Seeking criticism on my work for Environment Art

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  Ashervisalis grand marshal polycounter

  Nov 2017

  With regards to the street, it's incredibly flat. Unnaturally flat. It looks like you just dropped a plane into UE4 and started placing stuff on top of it. I think your texturing also needs a ton of work. Your textures look pretty flat and there is no variation to them (ie the street, or stone wall, etc are quite obviously tiling textures). With the forest, there's nothing to draw my eye in. My eye wants something to focus on, but since it's lacking, my eyes just look at how the grass is an awkward mix of flat texture and patchy grass. I'd also tone down the lighting here.
  
  Keep going, I like the gun, it looks cool!
  

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  JordanN interpolator

  Nov 2017

  Even with the abundance of props in your New Orleans environment, I still feel like the scene is extremely desolate. 
  
  Where is the trace of life or a sense of habitat? Every object is perfectly placed with no deviation from one another. Garbage bins are out but where is the garbage? Where are the cars? Is it Christmas day? 
  
  I think it's important to to not only craft props that look good, but also have a story or presentation behind it. Otherwise, it's very easy for someone to come by and lose interest fast, because the scene lacks something very attractive that makes you want to inquire more about it. 
  
  Same goes for the outdoor scene. There are trees and plants but what is their purpose to be arranged that way? Why did they all grow up perfectly when weather and seasons are always changing and very chaotic? Some plants will die, some will survive and go on to reproduce.

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  mutatedjellyfish polycounter lvl 10

  Nov 2017

  I agree with the above! You obviously have a grasp on the basic mechanics, but you need to be much more thoughtful in crafting and constructing a physical space as opposed to just populating a 3d space with 3d models. How are things put together? How do they connect? What does light do where objects intersect? What does dirt do where posts secure into the ground? Maybe someone sweeps the area regularly but he doesn't bother getting into the space right around the post?
  
  Pay extra careful attention to transitions from object to object as well as the overall composition of the scene. You are an artist and your job is not to copy life (which can be ugly or boring or bland or etc) but to curate and create interest, focal points, color harmony (or dissonance if thats your goal) etc in a scene. 
  
  As for lighting, your lighting is mostly either too harsh or too dark which flattens the scene. Honestly I think your best bet here is to focus on the above advice and look up lighting settings in guides and tutorials. Like, take the settings and setups they share and try those. This sounds like cheating but you'll actually learn a lot by looking at GOOD settings rather than tinkering with endless degrees of bad, heh. 

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  gumbosamurai null

  Nov 2017

  Thanks all.  I like the responses and very good suggestions.  The scenes do have a very sterile look to them.  I definitely need to get more design sense and adding  some idea of character/life to them.  I can't believe I put drains, pipes, etc, but didn't add any crud and variation around to look like it actually exists in a world and gets used. 
  
  And the lighting is a must fix.  I like the suggestion about looking up settings in guides and tutorials.  I haven't looked at any tutorials yet with already established scenes which is my problem. Checked out ones on how to make adjustments, but not ones with good application.  If that makes sense.  But will definitely look around.   Thanks again everybody. 
  

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