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Posted on 21/07/22 3:34:35 PM
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 4902

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What do you think of the show so far?
As I have mentioned a couple of times in the past I am working on a huge image for Ingrid to put on a large empty wall. She asked for something in the spirit of my Knife Grinders image.



So, once again, the new image creates three worlds on each of the 3D axes that touch but don't necessarily connect. In Knife Grinders the connection was the single machine they serve. In this new image there is no such connection but within in each discrete dimension you can also find an incursion of one of the other dimensions. This image is less personal and more architectural.

Ingrid is very keen that the image should be black and white so it is posted here in two versions. Personally I prefer colour. It may be that we settle for a very desaturated colour.

What may come as a surprise to many of you is that I have never made a secret of my antipathy to 3D and yet here is an image that represents weeks and months of painstaking 3D modelling. The image was modelled in Trimble Sketchup (A primarily architectural 3D app) with Photoshop completely in mind. I grouped my 3D model so that by turning on and off visibility for different groups I was able to export 2D renders of individual aspects to discrete Photoshop layers. This gave me my basic start construction which consisted of approximately two hundred exports to two hundred PS layers. Because the 3D model plays havoc with conventional aspects of up and down, or indeed any real world orientation, I couldn't do more than the most basic lighting and texturing in 3D as the software simply couldn't interpret all the false perspectives and connections in real world terms. 90% of the texturing and lighting is done by hand in Photoshop.

As was the case with Knife Grinders this is a very large image: 11000 x 8000 pixels. 110cm x 80cm (43" x 31") print size at 250 ppi. That is a ludicrously high ppi for such a large image but it means the viewer can get right up close for the details.

However, when creating an image, I like to keep everything very flexible until I am very well advanced indeed. Which leads to a very extravagant working method with huge layer counts. The image is an 11.6 GB disc file. I am currently running at 852 layers 90% of which have associated mask layers as well. For an 88 megapixel layer size that's a strain on the system! I have a high end, high spec 6 core Mac with 32GB Ram, fast SSD's and 8GB graphics processor but it all behaves as if it's completely stoned. "Hey man, just watch those beachballs spin! ............ Dig those colours! That's way cool! ............. Shouldn't we be, like, you know, transforming or moving that object over there? ............ Well guess we'd better just shuffle on over and try ...... "

I get round this by switching off all unnecessary parts of the image and working on just one section at a time. However, I have now reached the point where I can start to massively condense by merging groups into layers and further breaking down into multiple smart objects. Which seemed a good time, before I commit, to get some outside opinions from people I trust and hope will be honest with me. Working in isolation it is easy to get too drawn in and to lose touch with your own image. You can't step back far enough. I want an outside view.

The sample here is progress to date reduced to 3500 x 2542 so to be easily downloadable and viewable.

Forgive me but I have watermarked the images because there are many outside visitors to this site who might want to "borrow" one. Sad experience of having images from my website pirated and illegally published has made me very cautious.


There's still a ton of tiny details and shadows to add ... and, of course, the people. But now I need to firmly settle on a direction and consolidate the basic image. So here are some questions for the HTCP hive mind:

1) Monochrome or colour?

2) Next step is to add all the small details and, most importantly, people. So who would inhabit this bizarre world living perpendicular to one another? Do I follow the faceless anonymous workers of the "Knife Grinders" or find some other kind of inhabitants? Are they the same kind of people across dimensions or radically different people for each dimension? To what extent are they aware of one another? Can they interact?

3) The working title of "TriAxis" is hardly inspiring or poetic. Any suggestions?

4) Am I, perhaps, completely mad?

Click in the image to view the full 3500 x 2542. Bear in mind that, even viewing at 100%, you are still only seeing one third of the full resolution and detail of the original.








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The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......

Posted on 22/07/22 07:55:19 AM
Steve Caplin
Administrator
Posts: 6823

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
Astonishing, David - an amazing accomplishment. I think starting with a 3D model is the only way to produce an image like this while retaining your sanity.

I think Ingrid may be right about the colour. It's much more Escher-like in black and white, and I find the bright colour elements - the red and blue light through the window at the bottom, the pink sea at the top - rather garish and distracting.

The very dark top left corner seems somewhat out of place to my eye. I feel it rather breaks up the rhythm of the image, drawing attention to itself without providing adequate focus. It's like it's saying 'look at me', but when you look there's nothing to see. This is especially true when the image is small - less so when you open it in a new window at higher resolution.

Either way, whichever mode you choose, it's an extraordinary piece of work.

Posted on 22/07/22 1:39:56 PM
Frank
Eager Beaver
Posts: 1563

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
David, all i can say is absolutely astounding work - twists my brain. The amount of work is mind boggling. Am sure Ingrid will be pleased. Can't make up my mind on monochrome or colour. Inhabitants could be ???


Posted on 23/07/22 12:06:15 PM
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 4902

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
Thanks Steve and Frank. It does represent a lot of work but very rewarding and a great learning process for the 3D.

I take your point about black and white Steve. I thank in the end it will be B/W or a very desat colour like the old colour wash tinted steel engravings.

The dark top corner is because I wanted the sectors to have each their own time of day: nighttime, early morning/late evening and day. But I agree the large expanse of very dark brick does produce an imbalance. I'll need to play with that. I can't lighten it too much without spoiling the nighttime balance locally in that sector. I think I might try a lot more lamps to break up and relieve the large empty expanses of brick.

Incidentally I used to refer to the three sectors as quadrants - which is, of course, technically completely incorrect. On research I have discovered that there is no proper word for a one third segment of a circle. 'Tridant' doesn't exist and 'Trident' is something else entirely.

_________________
The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......

Posted on 23/07/22 12:33:25 PM
tooquilos
Wizard of Oz
Posts: 2793

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
I have no words to describe this! Mind blowing probably comes close.



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Dorothy: Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore

Posted on 25/07/22 4:21:14 PM
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 4902

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
Coming from you that is a compliment indeed!

_________________
The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......

Posted on 25/07/22 9:03:09 PM
Ben Boardman
Printing Pro
Posts: 448

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
Amazing, inspiring, great image David.

Posted on 25/07/22 9:16:48 PM
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 4902

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
Thanks Ben.

_________________
The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......

Posted on 26/07/22 11:42:52 AM
michael sinclair
Off-Topic Opportunist
Posts: 1744

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
This is an artwork of an exceptionally high order that is quite unique. So apart from Ingrid is the general public also going to enjoy this Masterpiece?...and incidentally, the sample shown DOES not do true justice to the originally sized image.

Posted on 29/07/22 00:59:37 AM
Mariner
Renaissance Mariner
Posts: 2793

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
I am very impressed by your technique, knowledge, and staying power. Keep going.

Posted on 29/07/22 09:58:19 AM
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop
Posts: 4902

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Re: What do you think of the show so far?
Thank Michael and Micheal. I do hope eventually to give my work a wider exposure. And yes, staying power needed but it's very proftable in terms of experience and learning.

_________________
The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it .......
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