War Bride by Vexiphne

[ QUOTE ]
Bishonen huh? I think TA could be persuaded to get one of those. Put new meaning to Thor's Assassin vs. Assassin of Thor.


[/ QUOTE ]



No.There will be none of that!

[ QUOTE ]
Another digital render...

Linky



[/ QUOTE ]

Oh wow! That is great!

SOooo..... do you happen to have a fuzzy skin texture map? >.>

you mean like a cat skin ?

very cool!

[ QUOTE ]
you mean like a cat skin ?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, not a plain ol' skin... actual fur Volumetric and all that, so it doesn't look 'painted on'. Might have to be something you'd have to do manually in photoshop though.

I'm sure I'm frustrating DarkJedi with my furriness :P *giggles*

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
you mean like a cat skin ?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, not a plain ol' skin... actual fur Volumetric and all that, so it doesn't look 'painted on'. Might have to be something you'd have to do manually in photoshop though.

I'm sure I'm frustrating DarkJedi with my furriness :P *giggles*

[/ QUOTE ]

oh haha. no thats a limitation of poser. all the hair is transmapped, meaning its a flat plane, thats transparent, except for little 'strands' of hair. its 2d, actually..... if that makes any sense ?

If i had a newer version of cinema4d and some knowledge of the hair plugin, I could probably do it. I do know someone that may be able to though, http://fredy3d.deviantart.com , he does absolutely amazing work

I'm working out the issues of fur even now. Tried to send Rowr a PM about it (clean your PM kitty-box!).

No problem about limiting yourself to just female models if that's your preference. I'll agree that there's a TON more stuff available for the female figures.

In my case, I've received a number of requests for male heroes - some being very rough and tumble, manly types. To solve this issue, I've been forced to model my own gear, make my own textures, and photoshop the parts that look bad in the final render. I do my best to 'knock the Poser out of Poser'.

Hehe... you can always email me or IM me!!! On ICQ Dealie. Or come chat with me in IRC!

[ QUOTE ]
In my case, I've received a number of requests for male heroes - some being very rough and tumble, manly types. To solve this issue, I've been forced to model my own gear, make my own textures, and photoshop the parts that look bad in the final render. I do my best to 'knock the Poser out of Poser'.

[/ QUOTE ]

you do a fine job I'm not sure how you do it.. but you do it, and very well.

I've been practicing with modelling, but yeah.. for some reason its taking awhile to 'click'. i can mutilate an already created mesh pretty well.. but don't ask me to make something from scratch and make it usable in Poser !

[ QUOTE ]
Another digital render...

Linky



[/ QUOTE ]

That looks fantastic! Been meaning to talk to Vexi about a piece for some time.

Doug just dump poser please. You're drawings look like you have plenty of artistic ability. Just learn 3d.

There's a technique for doing fur in Lightwave that involves putting a procedural alpha channel over the surface of the mesh. Then you animate a morph target where the entire mesh expands. This animation is done very quickly over the space of one frame, and is set to repeat over and over. Due to the masking from the alpha channel, the resulting deformation looks like fur (it does involve setting the rendered mesh to a very high resolution). You add motion blur to soften the look and make it more fur-like and less spikey. There are most likely similar approaches in Maya and other 3d apps.

[ QUOTE ]
Doug just dump poser please. You're drawings look like you have plenty of artistic ability. Just learn 3d..."

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm often asked why I stick with Poser. The answer is simple; I'm an end-user.

I use Maya extensively and have dabbled in both Lightwave and Studio Max. While they're incredibly powerful, there is no convenient and affordable source of models. Hundreds of thousands of models. High-quality plug-and-play models. For $5 or less.

Poser has such an incredibly vast support base and new items come out daily. They're most often priced below ten bucks and always work. As an end-user, I'm not interested in showing off my l33t modelling skilz and spending 6 months to model and rig a single figure. I'd rather take existing figures, pose and render, then pretty them up in photoshop.

The result is that I can get a good piece done in a couple of evenings. Not months.

It's been my contention that Poser is little more than any other artist's tool, and that (when used properly) can create great images. After all, if you see a great drawing, you congratulate the artist... if you see a poor drawing, you credit the artist... not the pencil.

