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    NEWS CENTER

    Unveiling Winter's Wonderland: A Journey Through Kv3D's Winning Masterpiece

    Unveiling Winter's Wonderland: A Journey Through Kv3D's Winning Masterpiece

    2024-03-18

    Trending

    Fox Renderfarm Interview

    Kv3D is a remarkable 20-year-old individual who secured 1st place in Kaizen's Winter Wonderland competition with his work "forgotten wonders in Winterland". Kv3D's outstanding entry captivated our attention with his splendid render, showcasing an enchanting ice castle amidst a snow-covered landscape. Fox Renderfarm as the industry's top cloud rendering service provider and leading render farm, sponsored this challenge and had the pleasure to interview Kv3D. As we delve into the intricacies of his journey, Kv3D reveals the initial idea behind his project, his resourceful approach to finding the perfect asset, and the inspiring process behind his creation process. Fox Renderfarm: Hi Kv3D! Thank you so much for accepting our interview! Please introduce yourself to our readers.Kv3D: Hi I am Kv3D and I'm a Dutch 3D artist. I'm 20 years old and studying to become a preschool teacher. I would like to make CG art into my job someday but for now it's just a hobby for me.Fox Renderfarm: Congratulations on winning 1st place in the Winter Wonderland competition! How do you feel about it?Kv3D: I found out about the challenge a little bit late and I noticed that there were a couple of prizes that you could win. I was one of the first ones to submit since I made it in one day and I found it really cool that everyone is so enthusiastic about it. Then other people started submitting and their submissions were really good as well, so I honestly thought that I wouldn't be able to win. Normally, I don't like my own renders that much so it's hard to judge them together with the other renders. I have participated in many other challenges as well but most times I don't win even though I think it looks good. However, this time it came out as the winning render and it was really surprising to me, it felt good to win.forgotten wonders in Winterland © Kv3DFox Renderfarm: What inspired the design of this castle, and how did you incorporate that inspiration into your work?Kv3D: When I participate in a challenge, I first think of a rough idea in my head. This time, I wanted to make an ice castle. Then I just started looking for an asset that I could incorporate into my render, in this case, I was looking for a castle. If I cant find a nice asset then I will go with a different idea. So I went through Sketchfab and came across this awesome castle model by matousekfoto, he made a 3D scan of this massive castle on the hill. This not only gave me the right model to work with but also inspired me because I used the shape of a real mountain to shape my own creation. In this case, I tried to make the castle from ice but it didn't work, so I went with a different idea with just a castle in the snow and that's basically how I got my inspiration.Castle of Loarre © matousekfotoFox Renderfarm: Could you please tell us about your pipeline for this work? And how long did it take you?Kv3D: For environmental pieces, I like to use just scans of natural assets. I used mega scans and they have some really nice rocks. To keep my project running smoothly and not too heavy I like to use four of them, duplicate and scatter them around the same piece so that the file size is not too big. In this case, I had to make snow on top of the environmental pieces because they didn't have snow straight out of the box. I always look for a main asset and work around that, and you have to change all the assets so that it looks cohesive instead of having multiple pieces: One from Megascans, one from Sketchfab, and one from Blender Market. To make them all work together, you must change the textures and materials a little so they can all work into one piece. Once I get all my pieces, I start laying them out and ensure that I have a rough idea of how the final image will look. I like to place my camera in a spot that I know would work and then work from the camera view. Once I have the final layout, I'll start adding some little details like snow and clouds. My workflow is pretty simple honestly, most people use a whole reference port but I don't like to do this because I like to work around a model that I find. Timewise it took one day, I would say about about six hours.Process using Snowify © Kv3DManual Placement of Objects © Kv3DFox Renderfarm: How did you achieve the realistic snow effect on the castle and the surrounding landscape? Can you explain the techniques you used?Kv3D: I tried to make my own shader and I also shared it with others in the challenge. Because it was about winter wonderland and snow is a big thing in the winter, so I made a node group where it looks at the model from the top since snow falls from the top. I would like all the snow to be top of something so I just applied that to everything and that's basically how I got the snow to look like it's falling from above. I used a snow material from Poly Haven, this is a website where you can get CC0 assets and sell them. I used it as the material for this node so that the snow looks realistic.Node Setup to Add Snow to Objects © Kv3DFox Renderfarm: How do you approach lighting in a scene like this to enhance the mood and depth of the environment?Kv3D: I like to start working with an HDRI. I always work with the same HDRI and it has lighting that's pretty even on all sides so you get a nice preview of how everything looks without sharp shadows. Once I am done with placing everything and I want to look at how to light it, I bring in a sky texture that I recently bought from a physical atmosphere add-on. I once got a tip from an architectural visualization artist, you want half of the building lid very well and the other half with a bit of shadow so that it feels more like a 3D object. So I tried to achieve that but I didn't want too harsh of a shadow because I want everything to be pretty detailed. I just tried to do that with the sky texture I have, so if you look at my piece you can see that the sun is coming from the right side and that's pretty nicely lit, and the left side has a little bit of shadow. It's not too dark but just dark enough that you can see the 3D shape of the building a little more and it provides a bit more color variation. That's usually what I like to do with every render in terms of lighting. Fox Renderfarm: How do you balance artistic creativity with technical constraints when working on a detailed scene like this one?Kv3D: I know a lot about the program, the assets, and how to change them to my liking. Before I start on a project, I know what my possibilities are, how much Blender I can handle, and what kind of assets I have at my disposal. I don't have unrealistic expectations of the program or anything so I don't run into technical limitations because I keep them in mind when working on a project.Fox Renderfarm: Are there any challenges that you encountered during the process of creation? If so, how did you overcome them?Kv3D: I used four environmental assets from Megascans, like the rocks and the ground, and I pieced them all together. When it came straight out of Blender, you could see that separate objects were overlapping. I could either go in and add many more assets or change them but I think that they were already laid down pretty well. What I do when I have my final image is to use Panes Software, in this case, Krita, which is also free, and you can just put in the render and start painting over it. I used the clone brush to clone parts that are overlapping and make it look like one object. In the end, I didn't hear any critiques about the overlap from Kaizen so I guess I did a good job. So whenever I encounter some difficulties I could either spend a lot of time and effort into changing or trying to fix it in a software. I would likely choose the painting software because it's faster and you don't have to rerun everything.Rendering of a Single Frame © Kv3DRaw Render © Kv3DRaw Render © Kv3DFox Renderfarm: Are there any moments you enjoyed during the creation process? And what was the most memorable?Kv3D: I really like to make the snow shader and I also worked a bit more later on it to improve, which is a shame because I would have liked to use that in this piece as well but that was too late. I like it because that was something new I had to figure out to create this render. There is also the castle scan where I needed some way to cut out the mountains but I still wanted to be able to use it as the shape of the final render so that it looked natural. So I found a way to cut that out nicely, basically just select the castle and use edit mode to give it a separate material. That way I could lower the alpha of the environment, basically make it disappear or be very slightly visible. Then, I could still use it as the layout for my scene and place my assets around the castle. Those were the two parts I had to problem-solve and I enjoyed this process.Fox Renderfarm: How did you become interested in 3D art and what has been your journey in developing your skills?Kv3D: I first started with game development because it seemed like you could easily make ideas come to life with it. However, I quickly found out that it wasn't as visual as I hoped. When I was working on a 3D game and I had to make some assets, everyone suggested Blender. So when I started using Blender, I never returned to game development. I just got more addicted each day. I normally use Blender to challenge myself, such as picking an object out of my room and giving myself one hour to try and re-create that object as quickly and nicely as possible. That's how I learned to work fast. I have participated about 50 times in 3D weekly challenges, and I have been doing 3D for about one and a half to two years, basically, my whole 3D career I've been participating in weekly challenges which made me improve. I've met a lot of like-minded people who can work together and help each other, which allowed me to improve to where I am now.Fox Renderfarm: Have you tried or heard about Fox Renderfarms services before? If so, how do you feel about Fox Renderfarms cloud rendering services? Kv3D: I have heard from a friend who got 3rd place in another challenge and he was interviewed by Fox Renderfarm as well. I think that's the first time Ive heard about it. I would like to use a render farm but I don't render animations that often. But when I'm going to work on a short film that takes a lot of time I would definitely use something like Fox Renderfarm.Fox Renderfarm: Do you have any ongoing projects or future plans at the moment?Kv3D: I want to win more weekly challenges, it sounds kind of stupid but that's kind of the the place where my fire for 3D started. So I really want to get more into it and start winning those. Once I get the hang of it and win a bit more I think I can leave that behind me and go on with some other stuff. I am also still studying to become a preschool teacher, and after I finish studying, I want to pursue this 3D dream of mine. So I'll give myself a half year to see where I can go with 3D to make something more out of it than a hobby hopefully. But for now, this whole year that I still have to study, I want to do just challenges and maybe make something like a little short film.Thanks again to Kv3D for accepting our interview! Wishing new heights in your professional career!Kv3Ds social media:Website: https://kv3design.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kv3design/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kv3d172/


    Call for Submission: New Discord CG challenge 'Dreamscapes'

    Call for Submission: New Discord CG challenge 'Dreamscapes'

    2024-03-15

    Trending

    3D Art Competitions

    The studio polygoniq launched a new CG challenge in their Discord, which is themed Dreamscapes, encouraging 3D artists to submit unique renders inspired by dreaming, which has to include the iconic Ford Victoria car. As the leading cloud rendering service provider and render farm in the CG industry, Fox Renderfarm is honored to offer the render coupon to the winners.Dreamscapes ChallengeTheme: DreamscapesDeadline: 31.03.2024, 12.00pm GMTHow to join?Download the Ford Victoria car model in the DiscordUse your skills to create a visually stunning animation inspired by your dreams, featuring the carDouble check the rules for animation export settingsShare your masterpiece with the community in the Discord submissions forum or alternatively on social media (Check rules in the Discord)Correct formats:Horizontal 1080p 1920x1080px, 16:9, 25 fpsHorizontal 720p 1080x720px, 16:9, 25 fpsVertical 1080x1920px, 9:16, 25 fpsVertical 720x1080px, 9:16, 25 fpsMax. Animation Length 60 secThese resolution settings apply to animations and static renders as well.Join the polygoniq's Discord to learn more. Good luck to all the participants!


