames on a wall and have some sort of concept or rationale behind it, however it seems to me that you have thought to your self, hey I know how to make grass in blender i’ll do that and stick it there. If I were you I would visit the local library and check out some art/architecture books to gather some inspiration and work on a project that has an implicit focus.
From what I have seen of your blender work the closest kind of art that i could make a connection with is islamic art, where the use of repetitious tiling and motifs is prevelant. Try google image searching it and see what you think.
I certainly don’t think that you are a lazy person or someone who is not serious about improving their art as others sometimes imply. I don’t believe that a person would spend so much time working at what can be a fairly complicated piece of software if that was the case. I also don’t take issue with the fact that you don’t like using the work in progress forum, there are many painters and scupltors in the real world who would have palpitations about showing others unfinished work. You do however seem to have gotten into a rut that has you producing different variations of the same project over and over. It’s a cycle that you’re really gonna need to break otherwise your output will never improve no matter how many new fluid or particle techniques you learn.

The smokes the only thing going for this one.

the pines or whatever they are mess the image up.

The things you’re talking about are the objects that feed the cloud on the ceiling with vapor. I needed a reason for the cloud to be there and the scene looked empty without them. (more replies like this and I’ll be questioning if I’m the only active member who tends to make art nobody likes)

Please READ people’s posts before saying stupid things like this. The picture is very random and really has no reason except to show off the clouds. The clouds look fantastic. Some of the best I’ve seen. But the rest of the picture is just the same random stuff being repeated.

Once again, clouds look amazing, but that’s it.

-Nums

This isn’t funny, I have had a lot of grievence over myself from people not liking my art here, I try to please people, but except for one or two things, I always fall short, even when I try to make the image good and interesting I just end up falling flat on my face more often then not. I get the image I get the worst art reviews of anyone on the forum and I’ve cried many times over this.

(more replies like this and I’ll be questioning if I’m the only active member who tends to make art nobody likes)

I’m not in the sympathy game, this kind of response is another reason why you tend to frustrate people sometimes. All I have done here is to input some of my own time into giving a considered response to the image you have posted with the aim of opening up your mind just a little bit.
I did not set out with the intention of insulting or degrading you in any way, but more fool me, I’ve just caught on that you really are just content to plod on with your eyes blinkered all the way. In future I’ll refrain from posting in your threads and making you question in any way your efforts.

Look there’s been many nights where I could practically hear you guys (though you don’t say it), that I should delete Blender and quit doing art or do anything because I have no incredible talent. These kind of responses and the people liking much of my art in the minority has driven me to this.

It’s a pretty cool post type image

I just said the pines look weird…

As melo-dramatic as you may love to sound, you obviously haven’t been driven to anything, because a. you’re still here, and b. you’ve acted and sounded this way since you arrived.

That’s exactly right. You could practically hear us say you should quit, even though NO ONE ACTUALLY SAID IT, because you MADE IT UP. These kind of responses are ALL IN YOUR OWN HEAD. Don’t lay this on us. People here, difficult as you make it most times, are trying to be SUPPORTIVE of your attempts to create art, in the same way we support everyone else, with constructive criticism, suggestions, and the occaisional pat on the back.

I’m sure the pats on the back would become more frequent, if that is your goal, if you would sometimes seem like you listened to and tried to follow some of those suggestions and responded to the constructive critique.

Stop whining. You’re getting too old for that.

Clouds = awesome.

The rest of the image on the other hand is just too random, it’s basically the exact same thing you have been posting that people just don’t like because it’s not appealing to the eyes.

BUT! You could EASILY fix this problem with what I am about to tell you.

Model something different from what you normally do. I notice you do a lot with particles. DON’T use particles on your next image. You tend to use wizards tiles a lot. DON’T use the tiles on your next one, perhaps don’t even use procedurals. Go with image textures for once. And you tend to use a lot of weird colors. DON’T use weird colors.

Now what I want you to do is pick 10 different (by different I mean different styles) pictures that you like. Now take those ten pictures and post a WIP thread with links to the images. Let the community decide which one you should recreate, if you don’t have any pictures up that are different from what you have been doing, we will give you a picture and you will have to do that one.
You will not argue with anyone about what you think would look good, you will not get upset, you will not go all emo. What you will do is make the picture as best to your abilities as we tell you. You have the skill, you just need to learn how to apply it.
I recommend you choose a picture with a character in it.

Now about what I just said, you are not allowed to get upset. When you do it just makes more people upset with you. You need to realize that what I am asking you to do if for YOU! I am trying yo help you, and I am sure a lot of other people would like to see you make something absolutely stunning also. You have nothing to loose, but everything to gain.

And I will close this, as it has started into a flame bate machine already.

CD: If you can’t take peoples criticisms here without thinking that they are attacking you personally, then I must suggest that you stop posting completely. Or, maybe go and post this stuff over at CG Talk if you really want to hear brutal.

BgDM