Ok I will try to work a bit more on it. Original idea was to be 3 characters, one on the throne and one to the right. But now i have a new idea. But that will have to wait for tomorrow.
You go gulan. I like it when ideas pop up in our heads. However, watch the time we do not want you to be late to the party!
Any comments welcome. This feels a little stark to me.
You can try to close into the main elements of your story. Make the scene more intimate. The swan family will be what pulls in a lot of people, so use them as a focal point.
Also look at the pond example, here. Notice the rim on the ground at the waterline. The greenery will not only clump at the edges, but there will usually be a great variety of vegetation.
The bridge was looking a bit out of scale with so little around it. By cropping most of it, it still has scale, but it also begins to blend in a bit more by not looking so isolated in the scene. Also not the reflections in the water. You may want to bring some of that reflectiveness to yours.
So Kismet, I totally agree with what Cris has said. Remember last month I told you about clumping and adding greenery. Hope you are working on this new idea I am so partial to gardens. I have a brown thumb but I just love taking strolls and looking at the trees, flowers, bugs and critters that I come across.
Any comments welcome. This feels a little stark to me.
You can try to close into the main elements of your story. Make the scene more intimate. The swan family will be what pulls in a lot of people, so use them as a focal point.
Also look at the pond example, here. Notice the rim on the ground at the waterline. The greenery will not only clump at the edges, but there will usually be a great variety of vegetation.
The bridge was looking a bit out of scale with so little around it. By cropping most of it, it still has scale, but it also begins to blend in a bit more by not looking so isolated in the scene. Also not the reflections in the water. You may want to bring some of that reflectiveness to yours.
So Kismet, I totally agree with what Cris has said. Remember last month I told you about clumping and adding greenery. Hope you are working on this new idea I am so partial to gardens. I have a brown thumb but I just love taking strolls and looking at the trees, flowers, bugs and critters that I come across.
Cris nailed the problem with the bridge. Something about it was bothering me but I just could not put my finger on what it was...the whole scene for that matter. I was having trouble figuring out where to point the camera. :blank:
So after I take the time to rescale the bridge I end up cutting it out of the image. Oh well.
Okay, still relatively new at 3D Modeling. Here's my first attempt prior to submitting for the contest. I am still a Novice on Lighting and Cameras so please be gentle, but I definitely welcome any thoughts to not only help this render but future renders as well! Thanks!
Welcome poetman75, we try to be gentle here. You know, been there, done that, got the t-shirt kind of thing. I hope because we have been there we remember that. You have a nice handle on your surfaces. I see the use of bump, reflection and secularity. I like the concept as well. Nothing like feeling the joy of going fast fast fast.
So I have applied the rule of thirds to your image and have shown the sweet spots on your image. I think that if you moved your camera to the right to get Joe's face a little closer to the top left red dot and turned his face to the camera I think you will like that image better. I would also add a wicked bad boy expression to Joe to show his joy. I think I would add some lighting behind him to see if I could diminish the light spot reflection seen just right and a little above the top right sweet spot. The spot could be moved as well but then your shadows would change and I don't know if that would be acceptable.
A nice start looking forward to seeing if you play with the image some more.
How does this look?
Much better but I would open his eyes and make him look at the camera. I would also bend his head so that his face is parallel with the bike tank. So no bending back just twisting to the side as he is flying by.
Yeah Looks Much better IMHO! Thank you, DollyGirl!
Any comments welcome. This feels a little stark to me.
You can try to close into the main elements of your story. Make the scene more intimate. The swan family will be what pulls in a lot of people, so use them as a focal point.
Also look at the pond example, here. Notice the rim on the ground at the waterline. The greenery will not only clump at the edges, but there will usually be a great variety of vegetation.
The bridge was looking a bit out of scale with so little around it. By cropping most of it, it still has scale, but it also begins to blend in a bit more by not looking so isolated in the scene. Also not the reflections in the water. You may want to bring some of that reflectiveness to yours.
So Kismet, I totally agree with what Cris has said. Remember last month I told you about clumping and adding greenery. Hope you are working on this new idea I am so partial to gardens. I have a brown thumb but I just love taking strolls and looking at the trees, flowers, bugs and critters that I come across.
Cris nailed the problem with the bridge. Something about it was bothering me but I just could not put my finger on what it was...the whole scene for that matter. I was having trouble figuring out where to point the camera. :blank:
So after I take the time to rescale the bridge I end up cutting it out of the image. Oh well.