    CGandWE Cyber Security Challenge Winners Announce & Critique

    CGandWE Cyber Security Challenge Winners Announce & Critique

    2024-03-14

    Trending

    3D Art Competitions

    CGandWE's latest 3D challenge themed with Cyber Security ended successfully and released the winners list. Fox Renderfarm, as the leading cloud rendering service provider and render farm in the industry, also the long-term partner of CGandWE and the sponsor of this 3D artist platform, witnessed how the challenge unfolded and the outcome. In this article, Izzy, the creator of CGandWE, shares with us the Cyber Security challenge's feedback that he made for every participant. Now let's see the beautiful artworks made by the participants and check who's on the final list of the winners.Critique for Artworks in Cyber Security ChallengeFirst and foremost, I(Izzy) extend my congratulations to all the participants of the CGandWE 3D monthly challenge for February 2024.Here's a brief overview of the contestants' submissions along with some constructive feedback on how I would personally refine the renders further.Let's delve into the submissions, explore, and maybe even discover some new skills along the journey!Daniel TGoogle Password Manager circa 200 BC © Daniel TDaniel T's creation introduces a digital vault concept, which I find intriguing. The inclusion of the green digital humanoid adds depth to the narrative, enhancing the overall concept.In terms of improvement, I would address the repetitive nature of the concrete textures. Additionally, exploring alternative compositions for the camera angle and placement of the digital humanoid could enhance the visual impact further.Daniel T earned a runner up position for the final results!Kay John YimThe Vault © Kay John YimKay John Yim's creation evokes a compelling narrative with its depiction of four soldiers discovering something within a cave. The presence of chains scattered throughout the scene adds an element of secrecy to their findings.Regarding areas for improvement, I would suggest reducing the amount of specular dust surrounding the scene. Additionally, the integration of the rocks with the ground appears somewhat rigid, particularly on the left side of the render. Adding more depth and shaping to this integration could enhance the overall realism. Although I appreciate John's use of red ambient light emanating from the discovered artifact, I would personally suggest extending this effect further into the cave for added immersion.John earned third place position for the final results! Visit his website here: https://johnyim.com/FhoxPAC-MAN © FhoxFhox's creation draws inspiration from the classic Atari game PAC-MAN, cleverly portraying PAC-MAN as cybersecurity entities at work. The use of voxel modeling for PAC-MAN and the enemies adds a unique visual style to the render.While I appreciate Fhox's approach, I believe there's room for further exploration in terms of composition and storytelling. Perhaps depicting PAC-MAN having already navigated through parts of the course could enhance the narrative. Bringing the viewer closer to the action and intimacy with the enemies and PAC-MAN's activities could inject more character and depth into the scene.Fhox earned a runner up position for the final results!ZGC LucaLate at Night at the Cyber Security Office © ZGC LucaZGC Luca's creation effectively communicates a clear storyline. The character lighting a cigarette at work adds subtle yet significant depth to the scene. The attention to detail, evident in the clutter of papers, mugs, and miscellaneous items, showcases ZGC Luca's skill and is greatly appreciated.In terms of constructive feedback, there are minor adjustments that could enhance the overall composition. For instance, reducing the intensity of the light source on the right side of the render by 60% could help separate the paper tray from the background without drawing too much attention to that area. Additionally, chamfering a few more areas, particularly on the table edges, would soften the sharpness and allow for smoother reflection, improving visual aesthetics.ZGC Luca earned first place position for the final results!Civil© CivilCivil's creation of a city protected by a 'FIREWALL' is both clever and fitting, showcasing a thoughtful play on words. While the concept is strong, there are areas where the composition could benefit from further refinement.I appreciate the use of the 'Ants Perspective,' yet symmetry in the foreground wall of the render could enhance visual balance. Additionally, attention to textures is crucial; distortion and blurring in certain areas detract from the overall quality. Manual unwrapping or tiling to fit objects rather than stretching textures could address this issue effectively. These adjustments would contribute to a more polished and cohesive final product.Civil unfortunately did not earn a spot in the top 10, however, I would love to see how Civil progresses in the future!DenysInternet City © DenysDenys' creation, titled 'Internet City,' exudes a vibrant and colorful atmosphere, which adds a playful touch to the scene. The incorporation of current trending media brands' headquarters further enhances its contemporary appeal.While the overall concept is engaging, there are areas that could benefit from refinement. In the foreground, the scene feels somewhat empty, while in the background, the buildings appear congested, potentially due to color clashes. Creating more distance between buildings could improve clarity and visual coherence. Similarly, the blue walkways clash with the blue fog/cloud below the buildings, making them difficult to discern. Addressing these issues would be a good starting point for enhancing the overall composition and readability of the render.Denys earned 4th place position for the final results!Barnus© BarnusBarnus' creation, featuring a secured finger scanner USB entering a Desktop PC, offers an intriguing composition. The inclusion of the fingerprint scanner on the USB adds a unique touch to the scene.However, given that the USB serves as the main centerpiece, I believe more attention to detail could have been beneficial. While the render itself is clean and well-executed, the storytelling aspect could be enhanced to better engage the viewer. By amplifying the narrative elements, such as emphasizing the significance of the USB in the context of cybersecurity or incorporating additional visual cues, the overall impact of the render could be significantly strengthened.Barnus earned a runner up position for the final results!SpagootEncrypt or Decode © SpagootSpagoot's creation, featuring an abstract padlock with a volumetric light radiating from within the keyhole, offers an intriguing visual concept. The method employed for the volumetric light is commendable and adds an atmospheric touch to the scene.However, the overall render could benefit from the addition of more elements to enhance storytelling or ambiance. By incorporating additional visual cues or elements that contribute to the narrative, such as surrounding objects or contextual details, the scene could become more engaging and immersive. This could elevate the impact of the render and create a more compelling visual experience for the viewer.Spagoot unfortunately did not earn a spot in the top 10, however, with more time I am sure Spagoot will continue to progress!Qxt2019The Humanoid Fire Cyborg © Qxt2019Qxt2019's creation, featuring a fire cyborg reading 1's and 0's, presents a compelling visual concept. The incorporation of motion blur on the 1's and 0's adds dynamism to the scene, creating a sense of movement. Additionally, the inverted distortion adds an interesting visual effect.However, there are areas for improvement that could enhance the overall composition. The buildings in the background appear overly dark, detracting from the clarity of the scene. Additionally, the lighting in the windows clashes with the colors of the 1's and 0's, drawing attention away from the main focus of the cyborg and the scene. Addressing these issues, perhaps by adjusting the lighting or color balance, could help to better balance the composition and ensure that the viewer's attention remains on the central elements of the render.Qxt2019 earned a runner up position for the final results!Marzu© MarzuMarzu's creation evokes a Fallout-esque vibe, with an old-school computer stacked on cardboard boxes. The overall composition is solid, and the computer is well-modeled.However, there's room for improvement regarding the specular highlights on the cardboard boxes, which give them an excessive sheen. This effect makes them appear more like plastic than cardboard, which may detract from the desired aesthetic. Adjusting the specular highlights to better match the material properties of cardboard could enhance the realism and cohesion of the scene.Marzu earned a runner up position for the final results!CrayonA Digital Anti-Virus Bot eradicating Viruses © CrayonCrayon's creation, featuring a digital antivirus combating viruses, presents an intriguing concept. The overall render showcases some impressive techniques, yet there is room for improvement in the composition.To enhance the scene, I would suggest adjusting the composition to include more of the viruses and reducing the emphasis on the bullets. Additionally, reducing the overexposed areas on the rocket/gun arms could help balance the visual elements and improve overall readability.By refining the composition and addressing exposure issues, the scene could become more dynamic and better convey the narrative of the antivirus fighting off viruses.Crayon unfortunately did not earn a spot in the top 10, however, I am sure Crayon will be back with vengence!VITALIK_333Tech Security Composition © Vitalik_333Vitalik_333's creation, featuring a motherboard housing a padlock, exudes a stylized and clean aesthetic. The use of metal materials enhances the overall look and feel of the render, contributing to its polished appearance.A notable aspect of the render is the soldered parts on the motherboard, where each solder appears to be the same object duplicated. While this uniformity adds to the overall style and precision of the scene, it may draw attention due to its perfect appearance.Overall, the render is solid, with commendable attention to detail and a cohesive visual style. It effectively communicates the concept of a motherboard housing a padlock while maintaining a polished and stylized presentation.Vitalik_333 earned third place position for the final results!Shincan Nohara© Shincan NoharaShinchan Nohara's creation emits an eerie vibe, featuring smoke, cracked glass, and sparks. These elements add depth to the atmosphere and contribute to the overall moodiness of the scene.However, while these effects enhance the atmospheric quality, the composition may benefit from refinement to better convey the narrative. It's challenging to discern precisely what is happening in the scene, though it appears something has gone awry, possibly resulting in an explosion.To improve clarity, adjusting the composition to emphasize or exaggerate certain elements could help tell the story more effectively. This might involve framing the scene differently or enhancing specific visual cues to provide clearer context for the viewer. By refining the composition, the narrative impact of the render could be significantly enhanced.Shinchan Nohara earned a runner up position for the final results!Once again, congratulations to all participants and CGandWE members! Your creativity shines in every challenge.As we close this one, I'm grateful for your contributions to its success. Stay connected on our Instagram and Discord for future challenges and inspiration.Thank you for being part of this journey. Looking forward to your next creations!Join CGandWE's awesome community to follow up on the next 3D challenge!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgandwe/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cgandweDiscord: https://discord.gg/kyP6bYbV3d


    Blending Imagination and Mastery: Ramond’s 3D Lunar Visions Win Widespread Acclaim

    Blending Imagination and Mastery: Ramond’s 3D Lunar Visions Win Widespread Acclaim

