SAC # 1 Discussion POLL IS UP !

[Possum Roadkill]

Space Art Competition #1

THEME IS: A View From An Asteroid

POLL IS UP ****** VOTE NOW ! Voting extended by request until Sunday

SAC Comp Rules: All submissions must be created in Paint.net with the exception of renders and stock photos when allowed.

When they are allowed, obviously you cannot use the stocks or renders as your entire submission, so the majority of your image should be created in Paint.net.

When Theme Rules allow, you must post a link to any stocks, renders, images or parts of images you did not create in Paint.net,

i.e. fractals created in a fractal generator program or textures created in another program of any kind.

All images must be submitted as a thumbnail link to the full size image. DO NOT POST FULL SIZE IMAGES!

Minimum size is 800 X 600. There is no maximum size, but keep in mind that people will want to look at your image

and if it takes too long to load, they may not wait to look at it.

NO PLACEHOLDERS! Do not post an entry until it is a finished product. NO WIPS (works in progress) !

No images previously submitted will be allowed.

I reserve the right to add to the rules as people do things to annoy me. (See special rule # 5.)

THEME IS: A View From An Asteroid

Theme rules: You are to make an image depicting a space scene with an asteroid or a group of asteroids

(commonly known as an asteroid belt) with the point of view being from the asteroid surface,

or within the asteroid belt looking out into space, or into a solar system, or at/into other space like phenomena.

You may use stocks and or renders in part of your image. (The less the use the better, in my humble opinion).

You MUST link to the stocks or renders you use. The use of another program to create textures is also allowed,

i.e. Apophysis to create planet textures or nebulae textures or even Blender to create 3D planets.

However, the majority of the image must be done in Paint.net, because this is a Paint.net forum competition.

As in the use of stocks and renders, you must post any textures or elements you create in another program as if they are stocks/renders.

(Remember, Possum’s have a sixth sense about things like this, do don’t make me hunt you down.

So with that in mind, special rule #5 is in effect for this competition ).

This thread is for DISCUSSION only ! If you want to enter this comp, please go to the entry thread HERE.

The VOTING period for this competition run through Sunday evening (May 14th, 2010) at 7:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time. All VOTES submitted up to that time will be accepted

Edited May 15, 2010 by Possum Roadkill

[Goonfella]

Great theme Possum! Right up my street.

[0(-.-)0]

Yaay! Spaces!

I like teh spaces!

I need to find a way to make asteroids though

...hmmm...

[Axle]

this is nothing i think i'm able to do

[barbieq25]

this is nothing i think i'm able to do

Pig's butt! I reckon you'd do well at this one. I'll do one if you do.

[jerry533482]

All right! Finally, space competition!

I gotta get to work on this. I've finished all my homework, & I shouldn't have any for the foreseeable future (a week or so), so I'm gonna put some effort into this. No more 45-minute slap-jobs, I'm making a week-long masterpiece! I can also show off my newest nebulae techniques (still working on a tut).

[barbieq25]

No more 45-minute slap-jobs, I'm making a week-long masterpiece! I can also show off my newest nebulae techniques (still working on a tut).

Looking forward to seeing this one!

[Possum Roadkill]

Wow, I didn't expect anyone would be interested in doing a space comp. (yes that was sarcasm)

OK everyone ! You have two weeks, so don't rush your piece. I want to feel like I'm watching a documentary on the Discovery channel when I browse through this gallery.

Axel, I expect to see something from you. There are a lot of tuts on this forum and I've purposely left the rules wide open. You can use stocks, renders, and other stuff, SO MAKE SURE YOU READ THE RULES !!!

Let's have some fun !

[csm725]

I love making space pics, count me in!

Maybe some tips on how to make the un-uniform shapes of the asteriods?

[oma]

not my strong point not even sure what I'm going to try for this comp. but please how do I get a decent starfield, I do know I'll be needing one of those in this image.

tips tips tips gladly accepted from all you space buffs.

ciao OMA

[Possum Roadkill]

I'll try to hunt down some tips and stuff at lunch today and post them.

[chrisco97]

I was hoping you would choose the other theme.

Just kidding!

-------

This is a nice theme, I will try and put something together. Two weeks sure is going to help.

