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Here's my first draft. Lit using a combination of HDRI (turned the roof of the cafe off), spotlight, and a mesh fill light to soften the shadows.
Sometimes I will turn the ceiling of an indoor scene into an emissive surface. I don't have to worry about the direction of the sun, etc. and I get a pretty even general lighting. Then I'll add fill and rim lights to suite the scene. Just another possibility.
Best Regards,
Eric
Hello All,
It seems my abilities have been going sideways rather than improving - so I thought it was time to step back and get some input/perspective from my favorite forum for learning. Everyone can learn from a good critique. In this portrait, "Stop and Smell the Roses", my actor is taking a break from battle (hence the smoke and flames in the background) to literally smell a rose and take a moment to enjoy the beauty from an otherwise chaotic/scary environment.
I've used the LIE to dirty up her armor some and the fire and smoke are my own creation (happy to share if anyone wants - just images on planes).
This is an Iray render and I can tell there are a couple of things just off about it (or, perhaps way off?), but I am at a loss as to what. I'm happy for any input. Don't be afraid to be brutal - imagine what we can all learn with some hard lessons. I find I fall into a mode where I really start liking where an image is going and lose my objectivity.
Thank you in advance.
Best Regards,
Eric
Here's version d. I added a pair of flame props just behind and to eather side of him.
I like her expression. She really looks like she is focused on that book.
Her hand just resting on the table feels a little out of place to me. Perhaps she could be absentmindely reaching for that cup of coffee? Just a thought.
I know that feeling. Looking at an image and knowing in your gut something is wrong but you cannot put your finger on exactly what is wrong.
Just some ideas I have looking at your image. Her eyes are looking up rather than down at the rose. She is in the middle of a battle and needs to maintain awareness of what is happening around her but the rest of her expression indciates she is focused on the smell of the rose. Perhaps adjusting where she is looking to just above the rose, keeping that situation awareness and lower her lids slightly. I am talking very slightly adjustments. Sometimes a subtle adjustment can make a huge difference.
The other thing I noticed is her skin is quite shiny. Is this meant to convey sweat? Since she has been fighting in a battle?
Compositionally my eyes are drawn right to her face and especially her eyes.
The flames are really helping him stand out from the background.
Yes, it is coming along nicely. He does stand out from the background better now. Flames were an interesting choice. It gives the image kind of a story. I do think you've done a good job with the bloom now.
Some suggestions:
Keep up the good work!
Wow... I've owned Skin Builder for a long time, never really used it. Kicking myself.
Lights need a little work, I've got to do something with the hat. Skin is a touch too dry.
Thoughts?
Hi everyone,
I'm posting my newest semi-rendered scene for comments and advise.
Eric, I like your image a lot!! I think you did a great job with the lighting and background and composition. The addition of the dirt is an excellent touch, too. The only thing that seems a tiny bit off to me is the focus of her eyes, as Kismet2012 mentioned. Did you mean to have her gazing into the distance as she sniffs the rose? To me, her left eye seems to be doing that, but her right eye seems to be looking more toward the camera. (They don't seem to be working together to me.) I see that Kismet2012 mentioned that her skin seems very shiny. I guess she is right, although I hadn't even noticed that.
@zax797 needs a little cropping. Portraits tend not to be full body, and if the legs are shown, traditionally they'd be cropped at mid thigh. Perfect for that dress, I might add. And there's too much air over her head, as well. Tighter focus, I think.
Wow, you've done a good job with lighting that coffee shop; that is a tough one. The accessories you added, like the glasses and jewelry are great additions to make the character seem like a real person. I noticed that her face and hair are kind of blending into the counter and wall art behind her. Perhaps a slightly different camera angle and zoom, or repositioning of the background items would make her stand out more. It looks like you used some depth of field. I think you could go even further with that to make the background even more blurred (but still identifiable to set the scene), to make her stand out even more.
I'm going to go the other way, and say I don't care for the flames. I find them distracting. But before this I was going to suggest two back lights... one aimed towards each shoulder and a some depth of field to help him stand out. I'd also get him looking more at the viewer... he's menacing, make him menace the viewer.
I love the lighting, got that tiny little shadow beside the nose. Spot on. But it needs some back lighting. Something to dress up that hair and that will also make her stand out from the background (both things Kismet mentioned). I think her eyes are looking UP a tad too much, but... I suck with eye placement, so... take that for what's worth. Lips are great... the rest of the skin could use a little bump in the specular I think.
Damn nice beginning.
There's so much activity here it's hard to keep up! That't great! Keep them coming.
Plugging myself, but this might help: http://www.chariotswheels.com/3d-rendering/daz-studio/37-practical-example-1.html
Your image is very over exposed. I like the way it works. Its more artistic than realistic. I might rein it in a little... but... its unique the way it is. I'd be interested to see it render longer... because I don't think its quite finished.
Thanks, evilded777 for your comments. I'm glad you like the lighting. I was practicing the Loop Lighting mentioned in the references in post 1. What does it mean to "add bump in the specular" in Iray? What channel would I have to modify? Would that be top coat bump?
I've been struggling with this image a lot for some reason. I think I've rendered 20 different hair and expression changes since I posted the original. I've lost all sense of whether I'm going forward or backward. I'll post a new version and ask you all for your feedback again. This is my current version. Does the brow compression make her look too angry? I really want "Why are you taking my picture?" expression.
