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General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: Kevin F on November 05, 2011, 01:57:04 PM

Title: Swan lake
Post by: Kevin F on November 05, 2011, 01:57:04 PM
Not posted much for a long time, but this one seems worthy.

Comments and criticisms welcome.

Thanks go to:
Dune for the reeds
TerrAde for the swans
M Gebhart for the American Elm
Drew Costigan for the water lilies.
Xfrog for pines.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Jo Kariboo on November 05, 2011, 02:11:31 PM
Excellent! I very like this one.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Seth on November 05, 2011, 02:14:31 PM
very natural
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Jonathan on November 05, 2011, 03:01:27 PM
A beautiful render Kevin - really looks fabulous. J
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Kadri on November 05, 2011, 07:30:55 PM
Quote from: Kevin F on November 05, 2011, 01:57:04 PM
... this one seems worthy.
...

Absolutely! Very nice render, Kevin  :)
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Luc on November 06, 2011, 03:44:30 AM
Very nice light and composition

luc
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Dune on November 06, 2011, 04:47:49 AM
I agree; it's a great render. Very subtle and photographic. The light line of reflection in front of the trees is working great.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Gooner on November 06, 2011, 05:17:58 AM
Superb. Such a peaceful image. I like the way you have added so much detail , even as far as the mountains in the distance.  ;)
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: ra on November 06, 2011, 09:43:47 AM
Very realistic, the only thing that is a bit sad about the result are the little fake stones in the front, the structure seems a bit strange to me.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Kevin F on November 06, 2011, 12:29:40 PM
Thanks for all the positive comments folks. I might continue this with maybe a ripple or two on the water as if fish are jumping for flies, and the water behind the swans should have a small wake, but I'm not sure how to make one!
@ ra: I don't agree! The small stones are ok it's the bigger ones that are strange.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: otakar on November 06, 2011, 12:41:19 PM
Superb render. Vegetation is worked in there very naturally. Maybe you could revisit the water lily color (bit more variation?) and work in  a few dead/dry reeds to break up the green color. How about some more water birds? Ducks perhaps?

One of those renders that would make a great desktop wallpaper.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: ra on November 06, 2011, 01:55:37 PM
Quote from: Kevin F on November 06, 2011, 12:29:40 PM
...
@ ra: I don't agree! The small stones are ok it's the bigger ones that are strange.

Yea, that's what I meant :)
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Dune on November 07, 2011, 02:50:12 AM
Quotethe water behind the swans should have a small wake, but I'm not sure how to make one!
It may be a lot of work for a small wake, but if you project an image map of a circle (white, soft, circle on black small square) right behind the swan (from it's arse, so to speak at water level), very small angle of course, blended by a distance shader to refrain it from going into infinity, you could use that to push the water down there (displacement shader). If you use the same white narrow triangle to give the water some foam, you can speed the swan up considerably  :D
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Tangled-Universe on November 07, 2011, 03:17:51 AM
I could make a wake for you in Realflow, using realwave, if you'd like.
I would only need the Swan object for it.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Kevin F on November 07, 2011, 04:12:14 AM
Quote from: Dune on November 07, 2011, 02:50:12 AM
QuoteIf you use the same white narrow triangle to give the water some foam, you can speed the swan up considerably  :D

best laugh of the day so far ..thanks!
might give your method a go.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Kevin F on November 07, 2011, 04:13:30 AM
Quote from: Tangled-Universe on November 07, 2011, 03:17:51 AM
I could make a wake for you in Realflow, using realwave, if you'd like.
I would only need the Swan object for it.

Thanks TU that would be much appreciated. The swan is available at terragen.org.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Kevin F on November 08, 2011, 03:48:04 AM
Quote from: Dune on November 07, 2011, 02:50:12 AM
... if you project an image map of a circle (white, soft, circle on black small square) right behind the swan ...

how exactly? via a surface layer or what?
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Dune on November 08, 2011, 03:55:09 AM
image map shader+camera, blended by distance shader, same camera
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: jamfull on November 08, 2011, 07:52:43 PM
Looks great! Where are the tall foreground grasses from?