It happens. It is good to hear that you are willing to change directions when something you have decided on is not working.
I think you have made some lovely progress on the image. Makes me want to go and explore. Cris gave some really good advice to Security 16 about vertical and horizontal lines. I think it would apply to your image as well. Maybe some taller trees behind your fence where some of the branches drop over the fence line would help break up the strong horizontal line and give you a more natural feel to the picture and if you wanted to fiddle you could maybe create a "V" of sky with the trees, that points towards the swans. If you want to keep the horizontal line and go more with a European type garden then I would think about putting some sculpted bushes along the fence. There are some lovely ones over at Archive3D. Search on "bush" and they will pop up. You will have to convert them to objs but I think you know how to do that.
Okay, still relatively new at 3D Modeling. Here's my first attempt prior to submitting for the contest. I am still a Novice on Lighting and Cameras so please be gentle, but I definitely welcome any thoughts to not only help this render but future renders as well! Thanks!
Welcome poetman75, we try to be gentle here. You know, been there, done that, got the t-shirt kind of thing. I hope because we have been there we remember that. You have a nice handle on your surfaces. I see the use of bump, reflection and secularity. I like the concept as well. Nothing like feeling the joy of going fast fast fast.
So I have applied the rule of thirds to your image and have shown the sweet spots on your image. I think that if you moved your camera to the right to get Joe's face a little closer to the top left red dot and turned his face to the camera I think you will like that image better. I would also add a wicked bad boy expression to Joe to show his joy. I think I would add some lighting behind him to see if I could diminish the light spot reflection seen just right and a little above the top right sweet spot. The spot could be moved as well but then your shadows would change and I don't know if that would be acceptable.
A nice start looking forward to seeing if you play with the image some more.
How does this look?
Much better but I would open his eyes and make him look at the camera. I would also bend his head so that his face is parallel with the bike tank. So no bending back just twisting to the side as he is flying by.
Yeah Looks Much better IMHO! Thank you, DollyGirl!
Here it is!
Yes indeed much better. I like to see a man with a cheeky expression.
Ok here's an update on Julie. Better pose in my opinion. I tried to get her in closer to follow the Rule of 3's more but file size was exceeding.
Yes this camera angle is much better than the previous but I think you can do a little bit better, as you can see from image 2. Her face I think needs to be closer to the sweet spot. Also look at how you lit up the scene. Do you have light where there does not need to be.
There is quite a clever camera position that would almost engage two of the sweet spots in the image. Can you find it?
Ok here's an update on Julie. Better pose in my opinion. I tried to get her in closer to follow the Rule of 3's more but file size was exceeding.
Yes this camera angle is much better than the previous but I think you can do a little bit better, as you can see from image 2. Her face I think needs to be closer to the sweet spot. Also look at how you lit up the scene. Do you have light where there does not need to be.
There is quite a clever camera position that would almost engage two of the sweet spots in the image. Can you find it?
I've been having trouble figuring out the lighting in your image. The bottom of the girl is in complete shadow, yet the comforter seems to have some light. One thing you may want to review is what kind of lighting you want in this image. What is the story you are after. Lighting can not only light the scene, but add to the atmosphere.
Your figure's face is underlit (as in lit from below). There is what looks like a spotlight (because I can see a round cone of light) on the side of the bed. Can you show an overhead shot of your scene (not rendered) where we can see the positions of the lights and tell us what each light is? One thing to do is turn off all the lights and then turn one on and see what it lights, then turn it off and turn on the next light and see what it lights and so on. Then tell us what you're after in this scene: is it a portrait and what is the mood in the picture?
Once we know these things, we may be able to give you more guidance with what to try. :)
Okay, still relatively new at 3D Modeling. Here's my first attempt prior to submitting for the contest. I am still a Novice on Lighting and Cameras so please be gentle, but I definitely welcome any thoughts to not only help this render but future renders as well! Thanks!
Welcome poetman75, we try to be gentle here. You know, been there, done that, got the t-shirt kind of thing. I hope because we have been there we remember that. You have a nice handle on your surfaces. I see the use of bump, reflection and secularity. I like the concept as well. Nothing like feeling the joy of going fast fast fast.
