Iray Lighting Solutions Tutorial Set

Daz Studio Product Release

Details

Lighting your indoor or outdoor set in Daz Studio can be one of the most time consuming activities when setting up a scene for render. Most artists will have lighting as a pain point during their workflow and it is not always easy to get to the root cause of why lighting may not work on a set.

In this tutorial set, Drew Spence shows you how to set up lights from scratch for both indoor and outdoor environments. He also picks his top ten recommended resources from the Daz store and demonstrates how these work, saving you time in your workflow.

Drew has designed lighting for hundreds of sets for the production of his Force Six, The Annihilators and comic series and he is pleased to share his lighting experience and adventures in creativity.

This product includes

Search transcription integrated inside the videos. Find search results on the video timeline. Every word spoken is indexed. Maximise the use of your tutorial’s content. Tutorial videos include subtitles

About the Presenter Drew Spence

Drew Spence is a graphic comic writer and illustrator from the United States. He creates under the title of The Dynamic Universe . He has combined his music and video into several works- including Mark of the Griffin , which is both a graphic novel and web series. He is part of the instrumental group Fallout Shelter which provides the soundtrack. The other band members are Domino Grey , Dynamics Plus and Xodus Phoenix.

What’s Included and Features

• Iray Lighting Solutions Tutorial Set
  • Four MP4 videos
  • Searchable integrated transcripts
  • Subtitles included
• Part 1 : Indoor Lighting for Iray
• Total running time : 35 minutes (introduction) + 1 hour and 16 minutes (main session)
• Section 1 : Creating lights from scratch
• Case study used : Medieval chamber set with fireplace and candle lights; designing lighting for a fantasy set
  • Why monitor calibration can be essential for your art
  • Composition focus : ensuring the main subject(s) are well lit and highlighted
  • Point lights
    • How point lights work
    • Types of paint light
    • The advantage of linear point lights
    • Point light geometry
    • Recommended Luminous Flux Settings
  • Spotlights
    • Lighting a specific area
    • Positioning
    • Beam length
    • Applying to the main subject
    • Using a spot light to creating leading lines
  • Emissive Lighting
    • Adding an emissive.
    • Flame props

• Section 2 : Product Recommendations
• Case study used : Dramatic medieval keep set with three characters
  • Consistency in lighting for sequential art
  • How to use IRay light probes
    • Selecting colours and intensities
    • Keeping light levels low for light probes
  • Demonstration of flaming torch products
  • How to use a Ghost Light Kit
    • Selecting light colours
    • Placing ghost lights underneath characters.
    • Test of an Iray ghost light kit 3 (God Rays) through a window
  • Epic props : Godrays and volumetric light for Iray
    • Particle spread in god rays
    • Volumetric light through a window, great for dramatic atmospheres.
  • Recommended Learning Task Included
• Part 2 : Outdoor Lighting for Iray
• Total running time :30 minutes (introduction) + 1 hour and& 20 minutes (main session)
• Section 1 : Using DAZ Studio’s Built in Lighting
• Case study used : Using an island beach set with a single character
  • Picking the render frame size
  • The Sun
  • Default HDRI background : The default lighting conditions for a set.
  • Sky dome mode options
  • Dome rotation
  • Using Iray Sky 36
  • The headlamp off
  • Iray settings : About tone Mapping
  • Iray settings : Camera properties
  • Checking the sun in an environment
  • Duplicating the sun and using this as an additional lighting source
  • Blend renders in postwork (same scene lit differently) for final lighting options.
  • Using instances of DAZ Studio in your workflow for rendering
• Case study used : Medieval Melee action fight scene
  • Solving blown out lighting problems
  • Tone mapping
  • Fix lighting in the scene rather than in postwork
  • Environment mode, lighting resolution,
  • Turning off the HDRI default dome: lighting from scratch
  • Environment Sun node (special effect)
  • Latitude and longitude
  • Environment sun settings
  • Altering the sky backgrounds
  • Rendering night scenes
• Section 2 : Recommended Resources Demonstrated
  • Longitude and Latitude Lighting and Render presetsfor DS Iray
  • Dreamlight : Quick Iray Outdoor presets

Force Six, The Annihilators #44

Force Six 44 The World fell and You Remained True and unshakeable!

