looking good. I think brown or navy blue would be a good choice of color for the uniform.
Well, Doris, it seems we all need proof readers occasionally. This is amazing and still fluid. Will revisit here.
Thanks modron and oldghost. I’m currently away from design machine so its just a bunch of ones and zeroes. Hopefully time away will give me a fresh look at it.
That’s wonderful !! I’m especially impressed by the hair. I want to know to do hair like you !! Really nice work.
Thanks SOL_33, there’s alot of new code for hair and it will be fun to see how it works.
More background elements, some volumetric lighting, and light compositing. Still noisy after 2500 samples and I refuse to clamp. And the Octopunk is back.
I might put a control panel around her, and a steering wheel in the foreground. I want to put in another fully metal robotic octopus arm, that will create a spiral effect around the face. And maybe some cables hanging. Quick concept at bottom.
Raw render below:
Concept
OK, this is looking Insane! I do wonder how much clamping at 4. or 5. say would hurt your range through. I knew there was a valid reason I’m not in the Steampunk contest. 
Awesome image Photox, seeing your entry makes me want to get into the steampunk wagon too 
The shader for the tentacle is just fantastic. The SSS and wetness is spot on. And the whole thing is coming really together now!
oldghost, julperado, minoribus, thanks. I’ve started modeling the final objects in a separate blend. Right now I’m at 2 million verts and the scene is just too slow. I think I am going to go for a more desatured cooler and contrasted feel. I finally broke down and clamped indirect at 3, and filter glossy at 5. It helped a
lot.
wow, this is coming along great! … i would like more color actually, colorcontrast to make the image pop 
Thanks doris. Here’s the last render going the other way in post, more saturated. One thing I really like is how the tentacle is catching the sss on the right side, I’m thinking about adding more tentacles as if they are invading, maybe even climbing in through the windows.
you might want to give her some kind of facial expression to interact with the invasion on tentacles
her face looks kind of BLAAA, blank or lacking.
midnight, I guess she wouldn’t be smirking considering the circumstances. I made it more of a frown. Plus, more octopodes, a control panel, and punk steering wheel. It’s much less Policewoman, and more Captain under attack.
I’m a big fan of #51 myself. She’s smiling because she’s the coolest bitch on planet earth doing a time which existed but a period that never did. Also delighted to see you toned the contrast down a bit. Like Doris in this image I’m all for contrast but not when it blows your highlights completely out. #53 just showed up as I’m writing this. And, I’m still a big fan of #51.
To use a term from another era #51 is ‘A Stopper’. Back when magazines and illustrators ruled that meant the viewer stopped on that page. In 2.74 clamping the Direct Lighting at 6, 5 or even 4 if needed is something to consider by the way.
@Photox they are all stoppers by the way. That happens quite frequently with a good concept and composition. #45 and 51 might be my favorites but hell you are ready for the printer here. Just let one soak overnight in the biggest format master Andrew is accepting. And, you might want to move up one digit in your clamp and do away with the gloss clamp altogether if rendering overnight. Possibly do away with all clamping if its up and running for say ten hours. But, that’s taking a leap of faith. Once again amazing work. And, I saw it here.
Thank you very much oldghost, a very nice compliment to read indeed.
I pushed a bunch of the levels, strengths, colors back towards #51 and returned the smirk. I guess it’s up to the viewer to decide if the smile means “I’m screwed” or “They’re screwed” – hopefully the latter. I’m gambling and clamping direct at 7, the scene is almost 3 million verts + volumetrics + hair so its all CPU. I’ll let it cook overnight and am going to a party tomorrow so I should be able to slow cook it for about 16 hours at full size which will give me about 2000 samples, which will have to be good enough. I am hoping the new clamp will clear it up.
I prefer the smile too. Your picture was reminding me of something, and I’ve remembered what it was, I’ll share this because I think its brilliant, but I think yours is too and at the moment my money is on you winning the competition.
Carel de Winter, Thanks mate! I have never seen that image but for sure there are parallels. I appreciate the confidence vote, but I doubt it. Your image, in my opinion, is richer and truer to the theme and will get more ‘ohs and ahs’ – it is incredibly impressive.
The thing that usually happens in the BG contests is that some of the artists sandbag until a couple days before the deadline and then they all flood in with insane entries.
Render note: Clamping direct at 7 will not work. An overnight shows that the fire has been doused. :mad: Going to do some postage stamp renders.
I’ve been just kind of admiring your progress behind the scenes. It’s coming together nicely.
Does your model have arms and hands? If so, I wonder what it might look like if she had one of her arms reaching up and grabbing one of the tentacles?
I would also consider adding some kind of framing around the “windows”.
For some reason I’m thinking above 6 clamping has no effect whatsoever. Maybe a good question for the developers.
Harley, I am planning on adding window frames. I think I will also add some more unnecessary bolts and gears, and I-beams on the walls. Right now the model is a bust only. If I were to do it over again I would probably go for a wider shot with some kind of clear pose.
oldghost, not 100% sure. I am back to clamping indirect at 2.2 and it’s a good mix of quality/noise/samples.
I’ve got a good looking setup rendering at 60% I’m going to let it finish and I’ve started a long list of minor details to either be fixed or added. I’ll probably try and finish up the scene my mid week, and then it’s about a 24 hours render. There’s not a lot I can do it’s a nightmare for cycles, low light with volumetrics.