May 2016 New User 3D Art Contest "Action & Props" - WIP
Scott Livingston
Posts: 4,331
New User's Contest - May 2016
Sponsored by DAZ 3D
Are you new to the 3D world? Are you at the beginning stages of learning 3D rendering? Have you been around for a little bit but feel you could benefit from some feedback or instruction? Have you been around awhile and would like to help other members start their creative journey? Well then come and join the fun as we host our newest contest...
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"Action & Props"
This month's focus will be action with an emphasis on interaction with props. As always, posing techniques, composition, and lighting will be important considerations as well.
Here are some useful links:
For some inspiration:
Digital Art Action Scenes
Fighting Poses
Action Poses
Dynamic Poses
May 2015 New User Contest (action)
September 2012 New User Contest (props)
Tips for composing action photographs (can also be applied to renders)
The Fundamentals of Action Photography
Finally, while we encourage you to create your own poses from scratch for this contest, the pose sets by Don Albert can offer some great inspiration on how to use props in active situations!
Basic Composition tips:
January 2015 New User Contest
To fit the theme of "Action & Props," your render could depict anything from a melee to a barbecue, or from a pop concert to a masquerade ball. The key points are that it must include some sort of dynamic movement or activity, and that it must involve interaction between figures and props (tools, weapons, or any sort of objects being manipulated.
If you are a new user, or if you consider yourself a beginner at any of those topics, you are welcome to post your works in process (WIP) to this thread. I will be checking in on the WIP thread, as will the rest of the Community Volunteers, to provide feedback and try and help with anything you all may need so feel free to ask questions. Look in this thread (the WIP thread) for links to the previous month's contests, use the information links in those threads.
Once your image is finished, if you wish you may enter this month's New User Contest. The entry thread is here.
For a list of the current contest rules, please see this thread : Contest Rules.
To enter the contest, please post your completed image to the Entries Thread.
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For those veterans of the forums that would like to help, because this contest is designed for the beginner to learn from, we will be randomly selecting posts offering helpful tips and/or critiques to receive a special reward as well so whether you are a seasoned artist or an aspiring one, there is fun for everyone!
Closing Date: May 31, 2016
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Comments
I gotta ask... is DS dynamic cloth considered a prop, or is it a figure?
Here's my start.
I wouldn't worry too much about the technical definitions...for the purposes of this contest, you can think of "props" in the Hollywood or stage acting sense of the word. In some cases, a 3D figure can be used as a "prop" (think of a child playing with a doll, for example...as far as the art goes, it doesn't really matter whether the doll is a figure or prop).
For dynamic cloth, it might depend on whether it's being worn as clothing or used/manipulated in some other way. Or both.
I am getting a few ideas flowing already hopefully I will be able to post my ideas soon!!!
Hoping to find the time to participate this month!
My first thought is that it's rather similar to your entry for the April contest. Perhaps trying something completely different this time? If nothing else than to challenge yourself? But I'm also aware these WIP we post here sometimes can take on a life of their own and end up as something completely different than what we first made them as. So for a start, this is as good as any. Will be interesting to see where it goes.
Here are a couple of areas that probably need some attention.
Are you planning on adding more scenery/props? That's an awful lot of 'dead space', along the right and beneath the cloth. You could probably crop the image to remove it or you could add more items to fill the space.
The next is the lack of shadows. Which renderer are you using ? If it's Iray what light sources are you using? If 3Delight do you have at least 1 shadow casting light? One of the problems with no shadows...it makes it appear as if she is floating. Another, it takes away some of the drama...all that whispy cloth, flying around should have lots of interesting shadows.
Clash of Swords
Daz 4.9, Iray
Postwork in Photoshop
I'm confused as to what is moving the cloth and her hair. I'm assuming it's the wind rather than her motion because her stance appears that she is moving slowly.
There is an ambiguous direction to the wind: her hair is partially blowing in front of her, partially down, and partially blowing up and out on both sides. This implies multiple directions.
Secondly, it appears there is strong wind blowing the cloth behind her, and yet the cloth hanging from her body is nearly motionless.
If you want the motion to come from movement like spinning, then remember that hair and cloth will be moving in the opposite direction of her motion. If she is spinning to the right then the hair would be spinning to the left.
I agree with mjc1016 in that there is lack of shadows and directional lighting. If the focus is on the moving cloth, you can get away with an open background, but perhaps you can bring in the aspect ratio and not make the picture so wide.
I think that lighting and a reflective floor would enhance the simplicity of the scene, and the reflection would add a dimension. May I suggest Aslan Court? If the woman is spinning, the circular environment would match that nicely. Also Queen's Ballroom for Aslan Court adds dramatic light on the floor coming from the ceiling.
Hey, TobascoJack!
I like the situation where she is being pushed into the corner, but not being pressed down by the blow. I have say, who's on the other end of that sword? Are you gonna tell me?!
The light is obviously coming from the magic swords and the sparks. Since I don't see any torches to light the hallway, perhaps you can reduce the lighting and bring in some dramatic shadows. This will enhance the magic blade clash and make it more striking.
I also suggest some of that light shining on the wall, which will show up when you turn the other lights down.
I here you Ice Dragon. I'm pulling 10 hour days to get a project done, and by the evening my brain has turned to soup and leaked out my ears. I even have a cool idea... not sure if it's gonna happen though.