So I have applied the rule of thirds to your image and have shown the sweet spots on your image. I think that if you moved your camera to the right to get Joe's face a little closer to the top left red dot and turned his face to the camera I think you will like that image better. I would also add a wicked bad boy expression to Joe to show his joy. I think I would add some lighting behind him to see if I could diminish the light spot reflection seen just right and a little above the top right sweet spot. The spot could be moved as well but then your shadows would change and I don't know if that would be acceptable.
A nice start looking forward to seeing if you play with the image some more.
How does this look? Part of that is the cropping and lack of anything else in motion. Here's a crop-in
One thing you may want to do is look at the pose on your bike. I don't know if this is a bike you made or purchased, but the pose, at the moment, does not look comfortable. There are two types of bikes, the older models where you are in a seated position and then your arms are on the handlebars with your elbows down, and then there's the racing and futuristic where you are in almost a reclining position with knees forward or back. Your image is dark with a dark bike, so it's a bit hard to make out the silhouette. It seems as though he's almost on top of where the tank normally goes, but there is something about the way the back muscles are curving and the arms being straight that looks like maybe the bike is too big for him perhaps.
Note also how more effective the images are where there is motion blur on the background than those where you don't see any motion blur. You have your rider as though he's riding, but it feels like he's on a still bike. Here's a crop-in, but the motion blur again, plus the hair (even when short) indicate he's in motion.
Research is key to any imagery you want to make. You can have an idea in your head, but may need to research to see how something like your idea looks in real life. No matter what it is, perusing similar ideas can only give you more information.
I am still working on the plants. Not really happy with the current configuration but wanted to post the progress.
This is looking much better, Kismet. It's beginning to really tell a story and the addition of greenery and reflections has added immensely. Try varying the heights of the water reeds so that some break the top of the back wall. Breaking horizontals or verticals can add more dimension to a scene.
Watch for tangents. I marked in pink the most noticeable. Break tangents so the parts dont' line up into a mass that becomes indistinguishable.
Here it goes, i made my first correction with morph. Now hair fits to hat. I changed color of the hair and used some other shaders and will have to ask on the forum how to use Lumina Hair MATs. I used for beard LAMH preset but i have problem with it because it doesn't load good after saving scene so i needed to adjust colours again but it seems i made a mistake and now it looks white instead of dark grey.
Gulan, this has a very Tolkien-esque type of old-time illustration feel. :)
One thing to consider is pulling the camera in. You've framed the scene with a lot of wall and floor. This means we're also further away from your figure. We don't, as a consequence, have any expression to guide us even though he appears to be creating some magic possibly? If you go through my notes on other images in this WIP thread, you'll see that I comment quite often on being careful about making things too static with horizontals and verticals. Your figure has a very upright stance. Perhaps, if he is indeed doing magic, he could have either a forward or back stance that would make him less vertical...the arm could be held out and up (a stance of power) and he could be directing the magical flow toward something off-camera. You could even try him on the other side of the room so that the arc of magic creates a diagonal as well. If you have magic, you might have more light emanating from the staff. You have a lot of fire, but no real glow from it. This is a place where you can play more with lights to bring focus and atmosphere.
See what you think and play with the composition a bit more...don't get married to one look. I often change compositions many times till I get what I think really works.
Okay, still relatively new at 3D Modeling. Here's my first attempt prior to submitting for the contest. I am still a Novice on Lighting and Cameras so please be gentle, but I definitely welcome any thoughts to not only help this render but future renders as well! Thanks!
Welcome poetman75, we try to be gentle here. You know, been there, done that, got the t-shirt kind of thing. I hope because we have been there we remember that. You have a nice handle on your surfaces. I see the use of bump, reflection and secularity. I like the concept as well. Nothing like feeling the joy of going fast fast fast.
So I have applied the rule of thirds to your image and have shown the sweet spots on your image. I think that if you moved your camera to the right to get Joe's face a little closer to the top left red dot and turned his face to the camera I think you will like that image better. I would also add a wicked bad boy expression to Joe to show his joy. I think I would add some lighting behind him to see if I could diminish the light spot reflection seen just right and a little above the top right sweet spot. The spot could be moved as well but then your shadows would change and I don't know if that would be acceptable.
A nice start looking forward to seeing if you play with the image some more.
