Very creative and well executed, good luck!

Fun stuff, author. Maybe the light in the back is a bit bright (and it looks like it's not the main light), maybe you can add more smaller spot-/flash lights instead? Good luck!

Nicely done.

That is awesome!

very clean render love the DOF definitely my fav gl author

Nice work author, very clean.

Very nice, mate!
A vignette would be good also.

Be patient, author. Seems you've got a lot of hard times to finish before the deadline. Though it's an interesting concept~ LOVE the DoF and just a little nitpick, would been better if you add a little noise, since BPR or Sub Surface Scattering won't do any good to this one imho.

High votes and best of luck!

Even tho i realy like the image, and you done a good job.
I have to say this.

The goal is to have the letters of a word form the object of that word.
You have used people to for the word people.
Wich means, you used an object ( people )( sorry for that comparisson ) to form the word.

Sorry to notify.

Congrats, wonderful work

Congrats for 2nd too

Realistic and very pleasing! Love the textures!

awsm render!! good luck author

I don't know 3d, but this is sure as realistic as I have ever seen.

I agree, fantastic work, but that font, color and size don't work. There is room to type your info in the sbs box, where it would be legible. I like that you even got some texture on the pencil.

Great, but the sbs is impossible to read!

Amazing!! Fantastic render! congrats!!

Nice Job Congrats on First Place Win!

I must admit that although this is a new technique to me, I totally understand how it works. I also question wether this is valid or not in this competition.

I would like to hear from a MOD on this matter, for not only this contest, but contests that are still to come.

In my opinion when the contest description is asking to MIMIC a photo by means of "Background, lighting, shading, texture and obviously model etc" the entry should contain all of these but be recreated, thus it becomes a mimic, a recreation - not a duplication.

Does this scene have any light setup for example?... no.

Congrats, well done

I'll admit you did a terrific job. Unfortunately, I don't buy it. At the end of the day, I'm still looking at your source image, not your geometry, texture, etc,.. You've cleverly found a loophole in the wording of this contest, as it doesn't state that you may not use the source, and for that you deserve 1st. Bravo. Bravo.

Very nicely done, excellent job.

Wow - photo realistic image. It's very close to what real life pencil is. Well done

Great job I did 'lol' at the cheat remark... Understanding the baking process on its own is a process the author has had to learn - so to call a cheat or imply that this is simple to do is a little insulting. On another note - I would very much like to see a tutorial on this process as I haven't had the time to explore it. GL author, a clear win from me.

Good thinking out or the box..

Very cool .....
The fur is a very nice touch ...... but ididn't like the black background
Any way high marks from me .....
GL Author ..

YIPPEE!!!!

Excellent work, great texturing.

Wow, who needs a camera.

I guess your right I wasnt even aware of a technique like this but to me it just seems pointless what you've done.. because it's just identical, but only because you used the actual photo as a texture, i think the whole theme in here is to yes, copy the image but using your own textures. Anyway well see if the mods have a problem with it either way good luck and sorry if i sounded like bitchy or something :P

I just looked at your sbs and it seems you did do the modeling but you sort of overlayed the original photograph onto your model.. and I'm not sure if thats allowed is it? I mean it sort of cheating isn't it?

I'm sorry to say this and I really am sorry if I'm wrong but, this to me after some revising of the both photographs looks fake.. meaning you took the original photo and just made a simple sbs..

This is almost perfect! Amazing Render. I just have the feeling it's a bit stretched out vertically.

Nice Congrats

Lovely author! Clean work!

awesome !!

Fantastic work author...well done and best of luck

awesome model good job author

love your work..gl

The detail is amazing! Good Job!

Nice Job Congrats

Congrats, wonderful work

congrats very well deserved win

Fantastic work, author - looks pretty darned real to me. Hair and wrinkle details look good.

Nicely done author, beautiful work!

very nice author good luck

Congrats, 1 & 2 very well done

Lovely work author! Best of luck! Greatly done!

WOW! I don't need my 3D glasses in this for sure! Amazing work of art author!!!

Must admit I am not much of a fan of Pollock until this == great work