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Monthly Environment Art Challenge - May & Jun 2018 (54)

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greentooth
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kadeschui greentooth
Welcome all! It's time to kick off the Monthly Environment & Prop Challenge #54!

Incredible work by all! Due to my busy schedule this past month there wasn't time for a voting round - we will pick back up next Challenge!

Remember if you don't finish in the time allotted, just keep plugging away and post when your work is finished. There's always some good progress that falls off the radar - we want to see your work! So keep going and finish those pieces!

 Without further ado, here are our options for Challenge 54!


HARD SURFACE CATEGORY:

artist: Ricean Vlad

HAND PAINTED CATEGORY:

artist: Arthus Pilorget


HAND PAINTED CATEGORY:

artist: Grace Liu

HARD SURFACE CATEGORY:

artist: Patrick Bloom


If you want to change up either concept a bit, as some people wanted, then feel free. Interpret these concepts to your liking.


Please read all the rules before starting.

When you are just starting out making a scene, it can seem complicated or imposing, so take the time to break it down. 

Think about how you can re-use assets, re-use textures, break it down as simple as possible and plan it out. A lot of people will break it down in their own way when they start out their challenge. Gather some reference images as well for different parts of the scene, maybe gather some refs and make it your own.

Take your time planning and blocking out, it will set you up for success later on.

Here are some specifics.
  • Try to post one critique for every post that you make. This will make for a better learning environment and help us all grow as artists.
  • You must use a game engine to present your work. Unreal Engine and CryEngine are very common engines that can be used but feel free to use any alternatives that you want. (Marmoset Toolbag is allowed as well)
  • You must try your best and finish as much as you can in the time frame provided.
  • Post what you are working on in this thread so that way it's a more centralized place for advice and critique. We don't need to have 1000 disjointed threads littering the forums. 
  • I would strongly encourage you to go and look at other games and see how they make their assets as well   as get concept art to give it your own feel, but it must stay very close to the concept, if not super close. 
Well, that's about it. If you think that any rules should be changed, or there should be new additions to the rules, please let me know. As always, please feel free to provide feedback / suggestions in this thread or by messaging me directly.

All that matters is that you learn while being able to effectively critique others, as well as accept critiques on your own work. Remember to have fun. Cheers!

Replies

  • Navi271
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    Navi271 polycounter lvl 4
    BUMP

    Is anyone doing this? I feel like it got lost in the abyss of the 3D Art Showcase thread lol.
  • MJG
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    MJG polycounter lvl 6
    I will participate this month - going for the hard surface prop :). @Navi271
  • Quibees
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    Quibees polycounter lvl 4
    Hello, everyone! Decided to give a try to the mask prop, though it`ll be very hard for me, cause I wanna learn zbrush -> handpainted pipeline and  have no experince in baking for that haha :(
    So far I`m trying to make a raw blockout in max. Started with the gold part

  • MJG
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    MJG polycounter lvl 6
    Hi Quibees looking good so far :). I also finished my rough blockout for the variation 2 of the weapons
  • jill3d
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    jill3d null
    Hey everyone, throwing my hat in the ring for this one for the hand-painted boat!I wanted to get a full block-in as quickly as I could, seeing as I'm going on vacation for a few weeks that will eat up most of May. Here's where my boat stands (floats?) so far :) The top room is still symmetrical, which it seems like it isn't in the concept art, but that will be addressed when I have some time to put into it again. Looking forward to seeing what everyone else does for this challenge!


  • Zerogun
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    Zerogun polycounter lvl 9
    I will be attempting the hard surface scene. I've got a break down in Photoshop already. 


    I'm going to take a little extra time on pre-production so I can get my plan all squared away. I have an idea how this will lay out, but I need to see if everything works.

    I am a little worried about what I can do in the doorway without cheesing it... to plan and plan and plan some more.
  • yashar98
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    yashar98 polycounter lvl 9
    i start by creating some base mesh in maya
  • Quibees
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    Quibees polycounter lvl 4
    @yashar98 looking good!
    Some progress on block out, still lots of issues that i hope I`ll fix in zbrush. And I`m not sure how the back side should look :(
  • Jaccob_Gabriel
    Hello All.
    Setting up some basic lighting, and modular pieces in UE4. After a few more tweaks, I'll start refining and making high resolution meshes. :)

  • kadeschui
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    kadeschui greentooth
    @Navi271 Thanks for giving this a jumpstart! I have been swamped with work and forgot to check in. Should have had a sticky, let me check up on that :)
  • Navi271
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    Navi271 polycounter lvl 4
    kadeschui said:
    @Navi271 Thanks for giving this a jumpstart! I have been swamped with work and forgot to check in. Should have had a sticky, let me check up on that :)
    You're welcome. I'm not even sure if I'm going to contribute to the challenge this time, but I do like checking it out and seeing what people are creating!
  • BakertheGameMaker
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    BakertheGameMaker polycounter lvl 8
    Hey everyone! had fun with the last challenge, I'm gonna hop in with some critique and my own progress as well.

