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Hello, I am Firefly79.
After a long time just looking, 2 months ago I started to create images by myself. I'm still looking for my own style and scenery but I'm glad that you seem to like some of my images already.
I would be interested if some of you experienced artists could tell me what makes a good image from your point of view.
And I look forward to your feedback, criticism and improvement suggestions. Because I would like to develop and improve in this area.
Thanks
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Hi Firefly79, I have no experience nor am I an artist - just an old dude who creates 3D clothes and other things. Most of the time I even struggle to create promos for my own projects .... so my advice is (probably) of limited use. And as a minimalist (one of my favorite artists is Barnett Newman) my hints may be even more useless ... ;-)
I like your pictures (and have "liked" some of them). Compared to others, they are really nice done - so I wonder about your demand. Nevertheless, here are a few points I try to keep in mind or implement in my promos (even if I mostly mess up ;-)
- Interesting camera angles instead of the old school "en face" style.
- Where there is light, there is also shadow (but that is a matter of taste). Personally, I like images that are not completely illuminated.
- Leave room for imagination. Even though we are here at renderotica, not everything has to be shown "en détail" (IMHO)
- What - from my point of view - makes a good scene (and what I usually screw up) are realistic, dynamic poses that are arranged down to the last finger limb and that are accompanied by facial expressions beyond "look like a model".
As mentioned, these are not hints or tips, just things I personally pay attention to (or try to pay attention to). But maybe there is one or the other food for thought.
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You should do your art for you, first and foremost. Then share it with the rest of us here. I like to see it when an artist obviously enjoys what theyre doing. I'd say to get real good at what YOU do and depict what you enjoy. Others who like the same thing will eventually find their way to your art work.
For my part, I dont need images to be overly cluttered. Sometimes less is more. 2 people on a bed... I dont need the same 2 people on a bed inside a well stocked fascimile of a 5 diamond hotel with different views of the Caribbean out each window in the same pic. Also, the more you put in an image the longer it takes to render, which is a real pain in the ass for the artist, unless you have a top of the line computer system.
I can appreciate lifelike photorealism, its just not that necessary for me. I like interesting, realistic looking characters, rather than those that just look like typical fashion models. I appreciate good poses that go as far as to incorporate hands, fingers and feet posed as well. The better you get at your craft, the more youll notice and appreciate those who do the little things.
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Hello!
Thank you for your great feedback and thoughts. Totally true that you do it first and foremost for yourself. Even nicer if there are other artists who then also find it beautiful.
Let's see if there are more opinions to come.
Best,
Firefly79
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"Darling" and "Maid" caught my eye. It looks like you experimented with the lighting here. I think that an all around well lit scene with no shadows will look a little dull. Because it lacks character in my opinion, even if it's an out door shot, but some viewers will prefer it like that. When I did "Oh No It's A Monster" many hated it. They thought it was too dark because only half the scene was lit, but then others said that it was one of my best works, so which leads me to the conclusion that you can't please everyone. Since 7 years now I've been doing this and I and many artist before me have all come to this understanding. You need to find the balance with pleasing your fans and yourself.
There are a lot of great opinions in this thread. Very helpful. Also, your own style will come with time, trust the creative process. Good luck!
Casgra
Lighting the way to the dark side
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I think the most important and wise advise was already given. You have to be satisfied with your own work and be honest to yourself if you produced nothing special. I am disappointed with myself most the time but it´s also a question of time investment.
Public opinion ist strange to me...
For example i value the work of the user "ecb" as objectively great art but he receives just moderate likes.
In germany we say something like "pearls for the pigs" but the established art market is of course too political correct for such stuff.
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"Likes" are a strange creature, for sure. I have a few images that have sold multiple times on *deleted*, but only pick up a few likes when posted here (in smaller format). Different audiences can produce significantly varied results.
As mentioned before, light and shadow can make or break an image. Unless you are after a traditional portrait look, you want to avoid even, flat lighting. This can also help to enhance the models curves and shapes. Edited by moderator Saturday, March 4, 2023 1:53:38 PM(UTC)
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Hi,
after the first few months a question comes to mind: do you all actually largely use DAZ to create your images? Or are there other programs that are recommended? I'm currently also playing with Blender, but it's still too complex for me. Thanks for your feedback.
