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3D Environment MasterClass | From CONCEPT to FINAL: Submission Review

pwnisher・2 minutes read

Winners of a parallel dimensions contest are being determined, with prizes awarded to the top entries and international participants receiving signed art prints. The host will review submissions, discuss the process behind the winning renders, and provide feedback on elements like lighting, texture, and composition.

Insights

Winners of the parallel dimensions contest are being determined, split into US and out-of-country pools, with prizes for top US winners and photography art prints for international participants.
The host, excited about their new studio, will review submissions, discuss the rendering process, and provide feedback on concept art to final render transition.
Skillshare sponsors the stream, offering creative classes, including film photography, 3D world creation, and painting environments using software like Blender.
Detailed rendering advice includes creating glowing effects with smoke layers, utilizing 32-bit mode, and incorporating 2D light effects for lava glow.
Feedback on contest submissions praises unique concepts, detailed environments, and lighting quality, with suggestions for improved clarity, composition, and texture.
The contest winners receive prizes like flash drives and SSDs, with the top winner awarded a Quadro RTX 4000, while international participants receive signed art prints.

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Recent questions

How are winners determined in the contest?
Winners are selected from entries, with top three receiving prizes.

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Summary

00:00

"Parallel Dimensions Contest Winners Determined in Stream"

Winners of the parallel dimensions contest are being determined in this stream, split into two pools for US and out-of-country participants.
Top five US winners will receive prizes, while out-of-country participants will receive photography art prints.
Top three winners will receive custom art prints signed by the host.
The host is in a new studio, still setting up, but excited about the new space.
The host will discuss the process from concept art to the final render, showing various versions created during the streams.
The final render includes elements like birds, a photo scan of the host, and added details like a stuffed animal on the backpack.
The host will review all submissions, provide feedback, and select the top five US winners and top three overall winners.
Skillshare is sponsoring the stream, offering an online learning community for creatives with a variety of classes.
Recommended Skillshare classes include film photography, painting environments, and 3D world creation using software like Blender or Cinema 4D.
The host will discuss the process of finishing the render, including color correction, adding smoke, and sharpening the image.

16:20

Creating Realistic Glowing Effects in VFX

To create an internal glowing effect within smoke, duplicate the smoke layer and use the extract effect to isolate the bright parts, then use it as an alpha matte for an orange card to simulate the glow.
Enhance the internal glow further by duplicating the process with a white card set to add mode, intensifying the glowing effect.
To mimic the red glow cast by lava, add 2D light effects using a red solid and an orange card, adjusting opacity and feathering to create a realistic glow.
Utilize the extract effect to isolate lava flow elements, blur them at varying levels, and layer them in front of the smoke and fog to enhance the glow effect.
Working in 32-bit mode is crucial for achieving the desired hot glow effect, as demonstrated by the stark difference in appearance when switching to 8-bit mode.
Film birds with an iPhone, convert the footage to black and white, and use it as a luma matte set to multiply to incorporate realistic birds into the scene.
Incorporate fog cards with gradient opacity settings to quickly and effectively create fog in the scene, enhancing depth and blending elements together.
Utilize octane scatter objects for trees and sticks, mega scans for stumps, and RD textures for ground textures, along with Dizzy Viper's puddle pack for mud and water reflections.
Create a lava map in Photoshop to overlay lightning effects on the mountain, revealing an emissive texture, and experiment with different HDRI images for varied looks.
Use a photo scan of a character, adjust polygon count, apply a glossy material for reflection, and utilize Mixamo for rigging and animation, resolving issues with weight painting for accurate movement.

34:10

Enhancing images with expert feedback and tools.

Eitan Zana, lead concept artist for Last of Us 2, advised on an image, suggesting moving huts in the foreground to enhance the mountain silhouette in the background.
Eitan's feedback led to pushing the huts further back, significantly improving the image.
A Discord server is available for rendering advice and ideas, with various channels for assistance and collaboration.
Tips for creating photorealistic images include studying nature, using references, color correction, and doubling edges.
Tools like Quixel Bridge and After Effects Beta with Rotobrush 2 are recommended for rendering.
Adjusting footage for a linear 32-bit workflow involves saving and rendering elements separately for seamless integration.
A charity stream on the Node channel was mentioned, following a review of submissions for a contest.
Detailed feedback was provided on several submissions, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.
Specific advice included enhancing visual clarity, adding detail, and improving lighting and color balance.
Despite varying levels of experience and time invested, all submissions were acknowledged for the effort and potential for growth.

