Leaving Solace - environment exercises

adam · Feb 2009

Hey everyone,

I'm about ready to call my latest environment finished. Titled, "Leaving Solace" I wanted to do a piece that evoked something of a pensive emotion, that I could develop using a skillset I'm not normally exposed to at work: atmosphere & lighting, and dabble in to Mudbox some more.
Here's the original concept I found online at the ArenaNet concept artist art blog. Unfortunately I couldn't find the specific artist at AN that created this.

One thing I'm hoping to see more of on Polycount are personal post-mortems people write on the artwork they're showing. The time you can spend on 1 thing can get pretty intimate and I am sure we all have thoughts on the work we're showing, good or bad. So, after the images will be my own 'post mortem' for this little project.

POST MORTEM

ENJOYED

Mucking around with Unreal's lighting & atmosphere tools is as enjoyable as creating the 3D artwork itself. Nearly instant feedback is something I definitely can't get used to. Having an idea and being able to quickly see it come to fruition makes for some fun creative moments.

I hand-painted 90% of the textures this time around. It was difficult, believe me, but I only visited CGtextures.com a small handful of time which in my day-to-day at work is the exact opposite. My current project at work has me painting textures so I wanted to get in some more practice this time around.

I really really enjoyed taking the tree in to Mudbox. Vahl taught me to work the largest of shapes and end up on the smallest of shapes and going through those motions on this was a lot of fun.

WOULD IMPROVE

Given the time, I'd love to go back and redo the face area. One thing I wanted to do with the concept was take the focus up and away from the face and bring it to the tree, as whats happening to the tree was the purposed area to evoke that pensive emotion I was hoping for. By doing that, in my mind, the Face became a secondary focus area of the scene but, showing this to friends before posting here, it was mentioned that the face felt like a primary area and thus some more time should have been spent there.

The mountains. These were created a long time ago for something else I was doing and were only ever meant to be placeholder. The original plan being they'd get a Mudbox treatment as well. However, because they're more for framing the scene and are only really shown in sihouette I opted to not take the in to Mud. However, I may do that still for practice.

The leaves coming off the tree are hand-placed. 4 individual leaf assets randomly placed. This isn't ideal for a real-time environment and if I felt I could afford the time some more they'd be done using an FX emitter, much like the bubbles in the Roberta environment I created.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS SHOTS FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT

http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip01.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip02.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip03.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip04.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip04b.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip5.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip5a.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip5b.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip5c.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip06a.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip06b.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip07.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip07b.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip07c.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip07d.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip07e.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip08.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip08b.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip09.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip09b.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip10.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip10b.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip11a.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip11b.jpg
http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/17188/qb_wip12.jpg

whats_true · Feb 2009

I think their is a little to much atmosphere that's blurring the over all image a little : \

Very cool mate.

Joseph Silverman · Feb 2009

This is really beautiful as a whole, i like it more than any other work i've seen of yours. Colors and foliage are awesome.

That stone face is really below par, though, i think. It lacks any resemblance to a human head, but it doesnt have the cool, old, eerie style of more impressionistic ancient sculptures. It just looks like very, very poorly executed realism.

shotgun · Feb 2009

this is nice adam, the best work i can recall from you

unfortunately, it doesnt evoke emotion in me

maybe im just a cold hearted sob, but my eye enter from the left and get stuck in the tree. nothing happens. the colors and lighting remind me of a long lost, desolate place, of neutral+ charisma. the red and green pretty much stand for passive, with the yellow warms a plus, but maybe its a little too passive for 'evocative'. i think it lacks content to make me pensive about it, perhaps more of the face would arouse the questions...

i would suggest:
- scatter leaves on the floor
- add blue underlight below bridge/face
- build-up to the tree with oranges in other areas in the scene (placing leaves would work well, pay attention to the overall shape the leaves create to the composition)

ae. · Feb 2009

my only crit is redo that face, its really distracting to me. the rest of the piece is top notch and the face its really bringing down the rest of the piece.

adam · Feb 2009

Question about the face, do you guys look at it and expect it to have fully realized human anatomy? (Real question, not sarcasm). If you check the concept, clearly thats not it so I am confused what the 'issue' is.

rasmus · Feb 2009

I'm liking this a lot, but in addition to what others have said I would add that maybe putting the camera in an actual place, like on a small outlook with a bit of just-visible foreground for your main shot will probably solidify the whole thing... As if the viewer came over a ridge or through a thick forest and suddenly looked out on your scene. Right now it's a bit hard to emphasize and feel immersed when the camera is so obviously floating in mid-air.

