Excellent! I love models where textures tell the story. I am learning to bake intextures and shadows in Cinema 4D. Gives alot more realism.

I’ll preface by saying I love the model and the snowman model you uploaded. And i’m being as picky as possible to provide you feedback.

-There seems to be extra geometry in the model that is not being used by either texture space or needed for shape, did this model have another texture?

-Keep an eye on texture borders in corners, and how the texture wraps around the sides.

-I would edit the ground texture to provide some support to the idea that the arch goes deep under the ground. An extra border of tile around the “feet” of the arch, or some more shadow and dirt. Same for the cement/stone border with the pattern around the top of the arch.

-The one comment I hear alot is to add details as if its been alive for a while, trash, debris, bullet holes, cracks, erosion, or decay around edges, graphiti, chipped stone, things of this nature.

I want to see more!

That is certainly thorough advice. Nice job jdelrio.

After 35 years of rendering (with pencil, marker, chalk and all that old fashioned stuff), I would also add that the geometry itself should not be too perfect. If everything is straight and square, the eye picks up that all is not right. It is more work (and more polygons), but adds a realism that is hard to beat.

I was in a class where the (then still young) designer of Main Street in the first Disneyland brought in his original illustrations and pointed out some of the things that they did to add realism.

The one big thing that I always remember is that although the buildings look three stories tall, each floor above street level is actually shorter than the one below it, giving a greater sense of height.

He also made sure that each story had slightly different details and proportions, all to keep the mind busy. The real world is so complex that we’re not fooled when “virtual” shortcuts are taken.

Good luck with your aspirations!

Thank you for your detailed feedback, it is great to hear your comments because they have great relevance to what I keep in mind when making a model, I completely agree that the model does have bits of un necessary geometry, and I rushed it hoping that no one would not notice (this goes for the unfortunately noticeable seems as it wraps around), but I guess I couldnt get that past you jdelrio. I like the idea about editing the ground texture to give a sense that part of the arch is underground and the little details that would give the arch a sense of having been alive.
As for billybobsue, I agree with your points as well, especially about the eye picking up all that is not right, I find it amazing how all these little details can make or break a model. Sometimes I have problems in which I feel that if I manipulate my work too much I begin to add detail and imperfection just for the sake of it and this “realistic” amount of detail ends up looking forced (heck sometimes I deform my mesh to unrecogniseable levels). But I guess with practice and patience I will reach I level that I am comfortable with.

Thank you once again for your comments and I will take all this advice on board with future models I create and when I upload them here I would love to hear your continuing feedback.

Beautiful work aksakof !.. I hope you get your job…

Congratulations Aksakof! Your model has been included in the 9th weekly Top 10 models blog with pictures and links to your model.

Go to http://www.3dvia.com/blog/2009/01/11/3dvia-top-10-models-009/ to check it out!

Wow your models have both gotten into the Top Ten!

Its a shame I missed this weeks chance for the top ten, some awesome models there though. Been working on something recently though, as soon as its done I will upload it here, I shall have another chance at the top ten I tell ya! :P