I know :). Here I'm going to start and see where we end. Thanks for the advice.
Nice start that you have here.
Here's version b. don't mind the odd typing, I should be trying to get some rest becouse of work tomarrow.
No.
May I say she looks rather a little too happy about fighting this mystery person (A little disturbing to me)
butttt all in all a great start!!!!
Fized the head pose, tweaked color on the phantom sword, re-did the sparks in postwork.
Used canvases on this - one lightgroup canvas for every light source as written up by @Esemwy. Additional LPE canvases for light paths that involve the phantom sword and another for the warrior's sword. The canvases all get brought into Photoshop and I can tweak exposure, hue, and saturation on each one. This let me change the tint on the phantom sword and all of it's reflective light without changing any other lighting.
Wow! @TabascoJack That actually made a huge difference! I'm liking it so far.
Shinji - I like the addition of the alien girl. Some shadows on the floor might make it look like they are floating less. Is this 3Delight?
You may want to look closely at the angle/rotation of the sword around the corner...it may be reflecting a little to much of nothing (what seems to be there). Just tilting a little more toward the camera should have it reflecting the floor a bit more.
Guess I gotta learn to live with disappointment.
As to your two new renders: I like the lighting change - the reduced lighting and the warm lighting canvas looks very nice.
Unfortunately I don't care for the head position - I liked the first one better. She is struggling against a foe who has a higher position, so having her chin down (but not too much) implies she is not only exerting strength but force of will and defiance. Also in the first picture, you turned her head ever so slightly towards us, whereas in the second one her face is partially hidden by the side piece of her helmet.
Forgot to tell you last time, but her sword arm is hyper extended - if she is blocking a blow with any force it will injure her elbow. Bend her elbow, and make up for the reduced space by leaning her forward a little.
There is so much warmth in the lighting, try adding a little cool. She is bathed by the warm light of her magic sword - how about adding a little green light behind the wall with a linear point light. The effect could give a spooky ambiance to your green sword opponent.
How about this idea: Cast a shadow of the opponent on the wall - this keeps the mystery while adding an ominous presence.
Jack, that is a great render and I like the changes you have made so far. There are some really good points in what Dracorn mentioned. Question at hand is what will your story be? Is she going to be defeated? Make her more defensive: bent the forarem with the sword so the agressors blade is only short distance from her face, make her lean back further so she is about to loose balance.
Action shots in general are much about loosing balance, falling out of the frame, movement packed into one shot (remember the motion blurr as a technique). You have tried some of that with the tilted camera, which is a nice tool as well.
If she on the other hand will gain the upper hand again, let us see something (but not her opponent) she pulls to tun the fate next moment.
I see what you intended with showing only the blade of her opponent, but I admit that I'm not to fond about seeing nothing but the sword I would enjoy more if there was like half the atacker seen rushing towards her.
Hope that helps
Hi Lucas, I like what you made with the blowing sheets and the depth of field is a nice touch. There are some things I'd like to point out for you to plan ahead:
Most importantly I have the feeling she is not attached to her environment (shadows? why is she there, why is the cloth blowing) She herseld doen't seem to be in much movement. You can also thing of movin the lady offcenter to give the foating cloth more room to develop it's owns "character". Generally "empty space" is a nice tool to oppose action and this pronounce it, but the action needs to be there else it get boring fast..
Just my thoughts.
Continuing from last month with the same character...she's on a mission.
In keeping with this month's theme...interaction with props, I was thinking I would like to add some motion blur, but I have to research how to do that. She takes a swing with the pole axe, and whacks the demon upside the head.
@dHandle There is a tutorial on Motion Blue in Issue 3 of DS Creative Magazine on Page 50.
Thanks Kismet,
Yeah, I understand the basics. I've used it before. I want to extend beyond that to multiple keyframes.
Posing seems to be the hardest part. I tried to move the angel, closer, and execute a simple pivot to swing the axe. Apparently, I moved her too far, because she's totally blurred out. I tried adding a couple keyframes to have the final position weighted more than the blurred out section.
Apparently I need more than 2-3.
Call this a fail.
version c up
It's the failures we learn the most from
This looks really good! You might want to have them firing their weapons, to get the "action" part of this month's theme in.
This is an early attempt. I know the background and lighting are raw. I literally just loaded them and rendered. I also realize the figures are not touching the ground properly.
What I would like feedback on at this point is the posing. I'm trying to convey a single person throwing a javelin through a series of images. I created (from left to right) the first, second, and last poses from scratch based on several photos and sketches of javelin throwers. The hand holding the javelin is posed based on an image of a hand holding a javelin. The other two body poses were created using puppeteer (which I am really loving at this point!).
Additionally, to convey motion, I would really like to be able to focus on certain muscle groups straining. I don't know how to do this in Daz, however. Is it even possible? If it is, I would appreciate it if someone could point me to a thread or tutorial.
I am also trying to decide on the best camera angle for this sequence. What I have is very functional, but rather boring. I thought about more of a focused head-on shot, with the earlier motions out of focus in the background. I was also considering an angled shot from above with the first figure being in the upper left and the last figure in the lower right. Initial thoughts?
Finally, I was also seeking feedback about props. Is the javelin enough? I am thinking about turning these guys into hoplites. Then I would be adding helmet (helms of history) and shield. I don't want to miss the boat on the prop requirement.
Thanks!