Just like last year, March Madness definitely got a lot more interesting after the first few days. Some highlights for me include –
- Extra 30% off featured vendor catalogs.
- Free Daz Original bucks.
- Newly released pro-bundles going for less than $30.
- 90% sale on v4 products.
- Gift card sale.
I got a bunch of pro-bundles and free DazO’s from my wishlist, but the day that totally destroyed my wallet was during the extra 30% off vendor catalogs day. I definitely loaded up the truck with lots of wishlist items, including AprilYSH’s Blithe Hair, which I used right away!
Another MM vendor that I bought a lot from is Shox-Design. Such great variety in their store, with some beautiful and unique outfits/textures. I especially like the dForce Loincloth Collection, which has a large range of options.
Finally, I also took the opportunity to get some awesome environments by ForbiddenWhispers. I especially love Art Nouveau Bathroom and Shaded Sanctuary.
April 2018 Contest Vendors
In April, we will be honoring these three great March Madness vendors.
AprilYSH
Shox-Design
ForbiddenWhispers
The newly released Aiko 8 and Ollie 8 will also qualify.
April contest entries.
1st Place – Emotional Support Animal
Artist – Hypertaf
Awesomely funny, creative, and unique!
This image is pure gold, with amazing attention to detail. I especially love the packet of shark food under her seat, and the bottles of water. The shark is, of course, wearing the emotional support animal vest, as all proper ESAs should. Finally, the woman is holding hands with her best friend. This is again what one would expect to see from an ESA.
Then, there are the fantastic poses and expressions of the people around our main protagonists. Love the terrified guy that has flattened himself against the windowed wall, the mom in the seat behind looking on with horror, and the child that is enjoying the whole experience.
The textures are outstanding, especially the skin of AM’s shark. Is that the original texture or did you enhance it in Substance Painter? Did you create the ESA vest in Blender? Hope to see you soon as a vendor on Daz!
2nd Place – Wonder…
Artist – LIK
A marvelous eye-catching image, full of action and movement.
Love the saturated bright colors that capture the viewer’s attention right away. The sunset sky has a beautiful blending of striking colors, and the large fire draws our attention to the main Wonder Woman figure, wreathing her in golden magnificence.
Fane Hair by AprilYSH is superbly posed, and fits the face and movement of our super-heroine perfectly. The German soldiers are also very well done, with the masks making them look more sinister.
Terrific scene lighting using Iray Promo Lights & HDRI Render Settings by ForbiddenWhispers. The primary, less-saturated figures, stand out very well against the more colorful backdrop.
Congratulations on being featured at the Daz front page!
3rd Place – Smiling Elf
Artist – kadaj777
What a charming face and dazzling smile!
A wonderfully realistic portrait, with great morphs, skin and hair textures, as well as accessories. Excellent combination of Geneva Hair and Persephone Hair to create an elvish hairstyle that frames her face beautifully.
It is her infectious smile though, that totally steals the show. Incredible work!
Honorable Mentions
Mine by EmotionalOutlet3D
Haha! Precious!
Terrific use of Josh Crockett’s Glumgurgle HD as Gollum. I like the darker environment, which draws our attention to the famed, shiny ring. Cool use of rim-lighting to bring out the details of our tragic antihero.
The shiny surfaces and mist effects are a fabulous add, giving the environment a wet and dank look. I love it!
Old Bordeaux Courtyard by Dpiximaj
Fantastic scene that makes me feel like I am right there!
I especially like the mist in the background, which gives the image depth and realism. ForbiddenWhispers’ red moped in the foreground draws the eye. It emphasizes the lack of people, and gives the environment a certain peaceful loneliness. One imagines that they are all indoors, ensconced safely in their comfortable abodes.
A superb scene that evokes many interesting emotions.
On Top of the World by SmR
Excellent idea and composition.
The rim-lighting brings out the figure of the girl, as she stands facing the light. This contrasts well with the darker right side of the image. The unsaturated tones used, also add to the peaceful, more muted mood of the piece.
The dress is lovely and accentuates the slender build of the girl. Perhaps she is a young acolyte, starting to learn about herself and her powers. She gazes into the clouds, thinking about the many possible paths that she could take.
Love Never Gets Old By Decoyboy
Haha! This is brilliant!
Wonderful to see Ollie and Edie together, and marvelously posed. She is all flirty and coy, while he gallantly tries to woo her.
I like the flowing dress and shirt, which add to the charm and whimsy of the characters. The outfits and poses also help to place them in an older, more gracious time. This all underscores the central message of the picture.
Funny, endearing, and heart-warming. Outstanding work!
Congratulations April 2018 3D-Art Contest Winners!
You all totally WOW-ed the judges this month! Thank you all so much for participating, voting, and sharing.
To claim your Daz GC, please post a comment below with a valid e-mail in the comment e-mail box. I will use this to send you your gift card code. Please feel free to message me on Daz or Deviant Art if there are any issues.
See you in our May contest. Extra vendors this month so come join in on the fun!
Some wonderful, imaginative images in this month’s contest. Well done to all. And thank you for the HM for “Mine”!
Thank you Shiba for liking my image. All the entries are wonderful and everyone did a great job. Thank you again for seeing the story in the picture and what I (and all the others) envisioned.
Thank you so much for choosing my Smiling Elf! Congrats to all the winners!:)
Thank you for the incredibly kind words and support of my work, Shiba, it’s truly appreciated coming from such a talented fellow artist!
I agree with LIK, your comments for all entries are not only insightful but also a treat to see how the trained eye of an artist sees other artist’s work. Thank you for taking the time to do so.
Congratulations to all other winners for continuing to inspire us all with your work!
To answer your questions, Shiba, I used the original shark’s skin diffuse map as a base and made my own glossy and normal maps in Substance Painter. I also painted my own diffuse map for the teeth (though you can’t really see it at this distance) in SP.
I created the vest and the cabin scene and props in Blender and textured them in SP.
As for becoming a vendor, I’ve actually thought about it, I just haven’t figured out what my niche would be in terms of content. There are already so many amazing creators in each field that it’s hard to find a place to add to, you know? If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. 🙂
Once again, thank you all for the lovely words, they are truly appreciated! <3
That is so cool! Thank you for the answers.
In terms of vendor content, yeah, it definitely seems to be competitive. I think clothing is probably a good category, because it is such a broad space, it allows for great creativity/uniqueness, and there is more of a learning curve, so fewer creators. It also depends on whether we want to please our muse or our pocketbook. Difficult to do both imho. 🙂
My pleasure, Shiba! 🙂
Yes, clothing is one of those categories where I rarely find exactly what I’m looking for, though that’s probably why it’s so hard to make a perfect outfit that fits everyone’s needs.
The one thing I really wish they wouldn’t do is fighting/action outfits for females with high heels. While I understand it might be more visually appealing it’s hardly functional/realistic. Maybe it’s just me. 😀
You’re right, my muse is definitely undefeated in that battle. 🙂 I’ll let you know if I give it a try, though. It’d be most helpful to have someone test it out and get their feedback. 🙂
Thanks again!
Thank you Shiba for selecting “Wonder…” I really like reading the comments that you write for each of the winners. Congrats to all the winners!!!
Grats to everyone! Amazing renders and I absolutely LOVE the winner!
Congrats to all participants and winners! Great images again and a lot to learn from!