January 2017 - Daz 3D New User Challenge - Composition
DAZ_ann0314
Posts: 2,814
New User's Challenge - January 2017
Sponsored by DAZ 3D
Are you new to the 3D World? Are you at the beginning stages of learning 3D rendering? Have you been around for a little bit but feel you could benefit from some feedback or instruction? Have you been around awhile and would like to help other members start their creative journey? Well then come and join the fun as we host our newest render challenge!
"Composition"
This challenge is a general render challenge with the focus being on how you compose your image. We're providing you with lots of great links on Composition from a variety of sources. Composition is key to pulling a viewer into your image and leading their eye to where you want them to see things. It's a fundamental skill that we, as artists, not only need to learn, but will continue to hone over the years. Read about and look at the examples, in these articles, for how composition works and how artists, from the Masters to people like you and me, put these compositional guidelines to use to make our pieces more appealing and invite the viewer to look around your image as you intended.
General Composition Rules:
http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/5-fundamental-skills-every-artist-should-master--psd-28054
The Golden Ratio:
https://holycrop.wordpress.com/tag/golden-spiral/
https://designschool.canva.com/blog/what-is-the-golden-ratio/
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/golden-ratio-in-moden-designs/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A3JnWzgXGk
Some Tools for DS and Bryce:
Golden Rules Camera Prop v1.5 by Jaderail http://www.sharecg.com/v/67783/browse/21/DAZ-Studio/Golden-Rules-Camera-Prop-v1.5
Golden Rules Composition Helpers for Bryce by David Brinnen Horo http://www.daz3d.com/golden-rules-composition-helpers-for-bryce
Artists, filmmakers and photographers share similar traits in how we present our work, so you will find that a study of the art of photography will help, which is why you see various links to photographic articles included.
Photography Composition:
http://digital-photography-school.com/5-elements-of-composition-in-photography/
http://digital-photography-school.com/5-more-elements-of-composition-in-photography/
Color can be used as a compositional element, especially when you have color contrast. Here are some fundamentals on color:
Color Fundamentals:
http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color-theory/color-theory-intro.htm
Other Types of Contrast:
http://www.neilblevins.com/cg_education/composition_contrasts/composition_contrasts.htm
http://photoinf.com/General/NAVY/Contrast_and_Framing.htm
Examples of Composition:
http://www.cybercollege.com/comp_ex.htm
http://www.cybercollege.com/comp_ex2.htm
http://www.pinterest.com/dawnshiree/rules-of-composition/
I will be checking in as will the rest of the Community Volunteers to try and help with anything you all may need.
For a list of the current challenge rules, please see this thread : Challenge Rules
Closing Date: January 31st 2017
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Comments
Title: the robot war
Made with: Daz3d, iray, postwork (using aftereffect)
animation link:
Ka-pow
no post
Very fun start to the thread both of you! You've both done a wonderful job!
@anthonyonggg really fun scene and the video was very nicely done as well
@Zeuxidamus I really love the POV on this
To both of you, may I ask which composition concepts you are working on/with so I can better focus any feedback to you based on what you are trying to work on this month? (Since you may be focusing on "focus of the image/rule of thirds, golden ratio etc" or "color" etc there are lots of parts to composition so I just want to be sure I am paying attention to the areas you are wishing to work on)
Title: Composition Study no. 1
Software used: Daz Studio 4.9, rendered in Iray
Products used: Jill for Genesis 3, Sally Hair, Brady Hair, CS Shorts, CS Top, Ranch Pavilion, Wild Borders
Tried copying the poses from a photo by Dorothea Lange.
That's looking pretty good so far. Are you considering working on the lighting a bit to give it some depth?
Here's a start for this month.
The idea to use a photo as a basis is usful to start with, if you wish you could post the photo as well (or a link to it) so we can help with what you want to achieve. I noticed the photo on the table which is a great idea but to use it in a render of you own you need permission to use it of is it royalty free?
On a side note, I would reconsider the pose of the girl in the back, she looks a little like she is having a moment on her own...
Thanks! The lighting is what is giving me fits. If I can get the foreground darker, with more shadow, and the background brighter from the direct sunlight, I think it would be great. Still trying to figure that one out. But I also like impressionistic colors too. Maybe a few different versions to follow.
well i dont know what composition did i use?.....i just try to make everythihng in the center!!?......
i am going to make a 3:00 version of the robot war this month
I took your image into GIMP and applied the rule of thirds. The intersection points of the 4 lines are the points of interest. Two of your characters are either on or very close to these points.
This is one technique of many that can be used.
Yeah I was going to say it seemed like rule of thirds might have been used but it wasn't quite on. That said composition rules in general are made and then purposely broken. But to break them properly practicing them etc is a good thing so you know what you gain by breaking the rule.