Poser is just a pencil in digital form - the artist makes the image. If the image is poor, don't blame the software.

That looks really good! I especially like the background sky and how soft/smooth the edges of everything looks. Nothing is jaggedy. Very vibrant colors too. Good work!

[ QUOTE ]
Poser is just a pencil in digital form - the artist makes the image..

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya know, as much as I LOVE how amazing digital Poser art looks, I just can't agree with that statement right there. I would actually attribute Poser more to photography rather than to pencilwork. Because with Poser, like you said, everything already exists for you to manipulate after the fact with lighting, textures, and different painting effects. And in photography you 'capture' what's already in existence and you can manipulate the image with lighting and different color effects also. There's just no 'creation from scratch' like with 3D modeling and drawing.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Poser is just a pencil in digital form - the artist makes the image..

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya know, as much as I LOVE how amazing digital Poser art looks, I just can't agree with that statement right there. I would actually attribute Poser more to photography rather than to pencilwork..."

[/ QUOTE ]

I meant that as a metaphor.

Poser is just a tool, the camera is a tool, the pencil is a tool, the paints are a tool - but the ART comes from the artist.

I'm sorry to be a bonehead about this. I do like Darkjedi's art, as well as other people who use Poser. But I'm primarily a 3d modeler. I create complex digital sculptures out of squares and triangles. A mesh is art or maybe craft depending on your perspective, but it is certainly content. Not a tool. I'm not saying this to boast about l337 modeling skills; I'm saying it as someone who has worked very hard to get a grip on the process.

Poser gives you meshes to use in your artwork. Those meshes were created by other artists. I think Lush's comparison with photography is apt. Poser Art is a collaboration between the artist and the program in a similar way.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not interested in showing off my l33t modelling skilz and spending 6 months to model and rig a single figure.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it did take you that long, which it shouldn't, you'd only have to do it once. Poser saves you that initial effort, but then you're stuck with it's limitations and the stylistic accents it imposes. Of course, someone very accomplished in Photoshop like yourself can make corrections in post anyway, so I guess it's a moot point.

[ QUOTE ]

"...Poser gives you meshes to use in your artwork. Those meshes were created by other artists..."

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you've fallen into the same misconceptions about Poser that I encounter pretty much everywhere else; that all one needs to do is open the program, place a few figures, and render a piece without any effort. Unfortunately, that's where most Poser users stop... which is less than halfway. And that's why most Poser images are really quite bad.

If someone stops working on a piece at the point of the "Render" button, then I agree with you completely - Poser isn't capable of delivering final images without a LOT of work. 99.9% of the Poser art is just that; unfinished art. Where the artist steps in is in the post-work and clean-up stages.

However, I still maintain that it has it's place in 3D because, in the right hands, it can be made to do some really cool things. When you see a great Poser image, it's not because the program made the image and the user just sat back. No... making a great Poser image is the result of a lot of effort and artistry.

Keep in mind that I'm in the freelance art business, where time = money. If I can make a completely fresh image every few days, that directly effects my production. If I were to model every scene from scratch, it would no longer be cost-effective. So, in my particular case, it's more efficient to use Poser as a base image and then post-work the heck out of it until it's somthing reasonable.

Here's a good example of a horrible render and a piece after postwork. If this piece DIDN'T undergo 6 hours of post, it would have been horrible.

RAW RENDER
AFTER POSTWORK

As far as models being made by someone else...

I draw, but I don't manufacture my pencils.
I paint, but I don't mix my own pigments.
I take photos, but I don't create my own film.
I use Poser, but I didn't make the base figures.

*EDIT* - Oh, and Battlewraith... thanks for the great dialog. I love talking all things 3D.

dang, you re-did her whole face in Photoshop!!?

props!

I like seeing before and after material... Make me really appreciate what the artist can do.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bishonen huh? I think TA could be persuaded to get one of those. Put new meaning to Thor's Assassin vs. Assassin of Thor.


[/ QUOTE ]



No.There will be none of that!

[/ QUOTE ]

*must... resist.... urge.....*

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bishonen huh? I think TA could be persuaded to get one of those. Put new meaning to Thor's Assassin vs. Assassin of Thor.