Firefly79
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I think many (most) will use DAZ (and products created for DAZ) for rendering - plus post-processing with Gimp, Photoshop, etc.
In Blender you can also render well - but (as far as I know) the Iray materials don't work ... or at least they don't work as well.
But Blender is the first choice (in terms of price and scope) if you want to build your own objects like clothes, props, accessories, create your own body morphs etc. pp....
... and yes: in the beginning Blender can be very irritating and intimidating. But it's definitely worth investing some time.
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There is also Marvelous Designer a program often used by DAZ Artists (Marble, Enchanted April, Barbult, Mada). I tried it about 2 years ago, but couldn't do much with it, since the program at that time put heaps of tris instead of quads into the projects. There's a 30-Day Free Trial if you want to create clothes. Edited by user Saturday, April 15, 2023 8:27:10 AM(UTC)
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I agree with the comments above, I'd just stress:
Interesting composition. (See art history for famous compositions that can give you some ideas)
Attention to detail, including pose, hair, and surroundings. Not to say it needs to be complex, but even in in the simplest settings, this makes a great deal of difference in the final render. (A figure who is dangling upside down, but has shoulder length hair that stays in place is a good example of something to avoid.)
Expressions. Humans are highly adept at reading facial expressions, and the combination of a great pose and a great expression create more than the sum of their parts. Genesis 8.1 and upwards have superior controls that allow a wider range of expression.
Lighting: Should be consistent. When compositing backgrounds and figures, make sure the angle of the light is consistent to each.
The technical aspects of Daz can be very frustrating, getting clothes to look as if they are opening or falling off can take many attempts in dForce and most developers do not make clothing for erotic artists, meaning they are created to look full dressed. Not open, hanging, or on the floor. Some do. Take the time to look at the "read me" or the product details to see if there are data files that say things like "reveal breasts" or "all down" to get products that will cooperate. Be willing to use older files like .pp2 files that take a while to position and angle correctly on G8 or G9 figures (sometimes the older products have superior textures that can be easily adapted and have no equivalent in new catalogs. La Femme products can be used in Daz, for example, with a little effort.) So don't get discouraged, keep trying and try different approaches if one does not work out.
It looks like you have these concepts well in hand. Carry on!
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Originally Posted by: Firefly79 Hi,
after the first few months a question comes to mind: do you all actually largely use DAZ to create your images? Or are there other programs that are recommended? I'm currently also playing with Blender, but it's still too complex for me. Thanks for your feedback.
Firefly79
I primarily use DS and Photoshop. None of my final images get posted without some time in PS. Sometimes I'll use 3DS Max to make a small prop or tweak something, but only rarely. I don't have time to make my own assets at the moment.
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Originally Posted by: Firefly79 Hi,
after the first few months a question comes to mind: do you all actually largely use DAZ to create your images? Or are there other programs that are recommended? I'm currently also playing with Blender, but it's still too complex for me. Thanks for your feedback.
Firefly79
Fot me it's Blender to create models, Affinity Photo for texture images and DS for scene composition, animation and render. Then into Affinity for any post processing / resizing / layering of graphics.
There are other tools if you have the budget for it but Blender is a powerful 3D modeling and becomes a breeze when you get to grips with it. The challenge is the learning curve, there are some great tips on YouTube as the guys have said above but I would recommend a complete tutorial from the likes Udemy to get you up and running..
But it depends how you want to spend your time, creating content or creating images. There is tons of content available although you may still find you want to create something specific. I'm just here by mistake, for a friend, for science... anyway you can't prove nuffin'.
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Hi,
after a few months I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who like and comment on my creations. Thank you, it's a nice motivation to continue my way, many ideas still want to be realised. And to dare to do things that I did not dare to do before.
Firefly79
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I'm still using Poser, I prefer the interface over DS, plus I've used Poser since version 4 and have purchased a lot of content that wouldn't work in DS....And I'm too old to learn new software anyway... Good luck with what you do.
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