WillowRaven ~ WIPs and final works ...
WillowRaven
Posts: 3,787
Oddly enough, I didn't even know members could post personal gallery threads until I saw one today ... lol. Makes wonderful sense, though, since the DAZ forum almost always shows up when my name is Googled (courtesy of Google Alerts).
So, I'll get started with some of my more favorite projects, many of which were made possible courtesy of the wonderful friends I've made in the DAZ forum. They are forever tutoring me, advising me, helping with computer crises, and creating custom freebies.
For my first image, I'll share the one I use as my website's entry image. What did I learn in the Daz forum that helped with this one? How to create point lights for the candle and sconce. Up until that thread, and several peoples endless patience with me ... lol ... lighting that didn't come in a pack completely elluded me. I've learned a lot about lighting since, but this was the start of my custom lighting journey. Thanks, guys :D
The Dictionary's Apprentice - printed/published in Scape Magazine (For those interested in reading the story it was created to accompany: http://scapezine.com/category/archives/issue-2/ ... scroll down until you see the title)
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Comments
This will be a must follow thread. Glad you found the Art Forum.
Awwwe :D Thank you. :D
You do realize one image is not enough. We need more!
Can't wait to see what magically appears next.:-)
LOL ... ok.
This next one is one of my first renders.
I'm sorta feeling like starting from the beginning of my Daz experience, so ya'll are gonna see the older one's first. Maybe that way, hopefully, a progression can be seen and ya'll can see how valuable this forum is to not only newbies, but also for not-so-newbies. If it were not for the people who haunt the Daz forum, I would not feel comfortable enough with this medium to make a living at it full time.
Of course, I'd still be drawing and painting, but adding the digital medium to my portfolio definitely increased my client base.
Looking at Tarranau now, I can see so much that I would tweak if it were a new project ... lol. This was created back on my old desktop, the one that had to chug for 45 minutes just to open the Medusa ... lol. I didn't dare breath the word 'raytraced' and didn't know how to matte surfaces or tweak textures in PS. And what was a shader? ... lol.
So no laughing ... lol. Where did ya'll come in? Ya'll taught me the word frankenstein had another meaning (I frankensteined The Mage tunic with the Valiant tunic) and a few nautilus quirks were explained to me. Like how wind on a sailing vessel blows to the front vs the back, meaning the hair would too. I also had some help from some friends on the MidSouthCon committee. They thought my first draft was a woman, so I had to toughen him up, a bit ... lol.
Without further prattle ... the cover art for Tarranau & the final cover design. Those who read fantasy, can find purchase info, here: http://willowravenillustration.weebly.com/tarranau.html
Image removed by a moderator till resized...please see this thread for info:
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/510_98/
Is the thread looking funny to you guys, or just on my end?
That explains it ... the size was too big. Fixed below :D
Thanks mod for the size info :D
Front and back unfolded. That is just so cool. More please.
Thanks, Jaderail ... :D
This next one was really takes me back and I DEFINITELY need to re-visit it someday ... lol.
Take Apart Their Nightmares was my very first published render. I had been illustrating book covers and childrens books professionally for a several years, but I was still less than a Daz-year old when Scape magazine released it's first issue, asking me if I'd illustrate one of their stories, and boy does it show! I knew almost nothing about textures or lighting. And I certainly had not discovered Optitex and his amazing Daz Dynamics, yet.
Luckily, Scape magazine did not see this piece the same way I see it now ... with my more experienced Daz eyes ... lol. I will definitely have to revisit this one on a day when I have a lull in my deadlines.
If anybody is interested in reading the story Take Apart Their Nightmares, you'll find it here: http://scapezine.com/category/archives/issue-1/
nice works here :)
Thanks, Cosmo.
I am loading images in order of when I did them, so these are my earliest adventures with DAZ. The plan is to hopefully show a progression in my work. Sort of a growing gallery.
This next series of renders were commissioned for a book titled Aldric & Anneliese. One of the various publishers I work with foolishly made me the Art Director ... lol. As AD, I get first pick on what covers I want o do, or to assign them to house artists. Being upper management has it's perks. :D I get the cool books.
While discussing the cover art plans with the author, he expressed the desire to have a symbolic design over a narrative composition. I obliged. One problem ... When it came to the book trailer and needing images for the books promotion, it wasn't like we could just wave the cover around for a few minutes. We had to make the trailer visual interesting. From that need came these three illos. No only do they appear in the book trailer, but they also grace the author's walls as framed, signed prints. I'm sure ya'll can tell I was still a newbie with Daz at that point, but I still get compliments on the Mourning Rose piece.
