July 2023 - Daz 3D New User Challenge - Portrait Rendering and L.I.E.
DAZ_ann0314
Posts: 2,849
New User's Challenge - July, 2023
Sponsored by DAZ 3D
Are you new to the 3D World? Are you at the beginning stages of learning 3D rendering? Have you been around for a little bit but feel you could benefit from some feedback or instruction? Have you been around awhile and would like to help other members start their creative journey? Well then come and join the fun as we host our newest render challenge!
New this year, we are breaking down each month into 2 different challenges. A Beginner Challenge and then also an Intermediate Challenge.
So which "Challenge" should you choose?
Follow the Beginner Challenge if you are:
- New to the New User Challenges
- New to Daz Studio
- Newer to 3D Rendering in General
- Or if you have not participated in the February Lighting Challenge
Follow the Intermediate Challenge if you have:
- Participated in the New User Challenge for awhile
- Know the basics of Daz Studio and would like to learn more in depth topics
- Been using 3D Rendering Applications for awhile and feel comfortable with learning Intermediate Topics
- Or if you have all ready participated in the February Lighting Challenge
*Please be sure to list in your post which Challenge you are participating in*
Closing date for both is July 31, 2023
For a list of the current challenge rules, please see this thread: Challenge Rules
They apply for both versions of the challenge.
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Beginner Challenge - July, 2023
"Portrait Rendering (Expressions and Lighting)"
This month's focus will be Portrait Rendering, with an emphasis on the character's expression and lighting. Portraits are the way we show off the unique aspects of each individual. Expressions should convey their personality. Good lighting will enhance your portrait and set the mood. Portraits don't have to look like yearbook headshots. Get creative, hone your skills, and have some fun in this months contest.
A portrait is a representation of a person, group of people, or even a pet, that displays the expression, personality, and mood of the subject. The focus of a portrait is usually the subject's face, although the entire body and the background or context may be included. Depth of Field is often used to blur the surrounding environment to draw the eye to the subject.
Inspiration:
Portrait Tips and Examples:
Tips for good portrait photos
Google Search - Portrait Expressions
Beginner's Guide to Portrait Composition
Foundations of Portrait Composition Part I: Framing Your Model
Lighting:
Portrait Lighting Patterns
Mastering Lighting in Blender (The first 25 minutes of the video are basic lighting theory and insights.)
Other Helpful Links:
When following tutorials, be cognizant of the different applications (Bryce, Daz Studio, Poser, Carrara, Blender, etc.) and different render engines (3Delight, Iray, Reality, etc). Techniques for one may not apply directly to another. If you have some favorite portrait lighting and composition tips, please share them in this thread.
Composition Golden Ratio helpers:
Bryce
DAZ Studio (Also, DS has a built in Rule of Thirds guide; just select Show Thirds Guide in the Viewport context menu)
Rule of Thirds Guide in Daz Studio
Lighting Tutorials:
Tutorials by Szark (Credit is given to Szark for this wonderful thread with links to many tutorials.)
6 Tips for Better Lighting - Blender Guru (Most is general lighting tips, not Blender specific)
Creating And Lighting A Scene With Iray In DAZ Studio
Great Lighting for Dark Backgrounds
High Key Portraits: Take and Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey
Low Key Portraits: Take and Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey
Laws of Light: 5 Portrait Lighting Setups
How to Set-Up Camera, Lights, & Displacement in Daz Studio Octane
How to Create the Perfect 3D Scene Lighting with Daz3D
Portrait Tutorials:
Let's Make a Character Portrait - In the Studio with Daz 3D (live streamed in February, 2022 – tutorial starts approximately 14:45)
Daz3D Portrait Tutorial ( magazine article )
Create a realistic portrait in Daz Studio 03: setting up the scene
Some good information on useful portrait cropping
https://digital-photography-school.com/good-crop-bad-crop-how-to-crop-portraits/
The Rule of Thirds in 5 minutes | Creating More Dynamic Framing
And of course its always a good idea to check the portraits contests from the last years:
July, 2022
July, 2021
July, 2020
July, 2019
July, 2018
July, 2017
July, 2016
July, 2015
Intermediate Challenge July 2023 - L.I.E. (Layered Image Editor)
What is the Layered Image Editor?
