Posted on June 2, 2012

Not long ago a fan sent me an aerial photo of Chicago at night under a blanket of clouds. I really liked how the city lights cast a glow on the underside of the cloud deck.

That photo served as the inspiration for an update to my 1998 “Gotham” wallpaper which I’ve added to the Members Gallery this morning.

Here’s the 1998 original (rendered in Bryce using a single terrain and some creative “shading”).

Here’s the 2012 update using Vue d’Esprit’s Ecosystems and volumetric lighting.

I might try another with fewer clouds, as I think they came off a bit heavy in the final render. Aesthetics aside, this one took a ridiculous time to process so any future renders are going to have far fewer clouds.

What do you guys think?

I also wanted to mention that I’ve added a couple of new t-shirt designs to my Zazzle collection based on my “Portals” wallpaper. One uses the square version that I rendered for tablets and the other uses the narrower version I rendered for dualscreens.

You can see the rest of my t-shirt collection (plus a few neckties designed by Jessie) here. I will let you guys know if/when Zazzle has their next big t-shirt sale!

Posted on May 24, 2012

I’ve updated the dual and triple-screen versions of “Atoll (Nightfall)” with the new brighter render. The darker first version will remain available in the Pickle Jar. Which do you prefer?

Posted on May 23, 2012

I’ve added dual and triple-screen versions of “Anemone” to the Members Gallery this evening. I’ve also added a free version designed for use as a Facebook cover image here.

I also wanted to mention that our little Jason turned 6 years old today. I won’t be able to hold him like this for much longer!

Seems like just yesterday I was holding him in the crook of my arm…

Posted on May 22, 2012

I’ve added a new render of “Anemone” to the Members Gallery this morning.

The camera is pulled in even more with this version and the focus is a bit tighter as well. I’ve also added a bit more blue in the center.

The first version will remain available in the Pickle Jar for comparison.

Posted on May 21, 2012

A couple of items to mention today. First, I’ve been working on an update (of sorts) to “Anemones” from 2001 and I’m at a good point to share a render. The update, “Anemone“, is available for my Members on the new images page.

This one is a bit of a departure from the 2001 version I know. Let me know what you think in the comments section.

 

Secondly, quite a few folks thought my first render of “Atoll (Nightfall)” was a bit on the dark side. I rendered a special version for print (which requires a brighter image) and decided the new version was also an improvement as a wallpaper. You’ll find the new render here (with the first version still available in the Pickle Jar).

Which do you prefer?