Something for the Weekend - Part 235 - Rocky X

[davescm]

Thanks to all who took part in our previous challenges. For the last two challenges we started with small objects, first a spark plug then a dried clove, so I thought this week we should go large. Most artists like a blank canvas and today our canvas is a dry, rocky, and barren landscape. What you put in it, to tell us a story, is up to you.

The “rules”:

• Use the starter image as at least part of your own image entry.
• Anything goes, as long as it meets the forum rules on decency, copyright, etc.
• Anyone, and everyone, is welcome to have a go, whether you are a complete beginner or a Photoshop expert. This is not just for our forum “regulars”.
• There are no prizes apart from the chance to practice, show off your skills, or bring a bit of humor and fun. Don't be shy, join in and have a go!
• The starter image is made available for you to use in this forum challenge only.

To download the starter image, hover over the image and click on the circle with the arrows at the top right. Then, when the image opens in its own window, right click and choose “Save Image As/Save Target As” (or similar depending on your browser).

When posting back your image — please use the blue reply button in this first post and use the 'Insert Photos' icon at the top of the reply box. If posting a comment on someone else’s entry, then please use the grey reply button next to their image post.

Have fun!

Dave

[Jacob Bugge]

Click to get closer, Click again to get closer still

[davescm]

Haha. I hadn't seen the face in there, but now I can't unsee it. 🙂
Dave

[fbeaume]

Love the hidden eyes

[jane-e]

It can be difficult to tell your renders from your photos, Dave, but in this case you gave us a small clue: if it had been a photo you would have told us the location. Since you didn't, it's a render.

Very nice work and I'm starting to think up a few ideas!

Jane

[davescm]

Good sluething Jane! You're absolutely right, it is a render. I created the terrain in World Creator, exported it as a height map and used that as a displacement map in Blender. Textures came from Adobe Substance Painter, before lighting and rendering in Blender. I was going to add a bit of grass and foliage but decided to leave it barren.


Dave

[DeanUtian]

Great work Dave - as always.

[fbeaume]

Great job Dave!
Thanks for sharing the process!

[Jacob Bugge]

Jane, I agree with Dave about the good sleuthing. I thought he had been to Atacama and missed the desierto florido.

Dave, it would have beeen nice to see that bloom, but the barrenness gave other opportunities.

[DeanUtian]

Something lurking from underground.

[davescm]

It explains why there was no-one around, Dean. 🙂

Dave

[creative explorer]

@DeanUtian For some reason, the colors reminds me an old episode of Star Trek with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy! 

[DeanUtian]

I had a look and can see a similarity. Hopefully my image does have better special effects 🙂

Image from: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/09/i-watched-star-trek-the-original-series-in-order-and-so-can-y...
(Credit: CBS)

[JR Boulay]

Right now I'm watching a lot of the Star Trek series on Netflix, and what struck me is that wherever they are, on whatever planet, the ground is always flat.

[Trevor.Dennis]

@JR Boulay  The location where Kirk fought the alien (Gorn?) in an early episode comes to mind.  It's called Vasquez Rocks, and is apparently a popular filming location because it is flat, has a high background helping to avoid continuity faux pas, and is close to the studios.

Blimey!  I just looked it up on Wikipedia, and got quite a surprise.  I think the film crews must have to queue up to take their turns.  You are not so likely seeing a Jumbo-Jet flying over, as seeing an episode of Westworld being filmed in the background.  Have a guess at how many movies and TV productions filmed there, then scroll down (I hope this works) to see how close you were.

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Wikipedia Link

70 movies

124 TV shows.

[JR Boulay]

Another thing that surprised me, and which seems very surprising today, is that Kirk and his crew use cell phones (flip phones) to communicate with the Enterprise when they're on a planet or in another ship.
Whereas inside the Enterprise, they always use fixed communication systems.

[Jacob Bugge]

Dean, I keep wondering whether there is a safe distance and what it might be (immediately and in the long run, literal meaning).

[fbeaume]

Well done!

[Greg_S.]

[Ashraful_Islam]

It's a cool sport in a cold environment.

[davescm]

That's a very nice job covering the landscape with snow, Greg, and to do that on the finished image rather than at the texturing stage - well done.
Dave

[fbeaume]

I guess you used Photoshop neural filter?
Great idea and well executed!

[Ashraful_Islam]

[davescm]

I like this, it has the look of an old children's book illustration. 🙂
Dave

[AlanGilbertson]

When I were a lad, we'd have loved old children's books. But we didn't have any old children, so we 'ad young children's books that we 'ad to carry back and forth to school, uphill both ways, in t' snow, in us bare feet.