About the face, it just doesn't read as a stone statue, both because of the texturing and the sculpt I think.

Matroskin · Feb 2009

thanks Adam, that is a great idea to write some more about finished project

It is actually really cool to get some more info beside beauty shots, I gotta do similar way next time i finish something

adam · Feb 2009

rasmus wrote: »

I'm liking this a lot, but in addition to what others have said I would add that maybe putting the camera in an actual place, like on a small outlook with a bit of just-visible foreground for your main shot will probably solidify the whole thing... As if the viewer came over a ridge or through a thick forest and suddenly looked out on your scene. Right now it's a bit hard to emphasize and feel immersed when the camera is so obviously floating in mid-air.

About the face, it just doesn't read as a stone statue, both because of the texturing and the sculpt I think.

I had played with that idea, which I think can be seen in one of the WIP's. In the end I left it out as to not distract but it was something I thought was neat. I may add them back in before I upload all of this stuff to my portfolio.

As for the head, I read it as being a nice marble, rather than stone, and went with that. Good points, though.

Saidin311 · Feb 2009

Adam, this is awesome. Thanks for posting your thoughts on it too. It's very inspiring, I find myself working on single props or textures to keep my portfolio going but I really need to be working on full scenes. And you really inspire me to understand that it doesn't take a million things to go into a scene, just some good thought on composition and a few decent textures and models and a nice lighting setup.

I'm hardly qualified to critique, but the amount of leaves coming off the tree really bugs me. I get the feeling that a gust of wind just blew all those things off, but at the same time I really wonder would the tree really drop that many leaves all at once? Because there's no real movement in any of the other vines/foliage I find the tree seems like it's just too much.

Also, the face irks me a little as well, I think because I see a different structure in the concept. The forehead seems to be sticking out much more than the cheeks. And it seems to be much more squared off as well. Like I said, I'm hardly qualified to critique, but I just drew the line that really catches my eye in the concept but seems to be lost on your final. thoughts
I hope I'm not out of line or anything. edit: Sup did a 100 times better job of showing what I was trying to do with my little line drawing.

Joseph Silverman · Feb 2009

adamBrome wrote: »

Question about the face, do you guys look at it and expect it to have fully realized human anatomy? (Real question, not sarcasm). If you check the concept, clearly thats not it so I am confused what the 'issue' is.

The original concept has a lot of depth and shape, which yours is definitely missing.

Look for the planes. Your sculpt is lacking all of the forms which sell it as a carving, and all of the forms which give the sculpture personality and identity.

adam · Feb 2009

Thanks guys

Saidin311 - I think if you picture the tree being a full, live, tree the amount of leaves will make sense. It does for me anyway, as right now it looks like half of them are off the tree. The scene was to be a bit 'mystical' and not quite 'real', if that helps.

SupRore - good post. If I go back and do the face I'll take your advice.

I think before I upload this to my 'folio I'll add in some orange leaves on the tiles and get some foreground leaves in the scene, at the very least.

Reverenddevil · Feb 2009

Nice work Adam, I am digging the atmosphere.

acapulco · Feb 2009

Looks good! It's a shame no one really can see the work you put into the tree when theres everywhere leaves.
It's a little too blurred for my taste.

Just searched for the concept artist myself, but the one I thought it was... wasn't. Seems like. Didn't even find your concept ^^ Knew the names of some more concept artist at arenanet than daniel dociu. Days ago. His page is here.

The post mortem is a good Idea, have made my expierences with my last piece too. Think they'll be worth writing down.