The Layered Image Editor (LIE) allows you to create, open, edit, and save DAZ Studio Layered Image (DLI) sets (*.dsi). A DLI is a composite of image layers into a single Studio material file which can then be applied to an object's material zone in Studio via the Surfaces tab. DLIs can be composed of any image file format supported in Studio (i.e., TIFF, PNG, JPEG, etc.). In addition, DLIs can contain other DLIs as part of its composition. The images composing the layers are not modified as the DLI file contains the pathname to the files and the opacity and blending information.
The DLI format provides a way of combining images without modifying the original images. For example, a tattoo could be available as an option on a figure. Usually, this might require separate texture maps for each skin color plus an extra set of maps with the tattoo. Using the LIE, a DLI file could be built layering the tattoo over the skin maps and the resulting .dsi file added to the material file to load via a MAT pose file. The original skin map can then be applied to the figure without the tattoo or with it, all without having to create two texture maps.
L.I.E. Video Tutorials
Daz Studio Layered Image Editor
DAZ Studio Tutorial - Layered Image Editor - Make your own Tattoos
Daz Studio Tattoo Tutorial
L.I.E Article Tutorial
Daz Custom Tattoos Tutorial
Forum Threads
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/19670/how-do-i-use-layered-image-editor-lie
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/191661/how-to-save-a-layer-image-editor-l-i-e-preset
And of course its always a good idea to check the portraits contests from the past years:
July, 2022
July, 2021
July, 2020
I haven't used the L.I.E editor yet. Can I participate?
Here's my start for the Portrait contest(Beginner)
My idea is to have him primaraly lit by the spell that he is charging in his outstreached hands with the set lit in black lit to give an idea of where he is without overpowering the light from the spell.
I want to apply a tatoo using the L.I.E. But on the skin the original colors of the tatoo change. It seems they are getting mixed with the translucency color. Is there a setting, which lets me keep my colors or even better control the blending level?
when you are in the LIE tool window in the lower right there is a field with options to choose from called Blend Mode, defailt is set ot source over (this has gained a lot of options since I last added something via LIE, which isn't all that long ago)
I often use the additive blend when I have a png with transparency as the addded image, but maybe try the other options as well and check which you like best.
Additionally esp when it comes to tattoos I dial down the opacity to 70% (depending how old the tattoo is supposed to be) so it doesn't look that painted on the skin (make sure you have the same imaged added in the translucency channel of the skin, as well dial down.
Version B of my portrait render.
I changed the textures of my character to a set for IRay, changed his expresion, and gave him a scar over the left eye.
Intermediate Challenge
Title: The Tiger God
Description: Saber, known to some as a Tiger God, emerges from the jungle. As if torn from a comic book or a scroll from ancient times, Saber seeks out a violent revenge.
Items Used: Daz Big Cat 2, Dark Guard Character HD, dForce Electro Hair, Pirates Cove Scene Kit, Swamp Loincloth, Leather and Fur Iray Shaders, Sketchy - Toon Edge and Art Style Shaders
I had some fun creating the stripes in the Layer Image Editor. The spiky blue fur was a happy little accident (which occurred after adding a fur shader and adjusting some of the parameters). I definitely wanted to do more of a "toon" or drawing image this time around for the Profile challenge.
Loving the starts so far.
Shinji, personally, I would like a little more light on his face, just to see the details easier.
Marcon, love the idea. The blue fur was unexpected!
Thank you. Your advice helped once again.
Bee Happy
Submission for: Beginner Challenge - July, 2023 / Portrait Rendering (Expressions and Lighting)
Products used: Listed in the Gallery post
I hope this qualifies as a portrait. I never really do them as I struggle to come up with any ideas for them so am going to try and do two for this challenge.
