After nearly 10 years of hard work, our family's laptop finally got replaced. My shiny new MacBook Pro arrived yesterday, and (of course!) one of my very first items of business was to track down the zip file of all your desktops in the right resolution for my shiny new machine. So this morning, while sipping coffee, I get to sift through and delete those that don't appeal to me quite as much, still leaving hundreds that I love.

I've been a member for at least a decade, and have downloaded your entire catalog from time to time to set up new machines, but I never remember filtering past this one before. In general, I don't care for desktops that feature explosions or destruction, and usually just delete them without thinking twice.

Today, though. Wow. Just wow. I'm stuck on this one today. I saw the desktop, and thought it must be brand new. Then I saw the title, and was pretty sure. Imagine my surprise when I saw it was actually from 2008!

Anyway, it's stunning and thought-provoking. I won't make it my desktop, but it sure is a very possible real outcome, in my mind.

I've seen your first "Pride", and I understood then. That you came back years later to remake it with your polished skills and better tech, and in this day, speaks two very good things: That you knew you could take a great piece and make it so much better, and that maybe you felt people needed a reminder. With so much going on these days, it seems more and more people need a reminder of what's important.



"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." -- Proverbs 16:18

Amazing image. Really like the trees on the sides on the triplescreen versions.

The 5040 x 1050 version seems to have two watermarks on top of eachother, could you fix this perhaps?

THIS PICTURE IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE! THE COLORS REALLY MAKE THE PICTURE STAND OUT! CONSIDERING I WORK WITH NUCLEAR BOMBS, IT'S NICE TO SEE WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DESTRUCTION THEY CAN CAUSE!

I really love the style of this. I've been trying to pick a word, I don't know if it's the perspective, the dimension, the depth, the clarity, or what. Somehow it seems like I could just reach right into it, even more so than most of your images. Love the color and lighting effect too, but that "pull me in" effect is what really makes it special. Love it.

This speaks to me. The sheer violence, malcontent, man-kind in a single rendered frame.

This one is my current wallpaper and it is just amazing. The detail and realism blow me away.



I know there are tons and tons of images in the archive that are to opposite of this. I just havent found one that sings to me yet. I was wondering if any other users can recommend one for me that would be the opposite of this one.



Something that shows love and beauty kind of thing. I just need to balance this out ya know?

Hands down my favorite image on the entire site

Your artwork rocks! I always enjoy your artwork and i really like this image. The only thing i wonder when i look at this image is what it would look like if there were some streaks of lighting interweaved in the top cloud of the explosion, its more of a personal thing, but I still love this image either way. I can’t wait to see what you create next!

I love your work Ryan,



A buddie of mine keeps up up to date on a few things. The only this he had to say was looks like the parking lot that may be made in the middle east.



I like the use of the tree's to frame the image it works well for me, and the contast of the beatiful trees and the mushroom... I love it.



Keep up the great work ART is expression and this one has just a little in it ;)

Well man this one has done it. I show this work on every desktop I am on at work and lots of people love it. Gave them the link for membership :)

Amazing Wallpaper. Spooky

fantastic, definetly my favorite in a long time. i love it when i set it as my background and just instantly like what i see haha.

There is something beautiful and almost mystical about a nuclear explosion. Yes, it is destructive, and Yes, I wouldn't want to see one up close - but the raw power of something so small becoming something so big in such a unimaginably short amount of time is truly incredible.



The desert is a perfect setting, you could call this "Trinity" given the setting. It would be interesting in the future to maybe see this cloud on an Artic surface.



I would also love to see, as others have mentioned, more natural disaster scenes - especially in setting that are unusual ( a hurricane in NYC, and tornado in a major downtown city).



It might sound here like I'm a doomsday nut, but I've just always been in awe of the raw power of Mother Earth. I think it's a good reminder to be on our toes, as she can roar at any minute.



Keep up the great work!

I love this one. It was an unexpected suprise.