    2024-03-13

    Trending

    Fox Renderfarm Interview

    Ramon, a 20-year-old Brazilian, is a creative force to be reckoned with because of his unwavering love for artistic expression in 3D, 2D, painting, and even video games. He made the decision to immerse himself in the field of 3D artistry less than a year ago in an effort to make his skills a career. His work "Research in Moon", won him an award in Kaizen's Lunar Landscape contest sponsored by Fox Renderfarm, a leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the industry. Ramon's hard work has already paid off spectacularly. The judges were amazed by this young Brazilian's ability to imagine and depict a fanciful lunar scenario with such detail and imagination. Discover the inspirations, techniques, and boundless creativity that enabled Ramon to craft such an impressive 3D lunar environment at just 20 years old.Fox Renderfarm: Hi Ramond! Thank you so much for accepting our interview! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?Ramond: My name is Ramon, I'm 20 years old, I'm from Brazil and I'm kind of passionate about art. Be it 3D, 2D, painting, or even video games haha. Everything in the end is art. A little less than a year ago I decided to study 3D in depth and make it my profession.Fox Renderfarm: What made you want to join the Kaizens Lunar Landscape Challenge, and how did you feel when you found out "Research in Moon" won?Ramond: I really like Kaizen's content on YouTube and when I discovered that he had a discord server that had challenges, and it made me really want to participate. These types of challenges bring many good artists and at the same time that you compete against them, you learn a lot from them. Being there on the podium was incredible for me because I knew there were other incredible submissions, so "beating" them, in a way, was very rewarding.Fox Renderfarm: Could you briefly summarize the project you submitted for the Challenge?Research in Moon © RamondRamond: "Research in Moon" was an idea I had while searching for references on Pinterest and I ended up finding some official NASA photos. So I thought it could be great to go with this idea, trying to recreate something more real since it's the area I've been studying for a few months. He's basically a scientist who's doing research on the moon (ba dum ts), in a The Martian vibe.Fox Renderfarm: Can you walk us through your creative process in conceptualizing and executing "Research in Moon"? How did you start, and how did it evolve?© RamondRamond: Firstly, I wanted to define the style, more realistic, something cartoony or another style. Well, as I've been studying things about realism for almost a year, it makes a lot more sense to choose this for me. Then I went to Pinterest and simply typed in the challenge prompt: "lunar landscapes".I ended up finding official photos of the man on the moon, so I knew that would be my focus. Try to replicate the mood of those old photos. After having this defined, I focused on looking for official photos of NASA and ended up merging them with some that I thought could be imported into the landscape. Finally, I set up the reference board and started working. Then I followed my standard workflow. Blocking, testing the lighting, placing the official actors, and then testing even more to see what can be removed or changedImages sourced from NASAFox Renderfarm: What did you use to make the astronaut, rover, and moon look so real? Any techniques or tools?© RamondRamond: I have to thank his owner on Sketchfab hahaha for the astronaut, very well modeled and textured. Since I don't know much about characters, I had to resort to this. Having the rover wasn't my initial idea, but in some research, I ended up finding NASA's official 3D model website, official models used on expeditions. The texture wasn't the best, so I took advantage of the light I had already defined, as it wasn't a front light, it helped me. Obviously, there was also a lot of post-production, with bloom, lens flare, color adjustments, etc.Fox Renderfarm: How long did it take you to finish "Research in Moon", and what part of making it took the longest? What do you think made it take so long?© RamondRamond: It was quick, in less than 3 days I had finished everything. It wasn't a scene with many elements, of course. What took the longest were the details, positioning of the stones, black level, and post-production in which I messed around a lot until I found the result I wanted.Fox Renderfarm: What were the most significant challenges you faced in achieving such details, and how did you overcome them during the creation of your work?Ramond: To be honest, I didn't have any major challenges in creating the scene itself. The challenge was in the post, as I sent it well before the final date, anxiety started to set in when seeing the other submissions and knowing that there were so many good submissions. So I was in that paranoia: I could have done this, I could have done that to be better... but it happens. It's always normal hahaha.Fox Renderfarm: How did you show the connection between people and rovers exploring space in the context of lunar exploration through your artwork?© RamondRamond: At no other time in history has there been such a strong relationship between man and machine as we have now. Technology that both addicts and blinds us, helps us take important steps in agriculture, health and even exploring new places. In this case the moon. An inhospitable place and anything can kill us. Having a rover on an expedition like this is like having a dog when going hunting. Our ally, friend, our security. Basically what I tried to represent when I included it in the sceneFox Renderfarm: Were there specific AI tools that you used in the creation of your work to achieve such quality? How did these tools contribute to the final visual appeal of the artwork?Ramond: I only used AI tools to create initial ideas, typing the challenge prompt itself, but I didn't even use them in my referencesFox Renderfarm: Are there any moments you enjoyed during the creation process? And what was the most memorable?Ramond: Post-production, for sure. I made the entire scene aware that I would change it a lot even after the final rendering.Fox Renderfarm: Are there specific cultural or natural elements that consistently inspire your work? How do these influences impact your creations?Ramond: Natural elements do not. The artist I am is based on what I consume. Content from other artists, films, games, music, and everything that I think will add to my critical eyeFox Renderfarm: Have you had any experience with Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering services in the past? If you have, what is your opinion of our cloud rendering offerings? Ramond: I had no experience before but I knew the services. As my country's currency is devalued against the dollar, it has never been advantageous for me to buy credits for cloud rendering. But now it will be very useful, I already have a project that I'm working on, which I intend to use Fox to render.Fox Renderfarm: Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring 3D artists? Are there any key lessons or insights that you have learned along your journey?Ramond: It's training. It's about always practicing, studying new techniques, and entering the world of art, always consuming the best. To bring this baggage to our projectsThanks again to Ramond for accepting our interview! Wishing new heights in your professional career!! keep up with your great work.Ramonds instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naustilus/


    From Tamil Nadu to the Moon: The Artistic Journey of 3D Visionary Sanjay

    From Tamil Nadu to the Moon: The Artistic Journey of 3D Visionary Sanjay

    2024-03-12

    Trending

    Fox Renderfarm Interview

    Introducing Sanjay, a gifted and committed 3D artist from Tamil Nadu, India, whose love for VFX and animation has grown gradually since he found Blender in the tenth grade. After four years of creative experience at a prestigious art school, Sanjay has developed an amazing level of adaptability using state-of-the-art programs such as Unreal Engine 5, Houdini, and Maya. His award-winning "Lunar Landscape" piece for Kaizen's challenge, sponsored by Fox Renderfarm, a leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the industry, served as a recent showcase of his skill set. The way Sanjay brought his vivid imagination to life and created an amazing visual experience on the moon's surface mesmerized the judges. Discover the inspiration, methods, and inventive spirit behind this talented young artist's outstanding lunar depiction.Fox Renderfarm: Hello, Sanjay! We're grateful for your willingness to participate in our interview. Would you mind giving our readers a brief introduction about yourself?© SanjaySanjay: Hello everyone, I am Sanjay, a dedicated student hailing from Tamil Nadu, India, currently immersed in the dynamic realms of animation and VFX at an esteemed art school and having 4 years of experience in the creative field. My journey with Blender commenced in grade 10 as a mere hobby, evolving into a profound passion that has now become the focal point of my career aspirations.The transformation of my imaginative concepts into tangible visual experiences brings me immense joy and satisfaction as an artist. In addition to mastering Blender, I continually refine my skills in other cutting-edge software such as Unreal Engine 5, SideFX Houdini, and Autodesk Maya, ensuring a versatile and comprehensive skill set.I owe a debt of gratitude to my mother, whose unwavering support and encouragement have been a constant source of motivation during moments of self-doubt. Her positive influence has been instrumental in guiding me toward a path of success and achievement.Fox Renderfarm: Achieving recognition in the 'Kaizen's Lunar Landscape Challenge' represents a notable accomplishment. What inspired your involvement, and what were your emotions upon discovering that your efforts surpassed those of others?Sanjay: I have extensively immersed myself in the wealth of knowledge offered by Kaizen's YouTube videos, absorbing valuable insights that have significantly enriched my understanding. My journey with Kaizen extended beyond passive learning when I enthusiastically participated in the Salvaged Space Challenge, marking my inaugural entry into the competitive realm curated by Kaizen.Despite my initial disappointment in not securing a spot among the top nine entries, I embraced the constructive feedback provided by Kaizen, recognizing it as a crucial tool for growth. This feedback not only guided me in rectifying my errors but also served as an inspiration to eagerly take on the Lunar Landscape Challenge.The culmination of my efforts reached a pinnacle of joy when my render was announced as the third-place winner during the livestream. This recognition validated the dedication and hard work I invested in making my creation truly iconic. I am grateful for the learning experiences and the affirmations received from Kaizen's challenges, propelling me further along my artistic journey.Fox Renderfarm: Can you give a quick rundown of the project "Lunar Treat" you entered for the 'Kaizen's Lunar Landscape Challenge'?Sanjay: In the Lunar Landscape challenge, my objective was to craft a visually striking and unique scene. I envisioned an astronaut crew with a playful twist a dog on the moon's surface. Initially considering a bone as an element to place aside, but I opted for a more impactful choice by placing a spaghetti, injecting humor and interest into the composition. After conceptualizing, I sourced assets from Sketchfab and meticulously constructed the scene in Blender, ensuring a captivating and distinctive entry.Clay Render © SanjayFox Renderfarm: Can you walk us through the creative process behind your work, from conceptualization to final execution? Do you have any standard working pipeline?Sanjay: Conceptualization - Inspired by the desire for uniqueness, I envisioned a scenario where a dog, seamlessly integrated into the astronaut crew, traverses the moon's surface. To add a touch of humor and intrigue, I initially considered placing a bone beside the dog. However, after careful consideration, I realized that this element lacked the desired impact. This creative choice not only injected a sense of playfulness into the scene but also elevated the overall visual appeal.Opting for a more engaging and unexpected element, I introduced a whimsical twist by placing a spaghetti instead.Assets creation - Some of the objects needed to model and for the landscape Ive used Geogen which is one of the most powerful software for creating landscapes with multiple variants. The planets behind the moons surface are also created using geogen. I used Houdini to make a fluid simulation of a soup in spaghetti and imported it into a blender in an alembic format (.abc). Also, I sourced some of the assets in the marketplace and got some of them from sketchfab as per my desire.Staging - After getting the collection of all meshes I started to stage them in the scene so that there would be a visual balance to the scene.Assigning materials and textures - Even though the meshes downloaded from sketchfab have textures it is necessary to tweak some adjustments so that they can nicely blend into the scene and also have a proper impact when we add lighting to the scene. It's also very important to assign appropriate materials and textures to the meshes which we modeled and they should make sense with the scene.Lighting - For lighting the scene I used various lights such as key light, rim light, ambient light, fill light, and some point lights as well. It is completely up to our imagination how we enhance the scene with lights and also its utilization has a huge impact in enhancing the visuals.Rendering - Before rendering the scene I made some adjustments to the camera parameters in the blender like tweaking DOP (Depth of Field) values, Focal length, and rotations. I have also added some volumetric fog to create much depth to the scene. Then I rendered the scene in a PNG format in 4k resolution at a sample rate of 4090.Post-processing - This is where the magic takes place. I used Adobe Photoshop for color correction of the rendered output which enhances the art piece by making it look vibrant and attractive.Fluid Simulation (Particle Fluid) © SanjayFluid Simulation (Fluid Mesh) © SanjayViewport render (Solid Render) © SanjayRender Test © Sanjay(without post-process and fluid simulation)Final Output | Lunar Treat © SanjayFox Renderfarm: What inspired you to incorporate a dog into your depiction of lunar exploration in "Lunar Treat"?Sanjay: Upon learning about the "Lunar Landscape" challenge, my immediate inspiration drew from the poignant story of Laika, the Soviet space dog. Laika, a stray mongrel from Moscow, became one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth aboard Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. Struck by the sadness of her narrative, I aimed to recreate this historical incident in a positive light. Injecting humor and joy into the scene, my goal was to transform the somber tone into an engaging and interesting visual narrative with my creativity and imagination.Fox Renderfarm: Can you tell me how long it took to go from the initial idea to the finished product, and which part of the process took up the most time? What factors contributed to this time investment?Sanjay: It took me around Two days to Complete the Lunar Treat and usually the staging and rendering part takes more time to finish the final one.Fox Renderfarm: Were there any particular challenges you encountered while working on this piece, and if so, how did you overcome them?Sanjay: No, I have not encountered any challenges while working on this but sometimes we have to face challenges technically or mentally that make us disappointed. In those situations, we have to think positively and try to find the right solution that helps us overcome those challenges. Fox Renderfarm: The presence of the dog with a bowl of noodles adds a whimsical touch to the scene. Can you elaborate on the significance or symbolism behind this unexpected element?Sanjay: Initially considering a bone for the scene, I found the concept lacking visual impact and personal satisfaction. After contemplating for several hours, inspiration struck when I encountered a noodle advertisement on my mobile phone. This led to a creative breakthrough, prompting the substitution of the bone with a bowl of noodles. The revised concept not only addressed the visual impact issue but also infused the scene with a unique and engaging element, elevating the overall appeal of the entryFox Renderfarm: Did you utilize particular AI tools in crafting "Lunar Treat" to attain its acclaimed quality? How did the integration of these tools enhance the visual allure of the artwork's final rendition?Sanjay: I did not employ any Artificial Intelligence tools in crafting "Lunar Treat." As an artist, my approach is rooted in a personal creative process, and I hold reservations about utilizing AI-generated content. The essence of art, for me, lies in individual expression and the emotional connection embedded in the artist's work. While some AI tools may offer convenience, I prioritize the authenticity and originality that stem from my own creative endeavors, steering clear of relying on pre-existing works blended by AI algorithms.Fox Renderfarm: Can you share a specific breakthrough moment or discovery you had during the creation of "Lunar Treat" that significantly influenced the final outcome?Sanjay: Certainly, the pivotal decision to incorporate a dog in the lunar landscape scene, accompanied by a bowl of noodles, marked a breakthrough moment in the creation process. This strategic choice not only rendered my entry unique but also elevated its engagement factor significantly. The inclusion of the dog, coupled with the whimsical addition of noodles, injected a sense of humor and joy into the scene, fostering a vibrant and captivating environment. This deliberate creative decision aimed not only to stand out but also to resonate with viewers on an emotional and lighthearted levelFox Renderfarm: Can you share with us about your favorite projects or pieces you've worked on, and what made them particularly enjoyable or fulfilling for you?Top 100 3D Renders from the Internets Largest CG Challenge | YouTube © PwnisherSanjay: For me, one of the favorite projects I have worked on is Pwnishers Alternate Reality challenge this was my first ever community challenge in which I have participated. This challenge opened up a gateway to the 3D community and I have learned so much knowledge from it and also encountered a lot of challenges during the working process.Fox Renderfarm: Are there specific cultural or natural elements that consistently inspire your work? How do these influences manifest in your creations?Sanjay: Indeed, my creative process is profoundly influenced by nature, with a particular focus on animals. I find inspiration in the unique properties and behaviors of various species, often gleaning fresh ideas through careful observation. Additionally, my travels serve as a wellspring of inspiration, as I keenly observe the surrounding environment. This exploration helps me grasp the diverse habitats and cultures of different species, informing my understanding of their natural worlds.One of my creative techniques involves crafting imaginary stories from the photographs I capture during my travels. This approach not only enhances my storytelling abilities but also fuels the generation of creative ideas, allowing me to weave narratives inspired by the rich tapestry of the natural worldFox Renderfarm: Have you ever utilized Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering services previously? If so, what are your thoughts on the cloud rendering solutions they offer?Sanjay: While I haven't personally utilized Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering services yet, I've gained insights into their efficiency and benefits. Recognized as one of the most user-friendly platforms, it provides a seamless solution for rendering complex scenes that often demand extended processing time on local machines. The prospect of accelerating rendering times through this service is particularly appealing, promising a more efficient and productive workflow.In my upcoming projects, I intend to leverage Fox Renderfarm to streamline my rendering process. The convenience it offers is invaluable, ensuring the timely completion of rendering tasks and eliminating the risk of missing deadlines. This strategic integration into my workflow aligns with my commitment to optimizing efficiency and delivering high-quality results in a time-sensitive professional environmentFox Renderfarm: Finally, from your perspective, what emerging technologies or tools do you believe will have the most significant impact on the future of 3D art?Sanjay: Even Though I hate using AI tools in workflows, I think it will have a great impact in the future. Some of the AI tools are really handy for artists to complete tedious works but some might replace the artist's works like rotoscoping, tracking, concept art, and many more. It would be a great tool until we use it for pre-visualization purposes only, not for the final results.Thanks again to Sanjay for accepting our interview! Wishing new heights in your professional career! keep up with your great work.Sanjays social media:Linkedin : linkedin.com/in/sanjay-s-759145229Instagram: www.instagram.com/mss_animation