I present Aldric & Anneliese along with Stratagem, Mourning Rose, & Valiance. If anybody is interested in the novella, it can be found here: http://4rvpublishingcatalog.yolasite.com/harry-gilleland.php
Following a published artist is one of my dreams. I knew you did pro work, but never got to see too much of it. This is right up my alley, interest wise.
Cool images. Keep them coming. It's very interesting to see a progression from beginner to more than beginner. Really enjoying it. :-)
Thanks, Jaderail :D You make it sound so glamorous ... lol.
I'm published in more than 200 books, and about 1/4 of that is Daz work (I think ,,, never did the math), but it's not like I have been gifted with a major house or best seller ... lol. I still study Whelan and his books, hoping to growing up to be like Mike, one day ... lol.
Reaching for this type career is easier than ever thanks to the internet. I get most of my jobs via Twitter. It pays the bills and allows me to work from home in PJs, if I wish. Not everybody can boast that. Love, love, LOVE my work. :D
Progressing up my published Daz work ladder, I'd like to share one that shows why I even started playing with Daz. As aptly mentioned by a vendor here a Daz, the 3D medium was originally created as a tool for 2D artists. It was designed to provide traditional artists with a means of posing or inventing a scene to use as a base or draft, of sorts, as a stepping stone toward the final piece. It's expensive to hire models to pose while you sketch them for hours. And finding just the right stock photo can also be a PITA.
My career started in kid's books. Although my goals in college were scifi/fantasy book covers, one has to pay their dues and bills some way. So why not get paid to play with crayons all day? ... lol
For Walking Through Walls, a middle grade books, I wanted an oriental feel. After studying some classic b/w paintings from the period (Ming Dynasty, China -- it's a re-telling of a Chinese folk tale), I set up my scenes with Daz, then used the printed scenes the same way I would have used a photo before I discovered Daz and pulled out my sharpie markers. Talk about the glamorous tools of the pros ... lol.
I do happen to have a Chinese writing brush and ink, but for print, I needed something fast and clean that mimicked a brush dipped in ink. Even so, I still had to scan the drawings into Photoshop and clean them further and darken the tones. Ink tends to scan translucent, vs pure pigment.
I wanted vibrant for the cover image, so I kept the rendered version of the dragon. I could have painted it, but that would have taken longer and utilized more of my art supplies. Paints are expensive ... lol. Besides ... I wanted to build my digital portfolio, so painting it would defeat that purpose.
What you see below is the front cover (Daz as main medium) and three of the illos (Daz as a method tool) and one of the awards that Walking Through Walls received this past March (there have been two that I know of this year, but I don't have an image for it).
Can ya'll see what Daz products were used as my models for the drawings?
Thanks, David :D
I still consider myself a beginner most of the time. The fact that I am forever in the forum begging for help is proof ... lol. It may also be because I've been painting and drawing for over 20 years, so the two years with Daz feel more like my sophomore year in art school ... lol.
Heck, after 6 years majoring in fine art, I continued to refer to myself as an 'art student' for a year into my publishing career ... lol. The word 'artist' was reserved for those much more skilled and experienced than I. It still makes me itch .. lol. I still tend to correct people and categorize myself as an illustrator vs an artist. Probably some old brainwashing left over from college.
The image below was created as part of a collaboration. The designer hired me to create the scene, which would then be nestled withing a crystal ball. Even though I took some design classes in college (I was too cheap to pay a designer to ready my work for presentation and/or print, so I took a few classes as electives), this job only required the art.
I tried some new techniques with this one, and I think this is the first one I managed raytraced lights with, but I had to learn to work in layers. That old system just wasn't thrilled with my desire for complex shadows ... lol. One of the problems when switch mediums, is the temptation to just paint it because it would be easier than fighting my computer or lack of software knowledge is pretty strong. But, I wanted fantasy work in my folio, and his was the first fantasy commission that included winged horses. I had to push through my challenges. ;P
You see, in this industry, you have a portfolio full of dragons and fairies, but unless it's published, it doesn't get you far. For bigger commissions, you need published works, and a lot of them. So muscle through I must. :D
I present the YA novel, The Empaths of Drayon. I really got into the book as I was prepping for the job. Those interested in purchase info and book blurb can be found here: http://willowravenillustration.weebly.com/empaths-of-drayon.html
Thanks, Jaderail ... :D
This next one was really takes me back and I DEFINITELY need to re-visit it someday ... lol.
Take Apart Their Nightmares was my very first published render. I had been illustrating book covers and childrens books professionally for a several years, but I was still less than a Daz-year old when Scape magazine released it's first issue, asking me if I'd illustrate one of their stories, and boy does it show! I knew almost nothing about textures or lighting. And I certainly had not discovered Optitex and his amazing Daz Dynamics, yet.
Luckily, Scape magazine did not see this piece the same way I see it now ... with my more experienced Daz eyes ... lol. I will definitely have to revisit this one on a day when I have a lull in my deadlines.
