Improving our skill set.

[Graphite]

Hey guys; need a bit of guidance.

I feel like I've hit a road block in my current abilities. I look at the work I produce in comparison to some of the work on the site, and feel like there is so much more I need to learn... I was curious if anyone knew of some good tutorials, or courses I could take to bring my work from this:

 

http://conceptsail.com

My portfolio site

 

To this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSGx4bBU9Qc

Alex Romans; Third and Seventh.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Graphite

[AubreyM]

Nolan, you are comparing stills to animation and photo realism to artistry. Two of the images on your site I thought were photographs at first. Yes there is always more to learn but your work is top drawer.

Based on what you posted I think that maybe what you need is to step out of the photo realism and try more abstract/artistic renders. Let your artistic side let loose and see what you come up with. It is always hard to step out of our comfort zone, a sin I am guilty of a lot of the time, but I have found it rewarding each time I did.

It is obvious that you already have the skills and knowledge, those are the tools. Now you need to let your artistic side use those tools to create that something that you are looking for.

Someone taught Michelangelo to use a paint brush but they didn't teach him to paint the Sistine Chapel.

That is my take on it anyway

[beestee]

Pick something specific out of what you see in works that you like, and the wonderful third and the seventh film has many attributes worth mimicking. Then just try to incorporate a different element into each successive project. If it worked for the project, keep using and improving the skill, if not, just simply move on to the next or try to incorporate it in a different way next time.

 

There are many 'making of' articles scattered around the web by great artists, and by just reading them you will begin training your eye to be more keen to the details that make these artists' work great. Ronen Bekerman has a great blog with many 'behind the scenes' interviews, and would be a good place to start.

[John Dollus]

foundation is there. Work on the composition and color balance more. For example, with Audi, it's rare to have a red car present in any of their marketing images as it just draws too much attention. also, the image is overexposed with the right side being completely lost. bring that level down and it will give you more to work with in post to balance the image and do some color grading.

for the Vegas shot, a perspective taken from a standing position would offer a more dynamic viewpoint

http://www.travel-in-paris.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/restaurants-bars-paris-las-vegas.jpg like this photo from what appears to be the opposite angle.

[ronll]

If you haven't already, watch the interview with Alex Roman

That film took almost two years to produce, and his point in making it was to explore film making, art and architecture, not CG technique. There is also the struggle that many of us have, me included, of doing work that is commercial enough to make a living, while in our hearts wanting to do art.

[Noise]

There are plenty of online short courses which have an industry professional setting assignments and giving advise. I recently did the matte painting course on CG Society with David Luong and it opened my eyes alot to the VFX industry and it also helped me develop my skills.

 

There are also courses at Gnomon, Escape and I think there is an arch viz school started. I would suggest that you look further afield than Arch Viz because you might find something that really stimulates your creativity in another area.

[edgemaster]

Also take a look of the making of that video here.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqyQVxVuRnM&feature=related

 

You'll see there are a lot of passes used to create the look they achieved.