I like these two pieces a lot. Now a quick thing to really boost this is to add a really old worn and rusted down version. It would only require a new texture and would show variation. Just an idea.
And to re-iterate what Adam is saying about telling a story.
Put these in a scene. Make a slab of concrete, a ground plain, maybe some balled up paper, some plastic / styrofoam cups, and scatter them around.
Hell go ahead and make an old run down gas station from route 66. There would be story to it and would be much better overall and you would have "TONS" of props from it and in the end it will gain a lot more attention than this single prop.
Well, I know you want to be done w/ it but there is some more work you can do to really bring this piece to the finish line.
First and foremost, you are wasting your normal map. It has some great high level detail but is missing small scratches, surface texture and wear. Consider using a detail normal map or adding detail to your existing one.
Your spec map isn't doing much either. This is part because of your lighting setup though. You really need to think about the surfaces. I would expect to see some specular highlights on the metal surface, some nice dull lighting on scratches and parts of paint that have been worn off. It would be nice to put in a piece of glass in the meter covering up the dials and counters. A simple reflection map w/ some grunge on the glass would look great, all w/ a nice emissive glow to show its on.
You have done a nice job grounding the props by putting dirt on the slab of concrete around them, but the base of the props don't do the same. Add some dirt and wear to make the transition from the base of the prop to the ground much more subtle. You never know where a level artist or environment artist will place this prop.
The lighting is kinda flat. consider a 3 point setup and use different colored lights (nothing crazy!). Employers can see the texture flats so don't worry about making the light so flat its boring just to show off texture.
If you really want to tell a story, think about who has been here. Maybe the lamp is turned on, a nice glow on the ground below, a hand written note on the gas pump that says please pay inside first, etc. You gotta step it up if you want to get past the hoards of people looking to get next gen artist jobs. Good work overall!
Replies
And to re-iterate what Adam is saying about telling a story.
Put these in a scene. Make a slab of concrete, a ground plain, maybe some balled up paper, some plastic / styrofoam cups, and scatter them around.
Hell go ahead and make an old run down gas station from route 66. There would be story to it and would be much better overall and you would have "TONS" of props from it and in the end it will gain a lot more attention than this single prop.
AO map, some dirt around the objects and this will start to look much better.
First and foremost, you are wasting your normal map. It has some great high level detail but is missing small scratches, surface texture and wear. Consider using a detail normal map or adding detail to your existing one.
Your spec map isn't doing much either. This is part because of your lighting setup though. You really need to think about the surfaces. I would expect to see some specular highlights on the metal surface, some nice dull lighting on scratches and parts of paint that have been worn off. It would be nice to put in a piece of glass in the meter covering up the dials and counters. A simple reflection map w/ some grunge on the glass would look great, all w/ a nice emissive glow to show its on.
You have done a nice job grounding the props by putting dirt on the slab of concrete around them, but the base of the props don't do the same. Add some dirt and wear to make the transition from the base of the prop to the ground much more subtle. You never know where a level artist or environment artist will place this prop.
The lighting is kinda flat. consider a 3 point setup and use different colored lights (nothing crazy!). Employers can see the texture flats so don't worry about making the light so flat its boring just to show off texture.
If you really want to tell a story, think about who has been here. Maybe the lamp is turned on, a nice glow on the ground below, a hand written note on the gas pump that says please pay inside first, etc. You gotta step it up if you want to get past the hoards of people looking to get next gen artist jobs. Good work overall!
To quote him again "You gotta step it up if you want to get past the hoards of people looking to get next gen artist jobs. " -Tyler
thats very true...
You gotta show you have what it takes and just blow people away any chance you can get.