ziotom <zio### [at] hotmailcom> wrote in message
news:web.3f35422887be45158a63411c0@news.povray.org...
>
>     The most important point is the characters' placement in the scene.  I
> said in the text file that the book implicitly suggests the ghost is not
> real but a projection of the lady's crazy mind.  Because of this, it would
> have been nonsense to place a "real" spirit fluctuating in the middle of
> the image.  The use of a simple indistinct shadow cast on the wall could
> suggest the lady is simply saying: "Keep silent darling or you'll wake the
> boy".  An image like this should not suggest immediately a sense of
> mistery.  It should be something which grows up slowly while you learn
more
> about the story behind it, exactly like the book.
>
>     Since in the novel there is no evidence that the boy does see the
ghost,
> I rejected my first idea to cast the shadow on the floor right in front of
> the staircase: in that case its presence could have been felt by the boy
> sleeping (since if he woke he would be able to see it).  With the current
> geometry, the wall with the shadow is completely hidden from the boy's
> sight.
>
>     The use of colors has a specific meaning too.  I already discussed
about
> the hints placed in the image that refers to the lady's madness. But I
> wanted not to exclude the possibility the boy is really in danger, in
order
> to recreate the original atmosphere of the story.  To achieve this, I used
> warm color for the most part of the image, and a cold blue light both to
> cast the ghost's shadow on the wall and to lit the boy's room.  This
should
> suggest the possibility that the ghost is already corrupting the boy.  The
> heavy bed curtains and the huge wireframe at the bed's head, both coloured
> with a deep blue, enforce the idea of something oppressing the boy.
>

I've never read the book, so I cannot comment on how well it conveys the
story, but your image & your textfile are enough to make me want to read it.
Sounds like a good read.

Even without reading your explanation, it was quite mysterious.  The
separation of the ghostly shadow and the sleeping boy, and the lady's
position in the scene as an element obviously central to both creates a nice
tension that is both artistically pleasing and conceptually satisfying.

Her pose, moving towards the shadow while looking back towards the boy
emphasizes the mystery and provides movement & direction to the scene.
Excellent composition.

Technically excellent.  I would probably make the lights a little brighter,
as the image overall seems a bit dark on my monitor and because the lit area
around each lamp seems very constrained to about 2-3ft, which doesn't seem
natural IMO.  Fantastic modeling & texturing.  I'd love to know how you made
her dress, costumes in Poser are a real headache for me.

Great job.

RG

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