EOW 169 :: Shanghai in 2112

[Vulgar`]

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e181/chaosrocks/EOW2.jpg

EOW 169 :: Shanghai in 2112
topic suggested by Dile_


Brief:

Design a Shanghai of the future. It doesn't get any better than this... <3

More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai



- Please specify which image is final in this thread!


DEADLINE: Monday, August 1st 2011

[Artfix]

Hi guys. I am not a regular of EOW so..I'm a noob and I have a question. How does one make this look like shanghai of the future and not just any city of the future?

Thanks for any tips here!

One more question: Where are the thumbnail images coming from that are next to each topic?

[Vulgar`]

Good question, I haven't really thought about that. I think Shanghai is already a modern, futuristic metropolis so metamorphosis through another century could produce fascinating results... not just for Shanghai, but for any prominent cityscape. Fragments from an interesting article I just read:

The world's most renowned architects are flocking to Shanghai, where they are building the world's biggest skyscrapers and hotels, futuristic model towns, theme cities and numerous other never-seen-before projects. All the innovation puts this Chinese city in the vanguard for style, ambition and experimentation. Once again.

Nightclubs, chic restaurants and luxury hotels and high-rises open by the score monthly, as Shanghai races to reclaim its reputation as flashiest, most fun and futuristic city of the Far East.

This city moves like no other. Shanghai rocks, frantic, full-out, like fifth gear on the Autobahn. You feel its pulse, buzz to the adrenaline. You not only see it, but hear it, smell it: the roar of redevelopment, air thick with the dust of perpetual construction - tunnels, bridges, highways, mini-cities shooting up.

In my own translation, it's like a well lit utopia for the architecturally gallant. Add Asian flair and you have yourself a tasty dish for the eyes and for the senses.

This thumbnail is by EOW veteran Hideyoshi. This topic seemed tailormade for him, I couldn't help it. ;) The rest I find on google.

[Vulgar`]

Entries from past EOW 97 Asian Flair, and other inspiration:
I'd like to think of this EOW as an evolution of the previous 'Asian Flair' activity. This is far more mature and changed city. For better or worse? We'll have to find out.

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/9414/chinatownmarketconceptauc6.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd97/HideyoshiR/Asian-Flair_s.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q150/revenebo/EoW97_Revenebo_2.jpg

http://www.deviantart.com/download/28483101/STREETS_OF_JAPAN_by_Hideyoshi.jpg

http://www.funis2cool.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/lilypad-floating-city-02.jpg

http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/185/futuristic-architecture_11263.jpg

http://www.kkuodesign.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/megastructure_by_hideyoshi.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/Cytheria_Manfalaswen/Wallpaper/FuturisticCitySlum.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3066/2679502218_df569905c6.jpg

china.com/chinaWH/upload/upfiles/2009-09/07/the_mythic_elements_in_chinese_architecture1fb5d69 a1eebc2415b1e.jpg

http://robertg69.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/macau-skyline.jpg

http://www.inpharm.com/system/files/imagecache/news_full/shanghaiskyline.jpg

http://www.chinatechnews.com/wp-content/uploads/shanghai-skyline.jpg

[OchreHand]

amazing topic. i might have to try this

[Rob Powell]

Wow. Cool topic! I don't think I'll be able to come up with something for this, especially since I'm working on both COW and CHOW this week. Plus there will be a crapload of detail that will have me going bonkers over what seems to be an endless rendering process, but I'll give it a try!

[+oas+]

sweet, perspective study time!

[android411]

this is a great topic I don´t want to miss. So here is my try...

[jagder]

post apocalyptic Shanghai
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6600/shanghai2.jpg

[Pat Thompson]

SWEET! :xpld: This week is a good one to return to CA. I'm all over this. If anyone needs some cool Chinese references, I might be able to help, since I live here in China and have tons of photos (though not too many of cities, sadly, since I live with the Na'Vi in the tourist village of Yangshuo).

@artfix: every culture has its own style of architecture - especially China. China is exploding into the future while holding onto to large chunks of its history, and one of the key chunks is their architecture (however they have deleted large chunks of their history for the sake of revolution, but that's another topic altogether). So instead of some straight up Manhattan towers, throw in China's sweet style of modern arch - which is quickly becoming the best.

