Who is 'Markal'?
Markal is Mark Edwards who lives in Mississippi – originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. I retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2003 after 23 years and decided to stay here in the warm gulf coast south along with my wife, two daughters and three grandchildren.
How long have you been rendering/doing computer graphics?
My last five years in the Air Force I designed and developed computer-based training. We used PhotoShop, Flash and even wrote code in HTML, so I guess I started in the late 90’s. My terragen work began in 2003.
Do you have traditional art experience?
No real art experience just the standard art classes in high school and college.
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What are you currently working on?
I’m working on a collaboration with a Bryce artist…he is making a ship for one of my space landscape images. Learning Terragen 2 and possibly Vue may be in the works soon.
What software/equipment do you use and why?
Software used is Terragen .9.43, PaintShopPro 7 and LunarCell. I use an outdated Dell Pentium 4, 1.4GHZ, running Windows XP. I was going to upgrade but, this very large screen HDTV deal fell into my lap so I had to upgrade my other love…. watching Blue-Ray movies…first. Hopefully I’ll upgrade to a quad 4 before the end of the year.
What do you think your best piece of work is and why?
One of my latest favorites is Rigel III. The foreground is a stone BMP overlay I applied in Terragen…. the shading and shadows were in-line with the sun angle and it worked very well. The only post work was the LunarCell moons and I think they also add a realistic touch. It still amazes me how computer graphics can make an imaginary place look so real and believable.
Why do you like to work with 3D software?
It’s a fun hobby for me and when I focus on the work it carries me away from the hustle and worries of this world.Â
Who/what inspires you?
All the wonderful artists here at ReRo are great inspirations. National Geographic Magazine, NASA and all the space missions has also influenced and inspired me. Of course our creator….Almighty God….the greatest artist of all.
How has this online community (Renderosity) enhanced your work, relationships, and learning?
Not only comments but also other artists sharing their files have helped me grow artistically by leaps and bounds.
Parting Comments / Advice to other Artists?
I try to focus on what I love. I have a passion for Space Art so 99% of my work is Space art. Some may think I need to branch out and explore other areas but I say branch out to what….something I don’t love? Go with what you love and your rewards will be many.
Comments (29)
DarkStormCrow
Excellent!
chasfh
Wow! This is fantastic... Appropriate title too, it screams 50's/ 60's sci-fi. Excellent job!
mikeerson
I wish I could help you with your computer, I'm strugling with my new computer - BUT... Your picture looks like the best of the year in your gallery so far, love the sand.
mgtcs
Excellent work, and amazing tittle! Congratulations! 5+
grafikeer
Great image...a fave!
artgum
Love it!
Lightpen
Totally Awesome!!!!
Pewter7
Wow! This is absolutely gorgeous! I really love this - an instant favorite :o)
choronr
You're no doubt the best on TG 0.09; now, you've got to begin on TG 2. You can do it. It is a long journey; but, you'll do it!
dridge
Hi Markal... You ROCK !! I love to get the alerts when you upload a new image.. you are the artist of my desktop backgrounds! Thanks for another great and inspiring view... as I said before... YOU ROCK!!
geirla
Great terrain and atmosphere! Love the saucer. (On the computer, ah... downgrade to Windows XP and reinstall everything?)
Alex_NIKO
Cool terrains combination.. Excellent work!! About drivers, looks here: http://www.station-drivers.com/page/drivers.htm
Minaya
So a great work! Simply beautiful!!! Fantastic, love it!
Porthos
Awesome job!
ppetersen
Can't help with the Vista Mark, when my son built my new comp I insisted he install XP instead. I know it works well with TG and so that's that. But this is superb and the overlays again blow me away. You have always done such a superb job with them, it amazes me. POV love that lower up to the sky feel as it gives such height to your mounts. The ship is icing to me, adds to the feel.
X-PaX
Excellent work Mark. The overlays are fantastic. Maybe you should go back to XP.
Danny_G
Excellent work
WeeLaddie
Another excellent render, Mark. Love the rippled sand and rock overlays. I've got both versions of Terragen running ok on a 64bit Vista quad core computer, so there shouldn't be a problem. I remember when I installed Terragen 0.9xx on the aforesaid machine I forget to transfer the Terragen key file (Registration Entries, 38.3kbt). Bunged it into the Terragen directory and everything was hunkey dorey. But your not as silly as me, so that probably isn't the problem.
scifibabe
Hey there - I have a quad core with Vista and have been able to run Terregen on it. I installed Terregen from the site after I got the new computer. Maybe you need to reinstall it? Wow - Hope you can get this figured out. As for your picture, love it! This is outstanding. Love the flying saucer. Just way cool work.
KatesFriend
Oh, just skip Vista. We're preparing Windows 7 for deployment. I wouldn't call it a marked improvement over XP but less of a hassle than Vista. By the way, That's not the Jupiter 2! Though the planet looks consistent with some of the places the Robinsons would always mistake for Earth. Lousy pilots, no wonder they were always lost. Can't tell the difference between one planet and another.
shayhurs
Very cool!
SIGMAWORLD
WOW! Awesome world!
Chaosphoto
Love it :)
BenBischop
Super Render....!!!
prutzworks
great sci-fi art again (as usual), suc6 with your PC/software duddles
Savage_dragon
If you look, its cheap to buy Vista. (you have to check, there are several grades.) You can get it for a couple hundred. XP pro, however, will cost ya' several hundreds more. Its why I went the extra bucks to have XP Pro on the new pc & the backup disc. I am forever fixing people's pcs that have Vista. Its the most unstable system since the Mil version. I think its possibly worse. A friend had that problem & fixed it by updating his ethernet card. Couldn't hurt to try. Beautiful work, Mark. I hope you get it straightened out soon, ")
kasalin
wow.... that hits me off !!!!!!!!!
me109
Cool surface! And Postwork (despite the lunarcell moon ;) )! And POV.... :) I am also on a quad core with Vista 64 bit. Have no problems with TG 0.9. I only forgot to copy the keyfile... as happened to WeeLaddie. Sorry, that i couldn´t help!
Naoo