Bronco… I think your original layout looked better. It showed the contrast between cultures better. The new layout seems to lead me into a different thought process, like “where is she going?” and away from the “Rebirth & Transformation”.
[I won’t be finishing my entry in time to pass the 3/15 deadline, I hope you don’t mind the critique just the same]
~Mike
Afternoon,
The modelling is fantastic, the whole thing is becoming fantastic, but I have to agree with Mike, the camera angle still isn’t there, everything looks a little too spread out… more impact! Grit man, grit! 
Maybe the camera is fine, but if you keep it here I would do something extra with the clouds for some extra drama (I like the storm on one side, but clear skys where the statue is pointing) maybe emphasise that a little more?
Ian
thanks for the comments.
i know that the whole image looks very different with the new camera angle. i think it gains dynamic, but mikes point is somewhat true. i guess there is some more work to do :argh:
in the meantime i was playing with color and clouds, just a little.
still not “there” yet, but i kinda like the surreal feeling.
(yeah, i know, the tree sucks - i don’t know why, but i have a weak spot for the cell. most likely it will be gone in the next render.)
Uwe, your image it´s getting better and better. But (if you let me be an intruder) i have the feeling that the girl on top has an agresive atitude (sort of) like the legs. There is no difference for me, both are two options of the same…
I think the girl could be sorrow, sad for the destruction that her alter ego has caused :rolleyes:
I took the liberty to draw over your render what i´m trying to say with my poor english, sorry 
Hope can be for some service…
Felixcat
hi felix,
you have a very good point there and your idea and sketch are very good, but i have the feeling that the girl shouldn’t be sorry.
she is a representation of mother earth, or life.
but again, thanks for your comment, that finally pushed me to start the rigging of her.
well, i can see why motionbuilder and fbx are so much of a buzz these days. 
this is my first character rig and it’s still pretty rough. thank god this is just for a still and no animation.
ok, here is a little update with the girl in a more fitting pose. i have played again with the camera,but haven’t updated the background for the new angle. it is NOT fitting and i know it
edit: i forgot to add that she will probably hold something in her hands (or levitating a little above - a little magic doesn’t hurt, hu?), something like a symbol for life, a seed or plant or whatever. i am not sure right now.
I really like what you’r doing with this Uwe. I was looking at your original sketch and I like that view more. Maybe it just stuck in my head. Have you try lowering the camera to make the statue more imposing?
Hello Uwe, I agree that you are creating a nice piece of work here. I also like the sketch portion where it looks like the girl is glowing more than the rest of the items in the scene. It gives it an almost magical flavor. Were you thinking of having a ray shine on her (though a bit cliche, it still works) to give her a glow? You’ve followed your original sketch very nicely. My finished pieces are usually so far afield from my original sketch its a bit embarrassing. Great job.
Troy
Uwe
Looks really good! My only critique would be the rocks. Either the bump is too high or to dense. Looks very sharp and grainy. I know it’s not going to be animated but it looks like the textures on those rocks would really start dancing if it was.
Really like the layout and great modeling!
hi all,
sorry for not posting any replys for some time, but i am currently very busy. i have two deadlines, both, well… tomorrow! 
that’s also the reason i haven’t posted any more testrenders. too bad for this project, as i really want to do something nice out of this.
i hope i can do some more testing tomorrow evening.
i think i will go back to the original camera view.
the look of the rocks is actually wanted. i have seen some nice volcanic stone formations last holiday in greece. it gets pretty close. these stones are really sharp-edged. i agree, the setting will fail for animation ( i haven’t tested this, but i am pretty sure). and i wanted to set a contrast to the more polished stones of the statues. nature vs. man-made.
i have tested some light beam effects and glows on the lady, but i was not so happy with the look. it felt a bit overdone and, yes, cliche.
ok, thanks for your patience, back to work!
uwe
Great image. I like the rocks, nice contrast with the stone of the statue and sand.
Tim
some more experimenting.
as mentioned before i am back to the original view. and i have an idea i want to share with you. it’s not refined right now, so take it with a little imagination.
as i mentioned before i already tested some lightrays and glows, but wasn’t satisfied with the look. so, this is my new testing field. i want to create some kind of aura to further enhance the impression that this is indeed a deity of life.
the effect is not final in the current form, but i hope you get the point.
uwe
my eye went WHOA! It’s a lot more emotional to me, but I tend to like the dramatic.
Only thing I miss is the subtle mountains from the other angler
ok, some more info about that.
rendered in 4 layers.
below you can find a breakdown with individual render times. composited in photoshop in alphas straight out of eias. in the breakdown i made the dustlayer stronger to make it more visible in this size. the effect is very subtle, but it helped to break up some dark areas in the final image and give it some more life.
i hope you like it
uwe
Uwe
Good work. I like your final image very much. How did you accomplish those scratchy rays behind the character? At first I thought they were brush marks from photoshop. Did you create those in EI?
again, great work! 
thanks richard,
the rays are actually geometry. screenshot:
its a sphere with every other face extruded in silo. some heavy duty deforming in eias and a very, very thin material.
Great image Uwe! I just love thoses rays. I would never have guessed I can get this using geometry.