Also, I've always thought of China as the flagship of modern steampunk, and I don't think that will change anytime soon. In today's China, you are just as likely to see a BMW cruising past (complete with drunken drivers) as you are to see a tractor chugging past with wooden wheels, sans muffler, and hay-lined interiors.

So I think that the Shanghai of the future will incorporate elements of traditional arch mixed with the ultra modern, but at the same time have all the elements that the common peasants/people bring into the mix with various income levels and poverty. So rickshaws, cobbled alleys, tons of mopeds, cinderblock & shingle shacks, hobos, lots of public transportation (China is excellent with this), lots of ads, grime, haphazard wires, etc all along shiny new buildings, fancy cars stuck in traffic that obeys no rules, funky fashion, bright lights, booming music, conmen, etc.

also, modern Chinese cities seem to have an obsession with placing hue-changing LEDs all over the place, from skyscrapers, to bridges, to riverfronts. They love the stuff. and PS - all those pics you see of tons of vertical neon signs with chinese characters - that's not usual for mainland China, but more for Taiwan or HK.

@jagder - love the idea of post apoc shanghai!


anywho, instead of taking a massive image dump here, I'll provide a link to my picasa folder that is primed just for this topic:
https://picasaweb.google.com/PatThompson008/Shanghai2112?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKG7kPnOuL-uXQ&feat=directlink


another good link for skyscrapers:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=116595

Good luck everyone!

here are some highlights:

[Lyno]

Working on these right now:

[OchreHand]

Pat, you rock. Thanks for the references!

[Incinerated]

some more ref material thought this one was great:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4246120/2009shanghai-tower-24647.jpg

[Pat Thompson]

@lyno:
so far i like the atmosphere/colors of your #1 the most, but i think #2 has more potential to be unique and visually stunning, and looks like it will have more visual interest, since it's got the traditional/grundgy fore, contrasted by the modern bg, and looks like it's following the golden thirds rule. Excited to see what you come up with :)

@Ochrehand:
Glad to be of service! It's the least I can do for my fellow CA troops since I kinda live in the area of the topic. Good luck!

[neutral.]

It's amazing how Shanghai has changed in just 20 years.

http://pics.blameitonthevoices.com/062010/small_evolution%20of%20sanghai.jpg

[Dile_]

It's amazing how Shanghai has changed in just 20 years.



that image is the very reason behind this topic ;) and * cough* I guess I'm in if I can manage with time and dl's :/ !

[ismo]

Cool topic. I got so pissed about not finishing the last eow I started working on this right away. Just compositional exploration at this point. This sketch was my favorite so I guess I'm sticking with it.

[hekatoncheir]

Okay, I hope you don't mind me saying a few things about Shanghai, as it's a place I've visited consistently every few years for familial reasons.

Now, a century is a long time, but although Shanghai is aiming for the heights, it may very well be in shambles a century later for whatever speculated reason. But assuming it remains a high end urban city, Shanghai has a looooot of different areas.

The ones in the pictures below, like of the Oriental Pearl Tower, or that one with the lotus (which I.. don't know the English name of), are from the city, Pu Dong, an area of Shanghai. But there are outer areas in Shanghai that aren't as sparkle sparkle in the night, or as caught up in architecture/improvement.

In addition, if let's say, we decided to also incorporate the government's future plans for the country in general, Shanghai would also be a forefront on being hip and green. The China Pavilion (which held the World Expo) recently opened up and showcased an entire floor on saving energy, being green, and the prognosis for the future for cities, besides building more avant-garde Art Deco buildings or pure glass paneled rectangles.

With that note, Shanghai is also insanely green. Like trees growing off of areas around the buildings and everywhere. For example, in front of the Oriental Pearl Tower, there's a circular area with flowers decorating the center as cars whiz around it. Shanghai used to never have trees. It was pretty barren until recently.

So you can see that green is actually an important aspect for Shanghai.

