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General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: FrankB on February 22, 2010, 08:46:47 AM

Title: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 22, 2010, 08:46:47 AM
trying to get the sky and lighting right on overcast skies...

Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Henry Blewer on February 22, 2010, 10:20:21 AM
I have been trying to do this for a long time. I like cloudy days. If I get the sky right, the land is too dark. Well, that was my complaint for the day, thank you for reading...
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Kadri on February 22, 2010, 11:33:11 AM
Looks good to me , Frank .
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Tangled-Universe on February 22, 2010, 11:44:49 AM
Looks nice! I really like the lighting and everything else look fine too besides some very little things. But I think you achieved your main goal very well!

Cheers,
Martin
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: RArcher on February 22, 2010, 01:48:12 PM
Great Frank, very smooth.
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 22, 2010, 02:48:59 PM
thanks guys

the next is a thicker cloud, darker variant.... logically the light cast from the sky is a bit less.

Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Tangled-Universe on February 22, 2010, 03:23:57 PM
The sky is so awesome! :D
Maybe you could balance it more by decreasing the GI in the atmo and then increasing exposure?
This way you should be able to get a similar exposed sky but more exposed ground in post.

Cheers,
Martin
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Gannaingh on February 22, 2010, 04:07:49 PM
I LOVE the clouds in the second one!
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 22, 2010, 04:47:20 PM
Thanks guys. Funny, I didn't expect any replies to this really. I mean, realistic overcast skies are not exactly an enticing outlook ;)
Anyway, here is a third variant... and that's it for now :)

... well one more maybe :)

Cheers,
Frank
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: nikita on February 22, 2010, 05:10:03 PM
I guess because it's a challenge in terms of lighting?

I haven't really tried yet, but diffuse lighting through clouds seems to be pretty difficult and I haven't seen such a scene so far.
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 22, 2010, 05:12:14 PM
Quote from: nikita on February 22, 2010, 05:10:03 PM
I guess because it's a challenge in terms of lighting

that, plus how do you get enough light on foliage, so that it looks decently realistic? It can easily be overdone, too.
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 22, 2010, 06:13:39 PM
ok, last one, in a more artistic fashion, darker, more sinister weather brewing...

Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: dandelO on February 22, 2010, 06:50:44 PM
All lovely, Frank, I like the second one best. Couple that with the lighting on surfaces in the third one and you have a real winner! Not an easy balancing act, ha! :)

Very nice!
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Henry Blewer on February 22, 2010, 07:31:44 PM
I like the last render best. It has great drama from the clouds.
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: CCC on February 22, 2010, 10:08:07 PM
Ditto on the second variant.
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Dune on February 23, 2010, 02:24:11 AM
Ladies and Gentlemen.... my vote goes out to...... variant 2!

Stunning cloud, Frank.
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 23, 2010, 05:20:15 AM
Here's the last one, it's essentially the same as the previous, but with a higher cloud coverage.

I've packed them together as a shiny new "Overcast Skies Pack" at NWDA

http://www.nwdanet.com/buy-packs/7-preset-packs/53-overcast-skies-pack.html

Cheers,
Frank
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 23, 2010, 05:22:19 AM
Thanks for your comments and voting :)

However, despite what's the most appealing scene as such, all 4 skies can be the right choice - just depending on what you are trying to do, or which lighting and weather conditions you are trying to simulate. So these 4 give you a little choice :)

Cheers,
Frank
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Tangled-Universe on February 23, 2010, 07:27:09 AM
The last one looks nearly exactly what I had in mind when we're talking on IM, fantastic work!
This will make a very nice pack :) I have great plans with it already :)

I see a technical error though. In the upper left there's a bucket which is way noisier than the rest. It's not the top-left bucket, but the one next to it.
Perhaps something to look for and see if you can reproduce it, if you see what I mean?
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 23, 2010, 08:06:22 AM
made another more spooky one.

Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: Tangled-Universe on February 23, 2010, 08:13:17 AM
Perhaps a bit too much, but certainly very cool :)
Is this one included in the pack as well?
Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: FrankB on February 23, 2010, 08:17:33 AM
yeah, it's fantasy style.

But no, it's not included. It actually doesn't have much to do with the other overcast presets. Completely different theme here.
To reproduce it you would just take the last preset, increase coverage, add a lightsource behind the camera, and switch off "do rt shadows" in the render node.

Cheers,
Frank

Title: Re: overcast skies
Post by: MacGyver on March 01, 2010, 01:38:58 PM
I think the last one would look great (and perhaps more realistic) without the background light on, still pretty stormy/spooky :)