All 3 pieces that i chose to talk about are of 3D environments. These set a standard which I one day look to meet or exceed.
Wild West Enviroment
https://80.lv/articles/creating-a-wild-west-environment-with-ue4-speedtree/
I particularly liked this scene mainly because I felt it captured the idea of what Red Dead Redemption 2 will be trying to portray.
The artist portrays the contrast between the native American’s one with nature/ circle of life ideals and the industrialisation of America. The scene is comprised of 2 halfs, the side with the oil pipe which is slightly gloomy and is dead/ dying. The artist deliberately lights the scene to convey how the industrialisation of America killed the Native Americans way of life and destroyed their land.
The other half shows a native american camp surrounded by light and greenery. This gives that part of the scene a more lively vibrant feel. I believe the artist did this to illustrate the unity the native americans had with nature, and how they cared for their land.
As I said, I liked this scene as I felt it told a story/ narrative, which is why I found the scene interesting.
In my future works I would look to implement and arrange my scene in such a way that it leads the onlooker’s eye, and tells a story. It is something I may find difficult at first and I very much believe that static scenes can tell great stories.
Ominous Tree
https://80.lv/articles/creating-an-ominous-scene-in-ue4-ilya-ivanov/
This scene gave me the creeps, and I chose it because it reminded me of the Evil tree the 3 crones ask Geralt to kill in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt.
As with the wild west scene/ environment, I feel the artist has created a story within the scene. Honestly not 100% sure what story this scene is telling. Perhaps the tree is chained because it moves (like the one in Harry Potter), and has killed people in the past which would explain the blood within the scene.
The scenes use of various objects such as the bone chimes on the tree add a horror element, and further adds to the story telling. Gives the idea that someone put them on the tree so it can be heard when it moves.
The tree is centered to the the scene, and is done expertly. The way the artist has created the tree almost as though its reaching out to grab someone.
In my own future works I would start to mess around with making different trees, for different environments. Also again expert use of layout to tell a story within a static scene. Something I definitely will look more carefully at, so I can start can start to implement such narratives into my own scenes.
Shadowy Forest in UE4
https://80.lv/articles/creating-a-shadowy-forest-in-ue4/
Although this particular forest scene is extremely dark it does show off the power of strong lighting. Due to the dark scene any lighting introduced would have to be expertly placed as it could result in the scene looking off by being too bright or dark. I believe the artist deliberately chose a dark scene to challenge their lighting ability, to create a scene that feels authentic to a real life forest.
The artist does a great job of balancing colour within the scene. The scene is dark enough that it gives the scene a almost moody look without making anything so dark it cannot be seen.
I also liked how the artist arranged the scene so there is no clear focal but instead I found my eye flowing with the worn path within the scene. This gives the idea of a game environment, where the environment directs a player to a objective.
The artist mentions his use of 3D scanning and vertex painting (to create the moss). This helped create a photo realistic forest and is something I would want to explore in a project of my own once I become more proficient with 3D software.
This scene made me realise the importance and power of shaders in creating a great looking scene.
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