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Straight on portraits aren't as interesting visually as ones where the head is turned slightly (or dramatically). You can also use those shadows that are cast by facial structures such as noses, etc. as a way to define the face and add interest.
This image uses a key light from the right, a very bright backlight for the hair, (which is Carrara's dynamic hair, but figure hair can get similar results if it's a good quality image map and you're willing to do some work on translucency.) I also used a simple HDRI for an IBL (Image Based Light) which served the purpose as a fill light.
How is this? Have one more, the glowing comment got me thinking.
Much better IMHO. Shows the face better as just explained above.
Ok, here's the glowy one. I played with the AOA Shader or whatever. Seems like you can do a lot more with it. Don't really know what I was doing with it though. And thanks for all the help Jaderail, I really appreciate it.
Looks very nice.
I moved the Key Light around to try and bring out the details and made a few other adjustments as well. I like this version much better than the one I posted yesterday.
I looked at your image a bit closer, and I think the issue that Jaderail is talking about with the details has something to do with the shadows. If you look at the first render you posted, particularly the nostrils, you'll notice nice, solid shadows. Now if you look at the later images in the nostril area they look as if they could be internally lit.
I don't use DAZ Studio, so I can't give specifics about how to set shadows, but I can tell you that in Carrara, the glowing nostrils (and inner mouths) have three common culprits: Shadow intensities less than 100%, bright ambient lighting and most often shadow buffers as opposed to raytraced shadows. I suspect it is some kind of shadow buffer based on the generally good quality of your lighting.
Shadow buffers (which may have a different name in Studio) will also mute your bump maps a bit in my experience, so I avoid them unless I'm doing an animation where it won't be as obvious. Your image is obviously a dark subject matter, so you may get away with using hard-edged raytraced shadows as opposed to raytraced soft shadows as the harder lines could add more drama to the image.
So my short, non-rambling advice is to ditch the shadow short-cuts and use raytraced shadows, but save some render time by trying a test render with hard edged shadows. Your render looks really good, but I think if you use real shadows it will take it to the next level.
Very nice job also making the rim light match the colors of your environment. They fit nicely.
I looked at your image a bit closer, and I think the issue that Jaderail is talking about with the details has something to do with the shadows. If you look at the first render you posted, particularly the nostrils, you'll notice nice, solid shadows. Now if you look at the later images in the nostril area they look as if they could be internally lit.
I don't use DAZ Studio, so I can't give specifics about how to set shadows, but I can tell you that in Carrara, the glowing nostrils (and inner mouths) have three common culprits: Shadow intensities less than 100%, bright ambient lighting and most often shadow buffers as opposed to raytraced shadows. I suspect it is some kind of shadow buffer based on the generally good quality of your lighting.
Shadow buffers (which may have a different name in Studio) will also mute your bump maps a bit in my experience, so I avoid them unless I'm doing an animation where it won't be as obvious. Your image is obviously a dark subject matter, so you may get away with using hard-edged raytraced shadows as opposed to raytraced soft shadows as the harder lines could add more drama to the image.
So my short, non-rambling advice is to ditch the shadow short-cuts and use raytraced shadows, but save some render time by trying a test render with hard edged shadows. Your render looks really good, but I think if you use real shadows it will take it to the next level.
Thank you evilproducer. I am using Age of Armor's lights but I understand what you mean by the reference to raytraced shadows. I will play with the shadow settings.
Most 3D programs contain similar terms, but sometimes they're just different enough. Commonly what is called Bulb light in Carrara is called a point light by the rest of the world, and I'm still a bit hazy on exactly what Studio's Uber-whatzit-lights actually are. ;-)
I wanted to try and create a dramatic portrait. That is why I chose Brandon with his white Goth makeup. And I love the look of a really extreme closeup portrait. I wanted to try that look and these contests (May for portrait and June for lighting) seemed the ideal time to try.
This is the latest version. I am really liking this one. :)
I want to thank Jaderail and evilproducer for their feedback.
