#forefront

[strctr17]

Forefront

Edited by @strctr17

[oh-dear-so-queer]

The fact is that two-spiritedness, homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender are at the forefront of some of the most significant scientific re-visionings of our time – in which the gap between indigenous and Western perspectives is finally being bridged – yet their contribution is rarely, if ever, acknowledged by Western scientists. When prominent chaos theoreticians, biodiversity experts, and post-Darwinian evolutionists invoke the teachings of tribal peoples, they are usually unaware of the pivotal role played by homosexuality and transgender in these indigenous belief systems, or in the lives of the writers, storytellers, and visionaries who give poetic voice to their scientific concepts.

"Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" - Bruce Bagemihl

[scoresfromhisknees]

via geoffpavey on tiktok

[desjcobb]

[turnerjmusic]

This is just one of the many reasons im soo #proud to be from #baltimore. @kimsalley leading the charge while standing at the #forefront and giving #talented #artists such as @young_keye a #platform to be able to #show as many people as possible. I believe that you can #praise #god in all #forms, #thankhim in all ways. @young_keye is a #shining #example of that. #godisgood #thegospel #gospelmusic #praiseandworship (at Gods Little Angels Academy)

[mvga17]

(Zhang, 2017)

At the forefront: Baolong Zhang

Someone who truly triumphs at the forefront of 3d game character creation and presentation is Baolong Zhang. He is a 3D artist working freelance since 2002 for companies like Ubisoft, Climax and Supermassive Games under the name Digital Lotus.

(Zhang, 2018)

I consider him at the forefront because he is able to present his game-ready characters as if in a film. At present time you can still see a big difference in the quality of games compared to films. While films are entirely realistic looking, games still tend to look more low-quality. Over the years games do try to become more realistic, and Zhang is at the front of this. Rather than using traditional methods like for example using Marmoset for game ready characters or Arnold for Maya for film characters he showcases lowpoly characters in Unreal as if they were in a movie. In an interview he states that using offline rendering (like using Arnold) is a great way to work perfectly and precisely, but that it takes a huge amount of time to render (Showreel Review, 2015). Real-time rendering however is incredibly fast, but can lack on renders with for example hair.

Pushing the boundaries of real-time rendering he is able to make fantastic renders. He achieves this by having incredibly high poly models, with high resolution maps. Which he paints by hand to achieve the best details. Using the matinee sequencer and post-processing he can add film-like effects, for example depth of field and bloom. Adding very subtle animations the characters seem to have come to life. For portfolio purposes they have enough little motion to be clearly viewable.

(Zhang, 2017)

The way Baolong Zhang presents his characters was eye-opening for me. I used to present my characters in Marmoset, where lighting is superior and the set-up is easy. However adding the blurred background and the small animations to copy a film setting, giving the character a life was truly inspiring. For this project I will use both rendering in Unreal and Marmoset. Both have their weaknesses and both have their strengths. I believe they can work together well in different parts of character presentation.

References:

Zhang, B. (2017). Drag. [image] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0WEWG [Accessed 22 Jun. 2018].

Zhang, B. (2018). Goblin From Harry Potter UE 4 project. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/WjOLXd2UDw8 [Accessed 22 Jun. 2018].

Showreel Review (2015). BAOLONG ZHANG. [online] Available at: https://showreelreview.com/baolongzhang/ [Accessed 22 Jun. 2018].

Zhang, B. (2017). A Tribute to Jyn Erso, Rogue One. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/F9HGeKGA4bg [Accessed 22 Jun. 2018].

[redmike89]

-I Stand In The #Forefront Knowing That These Two #Always Got My Back-!!!#LaFamilia#BiggerFigures#HeavyHittas#CityVibes✌🏽💪🏽✊🏽💪🏽✌🏽 CC: @ian_alexis_fit @adrian_davis30 (at Atlanta, Georgia)

[ansy1984]

Abortion pill rulings bring the issue back to the forefront in a midterm election year

NEW YORK — Back-to-back court rulings on abortion pill access are thrusting a contentious political issue back into the spotlight ahead of this year’s midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the second half of President Donald Trump’s term. Friday’s ruling from a federal appeals court restricted mail access to mifepristone prescriptions, one of the most common abortion…

Abortion pill rulings bring the issue back to the forefront in a midterm election year