I'd be interested in seeing some concepts or a larger variety of models in my opinion. Even if these few to not cater to my own personal likes, I still think the quality is much on the better side of the majority of work that I've seen. "Bridge control is probably best piece presented here." I would have to agree with cholden on that. I'll be sure to try and keep an eye out for your work and further my opinion. Keep it up man, your doing great!
Definitely solid props. There are a couple areas that stood out to me.
Cricket Bat:
- You have shading issues showing on one side and also in your normal map. This will show up in some engines. To fix that you should make the edges around the sides hardened normals. To get the normal map to work correctly, you then need to separate the uv shells where you have the hard edges. That will fix the shading issues.
- The texture feels very bland, like you just stuck a photo on it. I would pick a less noisy wood photo and maybe run it through a filter or two to make it a little more stylized. Accented Edges, Cutout, and Dry Brush are usually good places to start. Run the filters on different layers so that you can adjust the opacity. I would also paint worn edges into the diffuse and spec and normal so that the edges will shine and look softer. Maybe add some splintered parts along the sides and top, make it look like it has been used to bash in a few zombie heads, its definitely not going to be intact after that.
- I would spend some more time on the texturing of the handle, it looks like a generic texture.
Bridge Control:
- A couple of the worn edges look out of place and artificial. Especially on the arms on the side. I would improve this by adding some softer/even worn areas around the model to break up the constant noisy edge.
- You have a spec map, but I can't really see it. A good spec map will really make it pop. You can create a good base spec layer by creating a layer of noise, and then running it through a couple photoshop filters to create a splotchy fractal look. Then you can pump up the spec power so that some areas are at the verge of being overexposed, and the base layer will add some variation to it. This is especially important on a prop like this because there are a lot of flat angles, and without a spec map with variation in it, entire panels are either blown out or flat, with no middle ground.
- I would also add some darker grime/grease around some of the joints/intersections to break up the look, and add a little depth.
- I would also bump up the ambient light on the panels so they are really bright, and add a subtle glow in the shader you are using.
Kiosk thing:
- Not too much to add, maybe try the same spec map suggestion as the control.
You look like you have a solid grasp of the skills, I would recommend trying something a little more ambitious for your next prop. Something that really looks cool and has some more complexity in it.
texturewise, the "basic environment prop" is the best. Though, the black edging on the sign really bothers me because of the way it's broken up, and the small divots should be handled with a normal map. And here's why:
Having "polys to spend" because of a tri-limit on a mesh sounds okay, but if you do that for this mesh, you need to do it for every mesh in the game, costing TONS of tri's. If you don't match the poly use for other meshes, this one will look out of place, and again, it becomes unecessary.
The gui console is the best model by far. But the texture feels super flat. Moreover, it seems really odd that the bottom has those screens that don't seem to serve any visible purpose. I would omit the red/blue versions from the demo-sheet, as they're flat, primary colors.
The bat looks solid overall, but I can't tell what the hand-grip is made of. It would be nice, from a concept stance, to understand how those razorblades were affixed to the bat. I understand the screws, but the mechanics of pressing a razor sharp edge in order to get it *inside* a block of wood is a little confusing. Maybe just slap them on the top of the bat, and screw them on from there? It would help keep with the makeshift theme.
All in all, good stuff.
Try to keep consistent fonts and labeling on your model-sheets if you're presenting them together.
my main dislike is that you have way too much paint chipping. not everything has to be chipped to no tomorrow. everyone does it, and it doesnt make sence to me. its possible for things to be old without looking extremely beat up/dirty
The wear on the GUI is all over the place, you should think how a object would be used IRL and focus the wear in those area's and less in others. (particularly the 2 "arms" bother me the most with excessive wear)
The wear on the GUI is all over the place, you should think how a object would be used IRL and focus the wear in those area's and less in others. (particularly the 2 "arms" bother me the most with excessive wear)
thanks, that seems to be a common complaint/critique. I'll see if I can't work that out and repost the GUI.
The map on the wall on #4 is upside down. :-O
The table seems very unstable, try putting blocks at both sides instead of in the middle. Also the door looks weird, too low or something.
Your metal edges, especially on the jump pad are pretty sloppy. Not every edge needs massive wear, sometimes just a bit brighter line on the specular does the trick on defining the edge.