NOTE: I have attempted to attach the image to this post but it's not working, so hopefully the link from the gallery will be allowed. I'll try to attach it again tomorrow anyway.
EDIT: image attached to the post at the second attempt
Here's version C.
I went and upped the luminance on the spell that he's charging in his hands by about 5 times the amount to see if that would help with seeing his face.
Title: Priestess of the Stars
Level: Intermediate
Back Alley Angel
Intermediate Challenge, Version 1
I did another version of my render trying to get some more light on my character's face while keeping the feel I was trying for, but I can't seem to upload it at this time.
Here's version D that I was trying to upload earlier.
I added a sparking wire along with an instance of said wire to eather side of him to try and help with the lighting.
Version 2, slight changes to lighting and pose
Portrait Challenge.
I am probably cheating because I did not make this render specifically for the challenge, but it is a test render of a morph I made. But, it is after all, a portrait.
I am calling this model Irene. (I did not make the textures. That is on my to-do list)
This is probably my favorite render so far. I need to update my gallery!
g
Intermediate Challenge July 2023 - L.I.E.
Title: Ethereal Edge
Description: Amidst the maelstrom of magic, the Ethereal blade is wielded in the most dire of circumstances.
Products Used:
Programs used: Daz3d w/iray render, substance painter (sword texture/molten texture), Cinema 4D (sword shatter/molten sword obj, magic emission texture creation), After Effects(circular magic background, light rays, glow effects)
Creation process: I started with the idea of using texture baking in C4D to create an emission LIE map for Daz. Then using the baked maps, I used the layered image editor to create the surface-level pattern and an additional geoshell under the skin to emit the light. This caused the render time to be extensive, so the final image is a lower-resolution render I was making as a test. I also imported the reforming sword/molten metal as an obj from C4D, and used the textures I created in substance painter to texture them. Using after effects, I layered blurry still frames from a magical powers stock footage pack I had for another project to use as the background and added some glow to the emission channel from the iray render. A light ray effect was also added to tie the background and foreground together more.
Intermediate Submission #2
Title: Chaotic Protection
About: In a bustling city named Eloria, an extraordinary elven woman named Lireth possesses the gift of lightning. Working as a healer in the grand castle, she keeps her powers hidden. But when an ancient artifact falls into the wrong hands, chaos threatens the city. Lireth must embrace her true self, wielding her lightning powers to protect Eloria from darkness and becoming a beacon of hope for its people.
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I used the L.I.E. for the tattoos on the chest, face, neck, and legs.These tattoos came from Leolani for Gen 8 Female. I moved them around, edited them, grouped them together, and gave them an emittable light. The character is Qabbalah HD (with an elven morph), and I also used the Qabbalah HD Addon for the areas that are transparent. I can't remember where I got the eyes from, sorry. They were a morph from deep within my library. I used the MDBD Blood 'n Dirt - Geoshell Manager to add a bit a grunge to her face and clothing. The clothing is dforce Crimsoneye Outfit. The spiral effect around the character is a rapier (weapon) from the Drow Weapons Megapack A. I added a texture to the weapon, made the texture massive, then noted how the smooth lines of the rapier were now jagged and missing. This was a happy little accident. The majority of the lightning effects were from FSL Elements of Magic. I played around a lot with settings, opacity, and hid parts of objects to get this outcome.
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I really like your work marconft6! Your use of color is amazing, the blues and purples just fit.
Thank you so very much, Euler!
This Challenge is now closed!
July 2023
Showcased Participants for the July Portrait Rendering Challenge (Beginner)
Composition by Rafael
Composition by SofaCitizen
Showcased Participants for the July L.I.E Challenge (Intermediate)
Composition by Euler
Composition by apprentice
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!! You all did amazing this month!
Congrats everyone! There were some really amazing pieces this month. I better step up my game if I want to compete in August!
Congrats to the winners! Great entries!
Awesome entries folks!
Thank you. It does feel a little cheap winning a prize when there were only 2 entries in the category I went for tho so will definitely keep practicing!