Well, that's my two cents. Hope it helped a few, inspired a few. :bounce:

[Zirngibism]

I might give this one a go to redeem myself for my awful entry back in the dragon hatchery contest. Go for a more painterly, less "rushed matte-painter" look.


Anyway, looking at Shanghai, my favorite scenario idea is having a runaway global warming situation, where old 21st century buildings are buried partially in water. Some have been converted into vertical farms. A 100ft wall lines the coast blocks seawater from rushing into the city. However, some water is allowed in, the huge pressure of which is used in current canals (most people travel by boat) and power the city's vertical farms.

I plan to include Buddhist/Taoist design motifs (people have rediscovered the value of balance/harmony). Also plan to use lanterns heavily. (I mean, seriously, what's cooler than Chinese lanterns?) Also, instead of heavy building, people reside in stacked tensile structures.

Technology/standard of living has both regressed and advanced, depending on the field. People have limited electricity and personal computing is a luxury, but their materials technology (like smart plastics) is advanced.

So far, my thumbs have led me to a more impoverished scene on the outskirts of the main city.

Will edit this post later to add thumbnails!

[android411]

as my first drawing was not really shanghai and not really chinese I thought I give it another try. I try to mix the sci-fi with slum kind of scenario. There is a big bridge/highway over this ghetto which leads to the modern futuristic city in the distance. A lot of stuff to do still...

[Sergon]

Sounds interesting I'm in.

[Pat Thompson]

@android411:
cool wip so far, very clean and well put together. one crit would be to show more of the canvas to the top, since that portion is the most interesting. Also, the left half of the image is well-made, but doesn't have all that much going on. I know the composition is trying to bring everything in towards the high-center, but i might try to spice that part up, maybe with something futuristic while maintaining the darkness? I really admire how clean your lines and shapes are. Gonna try to emulate that this time.

@Zirngibism:
ARG! I was thinking the same thing - a "Venice meets Shanghai" feel due to global warming, complete with boat markets/towns. Can you post your wips up so I can see what you're up to? - that way we don't end up doing anything too similar - don't want to step on your toes.

@V-klry:
Thanks for your two cents! I personally have only been to the airport in Shanghai, but it looks like a really cool place. I spend most of my time in central corridor of China (from Hainan to Hohhot, but mostly Guangxi & Hunan). Anyways - Shanghai is green? That's cool, had no idea. A lot of China's cities could benefit from that line of development.

@ismo:
as yours is still pretty rough, not much I can really say other than speculation and the composition. I admire your courage at the viewpoint, as there is going to be a plethora of building/car details down there. Composition looks cool so far, - crits: I'd make sure that bottom right flying car stays strong visually, and then maybe something to pull the viewer down from the top-right back towards the center - maybe some kinda of highway or diagonal structure or murky cloud? I'm excited to see what develops with yours!

[ismo]

Update. Thanks for the crit, Pat. I'll keep those things in mind. Kind of drifted into detailing too early again and started to lose the overall compo. I'll try to go back a bit and solidify the composition. Also gotta start looking at some city reference at this point.

[Pat Thompson]

Here's my first sketch. Just the basic blocks & ideas sketched out with the perspective lines. Tried a new method to match the perspective points up with corresponding locations on my golden thirds & such. No permanent color added in as of yet.

As said before, going for the 'Venice of China' effect, so no roads, only canals and sidewalks littered with small, mobile ground transports. Will furnish the bottom floors of several buildings with traditional trappings. Main focus is the building in the center left, inspired by the expo center thingy, & the character 'zhong' as in 'zhong guo' (Chinese for 'China'). Bottom left will be a grungy market. Thinking of keeping the bg somewhat murky and stylized, what with the smog, humidity, and light pollution i don't think you'd be able to see far anyways. trying to keep it simple this time around, as I always try to do too much.

@ismo: yours is looking fantastic already. love the bottom right detail of the couple watching from their roof.

[android411]

thanks for the comment Pat Thompson, it was a good idea to show more of the top, so here is a new update, your´s looks very interesting, it has a great sense of scale already, maybe you could try to use a "s" or "c" for the river to lead the eye towards your focal area, looking forward for the progess!

