Posted on July 5, 2012

It was recently suggested to me that it has been a long time since I’ve done an astronomical wallpaper. Time to change that!

I’ve added “Magnetar” to the Members Gallery this morning. It’s a project that I have been putting together on Asfaloth over the past few days while the multiscreen version of “Mistveil Mountain” renders on Bucephalus. This is, in fact, the first project I’ve ever rendered completely on a laptop.

Yes, it is still a work in progress and I hope to add the finishing touches when I am finally able to get back on my main machine.

A “Magnetar” is a special type of neutron star with an extremely powerful magnetic field. My representation is a bit on the fanciful side, but I hope I mananged capture the violence and dark energy of such a body.

I modeled most of this using a new program called “Incendia”. I hope you like the results!

Posted on June 29, 2012

I’ve added a second version of “Mistveil Mountain” to the Members Gallery this morning.

The new lighting scene is inspired by a conversation I had recently with a good friend (a geologist) who just returned from a few weeks above the Arctic Circle. He told me that even at midnight the sky still held a pinkish twilight glow. I’ve never seen this for myself but this is how I choose to imagine it. The reddish light also seems to set off the aurora better.

I’ve tweaked the snowcover on the taller mountains and changed up the foreground vegetation a bit. There are a few other changes that I will leave for you to discover. The original version is still available in the Pickle Jar for comparison.

Let me know which you prefer and I will get cracking on the multiscreen!

Posted on June 23, 2012

I’ve added “Mistveil Mountain” to the Members Gallery. This is my first project rendered and developed on “Asfaloth” (while Bucephalus was rendering the “Dragon’s Gold” multiscreen). It is a continuation of the work I started with “The Unveiling” and thus I have left the word “veil” in the title. I’m still exploring Vue d’Esprit’s new “height conforming” clouds.

I’m still working on exactly what I want for the foreground but I think flowers provide a nice counterpoint to an otherwise frigid scene. Let me know what you think!

Posted on June 22, 2012

I’ve added dual and triple-screen versions of “Dragon’s Gold” to the Members Gallery this morning. Users with 2 monitors may be happy to see that I shifted the view on to the right so the dragon is not split down the middle.

Single screen users who would rather the dragon be more “front and center” may find the new triple-screen version preferable. Just download the one the matched your horizontal screen res and “center” it.

I’ve also updated the free version for Facebook Profile Covers here, though the thumbnail on the Cover gallery page doesn’t match the actual cover photo (up until now I’ve used the dualscreen previews for the cover photo gallery thumbnails).

Stay tuned (or sign up for my email list) as I may have another new render to post later today!

Posted on June 19, 2012

I’ve added an alternate version of “Dragon’s Gold” to the Pickle Jar this morning. Some folks mentioned that the dragon in the original was a bit hard to spot (indeed some never noticed it!) so he should be easier to see in this version.

This version is in the Pickle Jar because I’m not entirely convinced that it is superior to the original. For example, Jessie came in last night and saw the green dragon version. “Oh, but I enjoyed finding it the first time,” she said. We’ve been married almost 10 years now and I’ve learned that she is usually right about things.

Members: Please leave a rating for the new version and let me know which you prefer in the comment thread below. Either way, I’m happy to provide options.

Thanks!!