No, I don't want this locked.

I want some help with my lock :)

Original:


Progress:








That's what I've got so far. It's mostly for practice with metallic/reflective surfaces, but I make forum signatures for a game, so I thought that I could use it at a "sold" sign for them.

I know it's not much to comment on, but as you see, it's not exactly very shiny looking... I really want this chain to look uber-polished!

Thanks,
.c

PS @ jal: the guide doesn't really help me that much. i see how they made it, but it's not really in the style I want my chain/lock to be in :( I really want the Mozco tutorial back!!

Edited by ceddo - 19 November 2006 at 3:58am

Pixel_Outlaw's lock is right, but I wanted to comment in case a different explanation makes it easier to understand. Basically, shiny comes down to three things in order of importance: 1 - specular highlights (within the highlight areas, shiny things show a reflection of the light source itself, making a small very bright highlight -- the white part of PO's example), 2- reflected light IN the shadow (see in PO's picture how the right side of the gradient would normally be the darkest part, but it's lighter instead) 3 - reflections (the random spots of lighter that don't exactly follow the curve in PO's example).

So to shine up your chain, you'd add a very small very bright extra highlight inside the highlight you have (specular highlights -- usually put right on the edge of the "bevel"). Then you'd add a small section of the midtone you're using to the edge where your shadow is, (reflected light). Then if you want to go further you'd add some somewhat random variations to this to show that something is reflecting on it.

(If you want to go even further -- the reflected light is the light that's reflecting off items in the background, so where the chain is closest to the lock, those parts would take on the color of the other item. Reflected light in the chain should be gold, etc.)

Here's a number I started for the pixel clock. It's pretty messy and not well done or near finished, but you can see the first two principles in it.

Alright, many thanks for those posts, helped me a lot. Here's where I've gone with them:



I tried adding more texture to the chain. I think I will add another dark shade for the chains. What do you think?

I also started on the lock. I have no idea where I'm going though. My light source was on the right, but that would mean that the lock would receive no light...

.c

Alright, I fixed what I think is most of the jaggedness..

I also added a fourth, darker tone in this, and made more of that ambient lighting stuff.. specular lighting.

Here it is!



As you can see, I failed miserably with the lock. Still need more advice on that, I just can't get it to work!

I think the chain looks very nice, though it's far too textured if you're going for the uber-poliched look that you mentioned in the first post. Right now it looks like it's been well used - a bit scratched up, a bit dirty. Personally, I'd keep it as is, but if you do want it to look new and shiny, then I'd suggest cleaning up the stray pixels and use clean lines and progressive steps in your curves. I'd also add more white to your highlights, since steel is really more of a white metal than grey. Don't forget that the shackle part of the lock should reflect the chain as well.

Hope that makes sense.

I'm not so sure about the reflection and palette you've got on the lock. I can honestly say that I can't recall ever seeing a brass lock that was really shiny - they've all been made of brushed metal, which gives a very warm and soft reflection with very little specularity. The surface of your lock is curved, so your primary highlights should run parallel to the edges of your lock, with more subtle, soft reflections following the direction of your horizon. The highlights you have on it right now don't make a lot of sense to me.

Howdy. You've got to think very carefully about how the light is behaving in the scene. The way the chain is shaded suggests the primary lightsource is shining from the top right.

You've got a strong highlight in the reflection on the lock, which just doesn't seem right. You should tone down that highlight.

Mum always knows best 

Much better definition of texture! The lighting is getting there, but your highlights are just scattered everywhere almost incorehently. Highlights appear in accordance to where the lightsource directly hits. Nowhere else.



Here's an edit. I introduced 1 or 2 more padlock colours and reshaded a couple of the chain links to try to point you in the right direction. Also, my edit ignores shadows which would be cast by the chain, they should be considered also, now that i look at it.


Edited by EyeCraft - 19 November 2006 at 4:30am