Blizzard Student Art Contest 2018

izaakb

So I'm going to be submitting a piece into the Student Art Contest Blizzard is hosting. I'm super stoked and hope to at least get some recognition!

The piece I'm working on is an environment shot, it's going to be mostly reliant on the painting, but here's my concept for it! Feed back is definitely welcome!

izaakb

And here is most of my pass on the modeling, I decided to take items out to make the composition work better and also changed the lighting to push the focal point.

Just so you're aware, this is really kinda the first big/complete projects I've done in 3D, so feedback is most definitely welcome!

artrynk

feedback, hmmm, its an early stage ...nice blockout , as the same way we create levelart protos in our company and most env-art made by the same process,keep do it )

izaakb

artrynk said:

feedback, hmmm, its an early stage ...nice blockout , as the same way we create levelart protos in our company and most env-art made by the same process,keep do it )

Thanks man, Will definitely keep at it!

carvuliero

Ok first concept look more to me like something out of borderland then blizzard game 
Second your composition is all over the place there is no interest point/s ,you could use rule of thirds , diagonals or golden rectangle to fix your composition 
Third it doesn't tell a story (if this place is a junkyard then all that random junk can be explained somehow)
My suggestion is to spend some time and make a story about this place and then tell that story with your composition and set dressing 
For the story itself you could start with why player will ever come here , or what happen in the past/future  , who lives , what is the green stuff ,why is all the junk here and so 

izaakb

carvuliero said:

Ok first concept look more to me like something out of borderland then blizzard game 
Second your composition is all over the place there is no interest point/s ,you could use rule of thirds , diagonals or golden rectangle to fix your composition 
Third it doesn't tell a story (if this place is a junkyard then all that random junk can be explained somehow)
My suggestion is to spend some time and make a story about this place and then tell that story with your composition and set dressing 
For the story itself you could start with why player will ever come here , or what happen in the past/future  , who lives , what is the green stuff ,why is all the junk here and so 

I agree that the concept does show things kinda going everywhere. In the mock up version of the model, would you say that some of those issues are solved regarding the composition? I'm pushing more for an abandoned goblin mine in the canyons. I changed the lighting to be night to focus on the glowing mine. I can push more goblin tech if that would help. I like what you said about what happened in the past, I'll try and push more story in the props themselves to do that.

Thanks for your notes!

carvuliero

First you have to decide what you want out of your composition -> here comes the story 
Yes block out look better because is still not overpopulated and you have some dynamic established by diagonal through train tracks - bridge , if you can repeat that few more time for example in rock above and conveyor belt to the right or rock cliff below that will increase dynamic effect 
If mine entrance will be your main point of interest I will move it to one of 3rd division of your canvas (where the big column thing is right now )
Few example :
diagonals  :
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e7/2d/0f/e72d0f231ea5a73847fa7467ac3f5e10--vanitas-paintings-memento-mori.jpg
http://www.ipoxstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Rembrandt-storm.jpg
http://www.ipoxstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/VanGoghFixed.jpg
http://www.ipoxstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/laocoon-rebated.jpg
golden section/rectangle :
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/70/46/fd/7046fd975e4539034848c635c6366522.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/FlagFormat.jpg/800px-FlagFormat.jpg
horizontal and vertical :
http://pixdaus.com/files/items/pics/0/35/167035_2b8bdbde79135f3a690485fc650582fb_large.jpg
https://imgfave.azureedge.net/image_cache/1358702865146386.jpg
https://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2016/09/rule-of-thirds-composition-800x533.jpg

izaakb

@carvuliero

Thanks for the quick responses, sorry I haven't responded sooner, I was sans computer yesterday. I will keep these in mind moving forward! Thank you so much! I'm going to try moving the camera a bit to put more focus on those areas and I'm starting to paint the assets currently. I'll make a new post soon.

izaakb

Alright, on going progress, I've also been learning 3D Coat while doing this so I don't have as much completed as I'd like to for the time being. But I'll be adding a bunch more paint work. I just wanted to show that I'm trying what you were saying and I do think it makes for a stronger composition. I'm trying to keep lighting a little more simplified so it will be mostly the painting that will push the models. Thanks for the feedback so far! It's helping me grow a ton! Hopefully this is doing better like what you were suggesting.

