Don't be afraid of near whites and near blacks. As long as there is contrast in it, it's a good thing. You want large scale contrast so that volumes read well. I don't really know how best to approach it in editor, but what I did is made two curves layers, one for darks, and one lights, then painted them in where appropriate. The entire image was under exposed also, so I bumped it up a half stop in brightness. Then I added the blue light to the lower corner of the cockpit, to add some visual interest. This is where a point light with inverse or inverse square falloff would be good, so that it only lights this little area.
Much nicer value range on the latest one. Keep in mind that the eye goes to bright values first. Right now I'm assuming the main focus point is supposed to be the crashed ship, but it's so dark it doesn't pull the eye. Try to keep your main focus point around the 75% brightness area, so it's not blown out, but is lit enough to draw the eye.
Ya, hmm. I am going off the notion that a strong silhouette is where the eye goes first, before the hottest area of the photo. I still don't have it hot enough on the pods rim, which I think will help bring the eye back to it, on top of a strong silhouette against my background.
Yeah a strong silhouette would work too, but it currently doesn't have that going on, the right side of it is the only park that is dark clearly defined shape against light.
You could easily do both and have the left side of it hot and high key, and the right side dim and silhouetted.
I've always worked off of highest point of contrast as well. Use squint mode, it's a good way to test your focal point. If your eye goes to your intended focal point in that blurry mess then there's no need to worry about anything
Ya, hmm. I am going off the notion that a strong silhouette is where the eye goes first, before the hottest area of the photo. I still don't have it hot enough on the pods rim, which I think will help bring the eye back to it, on top of a strong silhouette against my background.
True, but strong silhouette is seen because of the contrast, otherwise there is no silhouette
The contrast is achieved through different values.
Some light maps are giving me issues so I think I may end up going with the Unreal ed screengrab rather than directly in-game.
Anyhoo, here's tonights update from me fiddling around in Unreal. Am going to start to concentrate on the 2nd angle while the effect for their after burners gets worked out.
The latest update looks great. Adding more rim light really helped the pod pop out of the scene.
I'm a bit concerned that the big highlights on the pod are getting lost in the hotter parts of the smoke in the background, though. If there's a way to make those cloudy bits a cooler color or not quite so blown out, it'll probably help make the pod stand out from them more. Maybe instead of white, they could be gray?
This has looked awesome from day one and it still is.
Just to add on to what Swizzle is saying, I think overall the scene could use more variety of tones. The whole image is comprised of mostly warm colours with the exception of the overpass. I find everything else is washing together and my eye is drawn to it.
here's a couple simple variations that I think really help to separate the foreground and the background and bring the focus back onto the pod.
First is a cool background, second is a cool foreground.
@ Frump - I guess in this situation it is all about density of fog. The environment should look consistent, it cannot have blue for and sunset skybox or vise versa;) So it could just have a bit more dense fog or sharper foreground.
I think getting some shadow cast from the bridge on the foreground flora would do a lot to add depth:
Not sure how well your flora's responding to lighting but if worse comes to worse you could always put darker shades of flora and just replace them bit by bit.
The Scene is looking great but there is one thing that is bugging me. The ground for the drop pod doesn't look broken up enough. I would try and slope the ground down even just a little to give the effect that the pod actually pushed down the earth. It just looks like flat ground right now with the pod intersecting it and then rocks added to cover up the intersection. Those pods look to be going to fast to not have more of an impact.
If I drop it down I'll lose more of the pod in the scene, which is not my intention. I'll try and come up with something that is the better of both worlds.
I wasn't meaning for that to be what you should definitely do, it was just to show that it would help to add some separation. It was just an exaggerated quick photoshop colour balance.
That said, I still think it would be good to find a way to add some separation between the foreground and background.
Likely my final update on this, barring any substantial errors or updates needed. Carlo hasn't seen the colour of the thrusters so I may change that element.
We need to move on to the 2nd shot and gathering all the other elements of the submission.
not really digging the thrusters... they really remind me of those blow torch butane lighters... but maybe that's because i'm trying to quit smoking.... DAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIT!!!
Liking the blue thrusters, and this latest update did a lot for the scene. Did a paintover as well but now it's at work I did like the foreground shadow that someone did tho. And maybe let the main pod be a bit more saturated for added pull, with whatever shreds of energy you might have left in this? Good luck!
Heya thanks! No image updates but I did change the thruster colours, and tried to remove some of the green out of the shadows via post-processing. Will post an update sometime tomorrow!
How about raising your opoint of view in the second one so you can see the docks and all the background stuff. The Sky is seen in the first pic, the second should perhaps explain the surroundings.
i agree that the second view is too similar to the first, mainly because of the angle that we view the bridges in the bkgd... they line up too close to the naked eye and lead this image to feeling less like a whole environment, and more like a still with slight variations.
If there's more over to see over that pod, perhaps consider that as a second shot. Something to explain the rest of the surrounding more would be good.
Shot 1 is pretty well done. Shot 2 is NOT complete as much has to go in to the smoke trails and some compositional work on the left side. However, they're 'there' enough to show.
NOTE: The colours are off on the second shot as my photoshop is being a douche about Proof Colours and Proof Setup. (Grr!) It also doesnt' help that I am showing it now with the post processing off.
EDIT: Actually fuck it. I will fix the images and show them later.
New second shot is pimpin', wouldn't have thought to remove the main pod but it works really well.
Minor crits/ suggetsion: If you added some dark smoke coming out of the exhaust of the dropped pod in the second shot it would help differentiate it from its surroundings. You could also arrange the fire a bit better so it's easier to see.
Really came together dude, long roads almost over!
i actually prefer the first shot, those buildings in the background tell more story, in the second shot is more like some slumsbeeing bombed, nothing special about it.
