create spark

[djembeplay]

I've been taking these C4D lessons... finally feeling like I've done a thorough, well-rounded study of the many aspects the C4D world encompasses.

I take breaks often to process information, let things sink in, and not burn out. The other night I felt like I just wanted to create without thinking of new technical know-how... after all, the tool shouldn't dictate your art... they are just helpers in the process of transferring images from your mind to the world. I think it was one of the Beatles that 'a real artist can make something beautiful out of anything'... or something along those lines.

Anyways, I digress. I had a bit of fun with thinking particles and pyrocluster on this one. 100% C4D, no outside textures (with the exception of the word 'create' which was done in AE).

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm244/djembeplay/createsparkjpeg_00000.jpg

[Raptor365]

Good job with the pyro DJ. I know how tough that can be to light.
The tree line is pretty cool and I have no idea how you did that. Hair?

I also find a need to do stills sometimes. It's nice once in a while to be able to do a 12 hr render if need be for a still image and not have to worry about another 120 frames or the target resolution. Lighting and shadows changes, ect, so yeah, it's a nice change doing stills once in a while.

[djembeplay]

Hey Raptor - thanks for the comment.

Right on about lighting the pyro - it takes someone who has actually had the experience to appreciate what it takes to achieve results.

The tree line is just a line of polygons arranged onto a curved spline via a Mograph cloner. A random effector was applied for the size and rotation. The texture is just an alpha channel with a noisy circular gradient applied. Oh, also a target effector was used to aim all the polys at the camera. They aren't intended to look 100% like actual trees, of course... just as long as they serve as a sufficient suggestion towards that imagery. Realism is overused in the 3D world anyways.

Underneath those polygons is a curved plain with a horizontal noisy gradient applied. This is how there is some light shining through underneath the treetops and also makes up the solid black hillside.

I think if one is creative, just about anything can be done with the tools available within C4D... hardly any external textures need to be used at all. Yet, at times it is obviously more efficient to use outside textures and is a matter of workflow choice.

It certainly is fun to create something from absolutely no outside imagery though...