    Discover How Framestore Crafts "Spaghettification" Visual Effects in 'Loki Season 2'

    Discover How Framestore Crafts "Spaghettification" Visual Effects in 'Loki Season 2'

    2024-03-11

    Trending

    VFX

    Receiving widespread discussion and positive reviews from critics, Loki Season 2, the latest installment of Marvel Studios cosmic adventure, delivered a mind-blowing finale that opened the doors to the multiverse. In the new season, Loki (portrayed by Tom Hiddleston) finds himself embroiled in a fierce struggle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Teaming up with Mobius, Hunter B-15, and an array of both fresh and familiar faces, he ventures into the continually expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes, and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose. Image from Marvel StudiosNot only a narrative triumph, the series is also a visual effects masterpiece which is a part of its success. It was nominated for the VES Award for Best VFX and the VES Award for Best Effects Simulation in 2024. Congrats! The talented London team of Framestore delivered circa 250 visual effects shots for the show, supported by tracking services from the studio in Mumbai. According to Framestore, an efficient plan was necessary to accommodate the visual demands of the series, which ranged from the neverending 1970s office expanse of the TVA to intricate 'time slipping' glitch simulations with heavy FX usage. Framestore Pre-Production Services (FPS) provided pre-vis, post-vis, and tech-vis for the series in its entirety. Their visual development team nailed down the concept and handed the torch to their pre-production department, who planned all the sequences in pre-vis. Once filmed, the scenes then went through a second round of vis-dev, into postvis, and then over to the visual effects artists to create the final shot.Spaghettification VFX breakdown in Loki S2 by FramestoreAmong all the VFX they made in the series, one of the standout effect simulations is spaghettification, which was a technical challenge. This phenomenon, which results from the disruption of time and space, involves objects decomposing into threads of time. Head of Visual Development Owen Jackson sheds some light on their process - they started with an exploration of concepts, just like with the time slipping, saying, FPS then planned out the sequences in pre-vis, and for the most part we shot the record store and other Spaghettification sequences one for one with the pre-vis. It was an excellent foundation. Subsequently, they proceeded with the second round of visual development - utilizing EXR scans directly from the set and implementing a new round of visual development using actual shots. Jackson concludes, "Ultimately we delivered a very polished round of concepts in VisDev phase 2 for both Time slipping and Spaghettification.Loki Season 2 features the reappearance of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) headquarters filled with endless cubicles. Framestores team further developed the setting originally crafted in Loki's first season, envisioning how the environment would appear within the variant timelines that he explores. Besides, as Loki strives to untangle the rapidly expanding multivariate universes, he is dragged between different times, and his physical form will be instantly distorted, which is so-called time-slipping. Framestore delivered about 50 time slip shots, and each one is uniquely handcrafted. Pre-visualisation, post visualisation & final shot of TVA (image from Framestore)Learn more on Framestores case study of Loki Season 2.Source: FramestoreTo speed up the rendering of animation and visual effects, cloud rendering plays an important role in it. Fox Renderfarm, the leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the CG industry, has provided cloud rendering services to countless visual effects and animation studios, allowing our users to get the best quality results in the shortest time. Try our $25 free trial now to speed up the rendering of your 3D projects now!


    Eddi Shin: The 3D Artist Who Preserves Nature's Magnificence

    Eddi Shin: The 3D Artist Who Preserves Nature's Magnificence

    2024-03-07

    Trending

    Fox Renderfarm Interview

    Get to know Eddi Shin, a 3D artist in South Korea, who has been nominated for the Viz Pro of the Year category in the CGArchitect 3D Awards 2023, which is sponsored by Fox Renderfarm, a leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the industry. He is the co-founder of EDDIVZ3D, a studio that specializes in creating realistic and immersive images of natural phenomena. His fascination with nature began when he was a child, and he has never stopped exploring and experimenting with different ways to express it in 3D. He believes that 3D art can evoke powerful emotions and connect with the viewers on a deeper level.Discover Eddi Shin's methods, sources of inspiration, and perspective on the direction of 3D art with us.Fox Renderfarm: Hi Eddi Shin! Thank you so much for accepting our interview! Could you please introduce yourself and your team to our readers?Eddi Shin: Hello. My name is Eddi Shin and I am working as a 3D Artist in South Korea. We founded EDDIVZ3D with art director Jin Park. We are very curious about all phenomena that occur in nature and constantly develop ways to express them in 3D so that they blend in with the viewer's emotions and create a deep impression. Jin Park, an architect and art director, oversees our concept, production, and quality, while I, a 3D Artist, am responsible for modeling, lookdev, and workflow improvement.Fox Renderfarm: It's fantastic to see your work recognized with a 'Viz Pro of the Year' nomination at the CGArchitect 3D Awards 2023! How does it feel to be celebrated for your achievements?Eddi Shin: Thank you for your congratulations. It was a very surprising and grateful thing for us. And I think it will be a great help in our future journey and CGArchitect and the Fox Renderfarm team for creating this interview opportunity.Fox Renderfarm: Could you give us a brief overview of the project that you brought to the CGArchitect 3D Awards 2023?Wooden Bridge © Eddi ShinEddi Shin: This is a wooden bridge designed by LUO Studio. First of all, We became interested in the fact that this bridge was made of natural wood rather than a concrete structure. The nature-friendly design, such as the roof and arch structure that takes into account the natural environment of this place, where there is a lot of precipitation and water transportation such as ferries, was a great inspiration to us.Fox Renderfarm: Could you please tell us about your pipeline for this work? And how long did it take you?Eddi Shin: Modeling© Eddi ShinWood Material© Eddi ShinTerrain & River© Eddi ShinVegetation© Eddi ShinLighting© Eddi Shin© Eddi ShinClay Rendering© Eddi ShinFox Renderfarm: The lighting in this artwork creates a very specific atmosphere. Can you talk about how you achieved this effect and what you wanted to evoke in the viewer?Eddi Shin: During the concept creation process, Jin Park presented the theme of peace and calm, and based on that, we began to develop a specific look using the sky and sun. I think the sky we see every day is a great reference, offering numerous variations by time of day and season. So we construct scenarios by observing characteristics that occur in nature to create a specific atmosphere.Fox Renderfarm: How did you ensure the wooden texture appeared realistic and detailed across such a large structure?Eddi Shin: I try to analyze and understand the original characteristics of wood, and I enjoy the process of developing a look based on references. Color matching, scratches, dirt, and edgewear were mixed without excessive use of Composite Node, and UV Unwrap was used for the lower arch wood.Fox Renderfarm: The reflection of the bridge on the water's surface is quite striking. What techniques did you use to render the water so realistically?Eddi Shin: Thank you. We tried to realistically express the depth, reflection, and wave shape of the water. In particular, Houdini's Ocean Spectrum was used to express the water spectrum reflected by the bridge on the water in the geometry.Fox Renderfarm: In what ways did this project push the boundaries of your skills or allow you to explore new techniques?Eddi Shin: We strive to expand our skills by exploring new technologies and incorporating them into our workflows. The terrain and river for this project were built using Houdini's Height Field and Ocean Spectrum, and this was our first time incorporating Houdini into our workflow. Although Houdini has a steep learning curve, I think it is software that offers many possibilities to 3D artists.Fox Renderfarm: Have you had any experience with Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering services in the past? If you have, what is your opinion of our cloud rendering offerings? Eddi Shin: Unfortunately not yet. I plan to use the render points from Fox Renderfarm, which I received as a prize from this CGArchitect Nominee, in my next project.Fox Renderfarm: Do you have any ongoing projects or future plans at the moment?Eddi Shin: We're currently working on a commercial project, so I'm not sure when, but we're planning an animation set in ancient Rome. Technically, we're trying to incorporate Houdini's Karma XPU into our workflow based on Pixar's USD.Fox Renderfarm: Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring 3D artists? Are there any key lessons or insights that you have learned along your journey?Eddi Shin: From the time I started doing 3D visualization until now, I have been getting a lot of information and help from watching the "Making of" of many seniors. This CGArchitect Noiminee was an opportunity for me to share my experience with other artists. If I had the chance, it would be nice to be able to give back what I had received. Thank you again to the Fox Renderfarm team for creating this opportunity and to Ellen for her specific and sincere questions.Thanks again to Eddi Shin for accepting our interview! Wishing new heights in your professional career!Eddi Shins social media:Website: https://eddiviz3d.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddiviz3d/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eddiviz3dArtstation: https://www.artstation.com/eddivizBehance:https://www.behance.net/eddiviz3d