I posted earlier I didn't think this one would end up on my desktop but it's there now because the dual screen version just blew me away (pun intended) And the earlier poster was correct. The triple screen version is stunning. I as others thought it would be nice if you replaced the shroom cloud with something else but now think you should leave it as is and move on. One of your old pieces was the inspiration for this and PRIDE 1999 was, shall we say, all about the cloud. So I think it would not be right to take away from the art what inspired you to do it in the first place.

Creation of art is about conveying a mood, feeling or thought. I like your artistic style. I can comprehend this message. Or rather, I get a message from this work. Questions about technical accuracy and "prettiness" are not a concern to me. I encourage you to play around with artistic statements from time to time. There is no reason you can't experiment.



Keep up the good work. I envy your ability to do what you love and earn a living through your art.

I've been watching your work on the free gallery for years now, and always come back to see what's new. I finally decided to join up and couldn't be happier.



This picture, "Pride" is absolutely stunning. I especially love the tri-screen version- it makes me want to buy two more screen lol.



Keep up the good work- your landscape artwork is always my favorite!

I don't know about a scene without th explosion, even if you put a large bonfire or something in the scene it wouldn't look quite the same. Whether people love it or hate it, or in some cases both, go ahead and move on to your next image.



You've already finished this one, and after all, it's your art. You shouldn't feel the need to alter it simply because afew people think it's a bit too "political" or "depressing" or anything like that.



Move on to the next piece, but don't rush, take your time and do what you like, afterall we all signed up knowing that you don't simply "do requests" you might accomodate us now and then but it's your art afterall. And that's the way it should be.



Keep doing what your doing,

MG

Can,t wait for the next space scene,s!

First off, love the image. Horrifying, but beautiful. The orange lighting is beautiful, and I love the stars peeking through.Like others, I wouldn't put it on my laptop at work.



If those are Joshua Trees (and I hate that name, they AREN'T TREES, they're frigging yuccas; but then again, palm trees aren't trees, they're a grass)that is probably not a wolf in the corner, it is probably a coyote. And the scene seems awfully hilly for an area with Joshua Trees. At least the J-trees that I know (Joshua Tree national park). There should be rocks. And some insane rock climbers, who wouldn't care about the explosion. Me right in there with them.

I actually like the image as is, but a thought for those who dislike the mushroom cloud. Ryan, could you render this as a sunset in the desert, thus retaining your orange lighting? Perhaps that would be a fair compromise.



Nonetheless, this is great work, keep it up. :-)

I work for a private nuclear engineering firm and this image perfectly sums up what everyone that I work with feels when it comes to atomic bombs. It is just a point of blind pride and foolishness to create some so devastating and horrific. As Robert Oppenheimer once said, "We knew the world would not be the same". Fantastic work, keep it up

Although, this is one of your better pictures, I find it a bit disturbing.



I was born in 1951, right in the heat of the "Cold War" and I have nightmares of clouds looking just like this picture.



Otherwise, A great Job in the lighting and choice of colors. :) Keep up the great Work.

FYI - there probably isn't a healthy adult male or female reader who couldn't pick up and carry a W-54 warhead in a backpack. It's eleven inches in diameter, sixteen inches long and weighs fifty pounds. It's been obsolete for thirty five years. Quarter kiloton yield. Pure fission.



A W-70 will fit in almost any car trunk, weighs 270 pounds, 100 kiloton yield, enhanced radiation version available. Also decades obsolete. Fission/fusion weapon.



I hate these damn things. Google search "nuclear weapon weight".

If you wanted to replace the explosion with something a bit more tranquil, you could always put a guy down at the center with his dog or horse or something sitting near a small and distant campfire with smoke billowing up from it. Maybe silhouetted by a rising moon. The scene would be a lot more blue and, if you added a moon, some lighter, white reflections, but the campfire at center would still focus the eye to the little, private scene taking place. Also, it would be interesting to consider leaving the cat watching the scene from afar. Relationships, conflict, compelling images!



Or, the sky could show the milky way as can be seen much better in the desert than in most areas in this country, and that would add some color to this desert scene.



I concur with KidQwik and Bill in that a nuclear explosion on your desktop is not the kind of image you'd want as your wallpaper at work.

I like this, it's thought provoking.