53:06

"Imaginative Environments in Virtual Worlds"

The environment is well-built, symmetrical, with ivy growing up the sides of columns.
Animated fog cards scrolling past create a mountain-like atmosphere.
The character was changed out, and the legs were switched, showing good work.
A space man walking towards a bio dome in a cube setting with lush tree shaders and a waterfall.
The ship could be more detailed, resembling the work of Paul Chadhison.
Anamorphic lighting with glare and flaring from giant afterburners adds to the space world vibe.
The composition in Candy Town feels flat, lacking fog or a defined silhouette.
The mountain texture is low-res, but the lollipop shader is praised.
The lighting and visual setup in Candy Town are critiqued, with a focus on composition.
The desert area with giant drapes blowing in the wind, a pool, and plants is relaxing and well-done, reminiscent of Gerudo Valley in Breath of the Wild.

01:12:01

Art pieces praised for environment, lighting, characters.

The first piece of art praised for its environment, lighting, composition, atmosphere, and character, with a giant snake in the background.
The second art piece commended for its trees, character, mountain texture, sky, and atmosphere, with suggestions for improved lighting contrast and grass details.
Feedback on the third art piece includes positive remarks on the neon lighting, character, and orbiting sky, with suggestions for clearer silhouettes and more defined textures.
The fourth art piece reminiscent of Half-Life 1's alien world, praised for spinning lights and animated wires, with feedback on texture quality and ground plane contrast.
The fifth art piece lauded for its character, lighting, environment, and foreground, with criticism on the low-resolution mountain and lack of definition in the background.
The sixth art piece critiqued for its unclear lighting, abstract elements, and lack of visual grounding, with suggestions for referencing games for alien world aesthetics.
The seventh art piece praised for its Ghibli-style render, sky, clouds, fireflies, bamboo, and character design, earning a level up for its fresh style and composition.
The eighth art piece highly praised for its intricate detail, Lord of the Rings theme, atmosphere, smoke, explosions, and overall world-building, with a level up granted despite some difficulty in identifying the character.
The ninth art piece likened to Ghost of Tsushima, deemed deserving of a level up for its foggy atmosphere and overall appeal.

01:29:03

Artwork Review: Atmospheric, Realistic, and Filmic

The reviewer appreciates the character work and color correction in the artwork, making it feel filmic and real.
Fog was used to cover up a mountain in the artwork, which was effective.
The reviewer suggests adding more detail to the water or making it look like mud in the flooded area depicted in the artwork.
The reviewer praises the lighting, environment, and placement of trees, bushes, and grass in the artwork.
The reviewer mentions a tutorial series by a person named "Kromfel" or "Called Her More" for making environments like the one in the artwork.
The artwork reminds the reviewer of a scene from the original Dark Souls game, with a creepy atmosphere and a giant figure in the background.
The reviewer suggests slowing down the movement of a fire in the artwork to make it feel larger.
The reviewer appreciates the terrifying atmosphere created by a lighthouse in the artwork.
The reviewer provides feedback on an artwork with a frozen lake, suggesting tweaks in exposure, color correction, and plant variety.
The reviewer critiques an artwork with watch towers, suggesting adding more clarity and story elements in the foreground.

01:46:38

"Animating Characters with Detailed Scene Feedback"

Characters animated on twos, moving every other frame for a specific feel.
Grass in the scene needs adjustment, suggested to be smaller and with more contrast.
Reference to "House Moving Castle" for inspiration on rolling plains.
Sky reminiscent of "Spirited Away" scene on a train, praised for its look.
Appreciation for the giant air turbines and waterfall animation in Blender.
Encouragement to showcase the character more prominently.
Feedback on unclear structure surrounding the image and character.
Positive note on foreground elements like trees and sticks, but confusion on a cloudy patch.
Emphasis on using reference for better scene clarity and texture on architecture.
Suggestion to scale down the ground plane and use more reference for improvement.
Praise for a scene reminiscent of "Isle of Dogs" with fog and cave system.
Feedback on energy pillars placement and ground texture for better composition.
Suggestion for more visual definition in textures and a high-res version.
Appreciation for the cloak addition to the character and color choices.
Positive feedback on render quality and character design, with suggestions for improvement.
Praise for render quality and inverted pyramid design, with suggestions for composition adjustments.
Feedback on lighting, scale, and transition between sand and mountain for better visual impact.
Positive note on fog and atmosphere, with suggestions for centralizing the composition.
Praise for creativity and scale play, with admiration for the details on ants and character.
Feedback on lighting and composition for better visibility and impact.
Positive feedback on transformation concept and character design.
Feedback on missing ground plane and scale clarity, with praise for the transformation.
Feedback on dark lighting and mantis reveal timing, with suggestions for improvement.
Positive feedback on creepy atmosphere and scale perspective, with suggestions for more detail and atmosphere.
Feedback on lack of familiarity in an alien world setting, with suggestions for more natural elements.
Feedback on composition overload and lack of focal point, with suggestions for contrast and color usage.
Positive feedback on overall completion and details, with suggestions for more road and sky detail.
Praise for bird animation and mountain design, with suggestions for more shrub variation and sky contrast.

