Here's the larger image I promised, with a couple of tweaks to the function.

As far as I know, mud like this is usually the result of fine, dusty
material which either washes over a sandy or rocky layer, or is
deposited on it by wind and then hydrated. The sun dries the mud
unevenly, making the top shrink and causing the cracking and
characteristic upward-curling effect.

The point is that if I wanted to get really realistic, I'd have the mud
appear on top of a layer of sand and use radiosity as part of the
lighting solution; shadows from the mud curls and poor sky exposure
would (should) ensure that the cracks were dark enough to provide a
natural contrast.

I tried that, but it's slow, damn slow. "Waiting for 2006" slow.

So, instead, I just used a little ambient for color and added a dark
brown plane for contrast. Unfortunately, the plane ended up clipping
some of the mudcurls, which is why they have those dark spots in the
center that look like little round holes. It also looks weird in the few
spots where there's no mud, but all in all, I'm pleased with the
outcome. It almost looks like a photo, if you happen to catch a passing
glimpse of it in the corner of your eye.

Oh, and to whoever asked before, it turns out that some of the curls
*do* exhibit overhang.

The sphere is a foot in diameter. It was provided for scale, and to add
a little variety.

Right, I'll shut up now. :)

-Xplo

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