I agree with a couple of the other commenters who suggested a natural disaster. I'd love to see a hurricane in a scene. I imagine it would be very blue/green and I know you'd capture the feeling of movement brilliantly. Although a tornado approaching a cityscape would be awesome too.

Hmmm. Any chance you can make a version of Pride without the nuke going off in the middle? I love picture with the nuke, but I work in NYC and my coworkers will start to wonder about me. Love the oranges and blues in the pic though!

Ryan, can you explain the metaphor? How does this depict pride. I'm clueless. I can't decipher your genius!

While I will admit this is not my favorite, I'm using it as my desktop right now because of your amazing use of color; it always gets me. That and the way you center the scenery in the background around the explosion in the distance-it's great. Keep up the awesome work and I'm looking forward to seeing another planetscape :D

I was sitting here checking in as I often do to see how things on your latest render are going and I opened this one up, and even my girlfriend exclaimed what I was thinking - "That is awesome!"



Awesome work, as usual Ryan. :)

I love this picture. I am using it on my desktop and I rated it very high. I am not an artist so I can't make good or critical comments - all I can say is I LIKE IT!



Keep up the wonderful work -



Thanks



macmage

rtb

I'm no connoisseur of art, but I really like art that makes me pause and think.



In this case, I think the title fits the image precisely and, as always, your work is magnificent.



I, too, have this one on my desktop.

Space and abstracts are my favorite genre on Digital Blasphemy. :) I can't wait to see some wicked weird and wild new additions to both of these categories. W00T!

I loved the new image and I DO have it on my desktop. I think it is awesome and very well done.

The dual-screen looks even better; the sky looked just a touch funny before, with the one clear patch, but the wider view cleans everything up nicely...



Now if only I had a place to use it. (I've been known to use dual-screen wallpapers spanning my laptop and desktop, but this one just doesn't suit that use well.)

The pride2k813x_split.zip file has two left files which appear to be the same and no right file.

I would love to see you set up a Google theme.



Wasn't a real big fan of this last picture, and still am hoping you will do a dual/triple for the Moonlit Citadel. I am eager for you to start doing more planetscapes though :)

I can't fault the art, and it's a powerful message but it's depressing. I enjoy your work when it is inspirational. This makes me nervous and frightened.



That said, it's good that you challenge and provoke. Art should do that. Reading through the comments there are many that like this, and just because you haven't pleased me with this one doesn't mean others aren't impressed. There have been many times where it's vice versa, I'm sure.



I like this piece because it challenges me and it reminds me that we live in a world governed by maniacs. It tells me of the revolting power held by countries like the U.S. and it shows me their hypocrisy when they talk about nuclear deterrents. I can't help but think that some of the "Wow, love it" comments sound like jingoism.



I like the house-cat in the foreground. It's as if the message is saying how we overlook the comforts of home and the truly important things in life. This image says that it is all too easy to turn those we don't understand into monsters. It says how we strive to improve weapons of mass destruction (instead of the pretend ones in Iraq) instead of using our intelligent, our determination and ability to perform good instead.



Thank you for provoking such feelings in me. If only it could provoke such feelings in the evil monsters who think that such weapons are worth possessing.

The wolf watching it is probably my favorite touch. A beautiful, engrossing, thought provoking piece of work, Ryan.

Very nicely done, but I think I'll opt to keep this one off my desktop.

Actually, as a previous commenter suggested, I think a natural phenomena would be most awesome (and likely challenging). I would love to see a tornado or storm of some kind.



Just a thought. Keep up the great work.

I really hate to critique people who are cleverer than I, but the mushroom cloud seems a little too small. It does not seem far enough into the distance for its size.

I have been following you for some time now. I am very pleased how you have improved your work by studying textures, imperfections, natural behavior, etc. You have grown as a 3D graphics artist. The early works were a little cheezy, but you have matured to a fine professional. Thank you for my pleasure in observing your work.



Kenneth R. Smith

GIS Systems Developer Senior Specialist

County of Adams, Colorado

IT/ACS Dept.

Brighton, Colorado

ksmith@co.adams.co.us

303-227-9549 H

720-255-8433 M

It is amazing when something with a dark, apocalyptical focal point is so absolutely beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Wow!! Awesome visual dichotomy. Love it.