@ismo - great composition and lighting!

[Sergon]

I really struggle with cityscapes =_=. The thought was along the lines that Shanghai flooded in the future and architecture style had to adjust to that. I also thought about ice age. Icebergs floating between contained environment skyscrapers. What could sustain pressure from an iceberg? I heard they had project for a bridge like that O_o.

[zimfin]

I also considered ice, flooding, destruction....you name it. I think Godzilla paying a visit to Shanghai got in their somehow. lol. In the end I am going for a street scene with robotic and futuristic vehicles. This is my initial sketch. Haven't decided on the background yet since it will be raining hard, I might make it very vague. Good to be back to EOW. :)

[Eightball_]

thumbs + wip:

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/416/thumbsnr.jpg

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/5012/shanghai2112.jpg

[jagder]

working on it
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6334/shanghai4.jpg

[Pat Thompson]

@eightball:
very dynamic thumbs! bridge one looks interesting, but i don't know how much different it can be than a regular now-a-days city shot. the two on top have lots of potential, very cool looking already.

@zimfin: fun idea, hover-peds are looking cool. the robo-rickshaw looks good, but just an fyi, the old-school rickshaw's man-power has been taken over by the motorcycle, which is probably cheaper than a robot. love the head shape of the guy in the rickshaw seat - very buddha-like. curious to see your take on the architecture.

@jagder: make sure to add a couple of chinese lions in front of that courthouse - very common over here. love the texture on the broken ground. one thought - maybe adding a toppled sky scraper somewhere - or at least something to make it say 'Shanghai/big city' instead of just any old post-apoc Chinese town?

[snatti]

sketches and wip

[merl1n]

my wip

[Corrick]

Whip

http://williamwerk.com/art/shanghai.jpg

[Hideyoshi]

snatti, Corrick, everyone - awesome!

+1
wip I guess. Not sure if I can finish though. Didn't use a grid, so it's wonky..

--

EDIT: tightened it up a bit - final image:

1288103

[Dile_]

snatti: Nice entry, just curious, what are the lines in your grids representing? It looks like you're using 3 vp's, still everything is 1/2pp, are they light? Would you care to explain ? =D

[siryder]

Wow these are all so good!
Hideyoshi - I love the story in this one!

here's my sketch which I hope to finish -
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss75/siryder/EOW/Siryder_EOW-169_WIP.jpg

[snatti]

@dile perspective lines, was curious to see what would happen if you dont follow all of them and if it still would be possibel to do a 3point

[Penpoint]

cyber punkin' it :anime:

[zimfin]

Slow progress here due to work. Really hoping I can push ahead with this. Still a loose sketch blocking in shapes.

[Incinerated]

Penpoint a tat chaotic still but looks okay :P, Im sure once the shapes take form it'll be great. :)

siryder: You have to finish... I love the comp

Corrick I have come to expect great images from you, are you going the apocalyptic or the neat sci-fi route? You could take it in eighter direction

jagder the new one is better :) I like the buildings

Eightball_ If you get those shapes right you'll have a strong image. Think about what objects adds to the image and what objects you dont need. ;)

snatti lovely quality so far :) nice little architecture details

android411 your Picture will be stronger without the bottom, try just cropping from the lowest lamps... Do it you know you want to ;).

Merl1n very nice start, its still blurry but im sure you'll attack that issue :)

Lyno I like the top one more

zimfin thats actually a brilliant idea.

Hideyoshi some things are a little crooked but it all adds to the charm

Anyone I've missed I'll try an get you tomorrow

One can never have enough glowy bits :P
1288597

[dragon4lunch]

Ok, this is happening. Great topic!

http://www.trickstertoys.com/additional/dragon4lunch_Shang01.jpg

[Tawnos]

Hideyoshi, Snatti, those are really awesome!

[snatti]

thanks incinerated, look forward to your finished pieace

thank you tawnos

final and story:
from 2050 to 2112 unemployment went up by 70% and the avrage citizens were forced to move to the outskirts of shanghai, in time the beautiful city of shanghai started to slowley turn into another slum in the world

[merl1n]

Hey,

Thanks incinerated.. Hopefully, I attacked that blurrines with succes. :)

I love your piece snatti, you are very dedicated. How much time did you spend on it?