If anybody is interested in reading the story Take Apart Their Nightmares, you'll find it here: http://scapezine.com/category/archives/issue-1/
Makes me think of Dorian Gray.
I love that book. I should so do a Dorian Gray series ... lol.
Although most of what ye'll are going to see in my folio and tread is for published works, but once in a while a 'just 'cuz' piece gets done, probably not as often as I should, either. Fireside is one such piece.
I had just been commissioned to illustrate a children's western and was staring at a blank piece of paper. Pencils in had, at the drawing table ... NOTHIN! So, I spun around to my desk, revved up the computer, and surfed Daz lol. I spent as little money as possible, since this was not for a commission, and grabbed a few things to get me in a western state of mind.
In about three hours, this was the result. I still don't know what I was saying, but as is the nature of my personal pieces, there's always something lurking in my psyche that compels me to include elements that mean something, that's only readable to those around me. They say it's because hey know me better than I do myself. That's probably true, since I'd rather express myself with images than words when it comes to personal matters. And since thoughts are silent words, I probably spend a great deal of time ignoring thoughts that are overly personal.
The fact that it's a theme/genre I've never expressed before or after, the fact that I still stare at it, knowing how many flaws there are now that I've learned more, I'm sure I was saying something here, but I couldn't verbalize it, anyway ... lol.
A children's western that has the very real aspect of death on the cover? Maybe a teen book is more like it. The picture could have a very good, sad story attached to it. The render is pretty good considering that you were still very new to daz.
Renders like that inspire me to try and do better with my own and try and fit story into my renders. So far it's just playing around and learning more. Good job so far.
Lol ... no, no. I was faced with drawing a kid's cowboy book, and had never done a western, so was drawing a blank. So, to get myself past my creative block, I did this ... just because. Not for the kid's book. I've drawn/painted over 100 kid's books. I'd new use a scene like this for a PB. It's just one of my few personal renders. Most of my work is commissions.
And thanks. I have tried to utilize what I know from traditional art into my renders, at least from a composition and pallet perspective.
Lighting is my biggest challenge, though. Even though photography was part of my fine art major, my brain refuses to make the switch. I've always used my eyes to judge, and Daz only allows that in render. So more forethought is needed ... lol.
Ahh I gotcha.
Ya lighting is always a big thing. What you see in the pre-render doesn't translate always to what it looks like on render. So test rendering is a big time-eater.
wow
excellent serie, love your work
the first is amazing
Thanks, Jaderail :D You make it sound so glamorous ... lol.
I'm published in more than 200 books, and about 1/4 of that is Daz work (I think ,,, never did the math), but it's not like I have been gifted with a major house or best seller ... lol. I still study Whelan and his books, hoping to growing up to be like Mike, one day ... lol.
Reaching for this type career is easier than ever thanks to the internet. I get most of my jobs via Twitter. It pays the bills and allows me to work from home in PJs, if I wish. Not everybody can boast that. Love, love, LOVE my work. :D
/quote]
I haven't found the secret formula, yet. I'm jealous...in a good way.:-)
Thanks :D
The first one, The Dictionary's Apprentice, is a later one. I use it as my website's entry image. After I uploaded it, I started going in order of when I started playing in DAZdom. So hopefully you'll be able to see a progression. At least, I hope there has been progression ... lol.
I think I may be a little mixed in order for the next few, because they were done at the same time. I typically have a dozen book projects going at one time, so some over lap a bit.
For Silverdream & Bloodfire, I was trying to blend a painted backdrop with a render. As ya'll know, that doesn't always mesh. At this point, I still had not known the trick of rendering a scene that has no background with a black backdrop. So I had a terrible time with my edges 'glowing'. I painstakingly blurred every little edge in PS ... lol.
I had the added challenge of learning how to re-texture something to suit a book character's description. Luckily, someone in the forum explained the surfaces tab to me well enough for me to make the dragon match the text.
And can we talk about how much of a PITA the MFD can be? I am so glad I discovered Dynamics! But to be fair, I don't think I could have draped a dress on a flying dragon well, either ... lol.
Secret formula? A lot of marketing. No, I mean A LOT.
I easily spend 60% of my day in networks, forums, updating sites, and replying to emails. I am a homeschooling mom, so there are kid/house needs. That takes up a good 30% of my day. So that leaves about 10% to actually do what I love doing.
Needless to say, I don't sleep much and am blissfully single ... lol. My schedule is not conducive to keeping a relationship going.
Finding the formula for acquiring enough work to make a living at this is really a numbers game. Marketing says out of a 1000 viewers, only one will be interested in your product (in this case, your art). Of that .001%, they will need to be exposed/reminded of your work seven times before making the decision to buy. If in that seven times exposure period they find another artist better or cheaper, you just lost that potential client ... lol. So mass is your only option. Agents take too much money and I am not the type to wait to be 'discovered' ... lol.
