Kenneth wrote:

> 
> Thanks for going into detail. I do see what you're talking about now. The
> blue skylight *is* out of place, realistically speaking.  As mentioned,
> it's more of an artistic effect.  But it seems to be a jarring effect to
> some. That's probably because I made the clouds shadowless, so that the
> light wouldn't be blocked; but now it looks like it's coming from a
> cloudless sky.  Honestly, I was hoping I could get away with it!  ;-) Oh
> well; I may try putting some cloud shadows back in (and toning the blue
> light down a bit, as you suggested.)  But I'll also try a render without
> that blue, to see the effect.
> 
> One thing that's also happening is that the explosion's overall surrounding
> media sphere is brightening up part of the smaller Machine, really making
> the blue toplight there stand out even more than it was meant to.  Haven't
> found a solution to that yet.  But I still have a few ideas to try...

I think the image looks great as it is.  It well reproduces the kitchy 
feel of those early scifi illustrations.  Or, most cover illustrations 
for that matter, which play fast and loose with depictional language to 
achieve an attention-getting image.  Yours is all about the explosion 
which is the compositional focus as you planed and it looks explosive. 
The  attacking machines are large and fearsome and are given to us in 
the tactile trops of the day.  The current vogue for distressed textures 
is still well into the future arriving with Star Wars and its ilk.  And, 
of course, it is not as if movies themselves are realistically lit.  Or 
do people think that buildings all have gigantic kleig lights shining in 
through their windows at night, or that WWII was fought entirely in Band 
of Brothers cool sepia tones.

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