Portrait. (c) Michael J. Barnes.
I finally got it. For some reason, the effect I was searching for, to make this character bust look like a photograph of an “actual-looking,” “realistic” male heroic character, eluded me for way too long. But I think I finally got it. This character, which I have created for a sci-fi fantasy I am working up, was created in ZBrush, with final production completed in Photoshop.
I hope you like it. Let me know what you think.
Very Final Head Render Test. (c) 2013 Michael J. Barnes.
It has been a long row to hoe in my quest to create a realistic looking character. However, because I have been striving to achieve this goal I centered much of my attention to learning what I needed. The previous test was good, but I still wasn’t quite right (the fact is I could go back and tweak this more and more, but this is just a test). This really is my final render test on this character’s head… I really want to finish this model. As before, this was created and rendered in ZBrush, with very little post production (and I mean very little) completed in Photoshop. Just a quick levels adjustment, a rim light layer and a cavity layer. Most adjustments were done in ZBrush to the materials and lighting prior to rendering, and addition of some BPR Filters (ZBrush users will know what I’m talking about). For the rest, I hope you like this. As always, any feedback would be appreciated.
Final Head Render Test. (c) 2013 Michael J. Barnes.
Okay, I jumped the gun. In my haste to produce a new illustration, I thought my previous test resulted in a realistic image. I was incorrect in that assessment. This image is my final render test. For this image, I modified the skin material just a bit, and completely re-worked the eyes. In the previous tests, I noted that the eyes were just too “flat.” Since the eyes make the picture, I really needed to re-do them. I can always use the feedback.
Final Head Render Test. (c) 2013 Michael J. Barnes.
I think I finally found the right “mix” to achieve a photo-realistic look (or about as close as one as possible). The thing is, I now realize that I was over-thinking the process. As it turned out, I didn’t need to do as much composite work in Photoshop. What I did need to do was alter some of settings in the skin material before I rendered the image in Zbrush. It’s a whole lot of technical stuff involved, of which I really don’t understand.
So the phrase, “Less is more,” really applied to this image. Any rate, this is my final render test. It’s time for me to move on to the next phase of this project. As it stands, I’m very pleased with this result. Let me know what you think.
Latest render test in an attempt to get a more “photoreaistic” finish. (c) 2013 Michael J. Barnes.
In my efforts to achieve a “photorealistic” look to my rendered characters, I found myself doing more and more research into the matter. ZBrush — the 3D modeling program that I use to create my characters — has some great tools to help me with this quest. I have recently learned how powerful the program’s Matcap and Lightcap systems are, and I have a better understanding about how they work. This image is my latest effort, and I think I am getting closer to capturing my realism goal. I noticed a couple of minor things that I will need to correct — the most glaring is the shadow where the nose and cheek meet. However, I am pleased with the overall look of this test render (so much better than my previous attempt).
Flightbay WIP. (c) 2013 Michael J. Barnes (click to view full-size image).
I am currently in the process of creating a new illustration, and decided that the background will be a starship flight bay. This is still a work-in-progress as I need to add a few elements to give this matte painting a little bit more life. However, I was very pleased with how this turned out that I wanted to share.
I originally created this in Google SketchUp, rendered it in Bryce, and did a final composite in Photoshop.
SketchUp model of the flight bay. (c) 2013 Michael J. Barnes. (click to view enlargement)
Rendered model of the flight bay. (c) 2013 Michael J. Barnes. (click to view enlargement)