Sijun Forums :: View topic - having problems with a pic, need suggestions

jamiem · Posted: Sun May 28, 2000 9:42 am

There was what I felt was a really neat pic in a national geographic a while back of a cavern with a lake in it. I was inspired by that pic to create this image of a castle built into a column. However this image isn't working for me as well as I had hoped. Anyone care to offer some suggestions as to what has gone wrong?

Oh, if you want to see the piece I was inspired from.... the national geographic was earlier this year, I think May? It had a shark on the cover....

I find this image rather flat. Do I need something in the foreground more? Or... hrm... ideas?

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Jamie McCarter
[email protected]
http://jamie.ice.org

[This message has been edited by jamiem (edited May 28, 2000).]

RiLe$ · Posted: Sun May 28, 2000 9:48 am

i personnally like it the wat it is but if u would really like to change something i would add a background behind the little tower and maybee some rocks or something that gives the picture a little depth in the foreground but overall i think the pictue looks cool

RiLe$ · Posted: Sun May 28, 2000 9:50 am

i personnally like it the wat it is but if u would really like to change something i would add a background behind the little tower and maybee some rocks or something that gives the picture a little depth in the foreground but overall i think the pictue looks cool

Affected · Posted: Sun May 28, 2000 9:52 am

Well, the first problem I see is that you have a very extreme backlight but that does not seem to affect the level of detail in, for instance the castle at all. With such a bright light behind it, the castle (Well, that's what it looks like to me) should be pretty dark and low on detail. Otherwise the painting looks very good to me, especially the water.

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Affected

Democracy is a lie

http://affected.xs.mw

fragamite · Posted: Sun May 28, 2000 3:20 pm

maybe you could make some areas completely black and focus more on the castle?

it's got great atmosphere allready

Foxfire · Posted: Sun May 28, 2000 6:47 pm

I aggree with Affected. IMO I would add some myst and noticable rays of light comming into the cavern around the collum with the castle on it. But hey it looks awesome

[This message has been edited by Foxfire (edited May 28, 2000).]

Incarnatation · Posted: Mon May 29, 2000 6:51 am

Hi i love that image, but your right there doesn't appear to be any depth or shadow in the picture. I hope you dont mind but i uploaded a slightly altered version, it was very quick just to give the idea. I think the problems were that the two coloums were too bright, and didnt appear to cast any shadow, so i did my best. The problem with this is, that it increases the realism but detracts from all the hard work and detail you put in, if u intend to alter ur image i suggest you try and find a balance

the image may load slowly my ftp is pants.

http://www.madskillz.co.uk/cavern.jpg

Binke · Posted: Mon May 29, 2000 7:18 am

you should use better jpg compression,, I can clearly see some odd pixels near the stairs & around the cave-hole "border". Other then that, pretty neat. hm maybe a wee bit too bright light as Affected pointed out..

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http://binke.gamesquad.net

Foxfire · Posted: Mon May 29, 2000 10:49 am

I saw the altered pick and dissaggree with it. sorry Incarnatation .There would be enough refracted light to show allot of detail the light sorce is strong. I messed around with it for a little while and came up with this. Any thoughts. Oh I think I souldn't have added the myst perhaps a little less light.

[This message has been edited by Foxfire (edited May 29, 2000).]

Affected · Posted: Mon May 29, 2000 11:03 pm

I don't think it's a question of how much light there is as much as much as that of how the eye reacts to such a bright light.

Incarnatation · Posted: Mon May 29, 2000 11:31 pm

np foxfire

I think a lot of the impact of this piece depends on the viewer's monitor settings.
Try playing about with your monitor and see if it makes any difference

jamiem · Posted: Tue May 30, 2000 5:23 pm

This picture definitely does depend greatly on monitor gamma. I didn't realize it before, but when I viewed it at work on the sgi monitor it looked much worse than when I view it at home. I didn't relize there were great big splotches of single colour out there in those dark regions. Hrm... Guess I'll have to play with my gamme here at home when doing this painting.

How do people normally set up their drawings to look good on different gammas?

As for the darkening of the castle, well, hrm... This entire image is actually 3D and I can move about in it freely. My idea was to start close in on the castle and pull back to reveal the whole cavern. Perhaps I'll keep it the same brightness on the castle when the camera is in close, and as I pull back I'll darken it as though the 'eye' were adjusting to the greater levels of light. Think that'd work?

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Jamie McCarter
[email protected]
http://jamie.ice.org