    Joshua Halford: The 3D Artist Who Breaks the Boundaries of Car Rendering

    Joshua Halford: The 3D Artist Who Breaks the Boundaries of Car Rendering

    2024-03-07

    Trending

    Fox Renderfarm Interview

    Discover more about Josh, a UK-based 3D artist with ten years of experience in the computer-generated imagery field. With his piece "Buggy Race", a clever and funny portrayal of a spider piloting a stick-built vehicle propelled by snails, he just won the Car Render Challenge 2023, which is sponsored by Fox Renderfarm, a leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the industry. His work was unique and innovative compared to the other entrants. His primary area of interest is product visualization, but he also likes working on side projects that test his creativity and abilities. He finds inspiration in the natural world and in films such as "Planet Earth".Join us in finding out more about Joshs background, his techniques, and his vision for the future of 3D art.Fox Renderfarm: Hi Joshua! Thank you so much for accepting our interview! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?Joshua Halford: My name is Josh, originally from the UK, but currently residing in Amsterdam. I've been a professional 3D artist for about 10 years now, primarily specializing in product visualization. In my spare time, I indulge in personal projects like the one I did for the competition. Additionally, I enjoy woodworking, making furniture, playing video games, engaging with Lego sets, and playing board games. I also have a passion for going on bike rides around the Netherlands and, whenever possible, indulging in snowboarding, although opportunities are limited due to the absence of mountains in the vicinity.Fox Renderfarm: Winning first place in the Car Render Challenge 2023 is a significant achievement. What motivated you to participate, and how did you feel when you learned that "Buggy Race" had clinched the top spot? Buggy Race © Joshua HalfordThe Project Car © Joshua HalfordJoshua Halford: So, I actually entered the competition last year as well, but unfortunately, I didn't win anything. After seeing all the amazing entries that took the top spots, I realized that what I submitted might not have been creative enough. That's why I was determined to give it another shot this year, aiming for something quite different from what people might expect. Learning that I won was incredibly exciting because I genuinely had doubts about my entry being accepted, considering it was quite far-fetched for a car. So, it was a delightful surprise for me. A lot of effort went into it, so it was really gratifying to see that all that work paid off in the end.Fox Renderfarm: Can you walk us through the creative process behind "Buggy Race", from conceptualization to final execution, and how did you come up with the idea of arachnids/spider racing on a moonlit forest floor?Breakdown process of snail © Joshua HalfordJoshua Halford: After my submission last year, I decided that I wanted to create something quite different. I already had in mind that I wanted to incorporate natural elements because a car, by nature, is very artificial, and veering towards nature would be unexpected. I have a passion for macro-photography and anything related to the intricate details found in things, so I was drawn to the idea of portraying insects. Initially, I considered depicting a beetle driving a wooden car with regular wheels. However, while watching Planet Earth with my girlfriend, we came across a segment featuring Cuban racing snails with striking racing stripes and vibrant colors reminiscent of racing car decals. This inspired me to use snails to power the car. From there, I began conceptualizing ideas for the chassis. Although I initially wanted to utilize AI to assist with this, I found it challenging due to the lack of online references for such imagery. Instead, I turned to real buggy and tubular chassis designs used in motorsports. Using 3D Studio Max, I sketched out the dimensions and incorporated the snails in a naturalistic manner. Developing a workflow became essential. Originally, I planned to gather sticks from local forests, scan them, and deform them into shape, but realizing the enormity of the task, I explored using Houdini's procedural modeling capabilities. Despite being new to it, I found it to be a valuable tool and began experimenting with generating sticks from splines, leading to the evolution of the concept.Fox Renderfarm: Do you have some sort of standard working pipeline or procedures that help you to build and develop your work?Joshua Halford: With my personal projects, I'm quite free in how I approach them because I enjoy having an idea and striving to achieve the end result as closely as possible. However, there are often challenges along the way, things I don't know how to do or unexpected issues arise, requiring me to adapt my workflow frequently. This differs from my day job, where we follow a much stricter working pipeline. I appreciate this balance; while the structured pipeline ensures smooth operations at work, for my personal projects, I prefer to figure things out independently and develop my own workflow along the way. I find this approach beneficial as it exposes me to various techniques, even if some don't pan out as expected. Despite encountering failures, these experiences provide insight into potential future applications of those techniques. For this project, I extensively utilized custom HDAs and Python scripts in Houdini, skills that will undoubtedly prove useful in future endeavors. The process was quite fluid; I experimented with numerous approaches, many of which didn't succeed initially, but through iteration and adaptation, I eventually found solutions that worked. Overall, it was an enjoyable journey of exploration and discovery, albeit one that deviated from the conventional route.Fox Renderfarm: "Buggy Race" features a moonlit forest with glowing mushrooms and plants. How did you approach creating the atmosphere and lighting to convey the surreal and magical ambiance of the scene?Behind The Scene I Moonlit forest © Joshua HalfordJoshua Halford: The lighting setup in the scene is relatively straightforward, comprising only a physical sun, an HDRI of a forest, and a fill light on the right-hand side to soften shadows. Initially, I didn't plan for the moonlit foggy atmosphere, but during the rendering process, my girlfriend suggested adding fog, which sparked a significant shift in direction. Originally, I envisioned a photorealistic piece that was absurd enough to be obviously unreal, but midway through, it lacked excitement and felt clinical. Embracing her suggestion, I adjusted the color palette to a cooler tone, introduced glowing spores for contrast, and heavily relied on post-production, particularly in Nuke, to achieve the desired effect. This approach pushed the limits of what could be achieved solely in the rendering engine. Drawing from my experience with Nuke in my day job, I knew how to manipulate the raw renders to match my vision. Despite the deviation from the initial concept, the project took on a more mystical and magical quality, enhancing its overall impact. Also, I drew inspiration from a lot of Pixar's work while creating the project, contemplating how their talented artists would approach a similar task. Their films served as a significant source of inspiration for me during the creative process.Fox Renderfarm: The use of snails as the driving force behind the buggy is quite unique. What inspired you to choose snails, and how did you incorporate their characteristics into the design of the vehicles? Pimp My Ride © MTVJoshua Halford: As I mentioned earlier, the inspiration for the project came from watching Planet Earth and seeing the Cuban-painted snails. Their vibrant colors and unique appearance reminded me of the flashy style from the old 90s show "Pimp My Ride." Incorporating them into the car design added a touch of bling, and their vibrant colors would enhance the overall image. Additionally, using snails as wheels eliminated the need for a complex steering mechanism, allowing me to keep the chassis simple. The concept of snails autonomously moving the car, akin to a horse, which seemed plausible and added a humorous twist, considering snails are known for their slow pace. This idea allowed for a blend of imagination and humor, where a slow-moving animal became the driving force behind something resembling a racing car. Ultimately, this concept offered endless possibilities for creativity, with my imagination being the only limit.Behind The Scene I Snails as driving force © Joshua HalfordFox Renderfarm: Could you share the duration it took to bring this piece from concept to its final rendered form and highlight which aspect of the process consumed the most time? What contributed to this time investment?Behind The Scene I Creating process of spider © Joshua HalfordJoshua Halford: It took me a little over two months to complete the project, during which I dedicated a significant amount of time and effort. With a four-day working week, I utilized my days off to focus intensively on the project. Moreover, with the quiet winter season in the city, I devoted many hours during weekends and evenings to it as well. The most time-consuming aspect was creating the spider, mainly because it involved unfamiliar territory for me. Character work isn't something I typically do at my job, so it was a steep learning curve. While I had prior experience with Zbrush for personal projects, rigging and grooming the spider were entirely new to me. I drew a lot of inspiration from a Samsung advert featuring a brilliantly crafted spider from a couple of years ago, aiming to achieve a similar level of quality. This led me to invest a significant amount of time in watching grooming tutorials across various software packages, not just in Houdini. In hindsight, I may have gone a bit overboard with the details, but it was a part of the project that I thoroughly enjoyed. It presented a refreshing challenge compared to my past work, and I found myself deeply absorbed in it. Moreover, I'm also a stickler for details in my job, often spending perhaps a bit too much time on them, but it's something the clients appreciate, even if the producers sometimes don't. Over the two months I spent on this project, the rendering process was quite intensive. I rendered it at 5k resolution, which took approximately 12 hours, and some of the other passes rendered in around 30 minutes. However, rendering the volumetrics was extremely time-consuming, taking three to four days. I had to plan for this lengthy rendering time and conducted test renders along the way. Simultaneously, I worked on sorting out the post-production in Nuke, building scripts and deciding what additional elements I needed from Houdini to enhance the final result in Nuke. Initially, I started with lower-quality test renders overnight, but I was taken aback by how long the full-resolution rendering was taking, especially for the volumetric effects. There were moments when I worried it wouldn't finish in time, but fortunately, it all worked out in the end.Behind The Scene I Creating process of spider © Joshua HalfordFox Renderfarm: Samuel Winter praised the level of detail in every part of the image. What were the most significant challenges you faced in achieving such intricate detailing, and how did you overcome them during the creation of "Buggy Race"?Joshua Halford: The main challenge I encountered was managing memory usage. While Houdini offers an excellent instancing workflow that was incredibly useful, the numerous textures I used began to overwhelm the memory during rendering, all of which were in 4K resolution. I had to optimize as much as possible and streamline various aspects of the project. One compromise I had to make was with the sticks on the buggy. Initially, I used displacement maps, but due to memory constraints, I had to switch to bump maps. While this compromise wasn't significant, it still felt like a loss of detail, especially in high-resolution test renders. Additionally, I had to combine textures to reduce the number of texture files. Although the sticks were individually baked, I grouped them and arranged their UVs in a loop in Houdini to bake them into a single texture, resulting in 36 4K textures. This process involved a lot of back and forth, which was concerning given the time constraints, but necessary to ensure the project could be rendered successfully. Fortunately, I received advice from colleagues to render the scene in V-Ray standalone instead of Houdini to significantly reduce memory usage. Although it required some adjustments to the pipeline, primarily scripting to bake the scene out to a V-Ray file, it proved to be a worthwhile solution.Fox Renderfarm: The title "Buggy Race" suggests movement and action. How did you capture a sense of dynamic motion in a static digital rendering, and what techniques did you employ to convey the excitement of a race?Joshua Halford: Yeah, that was actually a challenging aspect because it was a still image, and I wanted it to convey a sense of speed, which added to the humor of the image with the snails appearing to move quickly. I experimented with a few approaches. Initially, I planned to incorporate motion blur into the image, but the memory constraints became an issue, preventing me from rendering motion blur directly. I considered adding it in post-production, but it didn't work well in Nuke and compromised the intricate details I had meticulously crafted. So, I decided against using motion blur in the end. Instead, I posed the car to simulate a drift, a visual cue associated with speed. I also utilized dramatic camera angles, with a low perspective and a short lens, to enhance the sense of scale and velocity. Additionally, I included subtle details like dust trails and debris flying off the snail, some of which had a hint of motion blur. Despite these efforts, achieving the desired sense of movement was challenging. As soon as I attempted to add blur, I realized it detracted from the painstaking work I had put into the details.Fox Renderfarm: Were there specific AI-powered rendering techniques or tools that you incorporated into the creation of "Buggy Race" to achieve the praised rendering quality? How did these tools contribute to the final visual appeal of the artwork?Volkswagen Beetle Car © VolkswagenJoshua Halford: I did utilize some AI tools initially for concepting, but they didn't quite meet my expectations. It could have been due to the prompts I provided not being precise enough. One amusing observation was that whenever I mentioned "car" and "bug" together, it would generate a Volkswagen Beetle consistently. This required me to be cautious with the language I used to describe my vision. Despite this, some of the generated images helped me refine certain aspects of my concept. However, I didn't rely on AI for rendering the final image. The only AI tool I used was Adobe Firefly to create the decal on the car's wing. Since I'm not proficient in illustration, I requested it to generate a hand-drawn shell spoof logo, which turned out quite well. The only drawback was that it struggled with text, often misspelling words, so I had to edit it manually later. Nonetheless, it saved me a significant amount of time, as illustrating a logo would have taken several hours.Although it may seem like a minor detail, it greatly enhanced the image. Overall, I find AI tools beneficial because they allow me to delegate tasks I'm not skilled at or interested in, freeing up more time for creativity. While there are certainly pros and cons, I believe the advantages outweigh the drawbacks, as they enable me to achieve decent results quickly, leaving room for more creative exploration.Fox Renderfarm: Can you share with us about your favorite projects or pieces you've worked on, and what made them particularly enjoyable or fulfilling for you?Joshua Halford: I really enjoyed working on this project; it's definitely one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite. It went reasonably smoothly and came together in a good way. It was one of those projects where I felt genuinely excited to see the end result as I worked on it. Everything seemed to fall into place, and I never questioned my decisions or sanity, which was a relief. The whole process motivated me to reach the finish line eagerly anticipating how it would turn out.Lego Star Wars animation © Joshua HalfordRegarding my experience with Houdini, I'm fairly new, having used it for just over a year and a half. One of the first personal projects I took on was a Lego Star Wars animation, which I haven't finished yet due to this competition. I enjoyed it because I had to devise a way to build Lego geometry based on an input file, such as creating asteroids from rock geometry. It was a departure from traditional modeling, more like solving a puzzle, which I found engaging. Many techniques I developed for that project, like using Python scripts to copy lights to points, were applicable to the buggy race project. In Houdini, it's challenging to use multiple lights at an object level, so I had to write scripts to copy lights to points and drive their attributes, similar to what I did for the glowing spores in the buggy race.Lego Star Wars animation © Joshua HalfordWorking on personal projects allows me to learn unconventional techniques that I wouldn't explore within my job's strict pipeline. For instance, I experimented with creating atmospheric volumetric effects for the Lego animation, which I reused in the buggy race project. It's satisfying to develop tools and techniques that can be repurposed across different projects. I'm fortunate that I had already developed many of these tools before the competition, saving me time and effort during the project.Fox Renderfarm: Are there specific cultural or natural elements that consistently inspire your work? How do these influences manifest in your creations?Joshua Halford: I've always been intrigued by photography, especially macro photography, because it reveals the intricate details of nature that often go unnoticed. I follow numerous Instagram accounts dedicated to capturing macro shots of mushrooms and other subjects. This fascination with the hidden beauty in everyday scenes served as significant inspiration for my work. I was drawn to the idea that even the most mundane objects hold a wealth of captivating detail, waiting to be discovered.Nike I Air Max Kids © ManvsMachineRegarding artists who inspire me, ManvsMachine is undoubtedly at the top of my list. The artists there possess an exceptional eye for detail, creating works that are not only technically impressive but also artistically stunning. Their creations stand out as true art, blending technical prowess with creative brilliance. Additionally, as I've delved deeper into learning Houdini, I've gained a newfound appreciation for how mathematics and coding can be harnessed in art. While I was initially awestruck by the detailed work in programs like ZBrush, learning Houdini has shown me how mathematical concepts can be creatively applied to produce visually captivating results. Overall, I have a deep appreciation for various artists and art forms, but there are certainly a few that leave a lasting impression on me.Fox Renderfarm: Have you had any experience with Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering services in the past? If you have, what is your opinion of our cloud rendering offerings? Joshua Halford: I don't have any experience with your render service at the moment, but I certainly plan to use it since I now have some credits for my personal projects. I haven't used cloud rendering services much before because I typically render on my own computer, even though it can take a long time. Usually, there's no strict deadline, so it's manageable. In my studio, we sometimes resort to cloud rendering when our render farm is overloaded, but it's not a common practice. However, I do recognize that cloud rendering services are fantastic, especially when you need something rendered by a specific time.Using a cloud rendering service would be a significant advantage for me. One of the challenges I faced in this project was not so much rendering, but rather Houdini's process of building the geometry. To achieve all the intricate details, I had to adopt a workflow where I create a high-resolution mesh and then bake textures to a low-resolution mesh, similar to Zbrush. This process, done within Houdini, can become quite slow, especially when working with numerous nodes and loops, as you can see here. My computer would often take ages to complete tasks like caching and baking textures, sometimes even up to three days. Having access to a cloud rendering service would undoubtedly be a huge time-saver, especially for freelancers like me who often work with tight deadlines. Being able to push tasks overnight and knowing they'll be completed by morning would be incredibly beneficial.Fox Renderfarm: Finally, with the rapid advancement of technology, how do you envision the future trends in 3D art, especially considering your experience in winning the Car Render Challenge 2023?Joshua Halford: I think, as I mentioned before, AI is going to have a significant impact. The Pandora's box is already open, and we're witnessing drastic changes in the industry because of it. Some people might worry that there won't be any jobs in the future, but I don't believe that will be the case. Artists will always be needed; it's just a matter of the tools we use. One major benefit I see is the continuous release of new AI models almost daily. Many of these can greatly benefit people with limited experience or time, particularly in labor-intensive tasks like texturing and retopology. In my opinion, these tasks are less about creativity and more about technical execution, so AI can handle them, allowing artists to focus on creativity. Regarding any dreams or extra thoughts, I'd advise keeping up with current technology as it's advancing rapidly. Learning new programs, like how I ventured into Houdini alongside 3D Studio Max and Maya, can open up many opportunities. Each software platform has its strengths, so don't feel tied to just one. Embrace learning new things, even programming and scripting, as they can be creatively empowering. Writing Python scripts, for example, is a creative process in its own right, albeit not visually. As a professional, it's incredibly beneficial because it allows you to leverage the power of computers to work for you.Thanks again to Joshua Halford for accepting our interview! Wishing new heights in your professional career! keep up with your great work.Joshua Halfords social media:Behance: https://www.behance.net/joshhalford91Website: https://justjoshing91.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-halford-71a100116/