James
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: TheBadger on November 09, 2011, 02:27:05 AM
Really nice work!

Quote from: jamfull on November 08, 2011, 07:52:43 PM
Looks great! Where are the tall foreground grasses from?

I would like to know also
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Kevin F on November 09, 2011, 03:15:16 AM
Quote from: jamfull on November 08, 2011, 07:52:43 PM
Looks great! Where are the tall foreground grasses from?

James
Thanks, the foreground "grasses" are actually reeds. They were a gift from Ulco (Dune) a while ago. Don't think they are available anywhere else or if he intends to put them up at NWDA? ;)
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Dune on November 09, 2011, 03:30:13 AM
Might be an idea...
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: mhaze on November 09, 2011, 03:46:46 AM
Please put them up Dune, good waterside plants are hard to find.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: TheBadger on November 09, 2011, 10:49:52 PM
Quote from: mhaze on November 09, 2011, 03:46:46 AM
Please put them up Dune, good waterside plants are hard to find.

True that
Title: Re: Swan lake (Final)
Post by: Kevin F on November 14, 2011, 03:03:21 PM
Finally got round to a finished version of this picture. This is the one I'm happiest with after applying some of the changes mentioned. The stones are an improvement I think as well as the slight change to the reed beds.
Same credits as before with the addition of dragonflies, but from where I'm afraid I don't know. If they're yours let me know and thanks.
C&C welcome.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Henry Blewer on November 14, 2011, 08:09:41 PM
Very, very, beautiful scene. The only small problem I see (and have in many of my renders) is the darkness under the far shores' trees; a minor issue. The foreground is fantastic.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Dune on November 15, 2011, 03:16:56 AM
Is it finished, or are you going for even better? If the latter is the case, I'd suggest leaving out the fake stones (they distract, and are not really logical). Some small floating or submersed plant would do well. Give the bottom a brown murky color, with some displacement and perhaps one or two algae covered stones(sub or above surface). Also work the lake with a more patch like breeze, while the rest is (quite) very smooth. And third; separate the front swans just a bit, so they don't get glued together.
Really good job, so far!
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Kevin F on November 15, 2011, 04:02:07 AM
Well it was going to be finished! but maybe not.
the fake stones were how this scene got started so I would still leave them in unless I can create something very much better.
As for not logical.. well that's how a lot of lakes around here look. They have very stoney bottoms and are quite clear at the shore line.
The breeze patches on the lake at the moment give the far shore that nice light band and tweaking this always removes that effect.
I can't really separate the swans can I? they're so much in love! but I suppose I will.

Thanks for the comments Ulco. Constructive as ever.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: cyphyr on November 15, 2011, 04:38:45 AM
Hi Kevin
This is looking very sweet already, its looking much like the Somerset Levels, out by Wedmore, Shapwick Heath way.
Just my sip o' the ciders worth, but I'd loose the Mountains and aim for something more hill/escarpment like (ie the Mendip  escarpment) and replace the pines with a willow hazel mix and your there. Good work, keep going.
Cheers
Richard
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: Markal on November 16, 2011, 10:28:45 PM
Wonderful work. The low camera angle works very well. The focus is on the terrain and not on the atmo. Balance of terrain and atmo is a struggle in landsacpe images (3rds/triangulation)...this shows that the terrain can be the focal point and still balance the image. Nicely done!!
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: otakar on November 19, 2011, 01:53:24 AM
Yeah, very well chosen camera. Love the foreground reeds. I thought this was really close to perfect and then I read Dune's comments and I have to agree. Especially about the stones. If you want to keep some of them, you could probably keep a patch but make the lake bottom where the plants are muddy - at least that would make sense to me. I still like composition. Just a very pleasant render.
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: ajcgi on November 21, 2011, 09:50:01 AM
Been watching this. It's coming along nicely. Finally got a chance to say well done!
Title: Re: Swan lake
Post by: inkydigit on November 21, 2011, 03:49:22 PM
very nicely done, so far....I like this!