And this will be my final this time. No need to overwork it.

[dragon4lunch]

Unless somebody spots a major flaw, this could be my final:

http://www.trickstertoys.com/additional/dragon4lunch_Shang02.jpg

merlin: Colors and lighting look solid in you piece. The buildings in the front could use some clear lines to help define them though.

[Gadbury]

Here's what I've been doing so far this afternoon.. shameful cut and paste picture

[Velocity Kendall]

LOVE this:

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1279292&stc=1&d=1310847938

i love this theme! i had a go at the future megacity a while ago, obviously its not an entry but it might be interesting.. i thought these big cube buildings might be 20km on a side and hold 100m people apiece

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/rodmcban/CoastSlabsmall.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/rodmcban/mASSARAT2copyb.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j208/rodmcban/MASSERAT3D-1.jpg


i also really reommend looking at a painting called something like Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain by James Clyne. its just the business

[zimfin]

Phew, awesome work here folks.
Here is my next wip. Hoping I will have time to finish this one, still so much to do.

[Mussy]

some very lovely work here guys, i attempted it but i didnt not get far, i just suck too much :@ pisses me off a lot, fact that i cant use my imagination.

[Incinerated]

Merlin: I still find it blurry.. perhaps its just me ...
Vulgar: by the way I read your blog, I kinda like it :)

honestly Im not totally happy about a lot things in this piece... but what ever final.

[Penpoint]

final:mod:

[Eightball_]

final:

[jagder]

my final.
1290349

[GDonaldson]

very difficult topic to cover in a week, Im impressed at the efforts being shown so far

[zimfin]

This is my Final image.
Great topic.

[dragon4lunch]

FINAL

[Pat Thompson]

any specific time by which the finals are due? I'm in China, Aug 1st means something different for me by 12-16 hours sometimes. nearly done. 3 point perspective is a b****! lol.


on another note, does anyone know any tricks or shortcuts for perspective line drawing in PS? I used the pen tool for paths, and stroked em' that way. My rough copy was based off of a grid for doing the quick composition. But I found the pen tool rather slow for constructing a whole city. Anyone have some speedier method that they'd like to share?

[OchreHand]

Here's my final.. Really good topic -- and challenging

Here's my write up: Through the century, rapid development and advancement in engineering spawned seemingly endless amount of super towers. Concerned about the quality of life from a very vocal public, the Government designated specific land plots to preserve the natural parks that near the Huangpu River. In response, powerful real estate moguls crowded all their skyscrapers into the same tiny spaces. The result? A plethora of 500th+ floor towers that meld and blend into each other.

[vlume]

I loved the post especially the scenarios posted here, abiu my imagination but also very very sharp my vision about the future of Shanghai, Shanghai always evou imagined as a dense dark futuristic city, no green and flowers. as in the film Blade Runner (someone there has seen and remember?)

A beautiful city in technology but fails in nature. I think it would be all fake.
xD

[Pat Thompson]

just fyi - mine's almost done! will have it ready in a couple of hours! it's a beast!

[neilpa77]

Here's my final....did want to add a few flying cars and textures to the image but ran out of time.
1292260

[JanJager]

Nice topic. Hope its not to late to enter.

@Ochrehand
Great futuristic buildings. Interesting how you cropped the buildings at the top. I like the majestic view.
@dragon4lunch
Great forms of the buildings. Only thing that annoys me a bit is the perspective of the building at the left corner.
@Zimfin
Nice storytelling.
@jagder
I like the crisp and the colors.
@Eigtball
Nice forms on the constructions.
@Penpoint
dramatic scene. Perhaps the withe area in the middle loos a bit empty compared to the areas on the sides.
@Incinerated
I have difficulty to interpret some objects but thats cool. I like the way you put the colors in the middle.
@Velocity Kendall
The city looks huge thats great.
@Mr. Gadbury
I like it
@merlin
Nice mod and forms of the buildings.
@snatti
great
@siryder
interesting architecture. hope you finish.
@Hideyoshi
awesome
@Corric
Great niched atmosphere.
@Sergon
I like the forms coming at you.
@android411
Nice mix between modern and old buildings.
looks interesting Hope you have time to finish.
@Ismo
Great
@Lyno
nice.
Neilpa77
Good Very futuristic

