Welcome to The Mind-Trap: 35 Most Photorealistic 3D Renderings

[Updated: 2016] Technology has turned the world upside down. It facilitates daily lives and substitutes our perception of the reality. The things that years ago seemed to be impossible suddenly became a constant. In 1936 BBC began transmitting the world's first public regular hi-definition service, in 1950 television was recognized as the main medium for molding public opinion, afterwards it has become a must-have domestic appliance and did not leave this position for a quite long time.

Back then people were thinking that technologists achieved a lot and there is nowhere to move forward. Then the internet came to shake the whole world. Most companies cannot work these days if the office loses internet connection. Technology is still improving. Where the hell it can go further? Today 3D printers are commercially available in the market. Do you need a detail for the household? Would you like to get a unique wedding ring? Do you have a genius idea of cheap prosthesis production? Just create or download a 3D model and print it out!

Until you get used to it, it is always immensely hard to believe. Even when you start believing, you are not sure: is it real or fake? It is actually both. Computer graphic artists are up to completely blow our minds. Instead of going to the city streets and capturing cityscapes, landscapes or portraits with professional cameras, they decide to generate the same image, using 3D design software. And hurrah! Guess, they say, is it real or fake? We keep guessing, while surfing all around the virtual world. Damn,sometimes you sit for 5 minutes and: 1) Ask yourself if is it a photo-shot or a trick by a CG artist; 2) Try to convince yourself that technology can do that; 3) Come back to the idea that it must be a photo-shot, because computer is not that clever to restore the reality in digital; 4) You give up.

So, half a year has passed by and we have a second part of The Most Photorealistic 3D Renderings. Do not torture yourself thinking. I tell you, all of them are purely fake. There is no a single photograph or a photographical background at least. Every single detail in these renderings is generated by madly talented 3D artists. Enjoy and let the flow of inspiration grab you.

Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8

Artist: Marcin Gruszczyk

Yes, it is all made using computer graphics only. Even CGTrader's CEO, a 3D designer himself, was sitting for a while trying to convince himself that it just cannot be CG art. Marcin Gruszczyk is a master in the digitalization of reality. He estimates the level of erosion, the softness of the clouds, the tenderness of the lighting. The artist is crazy about the possibilities of computer graphics. We can easily see it. But..really? A background is not a photo?

Happy Birthday Nana

Artist: Dan Roarty

Dan Roarty is the 3D designer, who once in a while strikes madly. He makes a rendering, publishes it and gets all the possible awards. This one is a happy birthday present for his Nana, who passed away. Dan brings her back to life, creating enormously realistic artwork, using not a single photograph for textures. Everything is hand made.

Watch the making of the project by Dan Roarty.

Under The Southern Highway

Artist: Marek Denko

A gallery of photorealistic renderings is not that photorealistic enough if the guru of extremely tasteful artwork, Marek Denko, is not included. He says that this image has nothing to do with lonely women or old architecture. The concept of Under The Southern Highway was to capture the composition of slightly contrasting elements that do exist together and accidentally create personally important places.

Garden

Artist: Marek Denko

This is a rendering from the animation made by Marek Denko's studio NoEmotion. It looks like a photo-shot by a photographer-beginner, who has no clue about composition, perspective and other refinement of this art. Despite the external simplicity, as a rendering it is stunning, because each part of grass, every bush and all the millimeters of fence do matter here and are modeled with precise devotion. Watch the full animation on Vimeo.

Here's Johnny!

Artist: Hossein Diba

Jack Nickolson is an inspiration himself. If it is not enough, watch the masterpiece of Stanley Kubrick - The Shinning. So, sir Nickolson pushed a young, but skilled 3D artist Hossein Diba to start modeling portraits. He took an exact scene from the movie and modeled it from A to Z. The artist says that the aim of this work was to capture the insanity in Jack's face. And, yeah. He did it.

Southern Ground Hornbill

Artist: Leandre Hounnake

No lies, it took for quite a while, until we all agreed that this bird is a complete masterpiece of computer graphics and not a shot of a crazy wild-life photographer. Look at the feathers and you definitely can feel the warm wind of Africa that ruffles them. Look at these deep as sky blue eyes that change colour while you watch, a strong beak, reminding each meal it caught. Look at this perfect combination of black and red somewhere in savannah. Yeah, I am speechless. That's it.