Love it! How about a natural disaster now? Maybe like a hurricane, volcano, or tornado! :)

Google lets you select themes which (among other things) have an artist's backdrop under the banner.



I'd love to see some of your work in that format, either as something where the user gets to select one of your pictures or a theme which changed pictures every few days.





If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the page off igoogle where you pick a theme.

http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&dpos=themes

Love it.

I don't see very many reds in alot of your work, thus find it very hard to satisfy my theme for my laptop. For some reason reds and dark seem to be the best for it. This picture has been perfect for it. Thanks for the beauty.

I believe it is an awesome work. Every work you put out since I became a member reminds me of why I purchased a membership. Simply stunning work.

This is a very lovely and dark image. It's good to have a variety of images. Peaceful and tranquil is nice but sometimes you want something more expressive.



It's basically just thought it was an explosion f some time, the scale is a bit too small to be atomic but still. I thought of a refinery blowing, technology gone awry or just a fantasy-scape where if you piss off the wrong magician this happens.



Great work. I think on days I'm about to kill someone at work, this will be my background.

I like this, and (call me callous) I think it's beautiful, and don't feel compelled to wax philosophical about who's proud, who has a right to be, and who's getting nuked, _every_ time I look at it... (It's art; it's actually _not real_.)



Technically, though, I'm with some of the other commenters; it seems the fireball should be somewhat brighter. I know dynamic range is limited, so it's hard to pull, but when you're looking at this, you should have a hard time seeing the stars.



My 0.02 USD, anyway; and I've never seen one, much as I'd like to. (Not saying we should have more nuke tests, assuming this is a nuke, but I wouldn't turn down a time-machine trip to go watch one that happened anyway.)



Glad to hear some space/abstracts are coming, though. :D Keep up the good work!

Very beautyfull image, brilliant colors.



However...

It is a matter of reflection.

The atomic bomb is in itself a marvel of technology.

It is what us as human being use it for that is questionable. If it is to destroy lives, then there is no pride in it. If it would be used to prevent lives to be wasted, to protect mankind. THEN and ONLY THEN shall we be proud of it.



It is a tribute to mankind which has the power to create very beautyfull things as well as very devastating ones.



Keep up the good work, and continue to make us dream.

This wallpaper is both terrifying and spectacular. Those getting bent out of shape over this screen are the same people who get bent out of shape over ANYTHING that falls outside their narrow viewpoint. One SHOULD be able to appreciate the beauty of this scene even if they shudder at the thought of its reality.

Absolutely stunning work with the colors and rendering!!



The images only get better year after year!

Good to see a mixture of opinions.



For me - except when the image is scaled really small, like at the top of this page where I am entering the comment - the fireball is just too dull. I would expect its light to blot out most if not all the stars and for the contrast between shadows and highlights much starker.



Of course the total number of nuclear fireballs I have witnessed is zero...



Back to starbirth2k8 for me. =)

At first I was surprised at how violent this piece is compared to most of your work... but succumbed to the beauty of it.



The explosion in the desert, with the animal in the foreground watching... epic.

It's a desktop background, not a campaign poster or a political picture. Explosions look cool, and fire and such also looks cool.

On a thematic level it's fantastic , I just don't like some of the technical bits.



This is not distasteful at all, compare it with F=MA and Enclosure, both as 'horrific' or even more so if they were real, but there not, and they all look cool and desktopy. (btw More space and abstract pictures please :). )



I mean I get moaned at for commenting of the look of the image, yet more people are worried over the social and moral implications! This isn't the Tate Modern, although some of the images should probably be in it. (Saying that it's full of c**p like tents, running taps and broken floors so probably better with proper art galleries.)

I know some may be confused with the title and the nature of the picture. If you understand our government and foreign governments and the selfishness and greedy nature of some humans in power you will understand it all. Now aside from that...



This wallpaper is awesome! The detail in the desert scape is amazing and the mushroom cloud detail is also spot on, including the fire and smoke detail.



I wouldn't mind seeing a wallpaper minus the nuclear blast, maybe something of an Arizona desert scape like the forefront of the picture.