They helped me to realize I need to pay more attention to the shadows being created by the light and not just where the light itself was hitting the subject. I have struggled with lighting (almost everyone does) which is why I find these contests so helpful...even if I get really frustrated at times. :-S
I think that looks much more dramatic. If the look you're going for is the have the face emerge from the shadows, then you have done a great job!
Thoughts or comments on the lighting so far? I need to get more light from the orb and maybe just redo it all together. I don't like it, it's just 2 spheres with various maps. Working on the bg too.
Copied over from entry thread
hitmanwa and Kismet2012, these are both getting better and better! I like the latest efforts a lot.
Thanks Scott, this is where I'm at. Still trying to tweak a few things and still learning the AoA SSS. Having fun though.
Hi. Here is Integra's Doubts (all in Daz Studio) from last month, plus some tweaking (In case there was any doubt, I don't own Hellsing :-)
It's Genesis with, if I remember correctly, the Bree skin texture. I added Medium SSS using Dimension Theory's "Interjection," and therein lies a problem! Every light I tried-- whether blue, green or white-- all gave me this sun-burned look. I think this example is Shadow Play T14 (a white tube light).
Finally I tried Skies of Reality, Night01. It's a cloudy sky sphere with bright blue light from all directions. Then, to brighten things up, I put a white spotlight on the side of her face. I realize this is a pretty lame-o solution to the problem. Any suggestions?
I also remembered my character is supposed to have glasses, so I added them. But are they too goofy, psychedelic, distracting, etc.? Help!
The glasses are just reflecting the cigar and its smoke, as they should. And Skin burn with SSS is often caused by using lights with no shadows or shadow type set to Deep Shadow Maps, (deep shadows have a error in the render engine). Just turn the lights to Shadows on and Ray traced Shadows to really see if your getting burn out. Oh and never add SSS to the inner mouth unless the mouth will be open, the SSS will glow through if the mouth is not open to the light.
my entry into the contest, any comments welcome
Nice to see a non-human entry. I do think the lighting is pretty good.
The grass blades are pretty distracting. I understand that you're trying to frame the image, but they are just too prominent. Perhaps if you were to lower them down, and since it looks like they were composited into the image, you could blur them as well. This will add a sense of depth and perhaps make them look less composited, and more part of the picture.
I was working on my entry for this Carrara challenge, and while I was setting up my lights it occurred to me that I need to define the figure in my scene as the scene's scale is huge, so I added a spotlight to provide a rim light.
The reason I'm posting this insight here, is twofold. The most obvious reason is to help define the subject, to provide a sense of dimensionality and separation from the background which has all been said here before. There is a second, more subtle reason I'm posting this, and that is to remind people that many 3D programs allow you to include and exclude objects from your lights.
To get the rim light on my figure I used a spotlight aimed so that the source would look as if it could be coming from the sun. It isn't. To avoid unwanted shadows that could give away the forced perspective of the light, and also to avoid lighting other objects that could also reveal the trickery, I restricted the spot light to the V4 model and all her clothes and props. I then set the light color to approximate the sunlight and lens flare effect.
The point being, that you can use the same method to help with lighting a portrait. If you have a background and you need a fill light from the camera's perspective just for the figure, limit the lighting to your figure to avoid the flash bulb look. If a strong rim light is need and causing unwanted light effects or shadows, try restricting the lighting. You can even use it to speed up renders. Have a light set with really nice soft shadows illuminate the figure, but use a duplicate light from the same angle with hard edged shadows just for the hair.
I'm afraid I can't tell you how to set it up in DAZ Studio, but I'm sure if anybody wants to know, some of the D|S Gurus can point you in the right direction.
HAVE you all transferred your images to the ENTRY thread?
Contest Closed
where is that, I am confused I thought it was here
directly underneath this thread, at the top of the forum
I do not see anything on this page to get there, ???
Top of Page go to New Users Contests and Events the Forum. Then post to the Entry thread.
It's another thread. Go to the New Users subforum, then you'll see all threads in that sub forum. The Entry and the WIP thread are right at the top.