Sure, you can use other models in your scene. There really aren't any hard and fast rules, other than to model and render a photorealistic still life with a cup of coffee and a donut as the focus. I chose simple items so that everyone could focus on the things that make 3D images live and breath; lighting and texturing. I feel that even simple primitives can make you want to reach out and touch them when lit and textured in interesting ways. And you can learn a lot when applying those standards to simple scenes. While working on the image above, I certainly learned some things. I learnd that I know a lot more about the spline modeller than I thought . . I know a lot less about shaders than I thought . . and that the vertex modeller still scares the hell out of me. The thing that I feel makes the image work is the light gel. It's composed of three images; a Brycean sky, a tree shaped cookie, and a window shaped cookie. Combined and blurred in Photoshop, it creates a sense of randomness in the light and shadows that adds to the realism I was going for. I also applied the light gel to a cube primative and lit it with another spot, so it is visible in the toaster's reflection. I hope this helps everyone, and I look forward to seeing your entries. -Otis