The World Fell and You Remained…
Part III of the Dragon and the Doll will find Force Six member Kojin Ahsaguri standing at the crossroads of two worlds. To look forward is to complete his mission and uncover the sinister plot of Jean D’Pardoe and his possible allies -the Synthoids. Or, he can look to the past and see the ‘what was’ in all of us. Will she be there- after the waves recede? Find out in episode 44 The World fell and You Remained True and unshakeable.
Story and Art by Drew Spence.

Force Six episode 44 panel pull. Aftermath accountings.

Force Six, The Annihilators

They were a team of specialists assembled to bring order to a chaotic universe. Something went wrong when right became their final choice. See the transformation from Renegade outcasts to Legends. They are Force Six, The Annihilators. Drew Spence writes and illustrates a graphic comic, mixing science fiction with science fantasy. It’s a superhero space saga as a group of renegades, gifted with special abilities and artificial enhancements, charge and change the fate of all those they come across. They are the Force Six, The Annihilators and this is the story of their rise, fall and ultimate redemption.

Force Six, The Annihilators #39

39 Look to the Heavens

Danger from the front and back! Some lessons need to be learned more than once- as Force Six member Alexi Alito squares up against the Synthoid threat. The edge of the circle is sharp in this arc and Mr Agility may get cut before cutting his losses. This is Part II of IV of the Spirit of the Invincible story arc. Force Six episode 39: Look to the Heavens

Available for sale on comiXology

Force Six, The Annihilators

They were a team of specialists assembled to bring order to a chaotic universe. Something went wrong when right became their final choice. See the transformation from Renegade outcasts to Legends. They are Force Six, The Annihilators. Drew Spence writes and illustrates a graphic comic, mixing science fiction with science fantasy. It’s a superhero space saga as a group of renegades, gifted with special abilities and artificial enhancements, charge and change the fate of all those they come across. They are the Force Six, The Annihilators and this is the story of their rise, fall and ultimate redemption.

Force Six, The Annihilators #38

Episode 38 Rare Window

The rear windows offers a rare glimpse.

It’s a simple mission to watch the Synthoid agent, Vyktor, and wait for him to expose their operation. A simple mission- until the stakes are raised and it takes more than a raised hand to earn the victory. Season IV of Drew Spence’s Force Six series presents episode 38 Rare Window. This is part I of the Spirit of the Invincible story arc.

Force Six, The Annihilators can be found digitally on comiXology and in print on IndyPlanet. The Dynamica Music YouTube channel has related content for the Force Six Series. For exclusive and early content, visit the Dynamic Universe’s Patreon page.  Thank you for your support.

2nd Mark of the Griffin #2

2nd Villainy of the Vile

This story follows the first official mission of the Griffin with the AGENCI. Marcus Griffin thought he was working for the Agents of Central Intelligence. He will eventually discover the truth. Until then, he investigates a wonder drug that has been sabotaged. The source of contamination has been traced to a testing plant. The Griffin will be sent to uncover a sinister plot and will reflect on the larger plot that placed him in peril.

Available on comiXology.

https://www.comixology.com/2nd-Mark-of-the-Griffin-2/digital-comic/878341?ref=c2VyaWVzL3ZpZXcvZGVza3RvcC9ncmlkTGlzdC9SZWNlbnRBZGRpdGlvbnM

Mark of the Griffin, Vol. 1: Season I Man with a Gun

When evil cannot be punished enough by the laws of man, they will receive the Mark of the Griffin. Before he was marked, Marcus Griffin thought he could change the world with a gun. He was wrong. Drew Spence creates a graphic web series that follows the adventures of a vigilante turned special agent. One man cannot change the world. But a man can change himself and, if given the proper training and tools, make a difference.

Force Six Season III Review by Nextframez

Force Six, The Annihilators Season III Review

by Walid Djidjeh, Nextframez Comic Media Reviews

Force Six, The Annihilators” is a comic series written and illustrated by Drew Spence. Oh boy …where do Istart? reviewing and reading this comic series was quite the ride but I’m glad to say it was an enjoyable one. As a fan of unusual comics and stories I felt welcomed.