[jerry533482]

Just a piece of advice, I'm going to be utilizing the 1600x1200 workspace (for high detail), & I've found that add noise doesn't have such a good outcome for stars (when using a large resolution). they all look distorted & like they have tails ( ) & stuff. Yikes. But anyway, if you're using a large workspace (e.g. larger than 1024x768), don't go with traditional add noise. either manually draw in the stars (this isn't as difficult as it sounds, just draw a couple of white dots in with the pencil against a black background, duplicate with blending set to additive, move the stars, merge layers, & repeat), experiment with an add noise render with high coverage combined with brightness/contrast adjustments, or use mcamp14's starry sky plugin (it can be found here). It's remarkably simple, but it works for large canvases. Not that I wouldn't recommend adding some customizations once you use it, though.

[himself22]

Whoah, Oma, you standards must be really high! You say space isn't your strong point when I don't doubt that'll be the best picture in the competition (no offense to other competitors)! You use all of the blurs perfectly, the detail is amazing, and the meteors are amazing (especially the tails hue).

[jerry533482]

Holy cow, Oma. I saw your entry &, well I guess you could say we have some competition. I'm (and based on the other entries I've seen, pretty much everyone else is) not basing my/their entry on asteroids, but rather spacescape scenery. You, on the other hand have made a picture almost entirely of asteroids that is PRISTINE. Seriously, I can get the shadows & texture of an asteroid right, but the blurring always stumps me. You're blurring is perfect. Do you have any tips you could share with us?

BTW, I'm happy my original project was corrupted the other day. It was junk, & I probably would have submitted it. My progress for now is far more refined, & I'm taking my time with it. After seeing Oma's entry, I'm waiting until the last minute to submit mine. It'll kinda' give me an advantage, knowing what I'm painting against.

Edited April 28, 2010 by jerry533482

[oma]

Just a piece of advice, I'm going to be utilizing the 1600x1200 workspace (for high detail), & I've found that add noise doesn't have such a good outcome for stars (when using a large resolution). they all look distorted & like they have tails ( ) & stuff. Yikes. But anyway, if you're using a large workspace (e.g. larger than 1024x768), don't go with traditional add noise. either manually draw in the stars (this isn't as difficult as it sounds, just draw a couple of white dots in with the pencil against a black background, duplicate with blending set to additive, move the stars, merge layers, & repeat), experiment with an add noise render with high coverage combined with brightness/contrast adjustments, or use mcamp14's starry sky plugin (it can be found here). It's remarkably simple, but it works for large canvases. Not that I wouldn't recommend adding some customizations once you use it, though.

try using random shapes set on white / white colors use circles set on low size max and min. gives some nice random stars especially on large large canvas size.

re the blurs I use every plugin out there. those blurs took a total of about 5 layers.

used trail by pyrochild used gradiant blur and then some individual transparent gradiants. over lapped some of different colors and gradiant blur by boltbait. also motion blur works well ...think that one was by madjik.

back lite the asteroids on a layer below with fire plugin. and gassiaun blurrrrrrrrrrrr.

just a lot of plugin mashing until I got a look I liked.

the shooting rocks. well they are just little bits of the asteroid texture lasso'd and then shrunk down real small, use trail plugin and layer tilt tiny tiny increments (2 or 3size on trail) about 10 or 15 times each rock going different directions each time

ciao

OMA

Edited April 29, 2010 by oma

[Sozo]

I plan on entering this, just got to find the time between finals.

[oma]

nice asteroid texture yellowman!

going to pick your brains on that one on pdnfanatics. great to see you are back, missed you.

ciao OMA

PS sozo crack them books I want to hear you bragging this time next week how you

Aced those finals.

[barbieq25]

I plan on entering this, just got to find the time between finals.

Hope you do really well! Just finished another exam. Yay!

[himself22]

Mine are next week.

[jerry533482]

Guys, I have the majority of my entry done, but it still needs more features. What I'm asking is, does anyone here know any good tuts or have any good techniques for creating a lively star background? Like, one with a few colors & some circular glows? Please let me know if you do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Possum Roadkill]

Guys, I have the majority of my entry done, but it still needs more features. What I'm asking is, does anyone here know any good tuts or have any good techniques for creating a lively star background? Like, one with a few colors & some circular glows? Please let me know if you do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I think the best ones are the ones that are created one star at a time. Layer upon layer of stars in different sizes. Blurs and blend modes are important, but placement and grouping to me is the most important thing. I would start out with a star field layer, then place your main and secondary elements, then go back and add a layer above the starfield and add more stars in the open spaces, blur and merge them down.

[Possum Roadkill]

Last few hours before the close of the entry period ! If you are working on something to enter let me know !

[Possum Roadkill]

The entry period has come to a close. Thanks to everyone who entered. Poll will be up later tonight.

[csm725]

Why did Welshblue withdraw?