It is second to none compared to your original version, not sure which program you made the original version in 1991, Bryce? I like the glow intensity of the hot fire in the center..the lighting/shading looks so accurate in the scene......it is something I probably would not be able to master in Vue. I just looked at your 1991 gallery and wow, what an improvement done from the last ten years.

As usual, this wallpaper is gorgeous like all of the others on this site, but in this specific case, I would say only purely on a technical level. This is probably my least favorite wallpaper yet, thematically at least.



The image is what appears to be a nuclear explosion. Who wants to see that or think about the horrors of those nuclear disasters in WWII, the images that nuclear disaster conjures up in one's mind? If I'm going to have something on my desktop, I'd much rather it make me happy or incite my imagination in a positive way.



This is not to say we should forget the unfortunate circumstances of WWII, but to proudly display the theme on a wallpaper seems strange to me. To title such an image "Pride" seems even more unsettling - to seemingly equate nuclear power with pride in today's world...I don't know...



If the purpose of this wallpaper is to stir discussion about nuclear weapons and the non-proliferation of these weapons, and whether or not we should be proud of what has yet to prove as little more than something to fear or to be weary of at best, then kudos on a conversation starter, but otherwise, I'm just not sure.



Obviously, I'm in the minority on this one, and maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it seems to be a very odd choice for a wallpaper image and ultimately, just not something I want to display or stare at for hours. I think I'll stick with the Moonlit Citadel for now.

Wow, been a member since 99 and this is your best hands down. Can not wait to see what people at work think of this one.

...absolutely amazing.

Is there supposed to be an image in the pillar? Not sure if it looks right.

Ryan: another awesome piece of digital art. This one makes quite a statement about mankind. I hope this scares everyone one else as it does me. Ryan you are the Man!

Ryan, I must admit that while I find this image slightly frightening, it will stay on my desktop for quite some time. Concerning the title, truer words have seldom been spoken.

Stunning! This adds a new dimension to your work! Pls more of it!



10* (one of my very few)

Well Ryan you have done it, you are going to have one helluva time trying to get this one off of my background. I absolutely love it!

but it is scary :(

the fact is this is the real pride of some humans... :'( they love it...

This is great... you should do all the deadly sins and make a series out of it!

I have only been a member for a short time but if this is the kind of art that you give us members, I am hooked for life.

Beautiful yet deadly. My only hope is that the critter can get far enough away so he/she won't get crispy. Wow. It is so damb realistic it's scary. Is it The Bomb, or is it a meteor? The reflection on the rocks and the entire lower third reminds me of the movie "Dinosaur". Great job, Ryan! Who cares about all the nitpicking? Just know that your vision is loved and appreciated by many! I just got a 25.5" Samsung T260 monitor, and your work really shines, and peoples' jaws just drop when they look at your work. We thank you for that. MM232

With a Joshua Tree outside my door and the effect of the explosive device predictable, this could not have been a more appropriate illustration to capture life in the Mojave Desert.



For better or worse, "Pride" encapsulates both the Beauty and the Beast of the progress of Man and the world that surrounds him.

There's something about a mushroom cloud that hints at awesome and terrible power that holds the eye and makes it linger. I never liked the desert, but it's a night scene, and the combination of the stars above, and the firelight below make for a dramatic piece.



This was an ambitious project, and you pulled it off nicely. This one is going straight to my desktop. :)

Funny Ryan, I'd think this scene would be before your time, young whipper-snapper. Really, there were lots of reactions to the nuclear testing in the middle of the last century that could be summarized by this image.



I think the computer genius in "War Games" had it right; live close enough to the epicenter and you won't have to worry about survival.



But someone already noted that it can be any kind of explosion; mushroom clouds are not uniquely nuclear. In fact, some of my husband's high-power rifle varmint loads would produce something like that, at say 200-300 feet. What prairie dog? ;c)



I also don't have any love for those types of trees, but that's probably 'cause I've never lived in a desert.



For me this is a travel agency brochure picture; I'm not even willing to say, "nice place to visit," with or without the explosion.