Secondly, it seems like you are priding yourself on not using reference. This is a VERY bad habit, and I suggest you break it asap. Using reference is absolutely essential to improving as an artist..
Oh, and the stone floor in a reinforced concrete room looks both out of place, and too drab..
The map on the wall on #4 is upside down. :-O
The table seems very unstable, try putting blocks at both sides instead of in the middle. Also the door looks weird, too low or something.
I need to change that map for something more interesting anyhow XD
as far as the table is concerned, I can see that it would read as if the cinder blocks were centered even though they only support one corner. I'll see if I can't find that environment and take come different-angled screens or renders
the door is about 8" to 1' too wide. I was modeling it to scale referencing a UT3 male marine, which, in hindsite, was a bad idea XD he's 8 heads tall and about as wide as a small car.
Your metal edges, especially on the jump pad are pretty sloppy. Not every edge needs massive wear, sometimes just a bit brighter line on the specular does the trick on defining the edge.
Secondly, it seems like you are priding yourself on not using reference. This is a VERY bad habit, and I suggest you break it asap. Using reference is absolutely essential to improving as an artist..
Oh, and the stone floor in a reinforced concrete room looks both out of place, and too drab..
bbod, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the critique and solutions! I'm going to keep that in mind for future props (I have a bridge and steampunk thingy in the works).
in regards to me priding myself on no reference, I wouldn't say I necessarily enjoy it, but you are absolutely right.
I was hoping the concrete on the floor would look havilly worn, but I suppose you are right, considering it is an indoor environment.
Heh, first of all you misspelled "dissected" and "obelisk".
I would add more color variation to the scene as a whole, and vary the materials up a bit to different shades of metal, some painted, some not, etc. The lighting seems a bit bland as well.
Personally, I've been really impressed with the art style and lighting in Brink, I think it might be good reference to improve on the look in your pieces. They have a similar kind of clean look in some of their environments. http://www.brinkthegame.com/media/screenshots/?id=626
lol no offence but your bunker texture color looks like R2D2 from starwars
XD I'm in the process of reworking these textures, which in hindsight, are deplorable. I appreciate you pointing that out, I think it necessitates a color palette adjustment
scifi bunker 2 looks like r2D2 had sex with a wall.. i knew he'd get those walls impregnated when he was always sticking his thingie in the walls unprotected.
Heh, first of all you misspelled "dissected" and "obelisk".
I would add more color variation to the scene as a whole, and vary the materials up a bit to different shades of metal, some painted, some not, etc. The lighting seems a bit bland as well.
Personally, I've been really impressed with the art style and lighting in Brink, I think it might be good reference to improve on the look in your pieces. They have a similar kind of clean look in some of their environments. http://www.brinkthegame.com/media/screenshots/?id=626
oh man, that's embarrassing... <_<; thanks for pointing that out, GSR.
I took a look at brink and I must say, THAT'S the look I had hoped for this scene.
I think the main issue that sticks out to me is that some of the wear and tear appears to be almost deliberate. Some of the scratches for instance appear to be brush strokes as opposed to actual places where there has been damage to the structure. I have been struggling with this same issue a lot, and I feel that it is hard for the human eye to judge what appears to be random by the artist. I like the grunge look, but I think that maybe the dirt and details should come from photo-referenced sources to get that randomness that I'm talking about. Overlaying those reference shots will give it that sense of believability that will sell your audience even more. Keep up the good work for sure
This thread is a month old and has gotten a lot of feedback, you might want to mention what screen shots are new, or just not edit them into the first post, it makes the topic hard to follow.
And say something like "I updated the original post" instead of just saying bump.
Replies
Bridge control is probably best piece presented here.
Seems like there's some extra edges in the back of the cricket bat and top of the base of the console.
Assets look pretty good though.
Never seen much of coloured speculars, i always thought it was mainly for metal objects x.x;
Cricket Bat:
- You have shading issues showing on one side and also in your normal map. This will show up in some engines. To fix that you should make the edges around the sides hardened normals. To get the normal map to work correctly, you then need to separate the uv shells where you have the hard edges. That will fix the shading issues.
- The texture feels very bland, like you just stuck a photo on it. I would pick a less noisy wood photo and maybe run it through a filter or two to make it a little more stylized. Accented Edges, Cutout, and Dry Brush are usually good places to start. Run the filters on different layers so that you can adjust the opacity. I would also paint worn edges into the diffuse and spec and normal so that the edges will shine and look softer. Maybe add some splintered parts along the sides and top, make it look like it has been used to bash in a few zombie heads, its definitely not going to be intact after that.