How does this look? Part of that is the cropping and lack of anything else in motion. Here's a crop-in
One thing you may want to do is look at the pose on your bike. I don't know if this is a bike you made or purchased, but the pose, at the moment, does not look comfortable. There are two types of bikes, the older models where you are in a seated position and then your arms are on the handlebars with your elbows down, and then there's the racing and futuristic where you are in almost a reclining position with knees forward or back. Your image is dark with a dark bike, so it's a bit hard to make out the silhouette. It seems as though he's almost on top of where the tank normally goes, but there is something about the way the back muscles are curving and the arms being straight that looks like maybe the bike is too big for him perhaps.
Note also how more effective the images are where there is motion blur on the background than those where you don't see any motion blur. You have your rider as though he's riding, but it feels like he's on a still bike. Here's a crop-in, but the motion blur again, plus the hair (even when short) indicate he's in motion.
Research is key to any imagery you want to make. You can have an idea in your head, but may need to research to see how something like your idea looks in real life. No matter what it is, perusing similar ideas can only give you more information.
Good luck. :)
Hey, Cris! Thanks for the feedback! The bike is purchased. It's hard to tell from this camera position but his right leg is down as he is getting ready to kick off and go. Yes, the shoulder blades are extended as it is slightly wider. :)
Ok here's an update on Julie. Better pose in my opinion. I tried to get her in closer to follow the Rule of 3's more but file size was exceeding.
Yes this camera angle is much better than the previous but I think you can do a little bit better, as you can see from image 2. Her face I think needs to be closer to the sweet spot. Also look at how you lit up the scene. Do you have light where there does not need to be.
There is quite a clever camera position that would almost engage two of the sweet spots in the image. Can you find it?
I've been having trouble figuring out the lighting in your image. The bottom of the girl is in complete shadow, yet the comforter seems to have some light. One thing you may want to review is what kind of lighting you want in this image. What is the story you are after. Lighting can not only light the scene, but add to the atmosphere.
Your figure's face is underlit (as in lit from below). There is what looks like a spotlight (because I can see a round cone of light) on the side of the bed. Can you show an overhead shot of your scene (not rendered) where we can see the positions of the lights and tell us what each light is? One thing to do is turn off all the lights and then turn one on and see what it lights, then turn it off and turn on the next light and see what it lights and so on. Then tell us what you're after in this scene: is it a portrait and what is the mood in the picture?
Once we know these things, we may be able to give you more guidance with what to try. :)
Thanks to both you and Dollygirl for the feedback. Ok to start with the mood, she is slightly bored and contemplating what to do. I wish I could do an overhead shot of the lighting, but this is an actual room she is in and it's rather small. I wanted the small, almost-confined look to add or give cause to her boredom. Also why there's not a ton of possessions in her room.
So to give a better idea of lighting, I have a bottom left (as looking at the photo) a spot light to enhance her face. I also have two spotlights on our right (her left). One is positioned in front of her and above, while the other is slightly above the other and behind it with a wider spread angle but very small intensity. Finally, there is a small point light on her night stand from a lamp, though the intensity is pretty low.
One I think I can do is swing that bottom left (our left) toward the lamp and point it at her face and see how it looks. Thoughts?
A couple of you have mentioned the size limits which appear in the contest rules:
4. Keep your images under 400 KB
5. Keep the size of your image to 800 x 800 Max for easier viewing. If you feel your composition would be better served in a wide format or one that is high, please feel free to use any proportion you like up to those numbers. (Example: 800 x 600 or 600x800 etc just be sure not to let any dimension go beyond 800)
I just wanted to clarify that the two rules quoted above date back to a time when the forum wouldn't allow larger images to be posted. At the present time, those two rules are more like guidelines, and, to be clear, you may post somewhat larger renders to the contest...they won't be disqualified and we (the judges) won't penalize you for doing so.
A couple of you have mentioned the size limits which appear in the contest rules:
4. Keep your images under 400 KB
5. Keep the size of your image to 800 x 800 Max for easier viewing. If you feel your composition would be better served in a wide format or one that is high, please feel free to use any proportion you like up to those numbers. (Example: 800 x 600 or 600x800 etc just be sure not to let any dimension go beyond 800)
I just wanted to clarify that the two rules quoted above date back to a time when the forum wouldn't allow larger images to be posted. At the present time, those two rules are more like guidelines, and, to be clear, you may post somewhat larger renders to the contest...they won't be disqualified and we (the judges) won't penalize you for doing so.