[/ QUOTE ]



No.There will be none of that!

[/ QUOTE ]

*must... resist.... urge.....*

[/ QUOTE ]

Do it!

Mwah-ha-ha! You know you want to

If you want to see further what Darkjedi is referring to when he says "awful poser artwork", take a walk through the galleries at www.renderosity.com .. there are some major gems to be seen there... Not saying i'm the best but clearly, some of these people do images with their eyes closed :P

Poser is just taking models, posing them, slapping some clothes on, and calling it done for the majority of users. For me, I haven't done that since i first started messing with it on a daily basis a little over a year ago. Even if my picture is a simple girl on a black background, i spent quite a bit of time in the material room, or in photoshop messing with textures. More often than not i never use an item's default texture ><

Modelling and Posering are two COMPLETELY different things. Right now, i absolutely DESPISE modelling, but i am a masochist, and just about every day i add a few gray hairs to the head by trying to learn more of it. Simply because, I'm tired of spending so much dang money on poser stuff that isn't even what i really want out of an outfit. I have a habit of trying to do everything myself.. which is how i even learned photoshop and php/mysql and html, javascript etc.

So people who don't enjoy modelling, poser. And true true, what Darkjedi says.... If he had to model everything from scratch... take what he charges (if anything? dude let me know.. i've never commissioned before but i am totally weak for your skillz ! ) and square it! Cause unless you're an expert superfast modeller, its going to take a lot of time to create and rig something. especially for small details, a lot of buckles/folds.

Anyways, I've been looking through some of these threads and there's some great artwork here. I haven't checked this forum since the game first came out. Good job all

And I for one thoroughly recommend Vex. I can't thank this talented artist enough for the two pieces I have commissioned so far. So check out the gallery on deviantArt or the personal website at Vexiphne.net.

Dark Jedi,

[ QUOTE ]
I think you've fallen into the same misconceptions about Poser that I encounter pretty much everywhere else; that all one needs to do is open the program, place a few figures, and render a piece without any effort. Unfortunately, that's where most Poser users stop... which is less than halfway. And that's why most Poser images are really quite bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, the first digital art I did was in Poser. I used it to animate a scene from a Medieval Passion Play. I wasn't aware of any bias against the app until I started formal study of 3d animation and came into contact with people working in film, game development, etc.

Mayhem_Infinity,

[ QUOTE ]
Modelling and Posering are two COMPLETELY different things. Right now, i absolutely DESPISE modelling, but i am a masochist, and just about every day i add a few gray hairs to the head by trying to learn more of it. Simply because, I'm tired of spending so much dang money on poser stuff that isn't even what i really want out of an outfit. I have a habit of trying to do everything myself.. which is how i even learned photoshop and php/mysql and html, javascript etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Learning 3d modeling by yourself can be extremely grueling. Feel free to PM me any specific modeling questions you may have. If you're using Cinema 4d, I believe it will read Lightwave objects (.lwo). If so i could send you sample wip files with different stages of progress on different layers.

[ QUOTE ]
If someone stops working on a piece at the point of the "Render" button, then I agree with you completely - Poser isn't capable of delivering final images without a LOT of work. 99.9% of the Poser art is just that; unfinished art. Where the artist steps in is in the post-work and clean-up stages.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but if you use a program with more versatility in skinning, lighting, shading,and rendering, like Maya, you don't HAVE to do any post-work or clean-up. The problem with Poser is that it doesn't give you enough control, so people using it either end up with crap or images that need a ton of post-work. Doug, you know I love your work, but the good stuff mostly comes from your leet digital painting skills. I think of them more as digital paintings based on 3d sketches than 3d works. For me personally to consider something 3d art, the artist must build all the models from scratch and do zero post-production work. Call me overly pedantic, but to me that's an entirely different process than the "Poser-clean up in Photoshop" deal, and I sometimes wish the distinction were more clear.

You know I mean no disrespect here. I think that if you decided to do it the other way, you'd kick butt at it. But your current process sidetsteps two areas that I consider to be crucial challenges of 3d art: building the models and setting the lights and materials to create the perfect render.