Retro Dive Bar
grand marshal polycounter
Current:
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Here's my second attempt at a full environment. This time it will be indoors. I did some pre-planning first and have planned out the layout, references, and colour theme of the bar. The full idea is a 50's style bar with 80's style lighting (neon lights, computers, etc). I started off by making a simple bar stool and creating a worn leather material for the cushion in designer.
The inspiration is pre-nuclear war fallout bar. A place which used to have class, but is now run down. There is an occasional singer performing on a small round stage.
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Here's my second attempt at a full environment. This time it will be indoors. I did some pre-planning first and have planned out the layout, references, and colour theme of the bar. The full idea is a 50's style bar with 80's style lighting (neon lights, computers, etc). I started off by making a simple bar stool and creating a worn leather material for the cushion in designer.
The inspiration is pre-nuclear war fallout bar. A place which used to have class, but is now run down. There is an occasional singer performing on a small round stage.
Replies
Also, made a material for the wall. I'll have some pictures hanging on the wall to break up the repetition a bit.
I drew out floor plans and collected a bunch of references from 50's diners and bars, while collecting lighting and colour references from 80's bars and clubs (outrun style). I don't have the reference compilation with me at the moment else I'd post it. Do you think it's the colour scheme which is ruining the cohesiveness of it? I've still yet to do the bar and stage and posters on the wall and the like.
I created the mic a while ago, just have been too lazy to combine all the texture maps into one. Finally did that today as well as created a stage (probably the easiest thing I've ever modeled). I'll need to create some posters and a drinks fridge thing for the bar. Doing some taps for the bar would be cool too!
So far today I created cement ceiling tilable texture. Also, I created wall and ceiling modular pieces so I could more easily edit the layout. Will start on the taps and such after a much needed break this morning.
My reference was just a bunch of images I collected in the beginning (below). I think the scale looked off because most of the renders I've taken have been from atop the stage. I've done a floor level / stage level render below, and the scales definitely do look off when standing on the stage, but I'm thinking they look correct when floor level (?).
I've also narrowed the bar a bit because it seemed like way too much floor space.
Here's a small list of to-do's;
-Bar taps
-Spinning fan
-Ventilation duct
-smoking ash tray
-Toilet
-Sink
-Generic ceiling light
Now that my art test is complete, I can continue work on this project. I’m going to set myself a deadline of September 20th so as to push myself. This gives me 2 weeks to buckle down! Someone on Ten Thousand Hours suggested I should be spending some time in the blockout phase, which sounds like a good idea.
Here’s a completed toilet for the bar. I’ll probably add more polys to the front of the toilet because it looks blocky from this angle. With a sink, stall walls and a mirror, the bathroom will look pretty cool!
I'm going to reduce the opacity of the pink lights to make them more see through. I might also increase the amount of plaster on the wall to show less bricks. As BucketOfNuggets said earlier on, I think the overall grunginess of the scene is taking over. I'd also like to put some hanging pictures on the walls, maybe get rid of a couple of posters. Sink is in the works currently!
It's for behind the bar.
I created the lights for above the bar and doors. I've also played around with the layout of the bar to make it a bit more interesting. I spent a few hours playing with lighting, but I'm definitely no expert on this, so it'll take me a while longer to figure everything out. I think I'm going to tone down the grunge on the brass bars on the bar.
I've learned that when making tilable textures, or textures which will appear next to each other (i.e. modular pieces), not to make any large marks. If you look at the bar up close, you can see obvious tiling.
Narrowed the area between the bar and the tables, it gave the scene a bit more of a normal inside look. Kept messing with the lighting until I got something more along the lines I've been going for. Deleted all the glasses as I think I'll add those later. I'm not sure how I'm going to populate the shelves behind the bar, I'm not going to make 30 different bottles, so I might make around 5 different alcohol bottles and then put a bunch of pint glasses on the bottom shelf.
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/QR42L
Excited to see where it goes!
Still got to finish the sink, some stalls and a mirror for the bathroom.
Finally found out that you can turn off eye adaption in the project settings, which has made lighting the scene about 10x easier. Have been goofing around with the lighting too. As per the reference pic from Rustyspannerz, I'm thinking of creating another neon sign to give the bar an even more colourful glow. I'm having a blast lighting the scene, this is probably the first time lighting has been enjoyable for me! If you take a look at the last photo, the shadow from the mic stand is a bunch of dots, so I'll have to figure out how to turn up the quality of that light.
Aside from these, I'm going to create one or two more bottles for the bar and I think I might be calling it after that.
I'm unsure of how great this angle looks compared to the other angles, which isn't very good, because it's the first thing the player sees when they first enter into the bar. I might fix this by putting another neon sign on the wall to the right to provide more interest.
I figured out that the reason my wood looks so crap so far is because I was using static lights for the entire bar. I've switched a few specific lights to stationary. I was not aware that there was a quality difference between them? But anyways, I'm loving the lighting and view from this angle. Lots of places which draw the eye. I think some nice fog, i.e. smoke, will make a sick final touch when everything is ready to go.
I'll be upping the intensity of the neon sign to get a proper blue glow. Right now I have the colours created from some spot lights which isn't doing a great job. I might increase the size of the front doors, just so the doors look a little larger than the doors inside the bar.
I'm not feeling the white and black checkerboard floor if I'm honest. I associate that with kitchens more than I do bars. Maybe switch it up for hard wood, or maybe a more intricate tile pattern?
The neon sign isn't really working either I think. Compared to your other assets it's definitely the weakest. Look up some neon bar signs and maybe make it a bit more visually interesting:
I reckon you're aiming for something like Paddy's Pub in "It's Always Sunny" which is pretty much the definition of a Dive Bar.
Maybe have a look around online for other examples like that, and draw some ideas from them. I do like where it's going so far, but it's still definitely lacking any real character. Also, just watch for little mistakes too, like that microphones cable doesn't go anywhere.
Keep it up.
My barber actually pointed out that the bar has the same feel as Heaven's Night from Silent Hill (below), which totally took me by surprise. I might up the intensity of the lights above the tables to show off the red couches a bit more, but I'm aiming for a decently dark pub with lots of shadowy areas. I'll play with post effects when I'm nearing completion and see about upping the general lighting of everything.
I've increased the size of the front doors as well, because they look a bit too small. Did so after taking this screenshot though.
I think you've gone in the right direction by darkening it but now it might be just a little too dark in the corners. You could bring in a skylight to lift that up just a little. If you haven't already, it might be worth exploring the new 4.18 release for UE4. (Just make sure to save it as a copy, just in case something breaks and you want to go back lol.) They made some upgrades to skylights so they support multiple bounces now.
Anyway, just my two cents! Keep going!
Going to add another neon sign as per Auldbenkenobi's suggestion. Trying to think of a lame neon sign a bar would have, like a crappy beer mug or something.
I'm having an issue where all these bottles I'm creating, made of glass, are showing red when I view the scene with shader complexity on. Should I be drastically reducing the amount of glass I use in a scene?
Anyways, one more bottle after fixing the new bottle's textures. Fill up the shelves a bit more with the new bottle, then I'll be posting this to my portfolio. If anybody has any more suggestions or tips as to what could really push this I'd be more than happy to hear from you!
... Just realized there is no cash register. Might spend some extra time making that, which should be pretty fun actually.
Register has been put in!