I really like that one with the light romantic background. The soft colors give the image a nice mood.
Is that her left arm up in the air on the right side of the image? I can't quite tell. Perhaps I would like the image even better without that pink stripe (arm?).
I like the sort of overly bright, high key look to this image, even though your aim was a night scene. It has kind of a high fashion look to it. Her skin looks a little too pink to me, though, if you are aiming for a realistic skin tone. If you are going for something a little more editorial, it is fine. It looks like you did a great job on the posing. The hands look very natural to me. I'd crop just a tiny bit off the bottom to eliminatre the bent thigh part and have just torso and up.
To address your questions:
1. Daz Studio has several Iray Render Settings for Environment Mode. If you use and HDRI in the Environment Map and select Environment Mode of Dome Only, your scene lights (point lights, spot lights, distant lights) will NOT show in the render. If you select Dome and Scene, they WILL show in the render. If you have selected Dome and Scene and still don't see your scene lights, it may be that they are too dim. You can select them in the Scene pane and adjust their Luminous Flux (Lumen) in the Parameters pane. I can also recommend a wonderful product in the Daz Store called Iray Light Manager Pro. It makes adjusting lighting much easier.
2. Yes, Sun Node should be your main source of lighting in the situation you described. One thing that can cause a black render is if you have a skydome prop in your scene. The Iray sun cannot penetrate a 3Delight-type skydome unless you jump through hoops to change surface settings of that dome. Even then, the results are far from spectacular. It is best to eliminate skydome props from an Iray render. Using a skydome prop is like putting an opaque inverted bowl over your image. Your camera inside the bowl does not see any light, because the bowl blocks it all. Many 3Delight products come with a skydome. If you load a preload scene from one of those products, you may be loading a skydome without realizing it.
To render a night scene, you can use the Sun Sky and set the time of day to an evening hour for the latitude and longitude you have specified. You can also use the Tone Mapping to adjust the exposure index. Think of it like a camera. If you stop down the aperture (bigger number) or use a shorter exposure time (bigger number), or a lower ISO setting (lower number), less light reaches the camera sensor and the image is darker.
I think this is a better version. I like the composition better, although I find the man in the background and the bright lights overhead to be distractions that pull my eye from your subject character. The pose looks good to me, but I think she isn't quite looking at the camera; I can't tell for sure on the small image.
I see Knittingmommy has posted a link to SickleYield's dust and atmosphere tutorial. That should help you achieve the look you are trying to achieve,
I love the sort of quirky character, but the pose seems a bit stiff and awkward, especially the way she is holding the book. For more artistic lighting, I would have a light on part of her face that really brings in focus on her face. I love the character and concept though :)
Oh, Knittingmommy, you have captured cuteness and personality! I agree with the comments on the pose, that it would be great if you can get them leaning their bodies together, in spite of those big heads. I think you did a great job of getting the clothing to look good on the sitting poses; that can be hard. The little boy's left arm looks like it is kind of floating in air. I thought maybe it was supposed to be resting on his leg. Other than that, I think the poses look relaxed and realistic. I don't mind the dark background. The characters still seem to stand out OK.
How long do you have to be using Daz Studio before you can no longer be considered a "New User"?
First draft: Fire War Mage
G2M
War Mage outfit, fire material
Scott Hair
3Delight rendering engine
I bought Simtenero Randomizer yesterday and used it for this project. Fun tool but I could have spent days clicking that Randomize button!
Used this color tutorial, which said that green is a complement color of red. Hope they are right, because that is why I chose green for the background--many thanks to @Novica and others for the free backgrounds!
I don't have a title yet. Going for an edgy fashion magazine look. Any comments or suggestions?
Here is a second version, a little darker.I didn't like the way the hair turned out...
As I understand it, there is no time limit. Currently the rules page states that after you win 1st place twice, you will "graduate". Other than that, I think it is really up to the individual to decide whether they are a new user. The point is, that this contest is an opportunity for people with little experience to feel comfortable learning and entering a competition with people who have a similar experience level. Maybe you've been doing 3D art for years, but you are new to Daz Studio, or Poser, or Bryce, or Carrara or whatever program you choose to use for your entry. Maybe you've always done 3Delight, and this is your first attempt at Iray or Reality. Maybe you always do landscapes, and you are new to portraits. Maybe you've had Daz Studio for years, but only render once a month. I've never won this contest, but I've been using Daz Studio enough that I don't consider myself a new user anymore. I'm participating in the WIP to get feedback, but I'm not entering the contest thread.
@barbult what I meant was her skin seems a little dry. I think the specular glossiness needs to be altered. What mixing are you using?
Though you certainly could add bump to the Top Coat Bump, that wasn't what I meant. Adding a nice generic bump to the Top Coat actually does wonders.
Thanks all for the feedback. I incorporated most of the suggestions in the next draft. I moved the hand/arm poses to hopefully look more natural, shifted the background so that the figure doesn't blend in as much, and changed the hair texture to have more shine so it doesn't blend into the background and glasses frames as much. I'm not sure about how to add more light to the face without causing the necklace and glasses to turn into giant reflectors.
@h_habash how are you lighting this? Its very dark. The depth of field is nice, it brings your character front and center, but she needs some light to give her shape and definition (it should help with all that noise too). Its a good start.