    @Quibees I like what you have for the mask so far. I would make the little tiny pieces at the top in the middle have some volume, and adjust the way that they are intersecting the main body of the mask, and I would add some cuts to the two little pyramid shapes at the top, since doing so affects the outline, and they don't really appear to be perfect pyramids in the reference.

    @Jaccob_Gabriel The lighting in the reference seems much brighter/to have much more contrast, and I think your hallway is a bit wider or more "roomy" than the reference. Can't wait to see more! I love scifi hard surface stuff.

    I've decided to take a stab at the hand painted piece this time. Here's what I have so far. I imagined the back of the mask as having some kind of velvet material that is riveted in. I think I will try to make the inside of the back of the eyes have some wild material on the inside, so that it makes it look like you would peer into another world after putting it on.

    Edit: Also got the unwrap done. Gonna see if I can't finish this one quickly, and maybe try the sci fi scene or the boat after this.

  • Zerogun
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    Zerogun polycounter lvl 9
    Okay, I think I have a rough outline in UE4 to start my scene. I like the spacing. Lighting is not final and will prob be worked on when I'm dealing with texturing.

  • yashar98
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    yashar98 polycounter lvl 9
    @Quibees thank you.
    after match two sides and creating nose :)
    now i want create the back side

  • slam_nine
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    slam_nine polycounter lvl 2
    Nice job, the boat looks really close to the reference.

    The worn details look really good on your high-poly mesh! I like how you designed the back of the mask too, though the eye holes on the back look a bit uneven.

    My low-poly model of the boat is getting along smoothly. That loose painterly look is really nice on the concept art, It'll be interesting to see how people translate it to 3d.

  • BakertheGameMaker
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    BakertheGameMaker polycounter lvl 8
    @slam_nine I agree, the eyes in the back are really janky right now. Hoping that I'll be able to fix that up with texturing as opposed to having to tweak the model or unwrap.

    I like your boat so far. I really like that you've chosen to keep the angular/hard edge feel of the reference on the life preserver and windows, but I feel that they should be more skewed and asymmetrical, so that they feel more crafted and less like 3d primitives that were just thrown in there. Basically, do to them what you've already done with the front facing windows.

    Here's my progress with the mask. Still trying to decide how I will make the glow effect, and set up the eyes on the back of the mask appropriately.




  • Roumonk
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    Roumonk polycounter lvl 3
    Hi everyone! I've joined polycount a few days ago and immidiately decided to participate in this challenge [HARDSURFACE]. Hopefully these challenges will be a great improvement to my environment artist's skills ( and to my English skills too :blush: )

    Here is my early blockout, which took me almost two days to approximately match perspective (and it's still unfinished, hah). As you see, I've made some changes to the concept (i.e. stairs)

    Oh, and, I don't get it, when does the challenge is supposed to end exactly?

    BakertheGameMaker The mask is looking very great already :) 
    For the glow effect, maybe you should try something like plasma-style praticle generator, if you are using UE or similar :grey_question:

  • Quibees
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    Quibees polycounter lvl 4
    Nice progress everyone! 
    Last second I decided to do classical hand-paint without zbrush, not sure why. Mapping and base coloring with some ao and curvature ^3^

  • linli
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    linli polycounter lvl 3
    The first attempt to make a scene.
  • Roumonk
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    Roumonk polycounter lvl 3
    Some progress with block meshes. Shadows test. I really should work faster. (These are not real time renders)
  • slam_nine
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    slam_nine polycounter lvl 2
    @BakertheGameMaker Thanks, and good point about adjusting the props that were too regular. Your mask is looking great with the textures too!

    @Roumonk Nice work, the lighting and shadows look good at this point already!

    I've got some textures done on my boat and the rest of the props added.

  • BakertheGameMaker
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    BakertheGameMaker polycounter lvl 8
    The boat is looking good @slam_nine , I would say your next step should be to vary the outline on the wooden roof slats. But seriously the boat is looking really good!

    Here's my latest progress on the mask. I tried to whip up some decent particle effects as per @Roumonk 's suggestion. I'm having a hard time balancing cool UE4 effects and still maintaining the "exact" look of the hand painted texture.


  • Zerogun
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    Zerogun polycounter lvl 9
    @linli How did you get a layout like that specifically?
    @slam_nine That is some really good painted textures.
  • kadeschui
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    kadeschui greentooth
    Hey all, not sure what happened to the Mask concept, seems the link broke/fell out. Will try to fix this afternoon!