Love the lighting! also I love the divergence from the typical peaceful enviroment, don't get me wrong those are great but this one builds upon that to create something extra.

devastation meets serenity?

excellent...

I don't normally comment on your stuff but this one has impact. I love it. I'm a neaderthal in the "art" world so I'll spare you any color or mood discrapencies that wouldn't mean anything to me anyway. I think this is awesome work and after a quick gut-check around the office - so does everyone else. Can't wait for the dual-wide render.

Love the mix between desert / wildlife/ and destruction. I really think you capture the moment well when catastrophe is striking. props to ya

Oddly enough I used to work with nuclear weapons in the Navy. I looked at this image with the name "Pride", and and felt that deep tug inside where that little conflict lives.

The size of the weapon and the location suggest one of the first above ground tests. Before we knew what it was we were really making. Even now, countries in this world exibit pride when they aquire the technology for such a destructive line of weapons.

Like little children who are amazed at the size of the explosion, our species keeps building them.

The true consequences are hard to put into a picture, and far nastier than you would want to see anayway.

For me, this image has a very distinct emotional impact. Thank you, Ryan. Good work.

I live in the Southwest and someone mentioned that you could tell this scene was in New Mexico because of the Joshua Trees. Hate to burst your bubble, but Joshua Trees only live in California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Just being "nitpicky". I know, if you don't live here you think it's all the same, but it isn't.

The Southwest is an extremely varied climate and one can go from the Sonoran desert to high mountains with extremely large Ponderosa pine in a two hour drive and fish in streams and lakes or ski, or snowboard or what have you (if it's winter).

(www.desertusa.com) or wikipedia, for information on the Joshua tree.

...but just not something I would want to have on my desktop.



Glad to hear some space scenes are coming up.

It's a very interesting image given the social climate in the Middle East. I've always been fascinated by mushroom cloudsand this one is no exception!



Excellent work Ryan!

I like it. I'm not interested in thinking of the "social impact" of the art piece. What I am interested in is seeing what Ryan produces every few weeks and as always, it impresses.

I agree that people should give constructive feedback, but it does seem like everybody is complaining about different things and a lot are saying that they don't like it.

It seems that the more advanced an image is, the more everybody picks up on the tiny things, and see past all the hardwork and beauty.



I've had my say, and im not going to rattle on about it.

This wallpaper makes me feel more energetic just looking at it. Bright fiery color, the crisp leaves of the yuccas, and a glimpse of stars above, altogether this is one spicy wallpaper! As for the theme of bombing/war, I don't take it too literally, just as one doesn't take the phrase "blow them away" too literally. If it were a big bonfire, that would be fine too, but then perhaps it would lack the intensity of this image. Anyway, I really like it!

Saw the thumbnail and thought I was going to love this one - baited breath for the dualscreen...



Then I downloaded the hi-res version and wasn't gobsmacked. Unlike the majority of the other posters, I'm not bothered about the content. I don't care if the world blows itself apart, just as long as they don't do it while I'm on it.



There's something about the dustcloud that looks superimposed. I just don't like it. This has got to be a sit-back and enjoy, not a close-up study image. I like the colours and the composition though. Maybe try to tone down the dust on the dual-screen?

Looks pretty good, the only real issue for me would be "punching" out the mushroom cloud so you can distinguish it more from the surrounding clouds, as right now sometimes it can take a bit to separate the two without really looking at it for a bit. Maybe give it more of a radioactive glare?

Like a lot of others have said techincally its impressive but as a subject matter i'm not so sure especially as how dangerous things are in the world at the moment.



I like how the clouds are glowing but I'd have rather seen this in some kind of beautiful sunrise than a nuclear blast.

I like the desert scene but I'll have to agree with some of the previous posters. A mushroom cloud is not something I would want to display on my desktop. I thought I had gone through your complete collection but somehow I missed the original. I'll have to check it out.

The quality is really good. The mushroom cloud looks very real. What I don't get is why is it called "Pride?" This looks like it should be called "Shroom Cloud" or something....

I don't remember seeing the original, but the gist of this analysis probably applies to that image as well.