Okay I adjusted the camera a bit as well as moved the lighting to focus on it coming from the lamp. Thoughts?
I think the composition is better, and the lighting is looking much more natural now. Nice work! The left side of her face (the viewer's right) is very dark though...maybe consider adding a low-intensity light over there to help illuminate that part of the image.
The only other thing that jumps out at me that could use some attention is the small band of light on the dresser. Most of the dresser is in shadow and the area that's lit is a bit distracting. Increasing the shadow softness of your light might help somewhat with that. I'm not sure what kind of light you are using, but if there are settings for falloff, you might experiment with adjusting that as well.
Okay I adjusted the camera a bit as well as moved the lighting to focus on it coming from the lamp. Thoughts?
I think the composition is better, and the lighting is looking much more natural now. Nice work! The left side of her face (the viewer's right) is very dark though...maybe consider adding a low-intensity light over there to help illuminate that part of the image.
The only other thing that jumps out at me that could use some attention is the small band of light on the dresser. Most of the dresser is in shadow and the area that's lit is a bit distracting. Increasing the shadow softness of your light might help somewhat with that. I'm not sure what kind of light you are using, but if there are settings for falloff, you might experiment with adjusting that as well.
Thanks! Would you suggest a small point light perhaps to minimize to much light from the front (of her)?
Okay I reduced the main light from the "Lamp" Spot Light's Spread angle to remove that white strip on the dresser. I also added another dim spotlight to help bring out a little bit more of her left-side of her face.
Okay to add a little more balance to the photo, I added a book. I tried to add some shoes peeking out from under the bed but could adust the lighting to make them more visible without being a distraction.
So while the other render has to ripen somewhat, here is something new, with the title " No dragonslaying allowed", all done in Daz3D.
I have been thinking about adding Dof but the the dagger in the foreground might be to fuzzy to be recognised.
Again comments are very welcome, there ist no better way to learn.
So I went back and made the suggested edits to the picture...I might do some post-work (add some shine to her eyes, perhaps). Any suggestions from you illustrious gentlemen?
I'm glad to hear that that rule is no longer in effect, I had wondered about that (I usually render over 2000px wide). Have any other rules (such as the use any program to render rule) changed?
So I went back and made the suggested edits to the picture...I might do some post-work (add some shine to her eyes, perhaps). Any suggestions from you illustrious gentlemen?
I'm glad to hear that that rule is no longer in effect, I had wondered about that (I usually render over 2000px wide). Have any other rules (such as the use any program to render rule) changed?
Looks good sirustalcelion. I agree she does need some spark in her eyes.
So while the other render has to ripen somewhat, here is something new, with the title " No dragonslaying allowed", all done in Daz3D.
I have been thinking about adding Dof but the the dagger in the foreground might be to fuzzy to be recognised.
Again comments are very welcome, there ist no better way to learn.
Linwelly, you might create a shadow of the sword that would be going across the image that would provide an outline and would maintain your story without being concerned about being in focus.
Latest version. I added quite a few new items and change the camera angle slightly. I do not have a very powerful computer so I am a bit surprised it seems to be handling the additions.
Thank you Cris and Dollygirl for all the suggestions. They have been very helpful.
Comments
You go gulan. I like it when ideas pop up in our heads. However, watch the time we do not want you to be late to the party!
You can try to close into the main elements of your story. Make the scene more intimate. The swan family will be what pulls in a lot of people, so use them as a focal point.
Also look at the pond example, here. Notice the rim on the ground at the waterline. The greenery will not only clump at the edges, but there will usually be a great variety of vegetation.
The bridge was looking a bit out of scale with so little around it. By cropping most of it, it still has scale, but it also begins to blend in a bit more by not looking so isolated in the scene. Also not the reflections in the water. You may want to bring some of that reflectiveness to yours.
So Kismet, I totally agree with what Cris has said. Remember last month I told you about clumping and adding greenery. Hope you are working on this new idea I am so partial to gardens. I have a brown thumb but I just love taking strolls and looking at the trees, flowers, bugs and critters that I come across.
Title: The Walled Garden
I am still working on the plants. Not really happy with the current configuration but wanted to post the progress.
So Kismet, I totally agree with what Cris has said. Remember last month I told you about clumping and adding greenery. Hope you are working on this new idea I am so partial to gardens. I have a brown thumb but I just love taking strolls and looking at the trees, flowers, bugs and critters that I come across.
