First post - Developing an idea

I discovered Bryce and found love in a way that I did not know was possible!

Some years ago I took an elective course during my Masters Degree (which was about conceptual sound design) on 3D modelling. The software used was 3DS Max, which I think was quite interesting, but I had no vision nor any real ideas that needed elucidated via this medium. Cut to now, where I have found myself in the throes of Bryce 7.1 and it's seemingly limitless capabilities. Okay, of course it has its limits but I am having no issue expressing myself, which is ultimately where my interest lies.

About the pictures: The reality is this is about 30/40 hours of troubleshooting, problem solving and more than anything deciding on composition. What Horo and David have provided on YouTube is beyond cost, it is truly priceless, and some time scouring these sources and playing with form led me to create the fourth picture that you see here in the post. What is it? I don't know. It is a feeling translated in a 3D rendered medium. If you like it, great! If not, it makes no difference. I have had SO MUCH fun with this software and without going into it, it has realised a deep need to create that has otherwise been at an impasse.

My main creative practice is audio based - I play in some bands, compose music and produce records [Horo - i loved the section on your website about your experiments in audio synthesis!!]. I am a keen photographer (I have a Nikon FM2 and some fancy lenses, along with a crate of expired film, that for the last decade, has given me great satisfaction) but this world of digital rendering, in its archaic beauty, is something that resonates on a profound level. I have spent some time digging through these forums and have come to the conclusion that I must participate by sharing some experiments.

Here are the first batch that I feel is fit for purpose. I encourage any and all comments or conversation. The work I see here is inspiring and now I begin what I hope is a long and fruitful relationship with you lovely people.

All the best to each and everyone here

Benjamin

Comments

  • NGartplayNGartplay Posts: 2,793

    Hello benbr11, welcome.  So glad that you are sharing your inspiration and creativeness with us.  Your first images here are beautiful.

    The first image shows your creativity.  The use of shiny materials to reflect, the surrealistic look of the image and romanesque look of the objects.

    I like the way the bridge leads us into the land in the second one.  the eye travels along the bridge and leads us to the far away subject.  Makes one wonder what is happening there.

    The third image has interesting terrains and shows us your ability to compose an image.  I like the wide view as well.

    The fourth is my favorite.  I like the foggy look to the water, the castle and the terrain that it is situated on and the time period depicted here.

    Really wonderful work.  Makes me happy that Bryce has bitten you.

  • mermaid010mermaid010 Posts: 4,955

    Wow Benbr11, lovely renders, I like them all, very glad you discovered Bryce and it's flexibility and versatility to make awesome artwork. I agree Horo and David's tutorials are priceless and Horo's website and A Treasure Box for Brycers. Thanks for sharing your work and hoping to seeing more.

     

     

  • HoroHoro Posts: 10,069

    benbr11 - welcome to Bryce and this forum. Thank you for your kind words. Before I went into 3D, I experimented with music synthesizers, analog ones at the time and spent quite some time to design and build additional filters.
    Great results of your "early" works. Third and fourth are really well done. Keep it up.

  • huberthubert Posts: 410

    benbr11: Welcome! :)

    A nice batch of images. Great composition, terrains, lighting and mat work! (The third and fourth are my favorites here.)

  • adbcadbc Posts: 3,076

    benbr11 : Welcome. This is a wonderful set of renders., incredibly well done.

  • Past as FuturePast as Future Posts: 141
    edited March 2023

    benbr11 - welcome! Your renders are very nice, and I think it's a wonderful start of your journey with Bryce. Hope you'll enjoy the voyage!

    I think there is something special to Bryce. Obviously it has limitations and what not, and I understand why it doesn't really compete with "modern solutions" anymore (especially in commercial studio workflows). However, there is something to Bryce - and I think it's an ability of Bryce to inspire people. Somehow it can ignite the heat of imagination in mind and heart. I don't know how, it's just a magic. Also, I agree, it's very fun!

    I also come from a music background (amateur and self-taught), and I think it was among the things which helped me to fall in love with Bryce. As Bryce really looks like some esoteric VST plugin with the way how it's designed. And the Material Lab always makes me think of EMS Synthi - the legendary semi-modular analogue synth. Especially the patching grid of it.

    Here is a great article about Kai Krause (one of Bryce original creators) and his approach to interface in software:
    https://www.mprove.de/script/99/kai/index.html

    And here is the Synthi for those who don't know it.

    ems synthi.jpg
    735 x 542 - 98K
    Post edited by Past as Future on
  • NGartplayNGartplay Posts: 2,793

    Past has a blast from the past :)

  • adbcadbc Posts: 3,076

    Past : this is indeed a long time ago.

  • HoroHoro Posts: 10,069

    Past as Future - may be from the early seventies when I had my Roland System 100 VCEMS (voltage controlled electronic music synthesizer), the whole set with expander, mixer and sequencer.

  • NGartplayNGartplay Posts: 2,793

    Were you ever in a band Horo?  I was graduating in '73.  I remember synthesizers.

  • benbr11benbr11 Posts: 23

    Ngartplay, Mermaid010, Horo, Hubert, adbc, Past as Future - Thankyou all for the kind words and most warm of welcomes! It's a really nice community here. A small family but a very kind one.

    Past - I do think you are onto something there! There is a musicality to the functions in this software. The UI is pleasing in its simplicity and I am very much led on journeys of discovery via parameter-fiddling. In almost the same way I would with a synthesiser.  I am curious as to what sort of music you make. Do folk share other creative pursuits on these forums? Perhaps there could be a thread for that! Very cool posting of the EMS, what a great reference to a fantastic bit of kit. I enjoyed the link to some Kai goodness too.

    Horo - Do you still have any of the old synth gear lying around? What fun you must have had! And perhaps some headaches too whilst figuring it all out, hehe. Some serious stuff going on with that Roland. Do you find there is correlation between your appraoch to synthesis and that of rendering?

    Ngartplay - I look forward to dabbling with some of your contents. Its nice to see those threads occuring!

    Is the "Show us your renders" thread the place to deposit work and engage in chitchat about it? If so, i'll be seeing you all over there : )

     

  • NGartplayNGartplay Posts: 2,793

    Yes it is Benbr11.  If you have a new image/images that you created you can put them into the 'show us your renders' thread.  Sometimes it gets too long and they start a new one.

  • HoroHoro Posts: 10,069

    NGartplay and benbr11 - no, I'm as much a musician than an artist, just a dabbler. I made some sound sculptures as I call them (I have an example on my website: Personal > Private > Audio), not actually music, and radio plays. I still have the 4-channel TEAC tape recorder and the Revox 2-channel one but don't use them anymore.

  • NGartplayNGartplay Posts: 2,793

    Horo, I can't find an option for personal on the link in your signature here.

    horo.ch.jpg
    800 x 568 - 309K
  • HoroHoro Posts: 10,069

    Lower down below Persönlich.

  • NGartplayNGartplay Posts: 2,793
    edited March 2023

    I'm so silly.  I misunderstood the composition of your home page.  Found it.

    Post edited by NGartplay on
  • HoroHoro Posts: 10,069

    Ha! Happens to me too to be silly from time to time.

  • Yellow PenYellow Pen Posts: 918

    Benbr11 - glad to meet a new Bryce friend here... and, I love to see what you have done with this program. And I´m looking forward to see what you do with it in the future.

    Past as future: thank you.

  • benbr11benbr11 Posts: 23

    Thankyou Yellow Pen ! So lovely to meet you and the other Brycers too! 

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