Still quite a n00b at Blender, but I like the idea of these challenges to help me improve.
For my scene, I'm going to go with a campfire. So far, I've just created a few mesh objects, and played around with "hair" grass. I'm going to block out the main parts of the scene, and then go in for more detailed texturing on a second pass.
Hey jammingammon , so pleased you like the challenges and decided to take part. It is a great way to practice what you learn from the courses.
A campfire scene is a good idea, I can't wait to see your progress and result.
Your grass looks great, maybe you could weight paint the density, to leave a bare patch where the campfire is. You will need to add a ground material though. You could use a lot less hair to help keep your computer running smoothly, if you find it an issue later as the scene grows.
I can already taste the marshmallows 😋
Created a few new objects, and started placing things in the scene. Took @adrian2301 advice and weight painted the grass density as best I could, specifically leaving some room around objects.
Added a procedural texture to the cement bricks surrounding the firepit.
Started creating some low-poly meshes for a few characters I will place in the scene... I'll have to try to figure out how to rig these in the next couple days, in order to place them in poses.
Textured the hatchet, and fire logs with some image textures I found on polyhaven.
Also tried adding a fire / smoke simulation for the campfire, although it isn't quite getting the right results... Not sure if I'll have the time to correct it, as time is running short. Added an HDRI, also from polyhaven, and tried to match grass color, and blend with it as best as possible. I think it looks alright, as if my scene is on a slight hill, sitting above the hdri in the background.
Just have to add the characters to the scene, and that should be pretty much it.
Just posted my final in the gallery. Overall things turned out not bad. Better than I had expected, as this was my first "larger" scene. Definitely could have taken more time refining the low-poly characters, and looked into some finer points of texturing. Nonetheless, it was a great learning experience. I hope to participate in some of the upcoming challenges.
Great job jammingammon , you created a lovely scene. The logs and campfire look great, and I love the dog with the marshmallow nose. Well done great job with the grass also 👍