So, to start off, what is “Force Six, The Annihilators” ? To put it simply, it’s a sci-fi comic series mixed with some science fantasy and drama about an unusual squad of superheroes trying to do good in their world. Yeah, pretty sure that doesn’t do it justice as it is much more than just that.

This review revolves around the 3rd season of the series, going in fresh without having read the first couple of seasons made me experience it exactly like a new reader jumping in would.

The Force Six , The Annihilators Season III Includes :

First Arc:  Wheels & Cogs

Second Arc : The Misused Muse

Third Arc: Challenge Of The Champions

Fourth Arc : Crash and Burn: Speed Kills

First Impressions :

After reading through the comic, I felt as if I had to write down quite a few first impressions and decided to do so with the ones I deem to be the most important as that may be useful to know for readers who are thinking about joining the ride.

Here Goes:

-I liked the inclusion of a dedicated page at the start that gives you just what you need in order to go forward without getting lost or overwhelmed.

-I liked the fact that there is another dedicated page revolving around the main characters , giving you a brief “Bio” which helped in making them feel familiar enough to me and not like “complete strangers” ,it also gave me this thirst of knowledge to get to know more about them along with this “mysterious” feel to it, I would also assume that to those who have been following the series since the start it feels like a nod of respect & acknowledgement.

-At first, I wasn’t quite sure of how “good” the art style & the illustrations can get, but oh was I glad that I was wrong about that.

-While I initially thought that the “Acronyms” (Abbreviations) were a bit overused, I’ve come to welcome them and see them as something that makes it unique & scratches a certain itch for me being a tech nerd.

-To me personally, the characters can sometimes feel emotionless as I don’t feel like their faces portray what they’re feeling from time to time. Yeah, it’s not always the case, but it happened enough times for me to acknowledge that it’s there.

Characters:

So..First up,Characters :

Readers would be happy to know that despite the characters being literally “Out of this world”, they still seem relatable and believable enough given the setting the series has.

The characters are diverse enough with many features, personalities and abilities setting them apart from each other, making them feel completely unique. Season III uses the latter in a great way offering variety from one arc to another.

“The Series has some really well fleshed out characters …with tons of interesting backstories. ”

The characters’ designs were for the most part spot on for me, the “force six” team itself is handled really well , I suppose the only issues I had with that were mostly during the first arc of this season (“Wheels and cogs”) where some characters felt “bland” at times, luckily , that did not remain to be the case as I kept going from one arc to the next , the characters kept getting more interesting and better and better as a whole which felt quite satisfying to see.

The Universe it’s set in (The “Annihilator Universe” as it is called in the series) feels vast with tons of opportunities for the “Force Six” team to explore , it basically opens up the door for an unlimited supply of fresh adventures which is always a good thing. My only concern is if is the universe is “too big” for its own good, for even if much of it is left unexplored in my opinion , it starts to seem less and less believable to exist even given its sci-fi setting, yet that is obviously still not the case , the series introduces new stuff all the time from one arc to another keeping it fresh ,but it still feels like it hasn’t reached its full potential just yet ,however, it certainly feels as if the series is going uphill from where it’s at all the time.

Art Style & Illustrations:

Next up, the art style & how good are the illustrations:

It is no surprise that when it comes to comics ,most people choose what to read based on the cover art & how well the illustrations & the art style look overall , because that is what you’re going to be exposed to the most. In short, how good the illustrations are can easily “make or break” a comic for readers.

So how are the illustrations in this series (Season 3) ?

Well, I wish it was as simple as saying they’re “Good” or “Bad”, in my opinion, it sometimes can be a hit or miss as the art style’s definitely unusual. The comic definitely doesn’t follow in your usual comic art style’s footsteps …It screams “Unique” at you, it definitely went above and beyond and got to uncharted territories. So, is that good ? is that bad? Well…

“Some readers may like it, others not so much …but you can’t deny, it definitely is UNIQUE.”