Cris nailed the problem with the bridge. Something about it was bothering me but I just could not put my finger on what it was...the whole scene for that matter. I was having trouble figuring out where to point the camera. :blank:
So after I take the time to rescale the bridge I end up cutting it out of the image. Oh well.
How does this look?
Much better but I would open his eyes and make him look at the camera. I would also bend his head so that his face is parallel with the bike tank. So no bending back just twisting to the side as he is flying by.
Yeah Looks Much better IMHO! Thank you, DollyGirl!
Here it is!
Ok here's an update on Julie. Better pose in my opinion. I tried to get her in closer to follow the Rule of 3's more but file size was exceeding.
So Kismet, I totally agree with what Cris has said. Remember last month I told you about clumping and adding greenery. Hope you are working on this new idea I am so partial to gardens. I have a brown thumb but I just love taking strolls and looking at the trees, flowers, bugs and critters that I come across.
Cris nailed the problem with the bridge. Something about it was bothering me but I just could not put my finger on what it was...the whole scene for that matter. I was having trouble figuring out where to point the camera. :blank:
So after I take the time to rescale the bridge I end up cutting it out of the image. Oh well.
It happens. It is good to hear that you are willing to change directions when something you have decided on is not working.
I think you have made some lovely progress on the image. Makes me want to go and explore. Cris gave some really good advice to Security 16 about vertical and horizontal lines. I think it would apply to your image as well. Maybe some taller trees behind your fence where some of the branches drop over the fence line would help break up the strong horizontal line and give you a more natural feel to the picture and if you wanted to fiddle you could maybe create a "V" of sky with the trees, that points towards the swans. If you want to keep the horizontal line and go more with a European type garden then I would think about putting some sculpted bushes along the fence. There are some lovely ones over at Archive3D. Search on "bush" and they will pop up. You will have to convert them to objs but I think you know how to do that.
Much better but I would open his eyes and make him look at the camera. I would also bend his head so that his face is parallel with the bike tank. So no bending back just twisting to the side as he is flying by.
Yeah Looks Much better IMHO! Thank you, DollyGirl!
Here it is!
Yes indeed much better. I like to see a man with a cheeky expression.
Yes this camera angle is much better than the previous but I think you can do a little bit better, as you can see from image 2. Her face I think needs to be closer to the sweet spot. Also look at how you lit up the scene. Do you have light where there does not need to be.
There is quite a clever camera position that would almost engage two of the sweet spots in the image. Can you find it?
Yes this camera angle is much better than the previous but I think you can do a little bit better, as you can see from image 2. Her face I think needs to be closer to the sweet spot. Also look at how you lit up the scene. Do you have light where there does not need to be.
There is quite a clever camera position that would almost engage two of the sweet spots in the image. Can you find it?
I've been having trouble figuring out the lighting in your image. The bottom of the girl is in complete shadow, yet the comforter seems to have some light. One thing you may want to review is what kind of lighting you want in this image. What is the story you are after. Lighting can not only light the scene, but add to the atmosphere.
Your figure's face is underlit (as in lit from below). There is what looks like a spotlight (because I can see a round cone of light) on the side of the bed. Can you show an overhead shot of your scene (not rendered) where we can see the positions of the lights and tell us what each light is? One thing to do is turn off all the lights and then turn one on and see what it lights, then turn it off and turn on the next light and see what it lights and so on. Then tell us what you're after in this scene: is it a portrait and what is the mood in the picture?
Once we know these things, we may be able to give you more guidance with what to try. :)
How does this look? Part of that is the cropping and lack of anything else in motion. Here's a crop-in
One thing you may want to do is look at the pose on your bike. I don't know if this is a bike you made or purchased, but the pose, at the moment, does not look comfortable. There are two types of bikes, the older models where you are in a seated position and then your arms are on the handlebars with your elbows down, and then there's the racing and futuristic where you are in almost a reclining position with knees forward or back. Your image is dark with a dark bike, so it's a bit hard to make out the silhouette. It seems as though he's almost on top of where the tank normally goes, but there is something about the way the back muscles are curving and the arms being straight that looks like maybe the bike is too big for him perhaps.
