A Cliffside Cabins scenario was the core of Konstantinos' idea. A scene that transports you to the edge, allowing you to savor the exhilarating vistas of this rugged landscape. Picture yourself in these cabins on a rainy, misty day and bask in the captivating nighttime ambiance. Enjoy the article!
About Me.
Hi 3D artists,
My name is Konstantinos Anninos, visualization expert and co-owner of Threelight CGI studio based in London. I have been in the Archviz field for about 22 years, and my anticipation from my beginning was to create very realistic renderings. I was lucky enough to win a lot of visualization competitions throughout the journey and to work with huge names in the architecture world. I always challenged myself to visualize different kinds of scenery so today I will present you my latest project called the Cliff Cabins.
Software Used.
I use 3ds Max, Chaos Corona, Quixel Megascans, Adobe Photoshop, and Tyflow for the rain.
About The Project.
I've always been captivated by the idea of cliffside cabins, and this time, I endeavored to create a scene that transports you to the edge, allowing you to savor the exhilarating vistas of this rugged landscape. Picture yourself in these cabins on a rainy, misty day and bask in the captivating nighttime ambiance.
Reference.
For reference, I use an Instagram video that I assume is AI-generated and you can check it out Here.
Lighting.
For the daylight lighting, I rely on HDRI lighting from Poly Haven as my primary light source.
In my pursuit of an overcast, misty, and rainy atmosphere during the daylight scenes, this specific HDRI proves exceptionally effective. As for the dusk scenes, I used another HDRI from Poly Heaven and intentionally aimed for a combination of deep blue hues from the sky and warm orange accents emanating from the artificial lighting within the cabins.
To enhance the drama of the composition, I strategically positioned additional lights within the cliffs that worked great combined with the fog and mist (image 4).
Scene Presentation.
In crafting the scene, I predominantly leverage Quixel Megascans models, meticulously arranging and configuring them to seamlessly integrate into my composition. A crucial aspect of this process involves fine-tuning their materials, with particular emphasis on adjusting diffuse color, bump, and displacement values to align with my rendering requirements.
It's worth noting the specialized techniques employed for water and foam generation. I utilize PhoenixFD OceanTex for the displacement slot, along with Corona decals for the foam material. These tools enable me to achieve a realistic and captivating water effect that enhances the overall scene.
Furthermore, I implemented Tyflow to create a convincing rain effect, which is coupled with motion blur applied to the camera. This combination serves to mitigate distractions caused by raindrops, resulting in a more harmonious and visually pleasing view.
Post-Production.
In post-production, I employ a straightforward yet pivotal process that significantly shapes the final images, allowing me to enhance and accentuate the desired mood to its fullest potential. My primary tools include adjustments such as levels, color balance, hue/saturation, and LUT (Lookup Table). In this particular project, I've also incorporated Photoshop's generative fill feature to add a human figure to the boat scene, as illustrated in the before-and-after images below. This comprehensive post-production approach ensures that the final visuals effectively convey the intended atmosphere and emotion.
Final Images.
Below you can see the final images of this project.
Summary.
That’s all! I tried to cover the most important parts of this project. Thanks, Rebus Farm for the opportunity and all of you for the time to read the article.
Kind regards,
Konstantinos Anninos.
About the artist
Konstantinos Anninos is a 3D artist who graduated from the Public Designers Institute in Athens, Greece. Simultaneously, he watched 3dstudio Viz r3 seminars and got formal training in an Autodesk-authorized center. He got started in architectural visualization by following his father's profession as an architect but he loved architectural visualization immediately. He won a lot of visualization competitions throughout his journey and he's working with huge names in the architecture world. He always challenges himself to visualize different kinds of scenery.