    ~kade

  • Finnn
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    Finnn greentooth
    These are some cool concepts :)  I am excited to see what everyone is producing, good luck to all participants. <3

    @BakertheGameMaker , you're textures are looking awesome! And your UE4 render is very interesting aswell, would be interesting to see how you set this up :)


  • BakertheGameMaker
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    BakertheGameMaker polycounter lvl 8
    Thanks Finn! I agree, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's progress too :) I'd be glad to break down what I can and please feel free to critique any portion of this so far. Always looking to learn something new and improve.

    There's basically 3 particle effects ( two are duplicates, the sparkles for each eye), a post process volume that I've used to add a dirt mask and lens flare, and some black cubes to make the back drop. No lights in the scene. For the sparkles, I tried using vector fields for the first time. It's basically a slowly spinning helix shape that attracts the particles to them, making them move in a slightly wavy pattern. All of the particles have semi blown out values to make em glow, and they go from blue ish to more pink ish over their lifetime.



  • Zerogun
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    Zerogun polycounter lvl 9
    Broke down and did some repeatable parts for my hallway scene.

    and a little in 3d model program. I'll move them over to UE4 shortly so I can start with the lighting.

  • BakertheGameMaker
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    BakertheGameMaker polycounter lvl 8
    @Zerogun Great start! The pieces you have so far look pretty in line with the reference. But I would say that you need to work on those wall indents a bit; they aren't perfectly triangular in the reference, and if modeled correctly will add a lot of character to the piece. Hope that makes sense!
  • Finnn
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    Finnn greentooth
    Thanks Finn! I agree, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's progress too :) I'd be glad to break down what I can and please feel free to critique any portion of this so far. Always looking to learn something new and improve.

    There's basically 3 particle effects ( two are duplicates, the sparkles for each eye), a post process volume that I've used to add a dirt mask and lens flare, and some black cubes to make the back drop. No lights in the scene. For the sparkles, I tried using vector fields for the first time. It's basically a slowly spinning helix shape that attracts the particles to them, making them move in a slightly wavy pattern. All of the particles have semi blown out values to make em glow, and they go from blue ish to more pink ish over their lifetime.



    Thanks for the breakdown. Particle effects are a cool thing. Havent dove into it... yet ;D
  • SebastianBielecki
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    SebastianBielecki polycounter lvl 4
    Hello everyone! I think i'm gonna  take a stab at it as well :) Made some simple bblockout in max and exported to UE4 for now. I think i have the prespective more or less similar. I'll be blocking out some walls and doors now!

    Cheers!


  • Anomaly
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    Anomaly polycounter lvl 6
    Hey all, also entering this one. Attempting the boat as i love the style. My block out thus far just a few more tweaks and I think I will have it quite close :)

    @SebastianBielecki you definitely got that perspective, nice one :) :smile:


  • Shyralon
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    Shyralon polycounter lvl 11
    Started quite late but decided to tackle the sci fi environment as well.
    Almost finished modeling so far, maybe 2 days of work.

  • BakertheGameMaker
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    BakertheGameMaker polycounter lvl 8
    Looking good @Shyralon , would love to see close ups of the wall panel(s) when you get the chance.
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    Baker, cool stuff man. I kinda feel like maybe the AO is a little heavy on it? Particles are wowza though :D
  • slam_nine
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    slam_nine polycounter lvl 2
    @BakertheGameMaker Thanks for the breakdown! Really interesting to see how that particle effect was done. 

    @Anomaly Nice job on the blockout, the proportions are looking good!

    I've got my boat on sketchfab: https://skfb.ly/6z8QK

    Still open for minor tweaks, but otherwise I'm ready to call it close to done.
  • SebastianBielecki
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    SebastianBielecki polycounter lvl 4
    Sorry guys i have to change category. I have some additional work and now i know i won't be able to finish environment for sure, it will just take me too much time. I want to fight in props category tho. I started to make a blockout. I will be aiming in something between the second version of the concept and oryginal model made for the game :)

    Cheers!

  • SebastianBielecki
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    SebastianBielecki polycounter lvl 4
    Got a little bit of progress :)

    yO!

  • SebastianBielecki
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    SebastianBielecki polycounter lvl 4
    Progress going on today :smile:
    Hope i'm not spamming.

    yO!


  • BakertheGameMaker
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    BakertheGameMaker polycounter lvl 8
    Good progress @SebastianBielecki , can we see it from a few different angles?

    Edit and thanks @Torch ! I'll do a quick updated paintover when I get the chance, see if I can't bring the ao back a bit.
  • SebastianBielecki
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    SebastianBielecki polycounter lvl 4
    Thanks @BakertheGameMaker !

    I'm considering HP done at this point :) Here are some shots (before subd).
    Oh! i might add viewer.... maybe... dunno yet.

    yO!





