9/16/16

The Turning

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I modeled these trees using The Plant Factory as an exercise in varying the hue of the foliage on each individual model. After all, an Autumn tree is rarely all one color.

I've used various tricks to replicate that effect in the past but this is the first time I've been able to create single model with multiple different colored leaves. This should lead to ever more realistic Autumn landscapes in the future :-)

I should have a few Pickle Jar versions to upload in the next few days but I will let this render stand alone for the time being. I hope you enjoy it!!

9/13/16

Archive (Minor)

Unfortunately I wasn't entirely pleased with how the colors came out in "Archive". That scene took around 60 hours to render on Shadowfax so a revision is going to have to wait.

"Archive (Minor)", however, is a much simpler, quicker rendering variant that I put together on "Arion" yesterday while I pondered whether or not to post the 60hr render. It only took 8 hours to render and has a very different vibe.

I decided to post both. Let me know what you think!

I also have a new Autumn landscape coming soon so stay tuned!

9/12/16

Archive

Pickle Jar Versions

I apologize for getting a bit side-tracked with all of the 360 panoramas. For my latest render I tried creating it as a 360 panorama from the start. This render uses Lightwave's "dielectric" glass shader to create a "stained glass" effect.

Unfortunately it takes nearly 3 days to render on "Shadowfax" so some optimizations will have to be made going forward.

8/30/16

360 Panoramas!

What started as a fun diversion on my Facebook page has turned into a possible push into the VR world for me. Hope to have more to report on that front soon. For now I've rendered 6 360 panoramas that you can check out right here on DB (without having to visit Facebook).

Let the pages load fully and then drag about with your mouse/finger to look around.

Any requests?

8/19/16

The Fire Within

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I guess I wasn't quite done with my cave itch when I posted "Bones of the Earth". I had the idea here to create a scene lit from below by lava. The snow came relatively near the end but I think it makes a nice contrast.

I may still have an edit or two in store for this one, but I thought it looked interesting enough to share as is. Hope you enjoy it!

8/9/16

Whirlwind

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A companion piece to "Thunderhead". I used what I learned designing those cloud formations to make a convincing environment for a tornado I modeled using The Plant Factory.

I may still tweak a thing or two with this one before I'm finished, but I thought it looked nice enough to share for now.

Compare to the original "Whirlwind" from 2000!

PS: My renders are usually an escape for me from the flatness of Central Illinois, but the foreground in this piece very much embraces it

8/1/16

Thunderhead

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I was born and raised in central Illinois, which is very flat country (flattened by a glacier 10,000 years ago), and cumulonimbus clouds are our versions of mountains. I first attempted to model one back back in 1999 using texture mapped spheres. This version with 2016 technology uses Vue's Spectral 2 clouds.

7/26/16

Class M

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First off I would like to mention that for the first time in 10 years, DB is living on a new server. I've been working hard migrating the site to the new box over the past week and I think I've ironed out most of the bugs. The new machine will give me a platform to hopefully create a whole new site soon!

When I wasn't tinking with my code I was creating a new render. I recently finished the excellent "Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown and his vision of a terraformed Mars inspired me to create this piece. I used Vue d'Esprit's "spherical" terrains and dug deep into the cloud editor to create this render.

There was one location from the books in particular that I wanted to recreate and this piece could be considered a warmup for that :-) I hope you enjoy it!

7/16/16

Cloud Kingdom

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Having some fun with World Machine here. My last few images have been somewhat on the dark side so I wanted to do something with a bit of sunlight. It's been dreadfully hot this week as well so I wanted to do something cool. I hope you enjoy it!

7/9/16

Bones of the Earth (Glow)

Pickle Jar Versions

I mentioned last time that a Member sent me some photos of a cave that inspired me to try to make my own. Well, those photos featured glowworms which lit the cave up like a starry night. After modeling the cave for the "Bones of the Earth" render, I've turned down the lights and added my own glowy denizens.

I hope you enjoy it. Multiscreen coming very soon!

7/3/16

Bones of the Earth

Print Available()Pickle Jar Versions

It's been a while since I've attempted a cave render and one of my fans recently shared some photos which inspired me to try my hand at it again.

The geometry was started in Lightwave and sculpted using Zbrush before importing into Vue.

I have future plans for this scene...:-)

6/28/16

Primordia

I've been mostly working on some back-end stuff this past week and waiting for my new server to go online. Once it is online I will be migrating my site to the new box (hopefully before the end of the week). Not doing any redesigns at this time but I will seriously be looking into it once the site is moved.

While waiting for my new box to go online I've put together a view of "Beginnings" from the surface of a primordial satellite. I learned a great deal about Vue's "displaced ocean" settings for this one. The multiscreen version is already rendering on Bucephalus.

I hope you enjoy it!

