June Art Challenge - Starscape

[Starscape]

Well, it's been a while since I entered one of these challenges...

...and I'm not quite sure this exactly fits the requirements, but I've had this model sitting, incomplete, on my hdd for years just waiting for me to build the rest of the shot:



Click to enlarge.

I suppose you could call it "The Pegasus" Remastered?


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[Finn]

^ I think it can't be used if you started before the contest began.

Otherwise, it looks fine. It may need some detailing or something since it still looks...plastic

 

[Kaiser]

Thats how it should of been

 

[Starscape]

^ I think it can't be used if you started before the contest began.

Perhaps, I should clarify. The only pre-built part is the model. The final composition and rocky background are all new for the contest... I'd thought about building this scene, but I'd never gotten around to it until now.

Otherwise, it looks fine. It may need some detailing or something since it still looks...plastic

Yeah, damned harsh spotlights.

 

[Dac]

I'd recommend playing with the specularity of the ship and the contrast of the spotlights, but I intentionally kept the contest vague so it would hopefully garner a lot of entries. It's fine by me

 

[Sarvek]

Nice work, great take on "The Pegasus".

 

[Klaus]

The plastic look might just be a phase it's going through?

*ducks*

...nice idea!

 

[Starscape]

^ Let's hope so, Klaus.

Thanks for the comments, everyone and the also the advice, Dac.


Here's my latest attempt, I've tinkered with the textures and lighting:


Click to enlarge.


I think I'm getting close to what I originally intended. Although, when I look at the renders on a different monitor or different software the contrast changes. It's irritating.

 

[Kaiser]

Perfect

 

[B.J.]

Nice seeing the Pegasus as it was supposed to be! The newer pic looks a lot better than the first. Not sure about the angle, but would any of those windows be reflecting any of the light back? I'm guessing the texture isn't set up for reflections like that right now.

 

[Dac]

Nice seeing the Pegasus as it was supposed to be! The newer pic looks a lot better than the first. Not sure about the angle, but would any of those windows be reflecting any of the light back? I'm guessing the texture isn't set up for reflections like that right now.

Exactly this. Even if the original ambassador was kind of matte, I would personally turn up the specularity and put a textured reflection map on it. Also, I think the contrast of the lights is a bit much, have some illumination there just not what you had in the original pic. Maybe whack a slight vignette on there too to make the spotlights seem more pronounced?

 

[Starscape]

Nice seeing the Pegasus as it was supposed to be! The newer pic looks a lot better than the first. Not sure about the angle, but would any of those windows be reflecting any of the light back? I'm guessing the texture isn't set up for reflections like that right now.

Thanks B.J.. I had to check, but the window's texture does have a touch of reflection to in. The spotlights are pretty much in the same plane as the camera so the angles are wrong for reflections.

... Even if the original ambassador was kind of matte, I would personally turn up the specularity and put a textured reflection map on it. Also, I think the contrast of the lights is a bit much, have some illumination there just not what you had in the original pic. Maybe whack a slight vignette on there too to make the spotlights seem more pronounced?

Specularity maps? Please, don't mention specularity maps! I don't know if it's me or Blender, but I just can't seem to get any effect out of them. I guess, I need to find some decent tutorials on them.

I'll see what you mean about the lighting, though.

 

[Albertese]

Realistically, there should be alot of bounce-off light making more of the cavern visible. Turn up the ambient light just a bit and I think you'll have nailed it.

--Alex

 

[Starscape]

Okay, here's the latest:


Click to enlarge.

I've played around with the textures and lighting a little more; got some reflections on the windows, etc. And I figured out specularity maps (stupid mistake ), whether I've implemented them properly or not...


Thanks again, for your input, guys.

 

[lennier1]

Looks great, but as you can see in http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/File:USS_Pegasus.jpg the actual prop was a lot more defined. You'd only get that by blending several textures of volcanic rock together and using either multiple levels of noise displacement or an actual displacement map.

 

[Albertese]

I think it looks great!

--Alex

 

[Starscape]

Thanks, lennier1, Albertese.

This is going to have to be my final run at the image. I mixed in a photo of rock into the texture, but not by too much... can't have the rock-face looking too good, it'll show up the model.


Click to enlarge.

 

[lennier1]

Great, that's a definite improvement!

BTW: Check out the link in post #15. Your model actually looks quite good if you apply 90's TV standards as a comparison baseline.

 

[Cjohnson1701]

What 3D Modeling software are you using?

Cause if your using a Blinn to get your spec/reflections I might have a tutorial for you to use to push the spec in a better direction.

 

[Starscape]

Thanks again, lennier1.

What 3D Modeling software are you using?

Cause if your using a Blinn to get your spec/reflections I might have a tutorial for you to use to push the spec in a better direction.

Blender. I haven't got too far with lighting and rendering using the software, as you can probably tell, so any help would be appreciated.