Abstract project rendering Tips

Polymiron

Hey Guys finished my first real Zbrush creation a while back now. I like how this guy turned out but i haven't been able to figure out the best way to render it. Also any tips you can give me on about post/photoshop would be awesome. Right now I just BPR rendered and than threw it in Photoshop to add the background. The masking is even a bit choppy from photoshop because I knew I would like to go back and rerender this one. So yeah, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Here are some pics of the current state of my project.

DWalker

The background - and the ground - blend in to the insect, making it difficult to see details and even the overall shape.

I can't really tell anything about the size - there's really no point of reference - but you should look into "Insect Macro Photography" if you want a realistic render. For the most part, only the insect will be in sharp focus - the background will be only the vaguest of shapes, often only a color or a gradient. In some extreme samples, only part of the insect - the compound eyes, for example - will be in focus, with the rest of the insect blurred.


The model itself could use some further work, especially for tight "beauty shots". Insect eyes are often large, and yet yours aren't visible. The antennae are rather stubby. They often have fine hairs either covering most of the body - as in bees - or coming between joints or on select body parts. The gray 'borders' are rather wobbly, most notably on the head. The grey overall - both the borders and on the legs - doesn't really fit. Look at the colors & patterns for real insects; black, green, or yellow would be a better fit.

Some insects have an almost metallic carapace, and iridescence is fairly common for beetles.

silvershrimp

To add to that improve your lighting, black shadows don't exist in the scene you are making, the insect's body has levels of translucency as does the grass.