- I would spend some more time on the texturing of the handle, it looks like a generic texture.
Bridge Control:
- A couple of the worn edges look out of place and artificial. Especially on the arms on the side. I would improve this by adding some softer/even worn areas around the model to break up the constant noisy edge.
- You have a spec map, but I can't really see it. A good spec map will really make it pop. You can create a good base spec layer by creating a layer of noise, and then running it through a couple photoshop filters to create a splotchy fractal look. Then you can pump up the spec power so that some areas are at the verge of being overexposed, and the base layer will add some variation to it. This is especially important on a prop like this because there are a lot of flat angles, and without a spec map with variation in it, entire panels are either blown out or flat, with no middle ground.
- I would also add some darker grime/grease around some of the joints/intersections to break up the look, and add a little depth.
- I would also bump up the ambient light on the panels so they are really bright, and add a subtle glow in the shader you are using.
Kiosk thing:
- Not too much to add, maybe try the same spec map suggestion as the control.
You look like you have a solid grasp of the skills, I would recommend trying something a little more ambitious for your next prop. Something that really looks cool and has some more complexity in it.
Having "polys to spend" because of a tri-limit on a mesh sounds okay, but if you do that for this mesh, you need to do it for every mesh in the game, costing TONS of tri's. If you don't match the poly use for other meshes, this one will look out of place, and again, it becomes unecessary.
The gui console is the best model by far. But the texture feels super flat. Moreover, it seems really odd that the bottom has those screens that don't seem to serve any visible purpose. I would omit the red/blue versions from the demo-sheet, as they're flat, primary colors.
The bat looks solid overall, but I can't tell what the hand-grip is made of. It would be nice, from a concept stance, to understand how those razorblades were affixed to the bat. I understand the screws, but the mechanics of pressing a razor sharp edge in order to get it *inside* a block of wood is a little confusing. Maybe just slap them on the top of the bat, and screw them on from there? It would help keep with the makeshift theme.
All in all, good stuff.
Try to keep consistent fonts and labeling on your model-sheets if you're presenting them together.
thanks, that seems to be a common complaint/critique. I'll see if I can't work that out and repost the GUI.
keep 'em coming!
The table seems very unstable, try putting blocks at both sides instead of in the middle. Also the door looks weird, too low or something.
Secondly, it seems like you are priding yourself on not using reference. This is a VERY bad habit, and I suggest you break it asap. Using reference is absolutely essential to improving as an artist..
Oh, and the stone floor in a reinforced concrete room looks both out of place, and too drab..
I need to change that map for something more interesting anyhow XD
as far as the table is concerned, I can see that it would read as if the cinder blocks were centered even though they only support one corner. I'll see if I can't find that environment and take come different-angled screens or renders
the door is about 8" to 1' too wide. I was modeling it to scale referencing a UT3 male marine, which, in hindsite, was a bad idea XD he's 8 heads tall and about as wide as a small car.
bbod, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the critique and solutions! I'm going to keep that in mind for future props (I have a bridge and steampunk thingy in the works).
in regards to me priding myself on no reference, I wouldn't say I necessarily enjoy it, but you are absolutely right.
I was hoping the concrete on the floor would look havilly worn, but I suppose you are right, considering it is an indoor environment.
thanks bunch guys ^_^
Everyone tends to do what it likes best, but is good to try different ways.
I would add more color variation to the scene as a whole, and vary the materials up a bit to different shades of metal, some painted, some not, etc. The lighting seems a bit bland as well.
Personally, I've been really impressed with the art style and lighting in Brink, I think it might be good reference to improve on the look in your pieces. They have a similar kind of clean look in some of their environments.
http://www.brinkthegame.com/media/screenshots/?id=626
thanks for the input guys, BUMP
oh man, that's embarrassing... <_<; thanks for pointing that out, GSR.
I took a look at brink and I must say, THAT'S the look I had hoped for this scene.
I'll have this retextured soon.
And say something like "I updated the original post" instead of just saying bump.
UPDATE: worked on the textures here, specifically working with the grunge and wear. Also redid the lighting
very simple stuff, just revised.