Fateful Morn II

[Dej 17]

I was much gratified by the positive reception you all gave my efforts with the depiction of Lanoe Hawker's machine on the morning of 23rd November 1916, for which much thanks.

 

So, I've decided to see if I can run to a series and here's my second effort.

 

The scenario is:

 

Cappy Aerodrome mid-morning of 21st April 1918, a short while before the famous last ever photo of Manfred alive. The mist that plagued the early hours is not yet quite fully lifted but it's dissipating rapidly. Von Richthofen's famous red Triplane awaits its pilot outside the hangar tent, in which a mechanic, having finished with the Rittmeister's machine, busies himself with a puncture repair. Manfred, with his faithful hound Moritz in tow, is on his way over, but has stopped to talk to a fellow pilot - maybe it's Wolfram, togged up a bit prematurely in his excitement... who knows.

 

3D Modelling and rendering in Cinema 4D, post processing (retouching, lamplight detail, film effect - Paintshop Pro Photo X2)

 

[Olham 164]

This is another fine scenery you have built there, Dej! There is even a German mechanic

taking a wheel apart in the right tent. Von Richthofen's "lucky leather jacket" can be recognised

even from this distance; he is also standing in a pose typical for him. Great job!

 

I still wonder: when you can build a Fokker Triplane so fast - what is the more stressful stuff

of building a model for OFF then? The cockpit must be a tricky fiddling, of course.

Or is it the moveable parts?

[Dej 17]

Thanks Olham. I've had various models sitting around for years so none are built that fast. Plus, I cannot lay claim to having built all the aircraft from scratch, everything else, yes, but I've picked up aircraft models from various free and paid 3D sources over time and modified them to a consistent standard, adding new mesh elements, interior detail, rescaling, remapping the UV and reskinning etc. I'd happily credit the original creator if I knew who it was.

 

Oh, and MvR and the other pilot are just 2D pictures projected onto an appropriately angled plane with some bump mapping for depth. The mechanic is 3D though... see, giving away the 'tricks of the trade' now. Who twitched that curtain...?

Edited March 17, 2011 by Dej

[Lewie 7]

The the tire the wheel the mechanic is working on in the tent appears to be from an automotive wooden wheel. Is it supposed to be an aircraft wheel? They tend to be smaller.

 

Since we're posting Richthofen stuff I found this in a link at the Wings of War website..Baron Manfred v. Richthofen's journal

[Olham 164]

Good find, Lewie.

[NS13Jarhead 6]

And I see Moritz made it into the picture, as well. Very nice job (as always)

Edited March 17, 2011 by NS13Jarhead

[Von Paulus 8]

Great job, Dej.

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Very atmospheric, Dej. I like it a lot!

 

If I may, my only criticism is of ole Moritz. He looks a bit like a ceramic statue of a dog rather than his real-life counterpart. Maybe if you roughen up the texture of his fur a bit. Still, it is a very minor detail on a very fine picture which I will be proud to download and use as my desktop once it is finished!

[carrick58 23]

Great Job

[Dej 17]

Thanks all. I'm particularly pleased with the mist, personally. Took many passes experimenting and seeing as volumetric fog pushes the render time up to 2.5 hours thats of lot of PC tie-up.

 

@ HPW: You're right about the pose but it's all I have to work with. On the other point, Moritz was a short-haired hound and at that distance and in the mist he's not going to look 'hairy'.

 

@ Lewie: Actually, the wheel the mechanic is working on is a copy of the Triplane wheel with the spoke and rim detail modelled instead of the tyre and wheel cover. Goes to show that the camera does lie... in 3D modelling at least. What I'm not happy with are the spokes. If anyone has a reference photo of a Fokker Triplane wheel with the cover off I'd love to see it.

[Slartibartfast 153]

Wonderful picture...

[Mr_Dirt 1]

Very nice piece of art Dej! Very nice indeed.

[Hasse Wind 46]

l'll add my voice to the choir and praise your pic, Dej. Looks really great.

[+Polovski 427]

Very promising new career you have their Dej ;)

Super job.

[Parky 8]

Yep,

 

Outstanding indeed! Toying with the idea of printing that up and putting it in a picture frame. Where do I send the royalty cheque?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Parky

[JFM 18]

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Another wonderful design...I'm hoping you will do a few more too m8...Perhaps a Camel or SE5a next?...Maybe Ball or Mannock?

 

If you do a few..I shall enjoy using it as a screensaver collage

[Dej 17]

Another wonderful design...I'm hoping you will do a few more too m8...Perhaps a Camel or SE5a next?...Maybe Ball or Mannock?

 

If you do a few..I shall enjoy using it as a screensaver collage

 

What are these? Demands? I am an artiste I tell you. I will not be dictated to.

 

Mannock's on the list WM, just working out the shot atm. The Camel one is Bob Little, and that one's giving me grief

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Outstanding Dej, simply outstanding. I will be using this one as a screensaver as well.

 

.

[foreigndevil 0]

Great job! The people in the background make the scene very lifelike. The only thing I don't like is the way the grass is represented (I mean the black "spikes"); don't know if you can leave them out; anyway, the texture showing beneath the spikes looks more like grass texture and would probably work more convincing without the spikes.