I think this is a really significant improvement. Nothing I can point out specifically, but it really jumps out a lot more. Maybe just brighter overall, with some good detailing, texturing and lighting. Of course I can't look at it while I'm typing this, which would be nice. Keep it up!

thankyou :) ... will do.

Looking good. Not too sure about that lens flare though.

the painting on the bottom right part looks a little out. perspective-wise. did you matte paint the top half or the picture?

btw, how is the course going?

No? What the quality of it, or its point in being there at all? I think it worked slightly better before I stuck the post in front of it.

The bottom right part? do you mean the floor/wall, or the carriage-like object with windows?

The whole thing is just an untextured Maya render, painted over in photoshop. But I made an alpha of squares to pattern the buildings in zbrush. Then when I rendered in maya I used Physical sun and sky, but rotated the sun so that it was more of a late evening/nighttime look, but the way the light caught the edges of the normal map, created all the windows. A bit of a lucky accident, although they do get very grainy on the centre and rightside buildings. The only photo bits Ive used so far I think is the kiosk windows and the blue bit on top of what I have been thinking of as a ticket machine next to the kiosks. Its all that time spent going through Liverpool St station coming out of me I think!

And yeah, the course seems to be ok so far, thanks for asking. It only started Monday, but the tutor has been pretty prompt in responding to questions, and has really got accross the emphasis that the course should be fun aswell as rewarding, which I thinks good. Ive been at work the last couple of days so today is my first day to really get stuck in. Its concepts week this week, basically have to come up with some/an idea/s to make into a full matte painting. Theres no criteria at all. So challenging right from the off. I dont really have any idea so far. Gonna search around for inspiration, and just open photoshop and start drawing i think.

The latter. I mean, I can't see what could be causing it so it seems a bit arbitrary. Good luck with the course.

You are probably right Genny. Im not really a camera person, so I dont really understand what actually causes lens flare. I guess its when a certain light hits the camera lens at a certain angle. Does it only happen with sunlight?

Like the light in the boat in the dragon picture, and the light on the post and middle background building, im just finding as i've been using photoshop, painting effects like that which I've always thought cool when Ive seen them in other pictures, is, well.... cool. Like painting light fog and smoke too. i just find it really cool! Its easy to get carried away!

And, thanks. The instructor has liked my concept image, so its all good so far.

I'm not really a shutter bug myself. But I do remember reading that they are caused by light from bright enough sources getting into the camera and bouncing around off stuff inside before getting to the sensor. So no, its not just with sunlight.

Shutter bug! ha ha!

yeah, I assume its similar to the pink floyd, dark side of the moon, prism thing, where the light breaks up into its component parts. Angles is the key factor I guess