Pub Background WIP

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:17 pm

Hey guys! I'm working on a background for a rustic pub scene. I still need to add some bar stools in front of the bar. Any suggestions of other things to add?

I'll be tracing over these 3D models and dealing with the actual colors and gradients later on. At this stage, I just want to get a good composition at approximately this angle for wide shots and close ups. One thing I'm already concerned about is the shelf right behind the character. I think that in closeups it will make for a really bad composition. So I might make that shelf shorter. Any other things that I should look out for? Or general suggestions? Thanks! :D

GCharb · Post by **GCharb** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:24 pm

Nice, you need a dart board and a few frames
The place is way too clean

A bar stool or two.
Maybe some smoke for ambience.

G

Imago · Post by **Imago** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:25 pm

Search for images on Google.
I'm pretty sure you can find some pub pic.

dueyftw · Post by **dueyftw** » Fri Jun 11, 2010 8:37 pm

Grain and a few spots where someone has spilled beer on the walls.

Dale

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:55 pm

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I think that once I add some gradients to the walls, that may add some of that smoky/grainy ambiance. Is there a way to actually add grain in AS? I definitely agree that it needs to look scummier. :D I am referring a lot to Futurama and I notice that many of Futurama's backgrounds have subtle scum on the walls and junk everywhere.

I decided to jump right in to tracing it and because it seems like the shading techniques are necessary to get a sense of the overall appearance. I still have a long way to go, but this is my progress so far.

Yamino · Post by **Yamino** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 5:03 pm

Needs moar bottles and glasses:

I like the dartboard suggestion. Some fake ads for beers on the wall would be good too. And don't forget a light source!

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:55 am

Thanks for the reminder about lighting, Yamino! I keep forgetting that. I need to figure out some kind of gas lamp because there's no electricity in this building.

I put in a big shelf with a few bottles, but also canned goods and other supplies because it's more of an inn/supply shop/pub than a regular pub. I think this shelf works better than the single shelf I had before because it doesn't create such an overwhelming horizontal line in closeup shots.

I like the dart board idea, too. I may be able to fit it in another part of the pub. This is between the door and the bar, so throwing darts in this spot would imperil the customers. ;D I also have ideas for a couple of signs/posters for the walls.

I've got some of the shading in now. Just trying to figure out how to do it as I go...

If anyone has any more suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Thanks. :D

sbtamu · Post by **sbtamu** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:11 am

lwaxana wrote:Thanks for the reminder about lighting, Yamino! I keep forgetting that. I need to figure out some kind of gas lamp because there's no electricity in this building.

I put in a big shelf with a few bottles, but also canned goods and other supplies because it's more of an inn/supply shop/pub than a regular pub. I think this shelf works better than the single shelf I had before because it doesn't create such an overwhelming horizontal line in closeup shots.

I like the dart board idea, too. I may be able to fit it in another part of the pub. This is between the door and the bar, so throwing darts in this spot would imperil the customers. ;D I also have ideas for a couple of signs/posters for the walls.

I've got some of the shading in now. Just trying to figure out how to do it as I go...

If anyone has any more suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Thanks.

lwaxana people will never be happy with what we do, animate the story and lets take the dive bud, lets fix what they don't like one the go around

neeters_guy · Post by **neeters_guy** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:18 am

Barstools are a bit tall. I suggest a tip jar and beer nuts or pretzels, you know, the crunchy kind with big grains of salt on them. Maybe a poster to fill up that empty wall. (Not sure about a dartboard being that close to the bar though ... could be dangerous ... or a funny bit if you decide to animate it. Bartender to patron with darts in his head: "I told them to move that thing!")

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:40 am

I actually think it looks really good so far. Keep doing what you're doing.

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:02 pm

Sbtamu--At the risk of revealing how much I'm living under a rock, is that from a song? :D Hehe, don't worry, the reason I put this WIP up for critique and suggestion is because I want ideas to improve the backgrounds so that they fit my own vision. I want these backgrounds to add to the story functionally as well as artistically. Picking the forum's collective brain gives me a lot of invaluable info. Thanks for the encouragement, bud! :D

neetersguy--Thanks for the observation about the barstool height. That will probably save me an hour of trying to squeeze character legs between a counter and stool where they don't fit. lol I also like the dart board gag idea. I actually think that could work nicely in the story. Thanks! :D

madrobot--Thanks! And thanks for the good-humor you've been spreading around all the forums lately. :D

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:33 pm

Gee whiz man. Looks great. If I'd made that whole 3D set I'd leave it 3D and not worry about tracing over it. I'd do the character animation first, import it into the 3D scene, and you can have cool slow pans and zooms which reveal the 3D set.

That'd look COOL. In my view you're doubling up work for yourself and taking a step backwards. How'd you get all those cool 3D objects, kegs and such? Make them in an outside app or you have a library of OBJ's?

Keef.

Still a little envious of your nice mustard pot colour scheme. You could add some wood grain, and a mouse hole in the left wall. A crack in the wall on the left. Dart board. Boxes on top of the rack behind the character, some nets hanging from the roof, a chalk board with specials on it on the left, a torn poster of a biker on the door, stuck on with tape, a cat on the top right of the cupboard, a knife stuck into the bar, like a gang knife, a stool lying on the floor, like she's not even bothered to pick it up

ulrik · Post by **ulrik** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:46 pm

I think it looks fine, nice work with the roof and the ceiling!

cheers!

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:03 pm

Wait, you traced the lot? Whoah.

What mikdog said, was it built outside and imported?
Why trace it? How does the 3d render look?

lwaxana · Post by **lwaxana** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:27 pm

The nearly finished background:

The reference models:

It would be really cool to animate the characters first and then bring them into a 3D environment. I'd be all over that if I knew I could still achieve the line and shading style I want.

The models I created are all quick and dirty. The bar, keg holder, shelf, trim, and ceiling beams are AS7 extruded vectors. Those take about 30 seconds each to make. The bottles and cans are AS7 lathed vectors. The walls and floor are just vector layers rotated in space. I made the stools, kegs, and pipe in Wings 3D and imported them as objs. Tracing wasn't that bad, but adding shading and highlights was quite time consuming. At least I was able to spend that time making decisions about the design.

So yeah, overall, my work flow is painfully inefficient, but I'm really pleased with the results. :D It's turning out much better than any of my past illustration attempts.

Thanks for your feedback, guys! At this point, I'm just planning to add a lamp and a poster/sign on the left wall. Then when I actually animate the story, I'll put the necessary props on the counter. I'm also not happy with the shape of the barstools. I get irked every time I look at them, so I probably need to redo those.