When I first got into 3D there didn't really seem to be any sort of race for realism.  Then I started seeing software get Radiosity-equipped renderers, started drooling, and that in turn got me a bit fanatical about wanting to create something so real it would be indistinguishable from reality (what a tit).

I messed around a few years, gained some pretty decent skills at "realism" but gained practically nothing from an artistic point of view (and that annoys me, big-time).  Realism in CG bores me now, but in traditional art it always impresses me.  The girl who drew that image posted above gets way more respect from me than any realism brought about by a renderer.

I think you're only ever in complete control of your art when you can do stuff like that and not have to rely on feature X being made available in your favourite 3D program.  Pretty much like the conversation RorrKonn and I had back in that other thread about statuesque women.  She doesn't have to worry about software upgrades, manipulative OS developers, program and file compatibility or anything else.

The only thing she has to concern herself with is sharpening her pencil now and then.

So in a nutshell, me presonally, I've lost all interest in CG realism because it seems to suck-up my time just to achieve something that is best done with a camera anyway.  It felt like there there was a challenge in the early days, and it was fun to have at it and see what could be dragged out of a renderer, but now, in the days of Octane and it's instant realism, what is there to do?

What is going to seperate the men from the boys in the image stakes?

I think the only thing that remains is true artisticness, because now that anyone can render a realistic image in seconds, there is nothing but artistic flair and individuality that will distinguish one artist from another.

These days I'm more interested in real cameras and cinematics, and to be able to pick up a pencil and do realism when it comes to art.  Things are too difficult for me to pursue any of those things right now, but I look forward to doing so in the future. 

What's absolutely certain is that CG realism couldn't possibly be of any less interest to me than it is right now.  Been there, done that, wasted a lot of my life playing with it and to be honest I regret most of it.  I regret most of it because all the time I spent on it would have been better spent learning to use a real pencil properly.  I can use a pencil but I'd be aheck of a lot better by now if I'd spent those "CG Years" improving my relatively poor pencil craft.

That does not mean I've gone off CG.  CG is every bit as useful as it's always been and always will be, but if I were to use it on a project it would be strictly for artistic purpose or a form of utility, not any attempt at realism.

Surrealism - yes.
Realism - no.