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GLBNocturnal Citadel: The Enchanted Blizzard (CLOSED)
341
Hi,
thanks for checking out my entry. As of this post, I've spent about 30 hours (creating the model, story, textures, etc.) making this piece and will continue to improve it so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment.
The Work:
The Story:
In the hushed shadows of the nocturnal realm, Magus Arion embarked on a quest spanning enchanted landscapes, guided by tales of the legendary "Nocturnal Citadel." This mystical fortress, wreathed in perpetual night, emitted an ethereal energy capable of conjuring an eternal snowstorm. Arion, drawn by the allure of its magical resonance, traversed treacherous terrains and desolate lands, overcoming arcane obstacles.
Upon reaching the citadel's towering spires, Arion beheld the mesmerizing castle pulsating with an otherworldly glow, casting an azure luminescence across the snow-laden landscape. Undeterred by the biting cold, the magician ascended a rocky prominence near the castle, feeling the currents of potent magic coursing through the air.
With incantations whispered into the frigid winds, Arion connected with the citadel's arcane core. The swirling snowstorm responded to his mastery, weaving into a symphony of crystalline flakes that danced at his command. As the snowstorm intensified, Arion absorbed the magical essence, his silhouette aglow with the castle's radiant power.
In that frozen haven, the magician found himself at the nexus of ancient forces, a master of winter's embrace. Magus Arion, having harnessed the Nocturnal Citadel's eternal enchantment, stood as a guardian of the arcane, a sentinel in the silent dance of perpetual snow.
WIreframe:
-The magician
-The castle
-The Mountain
Workflow (so far):
Tools used:
-Modeling (Blender)
-Texturing (Substance Designer/Painter, Photoshop)
Nearly everything is made from scratch (apart from the waterfall and moon which are image textures), the rest of the models and textures are hand-made and here is how:
The Mountain:
The Mountain was made with the "landscape addon" with custom settings and textured in substance painter (custom snow material was mapped on the rock material with the AO map) texture:
I added the trees (created with the "Saplings" addon) to the mountain with the Blender particle feature and targeted the vertices on which i want the trees to be with weight paint.
The Castle:
Completely created and textured by hand with the help of array modifiers (for the tower scaffolding) and curve modifiers (for the chains).
The light beam is a procedurally generated volume texture (see node setup below).
Ambiance:
The fog was created with a procedural volume node setup.
and the snow is a simple particle animation with motion blur.
The witch/wizard:
Using a default human model from a previous artwork, I positioned it into a meditating stance and, with a cloth animation, simulated the hood and cloak.
Also textured in Substance Painter by hand.
Thumbnail:
thanks for checking out my entry. As of this post, I've spent about 30 hours (creating the model, story, textures, etc.) making this piece and will continue to improve it so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment.
The Work:
The Story:
In the hushed shadows of the nocturnal realm, Magus Arion embarked on a quest spanning enchanted landscapes, guided by tales of the legendary "Nocturnal Citadel." This mystical fortress, wreathed in perpetual night, emitted an ethereal energy capable of conjuring an eternal snowstorm. Arion, drawn by the allure of its magical resonance, traversed treacherous terrains and desolate lands, overcoming arcane obstacles.
Upon reaching the citadel's towering spires, Arion beheld the mesmerizing castle pulsating with an otherworldly glow, casting an azure luminescence across the snow-laden landscape. Undeterred by the biting cold, the magician ascended a rocky prominence near the castle, feeling the currents of potent magic coursing through the air.
With incantations whispered into the frigid winds, Arion connected with the citadel's arcane core. The swirling snowstorm responded to his mastery, weaving into a symphony of crystalline flakes that danced at his command. As the snowstorm intensified, Arion absorbed the magical essence, his silhouette aglow with the castle's radiant power.
In that frozen haven, the magician found himself at the nexus of ancient forces, a master of winter's embrace. Magus Arion, having harnessed the Nocturnal Citadel's eternal enchantment, stood as a guardian of the arcane, a sentinel in the silent dance of perpetual snow.