[siryder]

Awesome entries!
I believe I have run out of time so here's my final :)-
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss75/siryder/EOW/EOW-169_Siryder.jpg

[Pat Thompson]

arg! outta time. here's my final and wips below it:

EoW #169: Pat Thompson
"Shanghai Sky Port Concept"

Description:
Due to global warming, Shanghai's old streets have become submerged, and since the price of gas is so astronomically high in the future, transportation went more the public route - as seen by the numerous Sky Trams - or to lower tech, such as mopeds and junk ships as seen below. The rich of the city (mainly government workers and owners of factories in America) can afford the flying cars, which can be seen docking at the specialized sky port in the center of the image. It functions as a 3 dimensional parking lot, complete with a shady park up top, with access to the Sky Tram from the roof. The Sky Tram can also be accessed from the blue glass elevators at street level, which is how most of the population gets around these days if they don't have a scooter.

Also, Mao has been further deified, and is thought of as the founder of China's prosperity, so he is honored throughout the city with giant jade shrines, complete with sunburst lighting. On a side note, the Sky Port structure was inspired by China's Expo Center building, and the Chinese character "Zhong" which is part of "Zhong Guo", meaning "China". The circular base and courtyard architecture are inspired by traditional feng shui layouts, and the Hakka minority living structures. I think as China modernizes, they will begin to lose the minorities, and so will try to cherish and honor them with recreations of the minority's culture in modern life.

1291751

Crits? Ran out of time when doing the vehicles, so I know I need more detail there, as with the water. Also wished to have more time doing fun little doodads on the the street level and in the dark market in the corner, but not enough time. will try to polish it up more so as to put in my portfolio. any suggestions on how I can improve it are very welcome!

wips:
1291765

1291766

[Pat Thompson]

@snatti: beautiful piece of urban decay, love the tone of the light. Especially a fan of your use of textures. However, I feel that it doesn't really match the spirit of the brief - as in it doesn't strike me as something so much from 2112 as it could easily be something from today.

@merl1n: i'm a fan of the windows. I think I got a bit carried away with mine, haha. anyways. i like how you captured the atmosphere, feels very tangible. For a crit I'd say just needs some clean lines and bit of polish and she'd be looking snazzy. Another thing on a similar vein to snatti - what makes the city different than a city of today?

@dragon4lunch: great work! i feel that it's got just enough detail without getting it too busy. Cool bridge idea - i would have liked to see you tweak that some more, maybe making sections of it glassy/see-through. what's the function of it? transport? office space? For a crit, some of the buildings seem a bit off scale from each other. many by the river are rather mini, and then a great giant hulk of a building rises up right next to it, making the big one seem very blocky when situated next to the detailed minis. other than that, looking sweet.

@penpoint: like the vivid colors, but the angle is throwing me off of the canvas a bit. there are so many interesting things on the left to look at, but I can't help moving down and to the right and out of the image. like how you've got a KFC in there. They go nuts for the Colonel over here. not quite sure what's going on in the center - is that the double sphere tower/icon of SH thing?

@Eightball: Cool piece! rather busy, but then a megopolis should be imo. liking the ad blimp and the bridges, but i feel that the bridges could use a bit more love, and cleaner, perspective-abiding curves (especially near the horizon and with that top road). i like the bg the most. the boats are interesting, but also could be a bit cleaner. only other thing i see would be the water - should be reflecting those lights like crazy, and the boats as well. very cool concept overall man.

@zimfin: fun concept. again, love the rich guy in the rickshaw, and his robot is cool as well, but imo fairly standard robo if you take off the hat and round out the eyes. also i think that moped's a bit too close - looks like they're about to wreck. also, the moped rider's legs kinda disappear, i see them, but they might be a bit too small imo. for some reason that car reminds of me Marty McFly. The umbrella is a cool idea - is that a force field? i like how your piece captures more of the day to day life of Shanghai instead of the outside observer perspective that many of the rest of us chose.