    The Young Genius of 3D Art: Haider Ali’s Story

    The Young Genius of 3D Art: Haider Ali’s Story

    2024-03-07

    Trending

    Fox Renderfarm Interview

    Meet 16-year-old 3D artist Haider Ali, who has only been using Blender for a year. With his piece "No Survivors," which depicts a dramatic and exciting scene of a robot searching for an astronaut inside a burning space station, he just won Kaizen's Salvaged Space Challenge, which is sponsored by Fox Renderfarm, a leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the industry. The judges were struck by the reality and intensity of his work. He learned on his own via YouTube tutorials and other internet resources, and he is passionate about making 3D art that represents chaos and devastation. Come discover more about the background, techniques, and goals of Haider Ali on the future of 3D art.Fox Renderfarm: Hi Haider! Thank you so much for accepting our interview! Could you please introduce yourself to our reader?Haider Ali: My name is Haider Ali, I'm 16 years old, and I've been using Blender for about a year now. I mainly learned through YouTube tutorials and other online resources, and I'm really enjoying it.Fox Renderfarm: Winning an award in the Kaizens Salvaged Space Challenge is a significant achievement. What motivated you to participate, and how did you feel when you learned that "No Survivors" had outperformed the others?Haider Ali: I've been following Kaizen for a little while now. I love their videos, and joining their Discord a few months ago has been a great experience. I've been fairly active in it since then. As soon as they announced the salvage space challenges, I participated in the first one, and every one since, and it's been great. The community is very nice, and even if you don't win, it's a good way to improve your skills and get feedback from someone as experienced as Kaizen. Of course, I was really happy when I found out that I got third place. This isn't the first time I've placed in the top three in one of his challenges, and also on their first monthly challenge. Overall, it's great. You get some really good feedback, and the prizes are great too. So yeah, it's fun.No Survivors © Haider AliFox Renderfarm: Can you summarize the project you entered in the Salvaged Space Challenge'?Behind The Scene I No Survivors © Haider AliHaider Ali: I envision this scene with a space guy, the first in space, maneuvering around a corridor. There's this intense sensation of burning cold, with an explosion erupting behind him. Out of the explosion emerges a massive robot. The scene is chaotic and intense, with shattered glass and burning debris scattered everywhere. The colors are vivid and contrasting, with striking orange and blue hues dominating the scene.Fox Renderfarm: Can you walk us through the creative process behind "No Survivors", from conceptualization to final execution? Do you have any standard working pipeline here?Haider Ali: I haven't settled on a perfect pipeline yet; I'm still exploring what works best for me. Typically, I start by opening Blender and experimenting to see what resonates with me. In this particular case, when I opened the project file, I noticed a figure floating in space. While some contestants interpreted it as floating in water, I immediately saw it as an astronaut in space. From there, I began adding various assets and experimenting to see what fit. For this project, I incorporated a lot of fire because I had limited time to complete the render. Using fire was the quickest way to fill out the scene. Behind the fire in the project file, there isn't much; it's mainly there to cover up what would otherwise be quite an empty file.Fox Renderfarm: What inspired you to create a piece that incorporates an AI robot and portrays a chaotic scenario? How do these elements interconnect and align with your artistic vision?Haider Ali: I think AI is on everyone's mind now, especially with tools like ChatGPT, and they represent a kind of scary future. So, I thought it was fitting for the challenge, including the requirement to incorporate the first character provided into the scene. However, the character in the window wasn't doing much, and I had to stick to its pose from the starter file, making it challenging to create dynamic action. I also needed to add a second character, perhaps an alien or a pet, to inject some action into my scene. For efficiency, I opted for robots as they are easier to work with due to their hard surface nature, avoiding the complexities of creating realistic organic shaders and the risk of encountering the uncanny valley effect. Choosing a robot also seemed appropriate given the current events and the overall theme of the challenge. Having a massive intimidating robot emerge from the fire felt more plausible than an organic creature, which might look cool but could be less realistic.Fox Renderfarm: Could you share the duration it took to bring this piece from concept to its final rendered form and highlight which aspect of the process consumed the most time? What contributed to this time investment?Haider Ali: So, I think the most crucial part for me is actually midway through the render when you've got the basic idea but you're not quite sure about the details. So, I quickly imported my astronaut and started placing some assets and rubble around. However, at this point, both the background and foreground of the scene were quite empty, and I wasn't sure what to add. The best thing I could do was to drag and drop assets from my library, placing random models and cubes around to see what might inspire me. But this approach wasn't very efficient, and I found that a lot of my time was spent just trying to figure out what would work in the foreground and where to position the robot. Another thing that can be quite time-consuming, and I think this is true for a lot of people, is lighting. I knew I wanted to create a big contrast between the orange fire and the blue from the astronaut's suit. However, integrating the robot into this color scheme was challenging because my initial thought was that the robot should be a deep red to signify that it's the enemy. But then, of course, this wouldn't work well with all the orange fire. In the end, I used the same colors as the astronaut for the robot, and I thought it worked quite well, even though it's not meant to be a friendly robot.Fox Renderfarm: What were the most significant challenges you faced in achieving such intricate detailing, and how did you overcome them during the creation of "No Survivors"?Behind The Scene I No Survivors © Haider AliHaider Ali: So, I would say the most challenging part is definitely dealing with the fire. It's essential to have all these details if you want to create a story that works. Initially, I thought about adding smashed circuit boards or computers to show the aftermath, but that would have taken too much time to create and texture. Instead, I decided to cover the entire scene with fire. If you have a good fire simulation, it's a really easy way to add lots of almost fake detail because it still looks nice, especially if the fire fits your scene. By doing this, you save a lot of time and effort in adding and monitoring all these details like the walls and computers, and even lighting to some extent. I have very few lights in my final scene because the fire does most of the lighting for you. So yeah, the way I got around introducing such details was just by setting everything on fire.I would say the most significant challenge I faced was getting the fire simulation done right because I knew it would be the most visible part of my scene. It's quite surprising that you say the most significant challenge you faced was with the fire. Initially, I thought it would be the robot because there's so much detail about it. Yeah, the robot was a bit challenging, but compared to some other things, like some sci-fi visuals and such, it's actually quite straightforward. I just put together the rough shape of a humanoid robot and then attached it to a rig that I downloaded from the internet. Blender has a built-in sci-fi panel generator as part of its landscape function, so I just selected sci-fi panels, stuck them together, and spent maybe half an hour in total on the robot. It's surprisingly not much, especially as the majority of the robot is covered in fire anyway. Since it's a fully lit scene, I didn't need to add lots of details like stickers or any writing. Otherwise, if I hadn't had the fire, I would have had to do that to keep the story flowing.Fox Renderfarm: Your work "No Survivors" shows that the astronaut is trying to escape from an AI robot. How did you capture a sense of dynamic motion in static digital rendering, and what techniques did you employ to convey the exciting context?Behind The Scene I No Survivors © Haider AliHaider Ali: Once again, fire seems to dominate the entire scene. None of us really see fire as a safe, calm thing most of the time anyway, and especially when it's engulfing the entire scene in this way, it immediately makes the scene very dramatic. Then, when you have this kind of robot launching out of it, it's like, what's this robot doing in the fire? Is it leaping towards the person? It's caught almost like mid-frame, and I think I even added some motion blur to the fire and to show this. Again, it's that sense of a snapshot right in the middle of the action that you get from that. This contrast really works well with the astronaut, who doesn't seem to be in any particular movement. He's just floating there, almost like he's frozen in time, inspecting something, or even just lying there idle and unconscious. So, contrasting that with this fierce fire and leaping robot really makes the scene feel more alive and more emotional, almost like a snapshot of chaos.Fox Renderfarm: Were there specific AI-powered rendering techniques or tools that you incorporated into the creation of "No Survivors" to achieve the praised rendering quality? How did these tools contribute to the final visual appeal of the artwork?Haider Ali: I just used Midjourney for some of my scenes. When I first started, I described the kind of scene I had in mind, like this astronaut floating there and this robot coming out of the back of the fire. It gave some really cool AI renders that I used as inspiration. It also didn't take elements to deform them, but they're really good for inspiration, especially when I got stuck later on what to put in the foreground and background. It's really good just to look at those to see what the AI did right and what made its AI render pretty good. Again, with texturing and adding grunge to the robot, it's really easy with Midjourney because Midjourney has a tile feature that lets you create tileable textures. So by just asking Midjourney for a grunge or dirt texture and making it tileable, I could get a really nice texture I could paint on top of the entire model to get all sorts of imperfections and add more detail.Fox Renderfarm: Can you describe a particularly memorable moment or breakthrough in the project's development? Behind The Scene I No Survivors © Haider AliHaider Ali: I think the biggest breakthrough was when I realized the power of Blender's Sci-fi panel generator and also when I decided to put the fire up close to the camera rather than just having this explosion in the distance. Blender's Sci-fi panel generator has this invaluable tool called an Arc Generator, and this has an option for Sci-fi panels and Sci-fi Grip. It's very basic, but by just creating these and adjusting the seed, you can get quick Sci-fi-looking panels that you can slap on all the walls of a corridor and really speed up the process. This meant that within the first half hour of making the scene, I was able just to lay out and cover all the walls with something, so there were no just bare walls from the start of our left. Then this is where those cables at the bottom and those grills come from next. The second biggest advancement, I think, is the decision to put fire in the foreground as well instead of just having the background and the middle ground being covered in fire and this explosion coming in from the back that the robot's emerging out of. But then I saw the problem of that, so I think adding detail to the foreground would just take me too much time. So when I came to the decision to just add some bubbles and set it up on fire, I think that really saved me from what could have been hours of work. It also helped create a contrast better between the blue astronaut and the orange fire. I think the contrast is something that's really poignant in something like this. That's why I keep coming back to it.Behind The Scene I No Survivors © Haider AliFox Renderfarm: Can you share with us about your favorite projects or pieces you've worked on, and what made them particularly enjoyable or fulfilling for you?Haider Ali: I love destruction and having things on fire in a scene. Anything that I can visualize being blown up or engulfed in flames, whether it's a wall revealing something behind it or even just something simpler like having a really nice high-quality simulation of a match being lit, is my favorite. So, I had this scene where there was fire swirling around an abandoned port in these ancient ruins, and I just thought that was like, I really enjoyed that. It's not something you'd be able to create naturally with that kind of ring of fire, but it's a really cool thing that you can do in CG, and it just looks really nice. I love scenes where it seems like the world is being blown up and all these smoke simulations, and I think that can be really cool and yeah.Fox Renderfarm: Are there specific cultural or natural elements that consistently inspire your work? How do these influences manifest in your creations?Haider Ali: There are some amazing real-life inspirations that I definitely incorporate into my work. A lot of the grunge used in my work is actually taken from real life. So, if I'm creating a darker, grimier scene, what I sometimes do is just go out and find some dirty concrete nearby. I'll go for a walk, maybe under a bridge, and take a photo on my phone. Then, I overlay that photo onto whatever I want to add grunge to in my scene. It quickly adds a realistic-looking detail because it's taken from a real photo. Nature is another thing that I often incorporate into my art. When I'm not creating destructive scenes, I'm creating active forests with beautiful lighting, like oak or aspen forests. Again, just going for a walk and being surrounded by nature before I start creating helps clear my mind.Image taken from Max Hay on InstagramOne particular source of inspiration I've been looking at a lot lately is Max Hay. He has a YouTube channel and an ArtStation profile with hundreds of artworks that are really inspiring. He breaks down a lot of them in his YouTube tutorials and shows how it's actually easy to create these good-looking artworks. He's definitely one of my favorites right now. Ian Hubert is another artist that a lot of people have heard of. His "lazy tutorials" series is quite good for making good-looking renders quickly. It shows that you don't have to spend a month on a scene or years on a short film to create something visually stunning. They're both definitely big inspirations for me.Fox Renderfarm: Have you had any experience with Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering services in the past? If you have, what is your opinion of our cloud rendering offerings? Haider Ali: I haven't actually had any experience with Fox Renderfarm before. I've heard good things about them and I've used other render farms before, but I've never actually used Fox Renderfarm. So, I'm excited to use it with the credits from the prize pool of the challenge.Fox Renderfarm: Finally, with the rapid advancement of technology, how do you envision the future trends in 3D art, especially considering your experience in winning the Kaizens Salvaged Space Challenge?Haider Ali: I mean, with all the AI advancements that have been happening recently, I think AI and 3D art are definitely going to become more intertwined in the future. Right now, there's a very clear line between 3D art and AI, but I believe that line will become more blurred. I still think there will be 3D artists and traditional artists, but many 3D artists have realized that it's not worth spending a month on a render when AI can do it much quicker. So, instead, they might create a basic render in a few days and then apply an AI filter on top. I think that's probably the direction that 3D art is heading now, with AI playing a significant role.Thanks again to Haider Ali for accepting our interview! Wishing new heights in your professional career! keep up with your great work.Haider Alis social media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CG_HaiderInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/h3d_studio/Website: https://www.haider3d.com/


    Framestore’s Stunning VFX Works on 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters'

    Framestore’s Stunning VFX Works on 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters'

    2024-03-06

    Trending

    VFX

    The series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premiered on Apple TV+ on Nov. 17, 2023, which intertwines two timelines, the 1950s and 2015, to explore the origins and operations of the Monarch organization within the MonsterVerse. The series follows the Randa siblings, Cate and Kentaro, as they unravel their fathers mysterious past with Monarch, connecting to the early days of the organization with scientists Bill Randa and Keiko Miura. The narrative bridges past and present, weaving a tale of family, legacy, and the colossal Titans that shape their world.Under VFX Supervisor Arek Komorowski's guidance, the Framestore studios in Vancouver and Montreal delivered 275 shots for this series based on Legendary's Monsterverse franchise. The team crafted two Titans - the Frost Vark and the Brambleboar - and delivered a range of other visual effects across episodes 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10.The Frost VarkThe Frost Vark, a massive creature with tentacles on its face, is a hybrid of an aardvark, a star-nosed mole, and a pangolin, as seen in episodes 3,4 and 7. Image from FramestoreAccording to Animation Supervisor Jye Skinn, Frost Varks design drew inspiration from various animals such as rhinos, hippos, elephants, and pangolins. Dave Gagnon, the Creature Supervisor, explains that the creation of the scales posed a significant technical and creative challenge. "We had to ensure their movement and interaction with light were realistic, involving complex rigging, animation, and CFX. To manage the creatures numerous scales, the team utilized LODs (Levels of Detail) techniques, essential for achieving manageable scenes across all departments," he says. Adding elements of ice and snow introduced an additional layer of complexity.VFX breakdown showreel of Frost Vark by FramestoreThe BrambleboarThe Brambleboar, a creature resembling a massive boar, complete with 25 botanical horns sprouting from its body and face, makes its appearance in episode 9. As part of the design process, the Framestores team delved into diverse foliage references, drawing from nature for inspiration while integrating branches and leaves into the creature's form.To contribute to the creature's verisimilitude, a grooming simulation was vital in imitating multiple types of moss growing on the boar. This meticulous simulation contributed an extra level of reality, forming a complex and eye-catching texture that added to the Brambleboar's overall natural appearance.VFX breakdown showreel of Brambleboar by FramestoreAs the VFX Supervisor Arek Komorowski said, "From crafting simple vehicle assets to challenging creature designs, from intricate FX to invisible visual effects, we really had a great variety of work and a great mix of creative challenges," the Framestore team really did stunning works for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Congrats to all the artists on Framestore!Source: FramestoreTo speed up the rendering of animation and visual effects, cloud rendering plays an important role in it. Fox Renderfarm, the leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the CG industry, has provided cloud rendering services to countless visual effects and animation studios, allowing our users to get the best quality results in the shortest time. Try our $25 free trial now to speed up the rendering of your 3D projects now!