WIreframe:
-The magician
-The castle
-The Mountain
Workflow (so far):
Tools used:
-Modeling (Blender)
-Texturing (Substance Designer/Painter, Photoshop)
Nearly everything is made from scratch (apart from the waterfall and moon which are image textures), the rest of the models and textures are hand-made and here is how:
The Mountain:
The Mountain was made with the "landscape addon" with custom settings and textured in substance painter (custom snow material was mapped on the rock material with the AO map) texture:
I added the trees (created with the "Saplings" addon) to the mountain with the Blender particle feature and targeted the vertices on which i want the trees to be with weight paint.
The Castle:
Completely created and textured by hand with the help of array modifiers (for the tower scaffolding) and curve modifiers (for the chains).
The light beam is a procedurally generated volume texture (see node setup below).
Ambiance:
The fog was created with a procedural volume node setup.
and the snow is a simple particle animation with motion blur.
The witch/wizard:
Using a default human model from a previous artwork, I positioned it into a meditating stance and, with a cloth animation, simulated the hood and cloak.
Also textured in Substance Painter by hand.
Thumbnail:
! REPORT
Update:
I have now added a few features to the render:
-changed the arch on the 2nd level of the castle to a more aesthetic version,
-increased the amount of snowfall
-made the render duo-chromatic in photoshop
-updated the thumbnail with a title
New thumbnail:
I have now added a few features to the render:
-changed the arch on the 2nd level of the castle to a more aesthetic version,
-increased the amount of snowfall
-made the render duo-chromatic in photoshop
-updated the thumbnail with a title
New thumbnail:
! REPORT
I liked your concept. I see, you took much effort and love in your work.
There are some things that would improve your work maybe.
But I wouldn't want to sound too discouraging or harsh.
So I made a quick vision of your work the way I imagined.
I can explain in detail, other things later, if you'd be open to suggestions.
This is a quick illustration of your work, the way I imagined:
There are some things that would improve your work maybe.
But I wouldn't want to sound too discouraging or harsh.
So I made a quick vision of your work the way I imagined.
I can explain in detail, other things later, if you'd be open to suggestions.
This is a quick illustration of your work, the way I imagined:
! REPORT
K3DDesign
Karma: 410
Mon, Dec 04, 2023Hi, i really appreciate the feedback and would love to hear more detail.
Maybe you could make a daytime version of this render and see how it turns out.
Just take out the moon and have daylight in your scene.
Other than this, I thought maybe your castle and mountain seemed like one big cluster (like a giant statue).
You could use some greenery on the forest below and some color, on the cyberpunk castle structure up above.
Yes, there is snow in the sky and on the distant pine trees. But none on the ground rock (below the man-conquerer figure maybe).
It would be a pity since you worked hard, having a good and detailed castle and hill, leaving it with a simple shade or no gradient texture at all.
You could paint over this in Blender, at least maybe.
And the last thing is the text on your render. Your entry title became blurry or less readable over the picture, maybe because of overglow.
You could also see other entries which have a castle and snow scene, similar to yours. These would give you a general idea.
Good luck in the future with your hard work.
Just take out the moon and have daylight in your scene.
Other than this, I thought maybe your castle and mountain seemed like one big cluster (like a giant statue).
You could use some greenery on the forest below and some color, on the cyberpunk castle structure up above.
Yes, there is snow in the sky and on the distant pine trees. But none on the ground rock (below the man-conquerer figure maybe).
It would be a pity since you worked hard, having a good and detailed castle and hill, leaving it with a simple shade or no gradient texture at all.
You could paint over this in Blender, at least maybe.
And the last thing is the text on your render. Your entry title became blurry or less readable over the picture, maybe because of overglow.
You could also see other entries which have a castle and snow scene, similar to yours. These would give you a general idea.
Good luck in the future with your hard work.
! REPORT
K3DDesign
Karma: 410
Tue, Dec 05, 2023Thanks again for your comment, i really appreciate your thoughts but the point of the duo chromatic color scheme is to emphasise the cold aspect of the piece. While i agree adding some saturation and color variation would be nice for a day time scene, i would not like to add it here because the story is set in eternal winter and it is typical for winter to have longer periods of darkness. Its also used as a storytelling method; while the protagonist hasn't achieved his goal the world is dark and may only turn to light if he succeeds.