Here are some riding pics:
http://www.womenridersnow.com/docs/stories/3829/02 - Right AxCrop.jpg
http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/how-to-choose-the-riding-gear-basic-tips-7296_1.jpg
http://www.photosbyg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sacramento-engagement-session-1.jpeg
even in this one where she's lying across the bike, the elbows are in a comfortable down position http://www.inspire-lcr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/the-dark-knight-rises-batman-4.jpg
Note also how more effective the images are where there is motion blur on the background than those where you don't see any motion blur. You have your rider as though he's riding, but it feels like he's on a still bike. Here's a crop-in, but the motion blur again, plus the hair (even when short) indicate he's in motion.
Research is key to any imagery you want to make. You can have an idea in your head, but may need to research to see how something like your idea looks in real life. No matter what it is, perusing similar ideas can only give you more information.
Good luck. :)
This is looking much better, Kismet. It's beginning to really tell a story and the addition of greenery and reflections has added immensely. Try varying the heights of the water reeds so that some break the top of the back wall. Breaking horizontals or verticals can add more dimension to a scene.
Watch for tangents. I marked in pink the most noticeable. Break tangents so the parts dont' line up into a mass that becomes indistinguishable.
Gulan, this has a very Tolkien-esque type of old-time illustration feel. :)
One thing to consider is pulling the camera in. You've framed the scene with a lot of wall and floor. This means we're also further away from your figure. We don't, as a consequence, have any expression to guide us even though he appears to be creating some magic possibly? If you go through my notes on other images in this WIP thread, you'll see that I comment quite often on being careful about making things too static with horizontals and verticals. Your figure has a very upright stance. Perhaps, if he is indeed doing magic, he could have either a forward or back stance that would make him less vertical...the arm could be held out and up (a stance of power) and he could be directing the magical flow toward something off-camera. You could even try him on the other side of the room so that the arc of magic creates a diagonal as well. If you have magic, you might have more light emanating from the staff. You have a lot of fire, but no real glow from it. This is a place where you can play more with lights to bring focus and atmosphere.
See what you think and play with the composition a bit more...don't get married to one look. I often change compositions many times till I get what I think really works.
How does this look? Part of that is the cropping and lack of anything else in motion. Here's a crop-in
One thing you may want to do is look at the pose on your bike. I don't know if this is a bike you made or purchased, but the pose, at the moment, does not look comfortable. There are two types of bikes, the older models where you are in a seated position and then your arms are on the handlebars with your elbows down, and then there's the racing and futuristic where you are in almost a reclining position with knees forward or back. Your image is dark with a dark bike, so it's a bit hard to make out the silhouette. It seems as though he's almost on top of where the tank normally goes, but there is something about the way the back muscles are curving and the arms being straight that looks like maybe the bike is too big for him perhaps.
Here are some riding pics:
http://www.womenridersnow.com/docs/stories/3829/02 - Right AxCrop.jpg
http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/how-to-choose-the-riding-gear-basic-tips-7296_1.jpg
http://www.photosbyg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sacramento-engagement-session-1.jpeg
even in this one where she's lying across the bike, the elbows are in a comfortable down position http://www.inspire-lcr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/the-dark-knight-rises-batman-4.jpg
Note also how more effective the images are where there is motion blur on the background than those where you don't see any motion blur. You have your rider as though he's riding, but it feels like he's on a still bike. Here's a crop-in, but the motion blur again, plus the hair (even when short) indicate he's in motion.
Research is key to any imagery you want to make. You can have an idea in your head, but may need to research to see how something like your idea looks in real life. No matter what it is, perusing similar ideas can only give you more information.
Good luck. :)
Hey, Cris! Thanks for the feedback! The bike is purchased. It's hard to tell from this camera position but his right leg is down as he is getting ready to kick off and go. Yes, the shoulder blades are extended as it is slightly wider. :)
I've been having trouble figuring out the lighting in your image. The bottom of the girl is in complete shadow, yet the comforter seems to have some light. One thing you may want to review is what kind of lighting you want in this image. What is the story you are after. Lighting can not only light the scene, but add to the atmosphere.
Your figure's face is underlit (as in lit from below). There is what looks like a spotlight (because I can see a round cone of light) on the side of the bed. Can you show an overhead shot of your scene (not rendered) where we can see the positions of the lights and tell us what each light is? One thing to do is turn off all the lights and then turn one on and see what it lights, then turn it off and turn on the next light and see what it lights and so on. Then tell us what you're after in this scene: is it a portrait and what is the mood in the picture?