FreakoutGames

Nice work - What's the polycount?

carvuliero

I think sign is very good idea , can really tell the viewer what is going on here , one more thing that can bring the interest to the entrance will be a long shadow of something/one that live inside 
Also thing are starting to flow nicely . I think you could use either radiating line from mine entrance or swirl ones , you will get effect of mine entrance is like a portal or black hole sucking everything towards itself .Just have to rearrange few things to form this patterns with your set dressing 
On the second image you can see that most line funnel you to the column thing and dead space behind it 

izaakb

@FreakoutGames - Thanks! It's about 8.3K so far!

@carvuliero - Great! Glad that it's working better and stronger! Awesome notes! I've made a sketch to implement that. I'll mock it up and present it soon. Thanks for your feedback, it's super helpful and enlightening!

izaakb

Alright another update! I found Outland in WOW really inspiring and think the approach there can REALLY push what I'm trying to go for. Made adjustments to set dressing, added a couple things, fixing the carts to look cooler. But I think this is going in a much better direction. Thank you for the feedback thus far! You helped me make it more awesome.

PS - I am color blind, so if the colors are not good, PLEASE tell me. It's something I'm trying to work with. (Rock on top left will not be that color)

carvuliero

I think will be beneficial if you set for yourself something as a scale reference and judge everything base of that reference so you have some consistency
I am not big fan of pipe under the conveyor belt .Try to move conveyor belt forward also bring tap of the column back and turn it on it side so it bridges both rocks and point to conveyor belt , this will set up interesting dynamic .Also try to make right rock formation concave  

Olingova

I totally agree about that double conveyor belt, much better to focus the attention on the mine entrance! Keep it up its a really good start there

izaakb

@carvuliero - Great! I've made some of those adjustments that you suggested and am referencing scale some more to make things more cohesive. I'm going to transform that "fallen" object now to fit better in the scene but it does look better in the composition. Altogether this is a MUCH stronger composition than my first pass. Thank you so much! I've also changed some of the colors. I'm going to be adding some painted textures soon. I'll post again when I have those!

pjscottartist

I like it; the concept is interesting whether it’s for a blizzard game or not. 

From a design point of of view I find the tunnel entrance a little strange as it doesn’t seem to go anywhere / very far. 

Its prettt minor but I think it would add a lot and make it a little more mysterious. Looking forward to seeing it with textures. 

izaakb

@pjscottartist gotcha! I'll be making it deeper! I was thinking of making it curve a bit because I didn't want to have to worry about modeling the stuff inside of it. But good point! I'll see what I can do!

Thanks for taking a look!

izaakb

OK! So I've been pushing what was suggested. The leaning piece just wasn't working out right, so I though I'd place the boulder there, and I think it made a good substitute! I do have those cliffs concave, It will hopefully show more through the paint job. I don't think the light colors are competing as much as they were previously. Painting the assets has been a lot of fun so far, I just need to harmonize the colors when they're done. That sky will not remain that color, I'll be adding some purple clouds and stuff.

carvuliero

Bridge rails are great ! , now will be a good idea to break the base somehow , in your original concept bridge looks to me like its made of metal pipes wrap in metal sheet or something like that 
For the conveyor belt support try just one or one that fork in to 2 branches or if one is rotten away and fall over the other what ever make more sense 
You have to figure out what are this things on the top right rock because to me they are waiting for something there 
Repeat stair stepping effect from right rock to the left one will have effect of framing the mid ground 
Also new bolder look out of place like a cut out try to integrate it better 

izaakb

Ok, so I showed my progress to an artist at Blizzard and they thought the composition was getting a tad too busy and suggested to simplify and cut some things out. They also liked the initial camera position better. So after some messing around, I tried putting together better flow and composition like said in previous comments while also keeping the original camera angle. Set piece placements are still due to change, but I've been in the middle of texturing, so that might come a bit later. Just thought I'd share progress. As much as I'm willing to put in the effort for the other one, I feel like this one does put a greater focus on the mine itself and less on everything else. But I'm open to hear anything.

sandrasketches

I know the deadline has already passed - but I think these look great I have a similar color blindness issue, so I wish you luck!