fanart - need advice please

[Culann]

I am doing (or attempting to do) a piece of Myst fanart from Myst: The Book of Atrus. The main feature of the Age (world) is a huge jet of water pouring upwards from a hole in the middle of the world. This jet is fed by a lake on the underside of the world. There is also some funky wildlife and odd rocks.
The rocks, ground, and wildlife will be added later. Oh yeah, and there will be hole for the water to come out of.

How can I make the water look more real/upward flowing?
The first is the large version I am currently working on. The second is an earlier, lower-res attempt where I was flopping around trying to figure out what to do. The pool will not be in the final version. If there is something I did better in the second that you want to see in the first, please tell me.

Myst,etc. is (c) Cyan, Inc. I don't own it, I just draw it.

[supertackyman]

perhaps some breakaway droplets from around the base as well as the column of water would help. sort of like how water falls only upside down. usually a large drop with several smaller ones behind.

just my thought.

[tamlin]

The only thing I can suggest is to check out some photographs of fountains/geysers (or anything else that shoots water upwards) and use them for reference.

[wolly]

You could check this tut out from Bert Monroy at revision3, if anyone hasnt seen this guys work it is amazing, check him out.

Flowing Water and Splash Effect — PixelPerfect — Revision3

[Culann]

super: Good idea. I'll definitely do that.
tamlin: I actually looked at a couple refs of faucets, since the water is flowing due to gravity, not against it (I know, the world is messed up, but that's why it's cool.)
wolly: Okay, that's cool. Lucky dude has CS3. I'll have to get the demo for that back if I can, just to do that.

[bluewolf19z]

very strange image. nice imagination

[Culann]

Thanks, I wish I had come up with it. At the stage I posted it, it looked pretty similar to the sketch in the book (only mine had color.) Now it looks a bit more elaborate, since I am very slowly adding the landscape.

[Culann]

And now, three months after starting it, I finally pull this back out. I just want some critiques on the new method of doing the rocks, please. I think it's a big speed improvement over the previous method. Still, the shading on the edges is a little confusing for me. Anyway, please tell me what you think. I don't want to redo an entire (large) piece because I did something that I could have stopped at the start.

And thanks to everyone who offered advice with the water; it looks way more convincing now.

So I know this is both a bump and a double post, but it didn't seem worth starting a new thread over.

[Culann]

Okay, since no-one has anything to say, I'll assume it's good and go on with it.

[tamlin]

Well, if you're specifically looking at improving the rock texture, have a look at this tutorial:
BioRUST.com :: Tutorials >> Rock Textures
At the moment, they look a bit too flat and unconvincing.