SHEPEIRO · Feb 2009

really nice piece, here my 2cents

- not enough foreground in your final shots, if you compose it better you could sell its artistic and technical merits more.
-the atmosphere is just too much leading to a flat feeling peice, try reducing the fog and adding some particle based layered fog maybe
-the wear and tear in the peice seams odd, you have broken bridges, but saturated wood, lots of ivy but perfect stones, i would like to see some of the stones broken or pushed up by the trees roots
- you covered slightly too much of the stones trim in ivy, these created nice contrast to the natural stuff in the concept
- put some sharpe or chamfered edges in the rock underneath t give it a bit more form.

vj_box · Feb 2009

I love this ADAM, you pretty much nailed on the mood, I am imagining a POP gameplay in such an environment.

Vj

marks · Feb 2009

And this goes straight into my inspiration folder

damn good work adam, good job. I have to agree the face looks a bit out of place, but I wouldn't know what to suggest to correct it.

Peris · Feb 2009

That looks cool

. Really like the mood and vegetation adding silhouettes everywhere. Also good job on the overal use of modular stuff everywhere!

some crits:
-i think that tree is losing way to many leaves, it would be about 2 seconds to strip it naked at that rate! It adds way too much energy in what should be a moody piece i think.
-It feels kind of flat, the fog flattens out everything instead of adding depth, less fog would still give a nice feeling of depth without showing too many details (i assume the fog is there to hide the low resolution mountains) Also with lighting like this, i would expect the bottom of the image to be darker than the top, since less light reaches there, and more light gets scattered to the top of the mountains. you could do this by having some big omnilights illuminating the high parts, and a fog layer darkening the bottom.
the lighting is pretty dull, you could have used to sunlight better to highlight details/points of interest i think. Also this is cheesy, but some subtle godrays would have helped the scene

, make teh light interact with the air. Fog would light up in an athmosphere like this.
-its hard to make out the material of the face, i think because the sculpt is kinda blobby, it ends up looking metallic?

good stuff though, keep it up!

[Deleted User] · Feb 2009

I like everything, really, even the face, although I think it could use a bit more depth. However the green haze is killing me. I had to put it in photoshop and color correct just to be able to scrutinize it.

PeterK · Feb 2009

I really enjoy the tone and feel of this scene. The detail is well done, and the foliage placement is fantastic.

Good work Adam.

Cody · Feb 2009

Great work as usual Adam. And you work so fast! You are the man. This just might replace your Depth charge as my desktop.

ImSlightlyBored · Feb 2009

I agree with all the criticism (constructive) so far re: the head, fogging.
I dont feel the tree stands out enough, maybe with the lighting a nice faked rimlight through pointlights would have worked well to pick out the sillhouette? model wise its my favouritest element. for lighting, a nice bounce light effect could have worked well on the under side of the tree.

adam · Feb 2009

So, I decided to not call this done until I was completely happy with everything - which means redoing the face. Here's a small progress shot from what I did at lunch. It's enitrely WIP as all I've began is getting the form in, and even that't incomplete. As well, there's a small shot to show the latest of the scene (still need to get some fire in there, remove some leaves in the sky, and play with the colours of the atmosphere).

rollin · Feb 2009

ha .. have I already sayed something about that? öhh.. whatever

beautiful

this reminds me of secret of mana... *sniff*

adam · Feb 2009

Things I'll be doing to the face tonight/when I open the file next (thanks EQ):

-add the bulge under the eyes seen in the concept (mine is fairly flat)
-bring the eyelids and bottom lip in, sticks out a bit too far
-add the indent on the bridge of the nose where it meets the brow line
-decrease the dip in the tip of the nose so its a bit flatter
-the eyelids may be a bit wide. will decrease their width and try that
-remove the tapered shape on the nose, straighten it

Vrav · Feb 2009

I'm glad you're going back and reworking this.
It deserves this extra attention IMO, so good call.

The bridge of the nose in the concept is rather broad and convexly curved, which gives it a distinct ethnicity/appearance. You might try to replicate that, but I also sort of think the way you're making the features of the face harsher give it a more solemn feel. For its being a stone sculpture though, I think rounded surfaces play on the hard corners well.