Once we know these things, we may be able to give you more guidance with what to try. :)
Thanks to both you and Dollygirl for the feedback. Ok to start with the mood, she is slightly bored and contemplating what to do. I wish I could do an overhead shot of the lighting, but this is an actual room she is in and it's rather small. I wanted the small, almost-confined look to add or give cause to her boredom. Also why there's not a ton of possessions in her room.
So to give a better idea of lighting, I have a bottom left (as looking at the photo) a spot light to enhance her face. I also have two spotlights on our right (her left). One is positioned in front of her and above, while the other is slightly above the other and behind it with a wider spread angle but very small intensity. Finally, there is a small point light on her night stand from a lamp, though the intensity is pretty low.
One I think I can do is swing that bottom left (our left) toward the lamp and point it at her face and see how it looks. Thoughts?
A couple of you have mentioned the size limits which appear in the contest rules:
I just wanted to clarify that the two rules quoted above date back to a time when the forum wouldn't allow larger images to be posted. At the present time, those two rules are more like guidelines, and, to be clear, you may post somewhat larger renders to the contest...they won't be disqualified and we (the judges) won't penalize you for doing so.
The rest of the rules, though, remain in effect.
I just wanted to clarify that the two rules quoted above date back to a time when the forum wouldn't allow larger images to be posted. At the present time, those two rules are more like guidelines, and, to be clear, you may post somewhat larger renders to the contest...they won't be disqualified and we (the judges) won't penalize you for doing so.
The rest of the rules, though, remain in effect.
Ahh, thanks for the clarification!
Okay I adjusted the camera a bit as well as moved the lighting to focus on it coming from the lamp. Thoughts?
I think the composition is better, and the lighting is looking much more natural now. Nice work! The left side of her face (the viewer's right) is very dark though...maybe consider adding a low-intensity light over there to help illuminate that part of the image.
The only other thing that jumps out at me that could use some attention is the small band of light on the dresser. Most of the dresser is in shadow and the area that's lit is a bit distracting. Increasing the shadow softness of your light might help somewhat with that. I'm not sure what kind of light you are using, but if there are settings for falloff, you might experiment with adjusting that as well.
I think the composition is better, and the lighting is looking much more natural now. Nice work! The left side of her face (the viewer's right) is very dark though...maybe consider adding a low-intensity light over there to help illuminate that part of the image.
The only other thing that jumps out at me that could use some attention is the small band of light on the dresser. Most of the dresser is in shadow and the area that's lit is a bit distracting. Increasing the shadow softness of your light might help somewhat with that. I'm not sure what kind of light you are using, but if there are settings for falloff, you might experiment with adjusting that as well.
Thanks! Would you suggest a small point light perhaps to minimize to much light from the front (of her)?
Okay I reduced the main light from the "Lamp" Spot Light's Spread angle to remove that white strip on the dresser. I also added another dim spotlight to help bring out a little bit more of her left-side of her face.
A highly useful video which might help some people contributing here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8i7OKbWmRM
Great video! I liked that he wasn't ashamed to show some of his render's that were done poorly. It helped visualize, how to correct some issues.
Okay to add a little more balance to the photo, I added a book. I tried to add some shoes peeking out from under the bed but could adust the lighting to make them more visible without being a distraction.
That really is very informative, thanks for sharing
So while the other render has to ripen somewhat, here is something new, with the title " No dragonslaying allowed", all done in Daz3D.
I have been thinking about adding Dof but the the dagger in the foreground might be to fuzzy to be recognised.
Again comments are very welcome, there ist no better way to learn.
So I went back and made the suggested edits to the picture...I might do some post-work (add some shine to her eyes, perhaps). Any suggestions from you illustrious gentlemen?
I'm glad to hear that that rule is no longer in effect, I had wondered about that (I usually render over 2000px wide). Have any other rules (such as the use any program to render rule) changed?
Looks good sirustalcelion. I agree she does need some spark in her eyes.
Linwelly, you might create a shadow of the sword that would be going across the image that would provide an outline and would maintain your story without being concerned about being in focus.
Latest version. I added quite a few new items and change the camera angle slightly. I do not have a very powerful computer so I am a bit surprised it seems to be handling the additions.
Thank you Cris and Dollygirl for all the suggestions. They have been very helpful.
Everyone's work has been improving.