@OchreHand: sweet. you've got my vote. Are those soccer fields or farms on the top? In China the sports of choice are: Basketball (I know, odd, right?) ping pong, tai qi, line dancing, and working out on funky playground equipment. I feel your piece is simple, elegant, well rendered, projects a sense of scale and a definite sense of the future.

android411: cool and moody. epic shapes, but I have no clue as to what they are. Hills? Clouds? Modern structures? my favorite part is the windows. did you make a flat grid of squares, and then just distort them for that effect? looks fantastic anyways. I'll try to do that next time in stead of crazy perspective diagonal/centers calculation.

@neilpa77: interesting idea. looks dangerous if those are sidewalks. love the characters and the coke ad. the central building is killer as well. I think with some more color, and texture it could be really really cool. but for right now imo, everything's a bit too uniform and sterile.

@janjager: love the red of it all. the jet packers are sweet. overall cool concept, but a bit too messy imo.

@siryder: i really like yours. wish you had done some more with it, very cool idea. the floating lantern like structures are my favorite, and the vehicle is nice as well. very clean lines, simple yet communicates quickly and effectively. the bg isn't rendered much, but from the hints of what's back it looks epic. very tantalizing overall. I'd love to see more but oh time is out.

@corrick sweet. most moody of them all. love the ship and the moon, gorgeous. the lighting is excellent, but overall I'd like to see some more texture on the buildings or some lights - I doubt Shanghai is that sleepy.

hideyoshi yours doesn't look crooked to me - and if it is it suits the piece. is that water they're traveling on? i mistook it for sand until today. cool piece and displays a well thought out vision of the future. buildings look very space agey, like starcraft drop ship structures or something. i think with just a little tweaking you can really make it pop. since the atmo is quite thick, maybe give the piece some very warm colored sun rays slanting down towards the main character's boat? also, maybe some reflected highlights from the water onto the steel of the buildings? One conceptual crit might be that I think Shanghai, flooded though it may be, would be a crowded place in the future - i might envision this spot as being home to a bustling mini street market and fish mongers as well. China's sidewalks are a very vibrant place, so why wouldn't their canals be? great work!

[Zirngibism]

Hey really sorry for being a little late for this - stupid internet went out last night. Should make it a habit to enter a day before the duedate... >_<

Anyway, I went ahead with my idea I put forth earlier in this thread. This is a scenario where sea levels are super-elevated (about 30 meters perhaps), which would be a major problem for Shanghai. By building an advanced wall to hold some of the water back, then using the pressure from the water to fill and stream through elevated water channels, people were able to create roadways with boats instead of cars. (Boats with sort of a waterwheel design, as seen in the parking lot).

This is a future where electricity is rare, but where material technology is very advanced. People use tensile (tent like) architecture, sometimes self-illuminated as shown here. The fabric "opens up" with many holes when hit with extreme wind force, so that way it doesn't get blown away/destroyed in the case of a hurricane.


Here's a process, feel free to link to it, Vulgar :)
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/9296/kzirngiblshanghaieowtut.jpg

[Corrick]

Missed it by that much...

The decaying ruins of Shanghai, Old Earth Year 2112. No-fly zone status imposed 2097, atmospheric debris and particulate matter beyond safe limits.

Abandoned after Earth's atmosphere was stripped away by twin gamma ray bursts weak in their own right but strong enough to end this phase of Earth's history in the late 21st century, the crumbling ruins of Shanghai maintain a constant plume of pulverized concrete and steel in the air. It is a smuggler's haven, for those brave enough. In an instant ones own hiding place may be crushed to dust by decomposition and unwilling demolition. The fortunate industrial scavenger may still find deposits of endura-steel within the skeleton of buildings still standing.

For those others who visit, it is a gravestone with mankind's ingenuity and ultimate frailty the inscription.

http://williamwerk.com/art/eow169-corrick.jpg

[zimfin]

@Pat: Thanks. Your observations are accurate and I appreciate you taking the time to write them.