I agree with a lot of the comments so far, both positive and negative. It is a beautiful and horrific image with a lot of interesting details. It also has some technical flaws which inhibit the immersion the scene could convey. I will not rehash these points.



What struck me first was that Ryan had the ambition to tackle a sensitive topic without taking a clear stand on it. Is it Man vs Nature? Is it about the dangers of Man's pride in his destructive inventions? Is it a reference to how proud some may be of our apparent mastery of the laws of the universe so far? Is there an implied or expressed villain? It's easy for the viewer to jump to conclusions, but there's nothing about the image itself which unambiguously indicates a judgment.



And of course, this being a United States presidential election year, the subjects of US military history and news are fresh on our minds. An image like this challenges viewers to consider the candidates in light of the United States' politician's past promises and what they actually delivered to the US and other countries. Even so, the image still takes no explicit stand in the debate.



With all that said, I'd like to point out that there is nothing in the image which indicates that the mushroom cloud must necessarily have been generated by a nuclear blast. Large conventional explosives will also generate a fireball and mushroom cloud. It's unlikely that Ryan intended us to consider that possibility, but it does mitigate some of the technical concerns without undermining the scene itself. Our ability to create large explosions, nuclear or otherwise, is still something to consider from all angles.

I noticed a few things that can be improved.
1. The mushroom cloud can be more detailed and more circular so to differenciate it from the others clouds.
2. I think the night lighting doesn't favor this image as it hinders the details. IMO a day lighting wil do better.

I like the concept of this image. It's what I call a deadly beauty, something beautiful to look at but deadly to be standing there, like tornadoes and other phenomenon.

In the Bible the Old Testament speaks of a pillar of fire guiding the pilgrims through the desert. This puts a visual on that image for me.

Well, this is certainly not my favorite image. I'm not very fond of this theme, and not too fond of this type of lighting; I actually think the lighting on the old version is nicer, but that's just my opinion. I don't think it's as good as the other recent images, which I must say have been absolutely awesome.

Beautiful and Frightening.



Fantastic work.

I like the fact it isn't a picture of a nuke right down to the smallest detail. It looks like an old Command & Conquer Version of one.



It is art because it is not just a picture. If I want to see pictures of nukes I could go to my WWII archive and take some screen shots of them.



To me that's what makes this a good image, it's not perfect but the color scheme is great and the perspective is well done...



Keep doing what you do Ryan, don't let the nit-pickers get to you...



MG

Someone set us up the bomb!

what was that saying? LOL

In looking at this image and your comments, I'd like to suggest if it isn't too much trouble to somehow add a link for these remakes to the original images for those of us who haven't memorized all hundreds of your pieces. :) As others have said, great job, don't know that I want to have a nuclear blast on my screen all day, but great work. I don't know about the column connecting at the ground, seems the clouds at the base obscure it sufficiently to not be concerned with it.

Very well executed, though I hope you don't do too many of this type of subject in future.



To be honest, I wouldn't want to view a bomb photo on my desktop all day (a bit creepy and despressing).

I liked the idea behind the original version of 'Pride', but the image itself seemed a little plain to me. This one definitely takes care of that.

Although this is an impressive image I am not sure I like the thought of looking at a nuclear explosion all day.

I actually got choked up when I realized what I was looking at, it's gorgeous and horrible at the same time. Nice work!

Well for me it"s the detail that makes the image, and if I don't like something I feel I should speak up, whilst I respect that if it's just a few people who don't like it, if there's a lot of people (and most people who don't like it wont post) who think it could be better then I'm sure Ryan would want to know. Saying what I think could be improved is far more useful than just saying "Well done, love it."

However if I'm wrong then I'll stop giving my opinion, otherwise I'll just carry on trying to help.

Hunter, We are all allowed our opinion, and Ryan appreciates the contrustive feedback, I love his work, but this one definatly needs improvement, we aren't tearing him down or anything just suggesting improvements for the work itself... and now that the other person mentioned it I do agree the animal would be frightened most likely and running away, but thats not too bad its just the flames themselves and the missing mushroom connection that I dislike

My favorite DB wallpaper in at least the past year. I love the lighting on the trees. 10/10.