  • CybranM
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    CybranM interpolator
    @SebastianBielecki
    I like what you did with the grip, the bumps might be a bit large but they help make the weapon more believable 
  • LowerclassRiot
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    LowerclassRiot triangle
    I probably should've  posted this earlier

  • Nathan M
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    Nathan M polycounter lvl 4
    I have done most of the model for this challenge, but I don't think I am going to have a chance to finish it by the end of the month.

  • Ace
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    Ace polycounter lvl 8
    @Zerogun
    @Shyralon

    Damn you guys are looking good!

    I just started last week so I got some catching up to do, hopefully I can get to the texturing before the month ends.
    I'm actually struggling a lot with understanding the perspective and scale of the objects. When I look at the concept sometimes it feels like the camera is more center, other times its on the left looking a bit to the right. Sometimes my camera feels a little too zoomed in, sometimes the lens feels too wide, ugh. I swore I spend a whole day just tweaking the camera alone.

    I think what helped was creating a Rule of Thirds grid over the original concept but I know I'm still off on a lot of things in terms of scale, but I wanted to atleast get some progress on the blockout so I don't go nuts.

    This is my first time taking on an entire environment from concept so I'm interested what workflow you guys use for building environments like this. Do you guys prefer modeling the entire environment in your program and export as a single mesh (or as much as you can) or do you export each mesh individually and put it all together in unreal?

    Right now I built all my assets modularly and export them all individually, but It feels very time consuming constantly tweaking the location of my assets in UE4 especially since UE4 doesn't recognize blender's pivot points.


  • Roumonk
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    Roumonk polycounter lvl 3
    @Ace The thing is there is one point perspective in the concept drawing. The arches are straight 90 deg to the viewer's eye, but the vanishing point, as you noticed, is shifted to the left. In photography similar effect is achieved by shifting camera lens (google "tilt-shift" lens). These are often used by architects. In many 3d packages, like maya, you can make it via "film offset (horisontal)" parameter in camera settings. Sad thing is  - sooner or later we have to have our level in the realtime engine, and I haven't found this in Unreal.

    This is my first environment-from-the-concept try too, so it's only two weeks left and I'm still chilling in maya. (actually I'm just a bit lazy :blush: )
    Spent some extra time on the level's modularity, and completely reworked dimensions of the assets, which caused some deviation from the concept, but I think, It became more accurate and it's easier to build the scene now (a great pleasure for perfectionists :wink: )


     (the ceiling is experimental)

    My next screenshots will be from Unreal (I PROMISE!! :D )
  • Łukasz
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    Łukasz greentooth
    Blockout made of basic modular shapes


  • ickhugo
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    ickhugo polycounter lvl 9

    Hello

    This is the second time I attempt the monthly environment challenge but the last time I did not finish. This time I put in two restrictions for myself, to make it easier for me to finish the project.


    · No larger texture than 256x256
    Having all the textures small I could make all the textures in Photoshop by only using shapes and layer styles. I got the idea from looking at a video about the graphics of Metal gear solid 2 and it was very cool to see all the tricks they used to make that game look nice.

    · No High poly models
    All of the models were very low poly, around 10 tris each with few exceptions. Same here I looked at the ps2 metal gear solid games.


     I tried to combine the concept art with the aesthetics of the Metal gear solid 2 screenshot. With also utilising modern shaders like, Normal and emission maps. Now with hindsight It would probably looked better with 512x512 textures, the image looks a bit out of focus because of the low resolution.


    Even though its lacks detail like the cables scattered on the ground, the red pipes that run through the corridor and the two screens on the right. It is not often i complete projects so for what it is I am happy with it.

  • BakertheGameMaker
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    BakertheGameMaker polycounter lvl 8
    @ickhugo I'll do my polycounter's duty and jump in with some critique at some point, but I just wanted to say this looks great, and good on you for setting a goal and completing it. Your scene gives a PS2/MGS vibe, but in a good way. Great work
  • OSad
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    OSad null
    The challenge is almost over for this month I think? But I decided to grab the gun and give it a shot anyway. I've never done guns before so it seems like a cool idea to just plug at it until the end of the month and see where I can get.



    Edit: I worked a bit more on it. Not really sure how to proceed so I'm more than open for feedback.






    10.859 tris so far.
  • AndySC
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    AndySC polycounter lvl 5
    I've managed to get in on this as well. Didn't think I was going to make it with family and holidays delaying things. This is the first weapon I've attempted and I like how it's come out. I've just finished modeling and moving on to baking. I'm thinking my low poly is a little too low on some of the circles/curves so getting normal map errors. It's set up for subdiv (with a bevel weights modifier to keep the edges,) so I may do that before texturing.
    The rate at which some of you model and update your posts is impressive. I feel so slow in comparison, but that will come with experience I hope :)

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