In my own personal opinion, some of the illustrations used in some panels straight up wowed me. You can feel the hard work that has been put into these panels, the dedication and everything in between. Every fight is executed almost to a “Perfection” degree. I’ve always had a hard time visualizing the details of a fight, that seemed to happen less & less often with “Force Six” especially the arcs toward the end which is always a good thing in my opinion. For the most part everything is “visible” and not confusing…

If I had tocomment about the illustrations alone as a whole I would say that the first arc is probably my least favorite which kept me on the lookout for a while ,but luckily that didn’t remain to be the case because the second and the fourth one knocked it straight out of the park for me. Of course, some may prefer the first arc over the other ones which would be completely fine. I just find a form of irony in seeing the second arc (“The Misused Muse”), an arc that speaks solely about “Art” having my personal favorite “Art” in the entire series as a whole.

Honestly, I can easily keep writing more paragraphs talking about the art style alone for the rest of the review, but seeing that that won’t be practical, I’ll end it on this note:

“The UNIQUE art style captures the action in ways traditional art cannot.”

while personallythe art style is not always hitting the mark for me, it certainly blew me away when it did hit it. Besides the aforementioned personal favorite of mine, there were more than afew pages from the final arc which were also great examples of showing how good the illustrations can get.

Story:

At last but certainly not least, the “Story” …

I’ll just start off by saying the second arc of this season (“The Misused Muse”) takes the cake for me once more when it comes to the story with the final arc (“Crash and Burn: Speed Kills”) being a close second.

So , how well does it “story” ? I was surprised by how well it does that actually , while sometimes it may feel too simple and straight to the point , it actually does its best to not miss a beat and the story always seems to fall in place towards the end which makes up for a very enjoyable reading experience. There’s always something about seeing everything come together and ending on a high note, and the third season of “Force Six, The Annihilators” certainly delivers when it comes to that.

Each arc adds its own tone and theme to the series, making this a very “diverse” story, aside from it being a sci-fi story about a group of superheroes, it actually has a great deal of sub-genres it tries and succeeds to be throughout its arcs. “Action”? “Drama”? “Mystery Solving”? you get all of that in one package when it comes to “Force Six, The Annihilators”.

While some arcs may feel too “bland”, the series definitely has just the “opposite” of that in some of its other arcs. I feel as if there is definitely room for improvement, but I’m sure that with enough time it’ll get better. How much better? We can only wait and see.

“If you’re a Sci-Fi tech nerd, you’re going to feel right at home. ”

The attention to details is present, I could definitely see that they went all out trying to make sense of every Sci-Fi tech you may come across while reading, explaining it seemed to scratch that itch I have as Sci-Fi fan. A small example would be what I mentioned in my first impressions, those being the “Acronyms”, having an entire page just for those from time to time felt like a great addition along with the occasional “Epilogues” that were present in some of the arcs.

Conclusion:

While the series is definitely far from perfect and it certainly is not going to be winning any awards soon, It is brave enough to try to reinvent the wheel in more than one way. 

I can still clearly see that it hasn’t reached its full potential just yet, but still I would definitely RECOMMEND it to everyone that is interested in the Sci-fi Superhero genre or even those who are into Fantasy and Drama. While reading it, I haven’t felt as if I was wasting my time and found myself genuinely interested and intrigued by the many things it tried to accomplish.

“Force Six, The Annihilators” Season 3 can be purchased through here:https://www.comixology.com/Force-Six-The-Annihilators/comics-series/100447?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC90b3BSZXN1bHRzU2xpZGVy

Killer Butterfly Issue 10

KB#10 The Butterfly Effect

Killer Butterfly issue 10 The Butterfly Effect
Wings flap in a quiet field as a bird of prey swoops down on the fearful mouse. Young Kuse Yatsumi faces the fearsome Mishin Miyazaki over the fate of a thief! It’s a day of reckoning for all under the eye of the eagle. Odion Adisa starts his journey to the Eagle Fortress. He goes forward with less that he expected. The Killer Butterfly series continues in issue 10 The Butterfly Affect. 40 Pages, full color. Chopped and cropped by Drew Spence.
The entire first season is available on ComiXology.

Force Six comics are available on comiXology in digital format

We are The Dynamic Universe. We create graphic comics. They sit between traditional strips and a 3-D style of photorealistic drama. Enjoy the science-fantasy action adventure with terrific tints, great graphics and compelling story-telling. Read the comic and enjoy the soundtrack. Story and art by Drew Spence.

