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General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: masonspappy on January 23, 2017, 04:33:56 AM

Title: Pastoral - V2
Post by: masonspappy on January 23, 2017, 04:33:56 AM
Finished this last year but not happy with the way the original looked, so this is Version 2.
- Brick church in the background replaces a wooden barn,
- Carriage now has a leather top.
- Foreground cottage has new stonework with (hopefully) better displacements.
Not sure about the clouds yet.  Tried a couple versions of 'easy' clouds but I think I'm looking for something that is light, wispy, airy.
C&C welcome as always.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: masonspappy on January 23, 2017, 04:36:17 AM
And just like that....the wife says she doesn't like the curtains and I have no sense of interior decorating.  ::)
(sigh)
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: archonforest on January 23, 2017, 04:39:43 AM
Looks pretty cool. The front building looks a bit narrow no?
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: DocCharly65 on January 23, 2017, 04:56:47 AM
I like this idyllic view.

The curtains seem really a bit strange - but I think your wife will know what has to be put there - just go shopping with her  ;)
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: luvsmuzik on January 23, 2017, 03:32:32 PM
I like this image, but either your focus is off or vertical scale is. Roof pitch just a tad steep, isn't it? I know many have that pitch, but even the outbuilding looks off to me.

Okay guys, the curtains are the stone wall and sky, I do not see curtains yet. Your texturing is great! Envious of the casual path connections, working on that myself.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: masonspappy on January 25, 2017, 11:40:10 PM
Thanks all for the C&C.
Curtains hopefully look more like, well, curtains.
Rectory dimensions are a bit more proportional. Still need to change a few details on the roof, but the main roof shingles are true 3D, not bump-mapped.
Added cowling to carriage.
Moved the church closer to better display the detail and added some tree shadows to give better suggestion of depth.
Thanks all! Let me know if you see other stuff.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: bobbystahr on January 26, 2017, 01:10:31 AM
Nice, house is much better and the church benefits from the move, but there's a slightly floating tree in front of it.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: Hannes on January 26, 2017, 02:36:56 AM
Very nice and idyllic. A little overexposed to my taste?!
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: Dune on January 26, 2017, 03:19:48 AM
Very nice indeed, but the lighting needs some more drama. In photography it's almost a sin to have the sun in your back, so especially with this church in sight ( :P) I'd move the sun to one of the sides, and perhaps throw in some heavy cloud for background shadows and drama.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: luvsmuzik on January 26, 2017, 09:47:35 AM
Yes, this is much better. I will apologize for calling the church an outbuilding now. In the first image, with that camera angle....I saw the horse nearby, and I thought....is that a church or a fancy barn?

This image is much improved. I like the curtains too! Very fitting for the era. Sad all we see here nowdays is mostly blinds instead.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: masonspappy on January 27, 2017, 01:02:14 AM
Thanks Luvsmuzik and Dune.
I didn't put the cross atop the church in the first images, so that cue to the building's purpose was missing. And actually, the building in the original picture was an old wooden barn. 
@Dune, moving the sun direction made a huge difference - thanks.  There are more clouds now, but not a great deal more so, as I wanted to keep the image within the context of a calm summer morning.
Thanks again everyone!
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: Dune on January 27, 2017, 02:31:43 AM
That is much better indeed. Is the ground very barren there? Perhaps growing more grass where the grass is quite patchy would make it less 'busy' and more pastoral....
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: DocCharly65 on January 27, 2017, 02:55:53 AM
Really much better now :)

One thing I am not sure about your intentions:
The overall sharpness makes the picture look a bit artificial and noisy.
I think the whole scene could need some DoF (very slight and carefully set up)


Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: masonspappy on January 27, 2017, 07:56:14 AM
@Dune: the spareness is intentional.  It's a rural setting circa mid-to-late 1800's and lawn care at that time wasn't what it is today (except for well-to-do folks).  Although the land around the church should have more of a manicured look - I need to work on that.

@Doc Charley. I'll play with the DOF - haven't done much with that and it would be interesting to see how that works out.


Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: luvsmuzik on January 27, 2017, 08:59:01 AM
Much better! I think you are correct about the "lawn" treatments. Not too many chemicals used back in that day. Maybe vary the color just a tad on the grass so it isn't exactly the same as the trees. I prefer the yellow greenish lawn as in first image, but now there is more shade so.... :D
Big like on lighting now.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: ADE on January 27, 2017, 10:56:16 AM
something wrong here

scaling of the roof slates/tiles as opposed to door scale as opposed to stone scale...

fix those.......the bricked building is scaled correctly as far as I can see

the cart is a child's toy?....

think this will look good if these were fixed



Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: masonspappy on January 29, 2017, 01:50:45 PM
Other folks had also questioned the rectory scale, so I went back to the original model with a carpenters eye (I worked on a house construction crew in my misspent youth) and realized there was no room for ceiling joists and the rectory was still too narrow.  I think the proportions now are more in keeping with the real thing.  Other thing was that the wood shake roof was too flatish, so hopefully what I've got now is more typical of an aging wood shake roof in need of some repair. 
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: Kadri on January 29, 2017, 01:51:57 PM

Looks good.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: DocCharly65 on January 29, 2017, 02:36:56 PM
Much better!
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: Dune on January 30, 2017, 01:58:53 AM
I would mix in some other grass (but , as you said, keep the sparsity), as there's a slight repetition. And perhaps a little more GI to light up the dark areas. Otherwise very nice.
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: mhaze on January 30, 2017, 03:56:21 AM
Much better with the new lighting. I find the ground very noisy, perhaps, as Dune suggested, more grass?
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: luvsmuzik on January 30, 2017, 05:58:45 PM
 Great job! But I miss the horse.  ;D
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: masonspappy on January 30, 2017, 06:52:39 PM
Quote from: luvsmuzik on January 30, 2017, 05:58:45 PM
Great job! But I miss the horse.  ;D

He's in the 3rd race at Belmont today..... ;D
Title: Re: Pastoral - V2
Post by: bobbystahr on January 30, 2017, 09:34:12 PM
Quote from: masonspappy on January 30, 2017, 06:52:39 PM
Quote from: luvsmuzik on January 30, 2017, 05:58:45 PM
Great job! But I miss the horse.  ;D

He's in the 3rd race at Belmont today..... ;D

hee hee hee, good un...Love the new shakes, rectory rocks, and I agree a different grass type would help, something weedy...maybe a bloom less dandilion, or a booming one.