Though if i ever continue the story to where it does turn to day, i will be sure to take your comment into consideration.
Though if i ever continue the story to where it does turn to day, i will be sure to take your comment into consideration.
Yes, that possibility of your intended duo chromatic color scheme, crossed my mind. But I wasn't sure if that was your intention, so I skipped this thought in my comments. Now I see your point. Maybe we'll see your artwork in another scene adventure at daylight, as you mentioned. with some title like; The Day Conquerer. On the other hand, they conquer the fortress usually at night unnoticed and while people are sleeping, where they catch the enemy off-guard.
Thanks again. And I wish you luck with your future projects.
Thanks again. And I wish you luck with your future projects.
! REPORT
K3DDesign
Karma: 410
Tue, Dec 05, 2023Thanks, I am currently working on making the render a bit more colorful (as per your suggestion) but still staying true to the story and atmosphere, so if you are interested in how it turns out you can stay tuned. I will be uploading it in an hour or so. If not, i really appreciate the input and wish you good luck as well 
I've implemented the suggested changes by adding a bit more color to the scene.
I've also:
-improved the mountain, making it look more detailed and larger,
-made the snowfall look less aggressive
-put a mountain in the background
-added some particles in the castle area
-improved the aesthetic of the main tower
thumbnail:
I've also:
-improved the mountain, making it look more detailed and larger,
-made the snowfall look less aggressive
-put a mountain in the background
-added some particles in the castle area
-improved the aesthetic of the main tower
thumbnail:
! REPORT
The Bluish Glare in front of the figure supposed to be sword? This, I couldn't figure out.
When I first saw your post in the the thumbnail, I thought it was a science fiction scene. Thinking, the figure was on some kind of a futuristic planet. Which I mistook the snow, for the stars and thought the guy was holding a blue light saber, which you can't make out, since his back was turned.
Yes, your scene has improved quite a lot. Pardon me saying that your first attempt gave the feeling of ''Luke the Stargazer'' with all those, too even scattered snow around the moon (at first glance looked like distant stars) in the background and little snow in the foreground (at closer perspective in front of the castle where the figure was observing).
Making variations, on the closer, bigger snow particles made it look more natural. In addition to other improvements that you've stated.
''And how come that medieval guy is holding a bluish lightsaber. Is he a time traveller''. No, of course, this part of my comment shouldn't be taken seriously. I admired your good, devoted artwork. Thank you for your consideration and taking account of my suggestions.
When I first saw your post in the the thumbnail, I thought it was a science fiction scene. Thinking, the figure was on some kind of a futuristic planet. Which I mistook the snow, for the stars and thought the guy was holding a blue light saber, which you can't make out, since his back was turned.
Yes, your scene has improved quite a lot. Pardon me saying that your first attempt gave the feeling of ''Luke the Stargazer'' with all those, too even scattered snow around the moon (at first glance looked like distant stars) in the background and little snow in the foreground (at closer perspective in front of the castle where the figure was observing).
Making variations, on the closer, bigger snow particles made it look more natural. In addition to other improvements that you've stated.
''And how come that medieval guy is holding a bluish lightsaber. Is he a time traveller''. No, of course, this part of my comment shouldn't be taken seriously. I admired your good, devoted artwork. Thank you for your consideration and taking account of my suggestions.
! REPORT
This is most likely the final render. Ive now added:
-clouds in the background
-a wind overlay
-and increased the power beam strength
Render:
Thumbnail:
-clouds in the background
-a wind overlay
-and increased the power beam strength
Render:
Thumbnail:
! REPORT
drjivago
Karma: 11,723
Sun, Dec 10, 2023Not only the background clouds gave volume to the hills, but also made the scene belong to earth
rather than some other planet. Adding up with a touch of final detail.
It looks much better this way. I admired your hard work and wish you good luck.
rather than some other planet. Adding up with a touch of final detail.
It looks much better this way. I admired your hard work and wish you good luck.