This next cover, Chamber of Time, was also a fresh theme for me. I had never created an Ancient Egypt work before, and still didn't know that with some light sets, the building has to have cast shadows turned of ... lol. Was this before I even knew about the Deep Shadow setting ... lol. As I said, these few are probably out of order. It was a couple years ago ... lol.
Regardless, I had some PS filter fun :D
Secret formula? A lot of marketing. No, I mean A LOT.
I easily spend 60% of my day in networks, forums, updating sites, and replying to emails. I am a homeschooling mom, so there are kid/house needs. That takes up a good 30% of my day. So that leaves about 10% to actually do what I love doing.
Needless to say, I don't sleep much and am blissfully single ... lol. My schedule is not conducive to keeping a relationship going.
Finding the formula for acquiring enough work to make a living at this is really a numbers game. Marketing says out of a 1000 viewers, only one will be interested in your product (in this case, your art). Of that .001%, they will need to be exposed/reminded of your work seven times before making the decision to buy. If in that seven times exposure period they find another artist better or cheaper, you just lost that potential client ... lol. So mass is your only option. Agents take too much money and I am not the time to wait to be 'discovered' ... lol.
This next cover, Chamber of Time, was also a fresh theme for me. I had never created an Ancient Egypt work before, and still didn't know that with some light sets, the building has to have cast shadows turned of ... lol. Was this before I even knew about the Deep Shadow setting ... lol. As I said, these few are probably out of order. It was a couple years ago ... lol.
Regardless, I had some PS filter fun :D
Hey! I'm a homeschooling Dad! Have an eleven and eight year old. Definitely a full day. Fortunately, for me, I have a very supportive wife who can give me a break in the evening. I do stay up late, though, to work on my art.
I'm still learning to market myself. Obviously, I'm not very good at it...yet. Maybe one day. I think I'm falling down most on the seven times exposure thing. I've been stopping at six.:lol:
I am enjoying your art. Keep'em coming.:-)
Small world. :D Mine are 19, 21 & 11. The 11 y/o has been permitted to substitute all of his k-12 art courses with his own projects, mainly because of his Daz work.
The 1000 per day is hard enough ... lol.
For Dogsled Dreams, I had to do thing a little differently. The background normally loads curved (I think a cyclorama?), but I didn't like how it looked where I had to place the title. So, I modified the jpeg to load like a regular 2D scene. I then loaded that as the backdrop, rather than as an element int the scene. I think I could make it look much better now, but at that point, making the publisher and author happy was good enough. :D It was also the first one my Dad made mention of (he's very quiet with direct compliments). It must be doing it's job since it's one of the publisher's top sellers. :D
Just to keep things moving along (I am excited to get to my newer stuff ... some of which has been selling pretty well :D) I will group some together. Ones that I know were completed at about the same time.
Hyper Harry is one of my first raytraced renders. As was The Epic Story of Me.
We also start seeing my use of Martin's wonderful Dynamics (Hyper Harry). I think this is about the time I started noticing a change in my work output. Not a huge improvement, but a noticeable one, I think. Yes?
Cool new images. I've always wanted to do a dogsled render. Never got around to it. I may have to start gathering content.
I read about your UPS delivering to your dog woes. That's too bad. Kudos to your dog though for doing such a great job of protecting the household from a potentially vicious package.:lol:
LOL. Thanks. He was looking so proud of himself, too ... lol. "Look, Mom. I shredded it good! I saved you from that potentially perilous package!" (I imagine a Scooby voice ... lol)
Let's see ... what came next in my Daz gallery ... Oh! My first Daz-only children's book illustrations, Strangers in the Stable.
Most kids books I draw by hand. I don't typically consider 3D until at least the middle grade category. At first, I was planning on using Daz as a planning tool, but when I sent the author and publisher the rendered cover plan, they fell in love with it and didn't want to alter mediums. So ... my first full 3D illustrated book came to be. :-)
This next series saw a jump in my output, I think. Of course, I create covers and illos in other mediums besides DAZ, but at this point is where I started seeing that I was going to be able to one day accomplish digitally what takes me months to do in a painting, and hopefully beyond, in a fraction of the time.
That realization means more commissions in a smaller time-frame (translating into more money ... lol).
The author hired me to not only create the cover for books two and three, but she has also contracted the re-covering of book one. This series has landed me quite a bit of residual work. At the time of this post, book three is not out yet, but soon. If you want to read more about the series: http://willowravenillustration.weebly.com/celtic-secrets.html
Very nice. I like faeries. The faery world goes so far beyond Tinker Bell. There's a wealth of material to draw from.