Your image is very close to Rule of thirds as Kismet mentioned. You may want to take a peek at this information to learn more about it and how it can be useful and why people use it:
General Rule of Thirds Information
Additional Information
Good image to start with, as I think it would be a great fit for the Rule of Thirds (move the camera so that Cheetah's head is at one of the sweet spots). Would also be interesting to play with color contrasts (some of your work in last month's contest used this to good effect) and/or depth of field. In terms of visual interest it might help to have a second subject...an adversary or object for the eye to focus on, aside from the primary character. You could use lighting, rule of thirds, or other composition strategies to highlight this secondary item or character.
I'd already had version b here rendered, but hadn't posted it yet, however I'll see if I can work in some of your thoughts on things. For now I'm just trying to get things set up.
Are you planning on varying the poses of the soldiers in the hallway? Slight variations in where they are looking, where their weapons are pointed, etc.?
Looking forward to seeing where you go with this.
For now, I'm using instances for the soldiers in the background, I'm planing to use DOF once I'm happy with the layout of everything else.
What type of lighting are you currently using in Iray for your set? Are you using the Sun-Sky settings or Spotlights and Distant lights? There are a couple of tricks you can try, but the type of lighting you are using will determine which tricks to use.
I like that she is lit a bit more to pull the focus to her while the longer darker hallway still tells a story.
Edited to say I didn't see the second one lol. On the second one I would maybe make her a bit lighter yet to play up the contrast of them coming out of the dark.
She is right you are very close to getting the rule of thirds down pretty well. I think you need to find a way to make the figures, especially the girl, stand out from the background a bit more, right now they blend in a bit and are harder to see than if they had some contrast.
The point of view and the DOF are both very good on this.
You might put the second girl in a bit more shadow as well so the girl in the front really stands out.
I think I'm going to have to bow out of the newbie challenges from here on out unless its something I'm really struggling with. (not saying I'm that good lol). I've learned so much from participating in these the last year, and made some great friends but I've been here long enough that I don't really feel like a newbie any more and its not fair to do some of these challenges that I have gone through once before. You guys deserve to have the focus on helping you learn new stuff, and I am at the point where I know enough to figure most of it out and know enough people here in the forums that I'm comfortable asking if I run into something specific. I'll be happy to pop in with unsolicited advice though if you all don't mind lol.
Is this now the WIP or the entrie thread, or both in one?
Daybird, this will be the only thread for the time being as we changed from a contest to a challenge, so whatever is posted here is part opf the challenge but this and we will look at different aspects of what happens in here. So no need to worry, thing don't need to be perfect here, this is still to learn and develope your skills.
Hope that answers your question. We are still in process of changing this so there might be more changes to come. But if there are questions please ask.
Just to get the poses right I have used speed lights. Now that I have fiddled with that I am ready to move on to the lighting. I am willing to play with spotlights. Any suggestions?
That's a good idea. I want to get strong shadows across teh table as well. Maybe using shadows to create depth but also to tie the figures together. Good thing the weekend is coming up!
If you want to go the spotlight route, I would advise giving each girl her own lighting setup. Get the lighting how you want for each one before worrying about how they interact with each other. After that you can tweak how the lights interact with each other. Make sure the headlamp is off on your camera and look through your camera when doing test renders or use the nVidia preview mode of the viewport or you won't see a true representation of what your lighting actually looks like.
Do you know how to lock your camera so that you don't accidently mess it up while you are playing around with the lights? That happens very easily when going back and forth between Perspective and Camera views and locking your camera in place where you want it helps prevent you from messing up your camera shot. Just in case not or for anyone who doesn't know already, select your camera in the Parameters tab then you do this:
Once you have your lighting for each girl worked out, then you can figure out how to get them to work with each other by adjusting Luminance or Intensity. There is always the option of rendering each girl separately as well with cycles, if that ends up helping your image, and then putting them together in either Gimp or Photoshop or any program that can handle .exr files.
Your other option is to give the Sun-Sky mode a try. I'm actually starting to get the hang of that and getting some good results. You can get a lot more realistic shadows with that if you play with the right settings. If you go that route, I can try to talk you through it, but I'm still learning how to use it so I don't know all the ins and outs of using it yet.
edit: added missing phrase for clarity
After seeing the new underworld trailer, I came in the mood to create a Vampir picture. I startet with V4 and the shadowdancer outfit, but there is a lot work to do. I think I should use different hair and try to make the look of her outfit more like Selenes. ( Ok she has a little more bosom like the original, but thats more my personal taste. ;) )
Thanks for the input, but mostly everyone likes it so I am wondering should I maybe just enter it as is?
I was really just wondering if I should let it render longer, I stopped it at 27% cuz I really kind of liked the grittiness
I am also not sure if maybe I should tune the DOF down so the target has a little more definition
Maybe a little more backlight?
Heres two more views of the scene
I like the outfit and hair and all the rest!