Rendering and rendering

Since my last post ive been working away on my rendering skills. Ok, im trying to Animate better not Render better however I'm learning a lot and having fun, so sue me.
Please open up the images in separate tabs to flick through them, the differences are subtle and yet they are there and they are important to the final render.

The image below is an update on the concept from the last post. I showed the concept in my last post to TheDaz* and he said "you've for the principles but you've gone a bit batshit with them".
So below is an update, a more conservative, balanced take.
I've focused on using atmospheric perspective to create depth, strong highlights to define form and mood and colour temperature to create believable colour. As TheDaz* says, I think I've got the principles. Now I need to practice with them so I can develop finesse and convincing subtlety.




Below is my first render from of the scene based on the concept above.
Initially I started trying to texture everything but it was taking so long and it wasn’t going in the direction I wanted it to based on the concept above.
So I turned to vertex painting and hardware rendering, I will compile and treat the image in post with added noise, bloom and a shadow pass. This way is a LOT faster, easier to tweak and frankly, more fun.

In a paint program I’ve added a slight noise. I’ve also duplicated the image, blurred it, laid over the top and set it to lighten mode to give it a softer atmosphere.

I’ve still got to do an ambient occlusion pass so that the stairs have proper shadows which I will place over the top in multiply mode, again, in post.
Then I’ve got to change the character textures so that they complement the mood and lighting of the scene, create a light rig for them and render separately with an alpha channel.
I will also create an ambient occlusion pass for the characters so that they have convincing self shadowing.




I showed the render above to TheDaz* and he came back with the image below. He's implemented colour temperature more effectively around the main wall light. He's also added more atmospheric perspective and a bounce light that fills in the area around the stairs, column and opposite wall slightly.




Hopefully by next post I will have a new playblast of the animation in the lit environment with characters also lit. I may even have the colour pass of the render ready.


*What are you looking here for? TheDaz* always has a star next to his name. At my company he's like TheStig of art and his time and advice is very much appreciated.