[WIP] Post apocalyptic camp environment UE5

Ghostling

Hi, I've been working on this for a while and wanted to start sharing my progress while receiving more feedback. I want to make a post zombie apocalyptic camp that has been developed over time from an abandoned barn. I have been spending a lot of time working on the layout and I'm still not sure about it so I would appreciate some feedback.

ThisisVictoriaZ

Hi! When I run into a problem where my environment isn't really looking or feeling the way I want it to I always refer back to my reference and try to understand what I liked about that, and what my project is missing. Do you have specific ref for this piece? If not I would spend some time looking for something that has the look and feel you're going for. I recommend gathering reference on PurRef or the software of your choice and sharing that here! 

Ghostling

Thanks, really struggled with finding references for this but these are the main images. The left half of the bottom middle image is the closest to what I would like to achieve and as for real life references there is so much variety in how barns look I just want to make sure what I have makes sense and looks alright so far.

ThisisVictoriaZ

Thanks for sharing, love the references you picked out. As far as your layout id say your composition of props and foliage is fine, the trees are a ok height compared to the barn (could be taller due to lack of detail in the skybox). I would try to spend some more time focusing on the lighting and color scheme here. All of your refs have a visually interesting color scheme like blue/red, red/green, red/blue, yellow/blue. The lighting and texturing in your environment is mainly just yellow, which makes it hard to understand where you want the viewers eye to be drawn, and what parts of the scene are more or less important. I've also made some notes that are not specifically related to layout or composition in the image below 

Ghostling

Thanks for that. Really helpful feedback and notes, I see what you mean with the colour schemes and how mine is mostly yellow. Ill work on that.

Vertrucio

This reads like a dilapidated barn and a camp, but doesn't read like a zombie apocalypse survivor camp.

Zombies are usually slow, but an active, relentless, and oppressive threat. So they tend to need walls, defenses, and ways to attack through or over them.

After that, think about trying to tell a story about how this particular group of survivors live. Maybe why they're not there now. If it's a big camp, for example, most of the grass in the area would be trampled down. There'd be more small shelters, food growing, etc.

kanga

Yeah, the campfire isn't one color. depending on your angle there are also shadows. Right now the fire looks like fluorescent tube lighting and if it is lighting the dark side of the barn, it has no fall off. I like what ThisisVictoriaZ said about colors. The sun side would be warm and shadow side cool. The left and right of the farm are blending into the trees, maybe a skygap here and there would help the form. The timber texture is really good, but compared to the reference shots (middle top and top right) the building isnt really that interesting. What Vertrucio said about the design was great. There are not really many clues that say zombie apocalypse.

Ghostling

Think I understand most of what you guys are saying, ill try to make it more clear that zombies are involved as well. Thanks for the help.