    Exciting New Releases from Maxon: Redshift 3.5.24 and Cinema 4D 2024.3

    Exciting New Releases from Maxon: Redshift 3.5.24 and Cinema 4D 2024.3

    2024-03-05

    Trending

    Cinema 4D

    The company that powers the most popular 3D software in the market, Maxon, has been working hard to improve its main products. Let's examine the most recent releases' specifics: Cinema 4D 2024.3 with Redshift 3.5.24.Redshift 3.5.24: Turbocharged RenderingImage from MaxonVersion 3.5.24 of Redshift, the popular GPU-accelerated renderer among artists and studios, has been improved. This is what you should be aware of:Enhanced Performance: Redshift has been optimized by Maxon to perform better. Aim for smoother interactions and faster renders.Stability Improvements: Watch out, bugs! Stability enhancements brought about by the upgrade guarantee a more dependable experience.NVIDIA GPU Support: Redshift now functions well with the newest GPUs from NVIDIA. Celebrate if you're using the newest gear!Out-of-Core Geometry Handling: This makes it easier to manage big scenes. Redshift is more effective at managing out-of-core geometry.Better Denoising: Bid farewell to noise. Redshift can now denoise images with more precision.Cinema 4D 2024.3: A Creative PlaygroundImage from MaxonFans of Cinema 4D, fasten your seatbelts! The 2024.3 release brings new and improved workflow features, such as:Scene Nodes: A revamp for scene management. Efficient workflows and adaptable organization are made possible by scene nodes.Node Space: It's never been this easy to connect the dots. Node Space simplifies workflows that use nodes.USD Support: Working together has never been easier. Better USD support translates into smoother pipeline and software integration.Image from MaxonThese upgrades boost your creativity whether you're a Cinema 4D whiz or a Redshift enthusiast. Explore the new features, try out some ideas, and produce some amazing images. We're supporting Maxon as he keeps pushing the envelope!As a leading cloud rendering service provider and render farm, Fox Renderfarm also supports Redshift and Cinema 4D. Fox Renderfarm is now offering a free $25 trial to all new registrants, so let's start rendering!Source: Maxon


    From Student to Viz Pro: Bao Duy’s 10-Year Journey in the CGI Industry

    From Student to Viz Pro: Bao Duy’s 10-Year Journey in the CGI Industry

    2024-03-04

    Trending

    Fox Renderfarm Interview

    Having worked in the CGI business for ten years, Bao Duy is an architect and 3D artist at Refl Studio Vietnam. He recently received a nomination for the Viz Pro of the Year category in the CGArchitect 3D Awards 2023, which is sponsored by Fox Renderfarm, a leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the industry. His interest in this subject was sparked by a project he worked on in his fourth year at the University of Architecture in Da Nang, where he used 3ds Max to produce breathtaking and realistic photographs. He has since taken part in a number of projects that test his abilities and imagination.Lets discover more about Bao Duy's background, sources of inspiration, and outlook on the development of 3D art and architecture.Fox Renderfarm: Hi Bao Duy! Thank you so much for accepting our interview! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?Bao Duy: My name is Bao, and I proudly serve as an architect and 3D artist at Refl Studio Vietnam. With a decade of experience in the CGI industry, every project has been a journey of growth and discovery.My initial exposure to this captivating field occurred during my fourth-year project at the University of Architecture in Da Nang. Back then, I utilized 3ds Max to breathe life into my ideas. Surprisingly, at that time, I never envisioned becoming a 3D artist; my aspirations leaned toward working as an engineer in urban planning after graduation. However, destiny had other plans for me. The pivotal moment came in 2014 while working at my first company. It was there that I realized my true passion for the art of crafting immersive experiences through 3D software. Since then, I've been enchanted by the enchanting process of transforming creative visions into tangible masterpieces.Fox Renderfarm: Congratulations on being nominated in the CGArchitect 3D Awards 2023 Viz Pro of the Year category! How do you feel about it?Bao Duy: First time, thank you very much for that. This achievement represents a significant milestone in my years of dedication to the field of visualization, marking a pivotal stage in the development of my skills and personal insights into this craft.Fox Renderfarm: Could you give us a brief overview of the project that you brought to the Viz Pro of the Year award?Cabin in the Sea © Bao DuyBao Duy: This project is in Norway. The images showcase a basic cabin perched on rocks with a view of the ocean in mild weather and dreamy lighting We focus on capturing peaceful moments throughout the day with warm, gentle lighting.Fox Renderfarm: Can you share what inspires your visualizations? Any favorite artists or references?Bao Duy: I always look up to artists like Bertrand Benoit, Zuliban, and Adán Martín as their works are a constant source of inspiration to me. Moreover, while working on a project, I make sure to use stock image websites like Shutterstock, Unsplash, etc. to find images that best align with the environment, lighting, and vegetation suitable for my project. It helps me ensure that my work is always top-notch and meets my high standards.Fox Renderfarm: Could you walk us through your creative process for this piece? How did you start, and how did it evolve?Bao Duy:© Bao DuyFirst, I will finalize the design process and finalize the model by modeling elements such as cladding, roofing, and terrace flooring, and etc.© Bao Duy© Bao DuyNext, I will select the camera and plan the overall layout of the project. As you can see, I have utilized a few basic human models to ensure that the scale and height of the terrain are appropriate, preventing the landscape from being too high or too low.© Bao DuyAfter selecting the appropriate camera, I will begin to make details for the landscape background. To create ground details, I use ZBrush along with various brushes. However, you may use any other sculpting software that works well for you.© Bao DuyWhen using huge Quixel libraries to enhance your environment, it's important to keep in mind that you can add, remove, edit or diversify them. However, it's crucial to choose or edit them based on reference images. This is to avoid any deviations in color or style from the intended project location.© Bao DuyAfter finishing the rock model, I proceeded to add vegetation to the landscape. Initially, I used Corona Scan to create moss patches on the foreground rocks, but upon rendering, I noticed that the detail was not satisfactory. Therefore, I utilized Speedtree to remodel the moss model Then, I used Itoo Forest to distribute the vegetation on the surface of the rocks, as well as in the crevices where weeds typically grow.© Bao DuyThen I continued to complete the trees, bushes, and grass around the house. You can use Itoo Forest to spread a forest background and add some key trees you like.© Bao DuyTo avoid processing large amounts of data by the CPU, you can separate the parts relevant to the simulation and vary the number of tests to achieve your desired image. This job takes a lot of my time.Finally, I will test lighting and mood again. You can change many types of light with HDRI or simply just Corona sun and Corona sky but make sure the brightness still follows the color tone you are focused on. Along with that, you check the materials and colors of everything because when changing the brightness, the color of the object will be changed but you only need to edit the objects that are important or too special in color. The rest you can edit with Photoshop if the image does not affect the overall image too muchFox Renderfarm: What innovative techniques or technologies did you employ in this project that set it apart from others?Bao Duy: There's nothing particularly unique about my project process - I tend to follow a standard approach. However, in this particular project, I utilized Chaos's Phoenix FD software to create the effect of ocean waves crashing against the cliffs. Perhaps the shape of the waves, combined with my efforts to accurately depict Norway's vegetation, helped to evoke a stronger emotional response from the viewer.Fox Renderfarm: Your textures for the leaves, rocks, water, and foliage are impressively lifelike. Could you walk us through your approach to crafting such detailed textures?Bao Duy:© Bao DuyI try to analyze their outstanding features such as stone veins, colors, forms, etc. The color of the water is quite difficult to achieve just by rendering so I created many color calibration layers in Photoshop.You can see I downloaded quite a few images of Norway's vegetation. I will then try to do simulations and material testing of them based on those images. Just like creating a first image and putting it in the inspiration section, we can easily compare the colors and differences between our photo and the actual image to easily edit it.Fox Renderfarm: How long did it take you to complete this piece from concept to final render, and which part was the most time-consuming? Why?Bao Duy: It took me approximately one week to come up with an idea and complete the product. The most time-consuming aspect was finding images from various sources and linking them together. After that, I had to experiment several times with different quantities to create the most effective wave applications that matched my desired outcome. Although it may not be perfect, I did the best I could.Fox Renderfarm: What were the most significant creative challenges you faced in this project, and how did you overcome them?Bao Duy: The most realistic way to create ocean waves using Phoenix requires multiple tests with various parameters, which can be quite time-consuming during simulation.Fox Renderfarm: Are there any moments you enjoyed during the creation process? And what was the most memorable?Bao Duy: The most exciting moment may be the final test when the seawater simulation is finished. then I'm still not satisfied with the foams and sponges made by Phoenix FD and they are quite heavy. So I continued to look for some tutorials online when using Tyflow to simulate them to suit my liking.© Bao DuyThe shape is good but you can see that the foam part is not beautiful and the moss part on the stone when using Corona scan will be flat. That's why I used tyflow to simulate sponges and used the model to spread on rocks.© Bao DuyIt is better for the next test.Fox Renderfarm: Are there any hidden details or Easter eggs in 'Cabin in the Sea' that viewers might not notice at first glance?Bao Duy: I tried to make more details with the materials for the house, but it's difficult to see the details in the overall image. Fox Renderfarm: How did you use visual storytelling to convey the architectural narrative of the project?Bao Duy: I will try to simulate the environment and foliage around the project so that when we look at it we can feel it close. Additionally, you can use lighting to make the picture look more vivid. The picture will be sad if all objects are frozen or do not have a specific state. Therefore, you can add elements such as the movement of trees, flags, water, or some motion effects and bokeh to create a more lively feeling in the photo.Fox Renderfarm: Have you had any experience with Fox Renderfarm's cloud rendering services in the past? If you have, what is your opinion of our cloud rendering offerings? Bao Duy: I have not had the opportunity to experience Fox Renderfarm services. Maybe I will use the rewards I receive from you to continue personal projects in the future.Fox Renderfarm: Do you have any ongoing projects or future plans at the moment?Bao Duy: I have a personal project in the pipeline that will focus on visual effects and have a more cinematic feel. I hope everyone will enjoy it when it's released.Fox Renderfarm: Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring 3D artists? Are there any key lessons or insights that you have learned along your journey?Bao Duy: I hope that everyone strives to do their best and achieve their goals. When I was working on this project, I faced some difficulties, but it turned out to be a learning opportunity. I got to experience software that I had not used before.Thanks again to Bao Duy for accepting our interview! Wishing new heights in your professional career!Bao Duys social media:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bao-doan-duy-798949b5/Behance: https://www.behance.net/BaoBiBo


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