Lavoir

Artist: Tim Jones

This idea came to Tim Jones' head out of the blue, while he was sitting at work. He was missing to have some time for his personal artwork. When he got it, he brought to life this atmospherical lavoir. Water in this rendering stands for realism for the most. Perfect reflections of the arcs and old walls, make this place vibrant even if it was abandoned for the long time.

Wine Room

Artist: Sofian Moumene

Smells like a lazy Sunday. Actually, Sofian Moumene was working on this rendering during the spare days. So, Sundays. He was precisely accurate with shadings, soft lighting, reflections and vitality of the objects. The result is marvelous. Yeah, drawing a still-life was a thing I completely hated at the Arts school, but when you render it, I bet, you can start loving it.

Zavod Imeni Likhachova

Artist: Anton Turkin

Here you can see the symbol of the Soviet Era. Back to the past days, streets were full of these cars. For today they mostly got some abandoned places behind the city walls next to the ruined factories. It is sad, but it is reality: a typical landscape of the countryside in the post-Soviet area. By the way, I think that the window of the car is too clean, while a car has already faced the long years of solitude.

Watch a making of and get to know more about the abandoned Russian lorry.

It's Going To Rain

Denis Lebedev

One more relict from the Soviet Union times. It is just unforgettable. It's going to rain was created in order to share the authentic landscape of the Post-Soviet realities. The artist actually was highly successful doing it and it is clearly visible in the resulting rendering. The author comprised this artwork from 21 560 931 polygons and modeled all the objects himself. He says, it is going to rain. And a picture really conveys a feeling of the coming rain.

Industrial Loft 2

Artist: Denis Vema

Everyone has that dream house or dream room she plans to build or buy after saving enough money. Lots of us know that there is no such amount as enough and the dream room is postponed to the next lifetime. Then people try to bring their rooms nearer the fantasy. Or they render it and every time they feel so, they can watch their dream visualized. This room is stunning. The way it is modeled is stunning also. Denis Vema has a really good taste in furniture, choosing textures, creating the atmosphere and using proper lighting. I like it a lot, is it because it belongs to my dream section?

Flowers In Full Bloom

Artist: ChengBin Du

The author of this rendering is a woman. It is betrayed with the each pixel of this picture. She has chosen such a feminine subject to portray, an accordingly soft lighting to make delicate blossoms transparent, small and refreshing dew to bring the pureness to the rendering. If someone says that 3D design is a job for a man, I would argue with this.

Raspberry Day

Artist: Andrey Kobushenko

There is no better time for such kind of renderings than a hot summer day, when you walk barefoot at grandma's in the countryside, picking fresh and juicy strawberries from one side and sweet raspberries from another. Paradise. This new image is fully made using only computer graphics software and imagination. Bon appetite!

Welcome Baby Ava

Artist: Andrew Hakim Lee

Artwork Welcome Baby Ava is special not only because it is superb photorealistic, but it also conveys a captured moment of the real life. The author of this rendering got inspired when he suddenly became a father and was looking into his two beloved women: his wife and beautiful newborn daughter. It is touching even if you do not know the story, so since the Ancient times any story, based on the connection between a mother and a child has been a topic of mystery, inspiration and strength.

Stan "The Man"

Artist: Andrew Hakim Lee

We never forget our heroes. So Andrew Hakim Lee decided to model a portrait of his beloved American comic book writer, TV host and the former chairman of Marvel comics, Stan Lee. He says that this person is Shakespeare of these days: Stan Lee gives people the drama. A portrait by Andrew Hakim Lee presents his childhood hero in the most gentle and realistic way. The making of Stan Lee

Sad Street

Artist: Cetin Tuker

There are a lot of empty, lonely and sad streets throughout the world. In this rendering you can find full Mediterranean look in just one single alley. Cetin Tuker managed to model together such distinct, but at the same time quite similar cultures as Turkish, Spanish, and Italian. He said he gave his heart to this rendering and spent 130 hours working on it to reach such a high level of realism. You found some inspiration in Cetin Tuker's artwork? Watch the making of also!

Hell's Kitchen Loft

Artist: Jarrys German

I guess there is someone else but not me, who for at least a few seconds caught themselves thinking about their own brushes and paints. This rendering is not pretentious, shocking or fancy at all as some interiors happen to be. I found it warm, inspiring and highly photorealistic. And there is something more about it, I cannot describe.