Force Six Ace Nuckolls review

Comic writer and blogger Ace Nuckolls shares his reaction to Force Six Season I. Follow him on twitter https://twitter.com/wittyusername14 adnd support his Magnus the Brave comic on kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/… Thanks for the look! Force Six is available on comiXology. https://www.comixology.com/The-Dynami… Support through Patreon/ https://www.patreon.com/TheDynamicUni…

Killer Butterfly #7

07 The Lady Yagfu

The Snake clan is ready to be revealed as Odion Adisa is left with no answers. Poison becomes the anecdote for a lack of knowledge. Kuse studies and is studied as she encounters a most desperate man. The Killer Butterfly story continues in issue 7 One Deadly Venom. Viscous verses and visuals from Drew Spence.

https://www.patreon.com/TheDynamicUniverse

Force Six comics are available on comiXology in digital format

We are The Dynamic Universe. We create graphic comics. They sit between traditional strips and a 3-D style of photorealistic drama. Enjoy the science-fantasy action adventure with terrific tints, great graphics and compelling story-telling. Read the comic and enjoy the soundtrack. Story and art by Drew Spence.

https://www.patreon.com/TheDynamicUniverse

How to Create Sci-Fi Special Effects (in Daz Store)

Drew Spence webinar tutorial product available in Daz Store!

In order to create an astounding Science Fiction Universe it requires numerous special effects!

Want to know how to produce laser swords, energy bolts, explosions, laser blaster effects, battle damage, starship jets and contrails to give your artwork extra dynamics? Drew Spence takes you on a step by step journey to help you generate some Sci-Fi vitality in your renders.

Drew uses both Daz Studio and PhotoShop to show must-have resources and techniques to help build a better looking Sci-Fi Universe. He goes on to using ParticleShop and a mix of other powerful resources rarely considered to create stand-out effects.

This product includes tutorials totaling 2 hours and 55 minutes and many supporting files to get you started fast in making your own special effects.

Software required to follow along with these tutorials:

• Daz Studio
• PhotoShop
• ParticleShop is used to a lesser extent

Tutorial Content Summary

Laser swords:

• Laser sword effects
• Laser sword trails
• Sabre locks : laser swords clashing
• Cutting and slashing effects
• Recommended lighting for laser sword effects
• Best laser sword related products

Laser Guns/Blasters/Phasers:

• Laser blaster effects
• Sci-Fi muzzle flash
• Blaster explosions
• Blaster scoring effects
• Shattered glass
• Streaming phaser beam
• Best blaster/laser/scoring brushes and products

Spaceship jets, contrails and damage:

• Jet effects – using authentic lighting
• Jet engine trails and high energy plasma exhaust
• Battle damage : dirtying up a spacecraft in a laser battle
• Best brushes and resources for jets and contrails
• Bonus : Must-have – three incredible resources – surprising source of special effects you wouldn’t expect.

Inside a Spaceship:

• Creating a convincing spaceship interior scene using modular elements in novel ways.
• Unexpected uses for Sci-Fi props and gadgets.
• Lighting and dressing up your own Sci-Fi set using Nurnies and Greebles
• Creating a star-gazing viewport scene with modular parts and the supplied galactic backdrops.

We’d like to thank ERA-7 for providing a free Sci-Fi Textures Pack included in this product.

About the Presenter : Drew Spence:

• Drew Spence is a graphic comic writer and illustrator from New York. He creates under the title of The Dynamic Universe. He has combined his music and video into several works- including Mark of the Griffin, which is both a graphic novel and web series. He is part of the instrumental group Fallout Shelter which provides the soundtrack. The other band members are Domino Grey, Dynamics Plus and Xodus Phoenix.
• Drew Spence is a graduate of Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art and holds various certificates – from graphic arts to web design. Drew Spence was the CEO and Editor-in-chief of Producer’s Edge magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to all aspects of music production. The magazine was packaged with a DVD which included sound samples, instructional videos and software. He currently lives on Long Island, New York and produces his work from the aptly named Fallout Shelter Studios, where he crafts crafty and clever comics using CGI and photo-realistic image manipulation.

You can find other series that Drew Spence has created with Digital Art Live for purchase in the Daz Store. https://www.daz3d.com/digital-art-live You can take classes, watch tutorials and attend webinars and much more https://digitalartlive.com/events/