Luis Nieves - Baywood Red Light

Hello readers,

Today I share with you some work that I stumbled upon that really inspired me. Here at SoVibrant we deal with high quality 3D work on a daily basis so we can appreciate a truly great image when we see one. For us what really makes a nice visual is the level of detail within an image, all the little aspects that don't seem that important until they are brought together and take the piece to that next level.

The person responsible for the work in question is Luis Nieves, a digital artist based in Northern California. I first came across Luis Nieves's work a few years back when it was featured in a well known CG magazine.I remember then thinking that his work was especially good, as every part of the image just worked really well from the level of detail within the model, the texturing and the lighting. I have placed the featured image below along with a newer visual featuring the same model.

Image courtesy of Google images.

Image courtesy of Google images.

I love the style of these visuals, so I was happy to find out that Luis Nieves has created some new work. Following on from the Ford GT40, the Pagani Zonda Cinque was the car chosen for the new set of visuals. I am especially pleased with this choice with the Cinque being one of my dream cars, as it is a pure expression of a flamboyant hypercar.    

Image courtesy of Google images.

Image courtesy of Google images.

The quality of the lighting has definitely improved, the image is gloomy which emphasizes the glow from the rear lights and traffic lights. The shot of the rear of the Cinque has a very subtle reflection down the side of the car which gives a great contrast between the dark and lighter parts of the shot. Having the lighting like this makes the car sit perfectly within the scene, giving it a real sense of weight.

Texturing is of a really high standard, the finish on the Cinque's surfaces has a real gloss to them, what you would expect on a car valued at 1.5 million pounds. It's the level of detail that Luis Nieves has gone to with the texturing, from the slightly scuffed central wheel nuts and the detail and dust on the tyres, to the direction of the carbon fibre weave. The carbon fibre weave is especially important as this is something Horacio Pagani, the creator of the Zonda has pioneered and is a major part of the cars DNA. This has to be one of my favorite parts of the visual just because it would be a challenging task getting the UV's correct so the weaves all line up correctly.

Visuals such as this one are great because they are so engaging, making you lean in towards your monitor as you look closer at each of the intricate details.

This scene and model undoubtedly capture the essence of a Zonda Cinque. I am pleased that Luis Nieves has done an amazing job in replicating one of my all time favorite cars, allowing everyone to appreciate this work of art.

Thanks for reading.

Ryan Blackburn - Media Productions

www.sovibrant.co.uk