Old Typewriter

Artist: Marcelo Souza

The new generation can see a typewriter only in a museum or in the attic at grandma's. At least they can also find it in the pictures. This close up of an old customized typewriter looks pretty simple, but sometimes what seems to be the easiest turns into the hardest. A project Old Typewriter was a study of mood, lighting, shading and geometry. Marcelo Souza, you are good student.

Candy Intruder

Artist: Marcelo Souza

Pac-man is a symbol of the 1980s popular culture. Obviously, utter gamers tribute their sleepless nights modeling stuff under the Pac-man theme. Here we have sweet candies. Marcelo Souza plays with textures again, polishing the texture of wooden table to perfection, adding 20'000 particles for candy dust effect and gets catching and realistic result. Simple logics.

Pan Troglodytes

Artist: Jian Xu

Looking at this intelligent buddy you just can not elude the movie Planet of The Apes that was released in 1968. But actually here we have Mr., or should I say - Pan Troglodytes - made by madly skilled designer Jian Xu. The character is so humanlike: thoughtful, abstruse and interesting. The pose of the animal is spectacular and serious. The most stunning thing about this rendering is the details. Every wrinkle of this animal is delicately modeled. Applause! Read an interview with the artist Jian Xu.

Tiger

Artist: Jian Xu

Gorgeous Siberian tiger is staring at you now. It is a short moment. Perhaps he is going to hunt dinner for his family. But, wait. Look at those deep eyes, hair, skin and whisker - marvelous job done by 3D artist Jian Xu. It is simply amazing. Unfortunately, this is not a friendly circus kitty that you could cuddle or ready for an ordinary show. Here we have one of the rarest cats in our galaxy. Admire it until it is gone again.

Alien Vs. Predator

Artist: Benjamin Parry

Okay, maybe it is not that difficult to confuse this rendering with a real photograph. Creatures here are realistic even if they are not real. But who said that this match cannot turn into the real one someday? It's the scene of high-living monsters, kicking back in their off-duty hours. It's been 16 years we have not seen our beloved Alien and it still looks good, his outer shell perfectly reflects the light and he is extremely plastic. I wonder how this match would end. And what would happen after it. Want to model your own scene with the famous Alien? Watch the making of!

Rosary Blood

Artist: Thomas DesJardins

Pictures under the religious topic usually make people shiver or to feel uncomfortable. There is something about them. Is it this rough wooden texture? Or is it the perfect shape of a cross? This rendering was made in honor of the designer's father, who is a sincere Catholic. The blood comes to be the symbol of the death of Jesus, who did it on purpose to save the humanity, it reveals the self-sacrifice. Most of the people think, Thomas DesJardins says, that the blood is of a priest. So, no. It's not. Religion is not dying.

Lewis Hamilton Formula 1

Artist: Raymond Yang

Formula 1 is more than real and there can be no questions about it. It fascinates. It inspires. It awakens emotions. This one is dedicated for a hero of F1 - Lewis Hamilton. The whole set of renderings looks like a piece of good photographical art. Close-ups are especially stunning. The designer managed to impart into this image all the most important and specific things about Formula 1: speed, reaction, excitement, sound, smell of burning tires and colours. Enjoy the race.

Old Man Portrait

Artist: Sohrab Esfehani

Portraying is a majestic pursuit. It is not enough to use good shading, proper lighting, be gifted in using textures or have some passion. The artist has to give a life to the image. The artist must make an image breathe, to convey emotion, to reveal a character, to call for conversation. Sohrab Esfehani seems to be a young 3D artist, who can do it. He gives you a spectacularly realistic portrait that really breathes and leaves you some place to create a life story for the sad man in the picture.

Gold Fish

Artist: Masoud Saadatmand

Goldfish is a magical creature. If some of you do not know, it can make three of your wishes come true. Actually, I have never seen a goldfish in my life. And I cannot tell you if this one is the realistic one. But I imagine it almost looks like this, but a bit more fancy. Nevertheless, I have 3 wishes already prepared: 1. Fish, please, give more talented 3D artists, 2. Make them to fall in love with photorealism, 3. Do not ever let the art to spend itself.