Sci-fi gallery

"Future bandits" was my first attempt at making something serious in 3DS Max. The plan was to make a cyberpunk art image depicting a Sci-Fi future scenario. I started working on it in 3DS Max 1.2 and ended in Max 2. My main source of inspiration was a large construction site just outside the game studio I worked at. Every day on my way to and from work I would look for some new interesting aspects of it. The site was changing constantly and was full of useful visual reference. I even took pictures of some machines and all kinds of construction hardware and junk - cool stuff. I worked on this image over a period of about 3 months, mostly during weekends.

"Future bandits" was awarded first place at a international 3D rendering competition, The Gathering'98, held in Norway. The extra cool thing is that I still receive emails from people telling me how this image inspired them to become a CG artist - which is always nice to hear :) See how this image was created.

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Older image comments: Robert Singletary from United States wrote: September 8, 2006 " Future bandits " by Dawid Michalczyk is a masterpiece in my book !! After looking through all the works here on your website this work hit the top of my list. CONGRATULATIONS !! Alan from New Zealand wrote: June 21, 2005 This picture is all good. You are a talented artist anonymous wrote: December 3, 2002 Whoa! How do you make such awesome pics? I love them!! Why don't you look for a job in the movie business Nicole A. Cardiff wrote: November 25, 2000 No wonder this took three months... Modeling that sucker must have taken more patience than I will ever own... 101001100101110 wrote: November 16, 2000 I really love the attention to detail given here.. I had been looking all over this image for 10 minutes and was still finind new details. shows a hell of a lot of patience (more than I have Rabenschwinge wrote: September 24, 2000 Wow, i think now i must blow my Pencils away and crash my Comp. oh... its really good but dont ya have any Charakters? Jim Sharpe wrote: September 4, 2000 If you turn down the brightness on your moniter it looks like an evening shot which is even more dramatic. Keep up the good work. Rutger Prins wrote: August 6, 2000 It's a shame that pics larger then 100kb are not allowed! i want a high res pic of this scene! Nachtduivel wrote: June 6, 2000 Hey, you don't mind if I take this, do you? This pic just...blows my mind away Richard William Beem II wrote: March 28, 2000 random picture is a GOOD thing! :D Reminds me of "Blade Runner", and "Brazil", and a little bit of "Fallout" I agree, I think you definetly have what it takes to work for someone like Interplay or another game company! KUTGW Dana wrote: March 6, 2000 just one question, how do you do this?!?! it's soooo amazing!! like someone commented on another pic, you should work for a game of something! your work is too awesome to just be here! i love it! keep up the great work!! Incubus wrote: January 10, 2000 Sweet God... 'scuse me, i think my heart may have just stopped........... Red_Wolf1313 wrote: January 3, 2000 Well, I was looking at the picture here, and while I can't really turn up my brightness (mainly cause I don't know how to on this puter) my fellow canine said it best, you know what you're doing and I'm suprised someone like Skywalker Lights and Magic or Lucas Arts hasn't snapped you up already. :)PS: If I've fouled up the names of any studios here, please forgive me my memory is that of a sieve. :) Wolf wrote: December 11, 1999 It shows in your work that you obvously know what you are doing. great work bug wrote: August 30, 1999 There is so much detail here. It gives a sense that it is a real place. Your drawing kicks ass. Timothy R. Haldane wrote: August 9, 1999 I am thoroughly stunned by the sheer number of elements in some of your pictures. You must have spent some pretty hefty time modelling! anonymous wrote: July 12, 1999 Wha...wh...ehhh Ok! I quit! It's no use with people like you here. You make to nice arts. Im dead. You killed me. Emil Gustafsson wrote: June 29, 1999 AWESTRUCK! If this is made in Bryce, i REALLY would like to see your work after a few years with Softimage|3D / Maya / Alias Wavefront... DAMN man.. change to Softimage... PLEASE! I love your stuff dewd. John Teall wrote: May 28, 1999 those who for whatever reason are unable and or unwilling to restrain themselves my always be with us but i don't think nefarious intent is the only reason someone might want to be there - some of us just enjoy exploring odd interesting places - wonderfull use of weathering - wish i had dirty reys and max to plug it into - not to mention enough hardware horsepower to do it justice... anonymous wrote: May 24, 1999 Impressive indeed, man! You are the King of sci-fi art! Demon Wolf wrote: May 24, 1999 WONDERFUL!can you teach me? Shivan wrote: May 16, 1999 I was searching the web for inspiration on a cyberpunk campaign, and... well... this picture sure is the best I´ve seen so far(and it gave me far more inspiration my poor little head can handle). Great work ;) Ben Heys wrote: April 14, 1999 holy $hit, thats all i can say..... Spartacus wrote: April 6, 1999 All I can say is: Holy cow! I am VERY impressed! Kort Kramer wrote: March 30, 1999 This is a great one! Some of your others a bit more "packaged Bryce" (I have the same problem) but this breaks the model & the detail is great! Drew Johnson wrote: March 18, 1999 I'm impressed by your use of atmospheric density. It enhances the realness of your image greatly! Your machines don't look like 'cut & paste', and the raking light coming through from the right side makes the shadowed areas look deeper! Excellent work! Vanicus wrote: March 15, 1999 Wonderful use of light.Having it come in through at that angle was a great idea. Tony Sharfman wrote: March 2, 1999 Finally, Now we're talking! Very impressive serious work, sure beats your numerous landscapes. Emil Nilsson wrote: February 16, 1999 GOD! I wish I had something better than StrataVision 3D!!!! It's so great.. I am truely inspired! 0 wrote: February 11, 1999 ::dies:: You... must... teach.... deztutu wrote: February 5, 1999 The most impressive pic in your gallery. Great perspective, wicked detail, and textured 'wear and tear' totally make it happen!!! anonymous wrote: January 14, 1999 is that a QUAKE mark in the background? Lars Johansson wrote: January 6, 1999 I am very impressed of your work. I have to say that this image is just to good. How many polygons ?, and textures,maps are used to it ? Well... its one of the best images i ever cn. =) Tom wrote: January 2, 1999 Dude, This looks alot like something outta OddWorld or something. I still love it. Briony wrote: December 1, 1998 I am once again astounded by your attention to detail. It was well worth the time and effort to achieve such a high standard image. Quimm wrote: November 24, 1998 Wow!!! way nice. I was wondering though could you do something with a gothic/futuristic setting? SwanLady wrote: November 2, 1998 Too great for words. I can but gasp with admiration. Fehnrir wrote: November 2, 1998 Fantastice attention to detail......wow...... TL Bailey wrote: September 1, 1998 just got one question... how many freakin poly's is this scene?!?! it has to be huge... very nice work..i am impressed.. Gydral wrote: August 17, 1998 This looks awesome! But something doesnt sit right with me about the pipes in the bottom right. Cant put my finger on what it is tho.. Pmbster wrote: August 12, 1998 And the Bladerunner slipped lower into the barrio, his quarry barely leading him..... peter wrote: August 6, 1998 At last a rendering that doesn't look like fake plastic decoys.. beautyful.. but then.. all of your work is.. i'm glad you added more for us to see Chris wrote: August 5, 1998 Now, let me start by saying I couldn't do THIS quality of a scene YET. But, my criticism is for only one thing: the ship. It seems to hover there IN the scene, not through it. Could you add a bit of motionblur to it, or maybe turn it so the ship's tail so we see more exhaust. Very very nice image, though. I'm only trying to help you improve it.... ND4SPDR wrote: August 4, 1998 Now THAT's rendering. Very nice and impressive indeed! Drew wrote: August 4, 1998 Enormously fantastically good.