Exotic flights of fantasy...

2024 Edit: sorry guys. All I have left is a bunch of thumbnails to give a clue as to what was going on in the original artwork. The images from 2010 have gone. These are all that's left ... for what it's worth, they just a bunch of Deep Shadow Map renders of M4 and V4 in fantasy costume. Nothing to get all that excited about now, but for me, it was all part of the learning process -- which is why I'm including the thumbnails here, more to jog my own memory than to entertain anyone else. I'll leave the text of the original post, but I'll gussie this up with a bunch of nice images from later on, which fit the same bill... 

Exotic art -- 3D, of course ... and a drama is unfolding here. Not quite sure what the story is. If I thought there were enough followers of this blog, and that they were motivated enough, I'd have a competition: tell me the story of what's going on here, and win something like a screensaver --! But I know how hard it is to get folks motivated, so I'll just post the images and let your imagination run with them.

Both these characters are designed by me. You might actually recognize the guy: it's the same "actor" who played Achilles in the posts yesterday and the day before -- I gave him a new hairdo and set him into a very, very different scene. The "digital actress" is making her debut here. If you've ever read a book called Harem, by Colin Falconer, you might think of the lead character, Hurem ... the courtesan who toppled the Ottoman Empire. I read the book eons ago, and stumbled over it again on dusty old shelves, last week.

The set it very exotic -- designed for another project. It uses two Persian carpet textures whacked onto various columns (from the Anardhaus set) and surfaces. Then, you add two walls and a ceiling from the Silence kit, plus the brass burner from the Lair. Then, Michael 4, wearing the Lee skinmap, the Mario's hair -- set blond -- and at least fleetingly, the Regency pants. And the face of Achilles, which you saw here yesterday! Then, add Victoria 4.2, almost wearing a pair of slacks to which I added a texture of my own before I made them transparent silk ... and the Night Lily jacket, also set to nearly transparent, like golden gauze, plus the "swank pumps" and the Celestial hair. And the face and bod of the courtesan, Hurem, as designed by me.

Two of the renders were passed into Gimp to be painted with smoke from the burner, then the whole series went into Serif to be cropped, bordered, signed.

Since the original art has vamoosed without trace, let me bulk this out with some pretty things from other posts, elsewhere...

Jade, 23 May - updated 17 February, 2024

Achilles and Patroclus ... the Legendary Argument

The dawn before the Myrmidons sail for Troy, Achilles meets Patroclus in the old temple ... and he implores Zeus for patience, because his young cousin (and they're kissin' cousins, come to that) is demanding to sail with the fleet and get into the fighting...

Patroclus asks the question for the thousandth time, and Achilles tells him no, yet again. "Kiddo, I'm done talking about it, all right? We're sailing in about two hours' time -- so don't bug me, and don't think I can't tan your backside, because I can."

"But why not?" Patroclus demands. "Look at me, I'm a man grown." (You know, he's dead right, if these images are anything to go by.) "Yes," said Achilles, "you're a man ... but you're not a Myrmidon, not yet. Stay home, grow up, and you can come fight with the big boys in the next war, all right?"

Which makes Patroclus implore Mars, the God of War to give him strength before he tries his hand at strangling his cousin -- which would definitely get Achilles PO'd, and could easily result in the death of a wannabe Myrmidon before Hector even knows there's any such person.

"Oh, put a sock in it, junior," says Achilles (only he says it in Ancient Greek, and it would be phrased in Homeresque dialog: "Forsooth, ye brattish whelp, curtail thy cursed whining 'fore thy much-regarded elder and better doth demonstrate that higher function for which stockings were actually designed!") ...

And when Patroclus stops for breath Achilles cuts him a deal, to get a little peace and quiet: "All right, you little twerp. You can sail with us, but you're not going to fight -- not in this war." 

"Awwww, why not?" Patroclus wheedles. 

"Because I bloody said so," says Achilles. And the argument is over ... at least for half an hour.

Seriously ... anyone who's read the Iliad or seen Troy (or both) knows this scene must have happened one Saturday night about 3200 years ago. Then, being kissin' cousins and all, they probably kissed and made up, roasted a goat, packed their bags, hustled on down to the docks (because they're out of there on the dawn tide) and ... did whatever it is Ancient Greek warrior kissing cousins did when they, uh, um, yeah. Give you three guesses. If you need three. 

For an extra 25 points, name the Myrmidon country of which Achilles is the king. (Hint: is it NOT called Myrmidia, mermaids do not come from there, and Myrmidons are not boy mermaids. And it's very hard to pronounce.)

Sorry if this post got away from me and spiralled into a Mel Brooks routine; it just came out that way. Join me tomorrow and I'll at least try to be serious. No promises, but I'll try!

Jade, 22 May

Achilles and Patroclus ... happy Post 250!

Apologies: some are just Deep Shadow Maps.
Could barely get a raytrace to save my life... 

Achilles ... statuesque, blond, brooding ... waits for Patroclus under that angel's wing Bryce sky ... and at last Patroclus shows up. Happy Post 250!

Join me tomorrow when I'll wrangle both characters in the same shots, and show a lot more of the gorgeous set you saw in yesterday's post...

(Nothing too lucid to read today, guys: I feel like death is imminent. Need tea. Need blankie and pillow. Need good book. Need world to go 'way and lemme expire in peace. Seriously -- it's some kind of sinus infection, the kind where you can make your teeth ache by waggling your eyebrow. The one where your throat feels like gravel, and you sound like Darth Vader. It should be gone in another day, but right now -- waaaah! Tea, blankie, pillow, book --!)

Jade, 21 May

***Posted by MK: my connection is intermittent, too slow for this.

The Romantic Hero ... in 3D, naturally!

2014 edit: only two of these 2010 images have survived across the years ... I'll bulk this post out with some other goodies, fro other posts, other times...

Good old Michael 4...

...and Genesis 8

The romantic hero ... right out of the 'Golden Age' movies -- which are probably way before your time, but since they've been immortalized on DVD, what they hey?! Put it this way: if you've never even heard of Errol Flynn and Stewart Granger, you don't know what you're missing! Movies from the Days of Yore might not be stuffed to busting with CG effects, but they had a charm and a sheer (!) romance that you just don't find today. Maybe because moviegoers have become too cynical? If the soundtrack's not making your ears bleed, and if the characters onscreen aren't shooting armor-piercing incendiaries, it just isn't a movie! Right?

Anyway ... here's a closeup on the Duchess's young beau, whom you saw a few posts ago (right here, if you're interested) , and I couldn't resist the temptation to use a couple of Ron's Birds -- the Photoshop brushes which work 100% perfectly in GIMP -- to gussie up the final renders. They do make a lovely difference ... that extra little layer of realism added in on top of the Bryce sky and the specially-set lights.

So here's Michael 4, [in the top two, surviving, original 2010 images] wearing the Mario skin map (with the 'tash), and the GQ Event hair, and the lower half of the Leon de Castiglia costume. It's still DM's The Lair set, but I switched out the textures for a really nice rock ... and one of the Deluxe Trees, all set against a Bryce sky, and to finish off, Ron's Birds. result: nice!

Jade, 19 May