6/20/16

Beginnings

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Looking back through this year's renders I noticed that I had yet to do a single outer space scene. I sincerely apologize for this oversight on my part and offer "Beginnings" to rectify the matter. This piece attempts to (artistically) capture the moment a star ignites amidst the primordial dust.

Dual and triple-screen versions are also available. I hope you enjoy it!!

6/14/16

Bouquet

Pickle Jar Versions

I used to make this sort of abstract using "Xfrog", but I have to admit that "The Plant Factory" is a lot more powerful. The upside is that I can use this geometry as a plant in Lightwave if I so fancy (and I just might...).

Dual and triple-screen versions are also available. Don't be surprised if I post a few revisions in the days ahead as this one is still fluid :-)

6/03/16

The Grid (2016)

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Given that "The Plant Factory" specializes in branching structures, I thought it would be interesting to see how it would handle creating a new version of "The Grid" from 2005(!).

I've gone with texture mapped models here (since the procedural shader I used before doesn't work with the 64-bit version of Lightwave) and I've added some little extra "nodes" here and there to break up all the right-angles.

Let me know what you think!!

6/8 UPDATE:

I've scrapped my initial version and posted one I created using an entirely different method. Let me know what you think of the update!

Please note: Summer has always been my slowest time of the year! If you've ever thought about becoming a Member, renewing, or becoming a Lifetime Supporter NOW would be a great time!!

5/31/16

Halcyon (Glow) Multiscreen

I've added dual and triple-screen versions of "Halcyon (Glow)" to the gallery this morning. I was away from my computer over the holiday weekend and I'm now back working on new artwork :-)

5/24/16

Moon Worship

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By popular request I've created a night-time companion piece to "Sun Worship" this afternoon. You might notice that I've given the lady on the rocks a friend with whom to enjoy the view :-)

Dual and triple-screen versions are available.

I've also been working to make DB look a bit better on mobile devices. Check me out on your phone or tablet and let me know that you think!

5/23/16

Look who's turned 10 years old today!

It seems like just yesterday that I was posting about him being born!

5/19/16

Sun Worship

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Created this scene in about 8 hours after uploading yesterday's 65 hour render. It was nice to have Shadowfax back!

Nothing ultra-complicated here; just wanted to do a breezy, sunny, happy and quick wallpaper. Is it a bit rough around the edges? Sure, but I will clean that up in the days ahead and have a multiscreen version posted soon.

5/18/16

Halcyon (Glow)

Pickle Jar Versions

Wanted to create a night version of "Halcyon" with glowing blooms. I changed the blooms to red because, quite frankly, there's been an abundance of purple in my gallery recently.

The volumetric fog made this one a 65hr render rather than a 3 hour render so let me know if it was worth it! The early version I've added to the Pickle Jar doesn't have the fog for comparison.

5/10/16

Halcyon

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I've spent the past week or so working through my backlog of multiscreen renders and I've finally had the chance to work on something new!

Now that I have figured out how to create flowering plants in "The Plant Factory" I am learning how to create hanging blooms. Eventually I would like to create a massive wisteria tree.

I must learn how to walk before I can fly however so consider this a baby step in the right direction.

I hope you enjoy it!

4/29/16

Purple Rain (Sunset)

Pickle Jar Versions

As is usually the case when I post a daytime render, I get requests for a nighttime or sunset view. For my Prince tribute I received requests for both. The night version (which you can find in the Pickle Jar) features a luminescent tree for a more "fantastic" look.

Let me know what U think!

4/22/16

Purple Rain (Tribute to Prince)

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Like many of you I was shocked and saddened to hear that one of my favorite artists, Prince, passed away suddenly on Thursday. As a huge music fan and a lover of unbridled creativity in all its wonderful forms, losing Prince feels like someone turned down the lights a little on our world.

I've loved Prince's music since his "Little Red Corvette" days in the early 80s. One of the things that always most fascinated me about him was that he taught himself to play the piano (at age 7), the guitar (at age 13) and the drums (at 14). As a young person he gave me hope that I could teach myself to succeed creatively.

If you've followed my work over the years you know that I try not let the world intrude into my gallery. I've always wanted DB to be a place to escape the pains of real life. This is an exception.

I was working on this render when I heard the news Thursday and I immediately started adapting it to become a tribute to his genius. I hope you enjoy it.

Rest in peace Prince!

4/11/16

A La Carte Purchases Now Count Towards Memberships!

Going forward, all funds spent purchasing my "a la carte" images will be credited back to you should you choose to purchase one of my auto-expiring or Lifetime Memberships.

Already purchased an image or two? The discount is tied to your email address and it is retroactive back to the start of the program last year! You can check your "balance" by entering your email address below.

Enter Your Email Address to Check Balance:

Let me know if you have any questions and THANKS for supporting my work!!