Second in the series of Question Mark (self-promotion) Campaign, this image created to show ability to create realistic landscapes using Vue 3D software. Here the overt question mark becomes a hot air balloon.
Starting in Photoshop, a colorful stripe pattern is warped smaller at the bottom so that when masked in the shape of a question mark, all the stripes appear in the period.
Next switching to 3D mode in Photoshop, the question mark is extruded and exported as a 3D OBJ model. However, the extrusion only goes forward leaving the back flat. Simple problem to solve, just make a mirror image model. That has to be done in ZBrush where, with the click of the mirror button, you now have a reverse model. Export it and bringing both front and back models together in Vue, we now have a question mark balloon.
I decided to replace the period with a hot air balloon basket and purchase a hot air balloon model from Daz3D.com.
In Vue, the terrain is first created, material is applied, and once satisfied with it, a water plane is added to form the lake at the desired level again applying the desired water material. A closed curve is drawn on the terrain from the overhead view and the type of trees (red and yellow maples) are selected to populate that closed curve.
The atmosphere is adjusted to the desired amount of fog and haze and the sun is positioned and set to have “God rays” at the desired level. Then the high resolution render was produced.
