I immediately knew I wanted to do something with the ocean and how water absorbs light, but what form that would take was uncertain. For simplicity’s sake, this would all be in the 3D software Blender, because I don’t think making a physical version of this would be very feasible for me.
I started with a few basic ideas, those being how water and light interact, and tried (somewhat in vain) to explore them before nailing down a few concepts. I was particularly captured by reflections in shallow water and the beautiful clear blues of tropical seas
How exactly I want to incorporate different elements of light and where, I have not really ironed out quite yet, but I have some high-level ideas that I could develop a lot further.
I started with simple reflection and started to branch off from there. While Blender isn’t capable of perfectly mimicking the actual properties of water without a ton of hassle, I can fake it pretty well, and that was to be the basis for my actual high level concepts.
Concept 1 – Shadows & Absorbtion
One of my concepts is to mimic the shadows of fish swimming right under the surface of highly reflective water. A possible addition to make it a little more interactive would be to have two different ‘sets’, one being pictured above and the other being an unlit set with just fins visible.
Concept 2 – Volumetric Lighting & Light Absorbtion
My second concept would be like a vertical slice of the ocean, with the sky above being the “free” lane of transmission for light and the ocean below being the “constricted” lane of transmission for light. Above the waterline, light is free to travel from the buoy to the surrounding area, perhaps reflecting off of rain or mist. Under the waterline, light would be unable to reach anything, so the fish down there would be lit up with an emissive volume shader. An idea I think would be interesting to add is to incorporate infinity mirrors/rooms to represent the vast ocean, like pictured below.
I find concept #2 more fun, but I am struggling to find more creative & exciting ways to incorporate light, so I wanted to pose the question: “What other ways could I incorporate light (or a lack thereof) into concept #2?”
Additionally, I want to ask which one you think is more interesting!
Your concept renders are pretty cool, I cannot wait to see what you do for the final project! I sort of like concept 2 the best, I like the idea of trying to explore is the vast emptiness/darkness of the ocean — and how that can be contrasted/interrupted with light.
Some related imagery that has intersections of dark ocean and light:
– moon jellyfish exhibits in aquariums
– bioluminescent algae in San Diego
Your concept of combining light art with digital art is super cool. My preference is the second idea as you can tell a story with the fish. A possible way to include light could be by having the fish change colors or maybe putting a sort of moving pattern or psychedelic effect on them.
This concept is awesome! If you’re going to go down the water path, I would definitely check out the movie Flow. Also, I think one concept that could be really cool would be an interactive scene where you can keep going lower and lower to discover animals (starting with coral reefs and then going all the way down to angler fish). Any animals with bioluminescence could be great additions if you wanted to incorporate more light into your art as well.
Your concept of exploring how water absorbs light using Blender is fascinating. The idea of mimicking fish shadows and using volumetric lighting to represent the ocean is particularly appealing. Consider experimenting with different light sources and shaders to create more dynamic and interactive effects.
I love these concepts and I think if you find some variety, number 2 could be super super cool. If you play around with different bioluminescence, reflectiveness, and transparency of different fish or things in the environment it could really add a lot of depth! I feel like the possibilities are genuinely endless and I can’t wait to see what you create!