Just awesome! this is why i became a member :)

Overall, I really like this image. Definitely in the New Mexico Desert with the Joshua trees. I also like the true-to-life detail you added- the atmospheric clouds DO make a ring around the mushroom cap. Excellent framing of the image with the foreground trees.



As a few people stated, the flame in the stem doesn't look quite right- should be covered by more clouds. In the preview it looks perfect.



You're not alone, by the way- I attempted to create a realistic nuclear explosion a few months ago in Vue. The clouds didn't come out nearly as good as yours. It also took a LONG time to render with the volumetric effects.



Thank you for yet another excellent wallpaper.

Always complaining about the smallest details.



An animal at the bottom of the screen (which is hidden by the taskbar).

Jagged flames (it's fire for crying out loud).

Vegetation (its in the desert!)





Instead of hovering over the image with a magnifying glass, I recommend to you all to just sit back and admire the beauty.



Keep up the good work Ryan, and don't be put off by the nit-pickers.



P.S: Discovered that you can crop the widescreen version down for a dual-screen wallpaper!

...but there are a couple of technical problems that soften the impact. The stem of the mushroom doesn't appear to be connected to the ground correctly; the flames and smoke below seem too choppy or jagged. I can't quite put my finger on it.



On the other hand, I do like the glow in the mushroom cap, and the stars in the background are a nice emotional contrast.



I can only assume that the meows will inherit the earth :-)

Definetely an interesting piece. Not my favorite overall, but i admire the concept of it. The only thing that i find distracting about it is the blue within the mushroom cloud. At first, i interpreted it to be blue sky behind the clouds....but then the flames/blue magically jumps to crystal clear sky with stars overhead. I dont know if its just me, but it seems illogical/defy's physics and nature. Other than the abrupt color change, I'd say its pretty good overall.

Pleaaaaase tell me there will be a dual screen version!

I'm sorry to say I'm not fond of this one either, ever since 'Island time' I've not liked them as much, I just hate the vegetation style, and in this one it's the flames as well.



I say more abstracts, spacey, interiors and water-type images. And use more vegetation like the grass in river valley.



But that's just me, (well and G), so if we're the only fusspots I suppose carry on.



Keep it simple, the best ones always are, Haiku, Fluorescence, Dispersion.

All I have to say is: Wowowowow...



This is sooooo awesome. XD;



I love it. :)



Great job!

Definitely worth the wait. ;)

Great re-work! The scale of it seems pretty small, as if a small nuclear device, but very realistic in line with old movies of explosions from documentaries. In fact this has a very "Terminator Judgment Day" feel to it and I expect to see Terminator's covering the landscape shortly after this. ;)



Based on this I have a suggestion for another Nuclear related future project (if you feel like getting back into it). Look up the "Starfish Prime" test, the suborbital nuclear burst test on July 9th, 1962. The aurora and fireball produced was surreal and electromagnetically fried a large area and knocked out approximately 1/3rd of all satellites in orbit at the time.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfish_Prime



- Gabe

The main problem here is that the flames are completely out of scale. That one in the middle looks like one you'd expect to see in a building fire. Even if this is a fireball caused by conventional explosive, it's wrong. There's no destruction near the bottom of the cloud and it looks strangely detached from the ground. And what's with the animal just standing there and watching the impending destruction?



Complete miss in my opinion.

Top-notch job! My year subscription was worth it just for this wallpaper!



Do you know if you'll be doing a dual-screen wallpaper? I'd love to have this at work!

I unfortunately don't think I like this it almost looks like the fire is out of place and the middle part almost goes up to straight, their should be a bit of a mushroom effect to it in my opinion. Not one of my favorites... Although some really nice ones have been put out recently

Awesome!



Already did a 2960x1050 crop for my dual odd sized monitors.

Whoa! That has an emotional impact! Well Done!

My jaw dropped, too! Very pretty. I love the colors, light and shadows. As I looked at the picture, my eyes came across something that I did not immediately see. (I love little discoveries!)



Intense, thought provoking and beautiful. I like it.

10. I loaded the site this morning and my jaw literally dropped. Well worth the wait.

What were your motivating factors for producing this piece? Would be interested to know.



Steve