But there isn't much tying the two shots together, they could be on opposite ends of the same world or right next to each other. They both highlight some cool bits of the scene but don't seem to share much. If you're familiar with the scene you know the stuff in the second shot is just off to the left in the background of the first shot. But if you're looking at it with fresh eyes it's not any easy connection to grab at first it kind of blends in.
Maybe adjust the first shot to show more of the town, maybe put a stronger light on the town? like a search light on the roof, cutting through the fog?
Maybe for the second shot go back to the shot you had here but push it forward some more so the pod is on the right edge of the screen maybe 10% showing and its focused on the shanty town. That way the pod isn't the focus of both shots and its forward enough to feel like a few steps, but you're not totally disconnected when transitioning from shot to shot.
I'm pretty confident people will draw the 2 together. Everyone I've shown - not including yourself - have known what was up right away. It's pretty obvious these are from the same environment, with the same event happening within it, which is whats important here.
Regardless of whether the pod is in that first shot or not they'd be too close to the same angle.
That said, this is purely for the submission of the environment. When we're done, I plan on doing quite a few beauty shots and something like what you've suggested will likely be in that group.
Replies
http://www.poopinmymouth.com/net/pcount/brom_uc_paintover01.jpg
Don't be afraid of near whites and near blacks. As long as there is contrast in it, it's a good thing. You want large scale contrast so that volumes read well. I don't really know how best to approach it in editor, but what I did is made two curves layers, one for darks, and one lights, then painted them in where appropriate. The entire image was under exposed also, so I bumped it up a half stop in brightness. Then I added the blue light to the lower corner of the cockpit, to add some visual interest. This is where a point light with inverse or inverse square falloff would be good, so that it only lights this little area.
You could easily do both and have the left side of it hot and high key, and the right side dim and silhouetted.
True, but strong silhouette is seen because of the contrast, otherwise there is no silhouette
The contrast is achieved through different values.
Looking nice so far, textures make me jealous :P
Anyhoo, here's tonights update from me fiddling around in Unreal. Am going to start to concentrate on the 2nd angle while the effect for their after burners gets worked out.
i know someone made a little jpg chart showing an outline of the texture budget do you by any chance have a link to it?
best of luck to you!
Sure do! http://eonix.shackspace.com/4096.jpg
The smallest square in the image is 512x512
Props to ya for pushing through so well!
I'm a bit concerned that the big highlights on the pod are getting lost in the hotter parts of the smoke in the background, though. If there's a way to make those cloudy bits a cooler color or not quite so blown out, it'll probably help make the pod stand out from them more. Maybe instead of white, they could be gray?
Just to add on to what Swizzle is saying, I think overall the scene could use more variety of tones. The whole image is comprised of mostly warm colours with the exception of the overpass. I find everything else is washing together and my eye is drawn to it.
here's a couple simple variations that I think really help to separate the foreground and the background and bring the focus back onto the pod.
First is a cool background, second is a cool foreground.
@ Frump - I guess in this situation it is all about density of fog. The environment should look consistent, it cannot have blue for and sunset skybox or vise versa;) So it could just have a bit more dense fog or sharper foreground.
good work and where is the second shoot?
good luck!!
Not sure how well your flora's responding to lighting but if worse comes to worse you could always put darker shades of flora and just replace them bit by bit.
Stimpack - Ya
Firebert - LOL
Crazyfingers - That shadow wouldn't be cast like that with the sun's sharp positioning being as it is.
Cheers!
That said, I still think it would be good to find a way to add some separation between the foreground and background.
We need to move on to the 2nd shot and gathering all the other elements of the submission.
*phew*
They totally wouldn't be firing their engines like that if they were just going to hit the ground. They'd hit and explode!
</asshole nitpick>
That said, everything looks kickass and screw being scientifically accurate. Tone down the blue in those afterburners, though.
Still though, the idea of doing something drastic with my 2nd beauty like that intrigues Carlo and I and we may go with it for our 2nd beauty.
Love this piece.
Not a fan of that second shot either. The texture resolution doesn't hold up on the rocks.
Shot 1 is pretty well done. Shot 2 is NOT complete as much has to go in to the smoke trails and some compositional work on the left side. However, they're 'there' enough to show.
NOTE: The colours are off on the second shot as my photoshop is being a douche about Proof Colours and Proof Setup. (Grr!) It also doesnt' help that I am showing it now with the post processing off.
EDIT: Actually fuck it. I will fix the images and show them later.
Carry on...
Minor crits/ suggetsion: If you added some dark smoke coming out of the exhaust of the dropped pod in the second shot it would help differentiate it from its surroundings. You could also arrange the fire a bit better so it's easier to see.
Really came together dude, long roads almost over!
But there isn't much tying the two shots together, they could be on opposite ends of the same world or right next to each other. They both highlight some cool bits of the scene but don't seem to share much. If you're familiar with the scene you know the stuff in the second shot is just off to the left in the background of the first shot. But if you're looking at it with fresh eyes it's not any easy connection to grab at first it kind of blends in.
Maybe adjust the first shot to show more of the town, maybe put a stronger light on the town? like a search light on the roof, cutting through the fog?
Maybe for the second shot go back to the shot you had here but push it forward some more so the pod is on the right edge of the screen maybe 10% showing and its focused on the shanty town. That way the pod isn't the focus of both shots and its forward enough to feel like a few steps, but you're not totally disconnected when transitioning from shot to shot.
Regardless of whether the pod is in that first shot or not they'd be too close to the same angle.
That said, this is purely for the submission of the environment. When we're done, I plan on doing quite a few beauty shots and something like what you've suggested will likely be in that group.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17188/uc_2009_WIP_05b.jpg