You could pull up the tip of the nose like you said, or you could angle the flare of the nostrils down. In the concept they almost match the sides of the mouth in a frown. With the expression you have now, I'd almost expect a bit of a furrowed brow, which is more a look of concentration than neutrality.

adam · Feb 2009

Yup yup, agreed. As I did with this entire piece, I'm not 100% concerned with replicating the concept to the T. It's obviously not an intention i had with this but more-so take the idea of 'face carved in to rock' and the general shapes.

It's those shapes + rock detail I need to sort out, as the previous attempt was balls.

Vrav · Feb 2009

So you are going for a stone statue this time, not marble? Have you been referencing Easter Island heads? Those guys almost look like they were just chipped out of rocks that already had faces in them.

The angle of the head makes it look (to me) as if it might be safe from most erosion; it's pointed down, in a misty area, so it's mostly in the shade, which will encourage moss to grow. I'm not sure how much of an effect plants have on the erosion of stone carvings, but it would surely fill in all the cracks and pock-holes as the surface ages.

Where are the roots of the tree going? Maybe one would brush up against its cheek. Part of me is sort of sad you didn't go Incan on the tiles, but they are awfully beautiful anyway and I will stop pestering now. You know what you doing! Good luck.

Pseudo · Feb 2009

Looks very nice Adam, I especially like the atmospheric effects. Were there any sites with tips or tutorials about atmospheric effects in Unreal that you found particularly helpful? I plan on getting into it this weekend and was just going to work my way through the google results, but if you can point me to a good starting point that would be much appreciated.

Two Listen · Feb 2009

adamBrome wrote: »

Something about this particular view I find very inspiring. It gives me a lot of ideas and inspiration for paintings, and I think it captures the mood and emphasis you were going for very well. I think the leaves you added up top in the foreground really bring out the best in the image.

killingpeople · Feb 2009

You have some great opportunities to pull the eye more dynamically with those blown leaves. Maybe it'd be too tacky. Have you tried directing the falling leaves through different depths of field, maybe swirling them toward the viewer?

I do like this most recent arrangement of these "framing leaves" around the boarder of the image much better than what you had showed before.

A little too much bloom, it makes me want to rub my eyes clear...

Jeff Parrott · Feb 2009

Nice work Adam! Has a Prince of Persia feel I think. That's the game that came to mind when I saw this.

The tree normal map needs more detail I think. Hard to see in the shots though honestly.

I really like seeing hand painted textures these days. From what I can see the tiles and the wood you could push more colors in the textures. The wood especially I think.

The face needs some more lovin too like people said. I'm always reluctant to put character based anything in personal pieces. So that's cool to see you tackle it.

Also the vertical pieces on the bridge holding up the rope is metal or rope? If it's metal there isn't enough detail in the texture. If it's rope it's too straight.

These are all nit picky details. The broad stuff, lighting, mood, etc I think you nailed.

adam · Mar 2009

Face update..

Joseph Silverman · Mar 2009

I still don't think those planes are strong enough. Much deeper brow, stronger cheeks, and a more downward slant from the top to bottom overall would do a world of difference.

The surface material sells really well though, this is a huge improvement as is. I also love the new lighting/leaves.

Fuse · Mar 2009

i like the sculpt adam. I would probably carve out a hint of the pupils.. i think it's missing a dash of an expression ..

adam · Mar 2009

Done. Time to move on and continue my hard-surface highpoly practices.

Vrav · Mar 2009

This looks excellent. Nice work. Love the angle shots.

rasmus · Mar 2009

Top-right shot among the four is great, I'd give that it's own full-view. Nicely updated otherwise, it's much better!

SHEPEIRO · Mar 2009

like the glowing orbs, really focusses the scene, marble trim doesnt seam right though, needs to be split up so that it seams to be made from blocks of the stuff, also seams an odd design to have it cut through the paved section, pepole would trip on this, its a fuckin health and safty hazard, building regs would be appalled

yeah top right FTW

Ajax · Mar 2009

Niiiice

Leaving Solace - environment exercises

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