02:04:12

Artwork Critiques and Suggestions for Improvement

The first artwork discussed is praised for its uniformity and direction, guiding the viewer's eye towards the central mountain through light value and contrast.
Elements like torches, floating temples, and cherry blossom trees contribute to the symmetry and depth of the piece.
The suggestion for improvement involves adding fog or atmosphere to differentiate the temple from the mountain.
The second artwork, featuring Rayquaza from Pokemon, is critiqued for being overwhelming and lacking focus, with advice to find a clear reference for future work.
The third artwork, with a Japanese vibe, is commended for its colors and animated cherry blossoms, but the ground plane is noted to lack detail.
The fourth artwork, resembling a dark metal album cover, is praised for its fog, atmosphere, composition, lighting, and overall feeling.
The fifth artwork, with a parallel dimension concept, is lauded for its unique idea, floating leaves, particles, and detailed ground plane.
The sixth artwork, inspired by the movie Cars, impresses with its render quality, hidden details, and overall composition.
The seventh artwork, reminiscent of a Matrix moment, is praised for its swirling mountain, particles, and intense landscape.
The eighth artwork, with Star Wars vibes, is commended for its miniature look, sand crawlers, building, character, and lighting.
The ninth artwork, depicting a World War I scene, is praised for its composition, sky, and overall atmosphere, with suggestions for improving texture and lighting.
The tenth artwork, with a spellcasting theme, is praised for its mountain explosion simulation, reflection on the lake, and overall quality, with a note on improving the foreground detail.

02:21:40

Enhancing Visibility and Detail in Artwork

Suggests shrinking the shield to enhance visibility of the character Link, particularly his arms.
Commends the contrast and variation in the ground, especially with plants.
Advises breaking up the transition from grass to mountain for a more natural look.
Appreciates the detailed work on the buildings and the foggy mountain in the background.
Urges adding more visibility to the character in the cityscape scene, possibly through lighting.
Recommends enhancing the texture and detail in the street lights and street lamp.
Highlights the need for more clarity on the character in the Among Us-themed artwork.
Suggests improving the lighting and color choice in the war-torn environment piece.
Encourages adding atmosphere and tweaking lighting in the artwork with a road and floating cars.
Recommends focusing on building out the environment details rather than the ships in the snowy island scene.

02:40:22

Eerie album art with Salvador Dali vibe

The model discussed is reminiscent of creepy album art, with a Salvador Dali vibe.
The background is painted, adding to the overall eerie atmosphere.
The face on the mountain evokes feelings of being lost and confused.
The style is not a personal favorite but the artistic direction is acknowledged.
Suggestions for animation to enhance the static feel of the scene are provided.
The lighting is noted as creepy, with a suggestion for more atmosphere.
The image is deemed suitable for album art potential.
The image is static and lacks animation, hindering its potential.
The desert vibe is critiqued for lacking photorealistic elements.
The tie fighter inclusion is considered excessive for the scene's simplicity.

03:03:01

Render Contest Winners: Prizes and Recognition

The text discusses a contest where renders are being judged for prizes.
The contest involves selecting winners from a pool of entries, with the top three being chosen.
The prizes include flash drives, an SSD, an Nvidia Shield TV Pro, and a Quadro RTX 4000.
The winners are announced in reverse order, starting with fifth place.
The fifth-place winner is August, who receives a 256GB flash drive.
Fourth place goes to Danny, who also receives a 256GB flash drive.
Third place is awarded to Cole, who wins a 1TB SSD.
Second place is given to Mr. VFX Wizard, who receives an Nvidia Shield TV Pro.
First place is awarded to Mr. Space Man, who wins a Quadro RTX 4000.
International winners are also recognized and offered signed art prints of their choice.

03:32:33

Unique Render Praised for Detail and Style

The render is praised for its unique style and incredible detail work, standing out among realistic renders.
The artist is congratulated and promised a print of their work, with a request to contact via Discord.
The lighting in the render is highlighted as impeccable, with a softness and perfect color choice enhancing the scene.
Various elements like particles, snow, mist, and flags are commended for adding depth and storytelling to the environment.
The artist's skill in breaking up the character with shadow highlights and mid-ground lighting is appreciated.
The choice of orange color is lauded for adding warmth to the cold scene.
The presence of a snake in the background is noted as adding an extra eerie element to the render.
The artist's dedication to building out the environment and render quality is acknowledged.
Plans are shared to compile all contest renders into an audio-visual montage, set to music by Casey, for a big announcement next week.
The audience is thanked for their participation, with a promise to credit all contributors in the upcoming montage and a hint at a big announcement in the next stream.

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