I've gotten into low poly when modeling recently. It's a very unique way to create 3D renders, combining minimalist and abstract style with 3D design. For this render I originally set out to create a test for low poly landscapes, but ended up enjoying it so much I decided to turn it into an actual render. The final product is this Instructable, and I hope I'm able to provide some tips and tricks I used during the creation that will help you as a 3D artist

Step 1: Mountains

To start, I looked up a way to procedurally generate a mountain terrain for the scene. I foundthis tutorial which used a unique slicing technique to layer different parts of the mountains together to form a topographical-style terrain. I found it really interesting, and ended up using it in the final render to create the light and dark layering for the mountains.

Whenever I'm following a tutorial to learn a technique or skill, I rarely follow it exactly. Although if I do, I'll modify the final result or add on to it using the skills I learned from that tutorial. This is because I tend to turn my brain off and start copying everything the tutorial says to do without learning and memorizing how to do it by myself, in different situations.

In this tutorial, for example, I knew I wanted to create something using the topographic slice technique. I didn't, however, want it to have a bunch of flat ridges. instead of using the exact method from the tutorial, I modified it so the mountains would be more smooth, while still allowing layering for colors.

To create the terrain itself, I added two planes (light and dark brown) and gave them three modifiers:

Array (this allows the layers to stack)
Solidify (this gives those stacked layers height)
Boolean (this modifier uses another cube with a displaced bottom face to cut a mountain texture into it

And that's it!

Step 2: Background and Water

In my original renders, I wanted to create a more abstract background. I did this by changing the background shader itself to show emission (light) in wavy lines and circles to create a night sky.

For the water, I decided on a low-poly ocean. I made the ocean itself by using Blender's built-in Ocean Modifier, and created a subdivided plane above it. After I made the plane, I shrink-wrapped it onto the Ocean Modifier, so that each vertex would connect to a piece of the ocean modifier. Although probably not the best way to make the ocean low-poly, it worked well enough in this case.

In my first pass, I opted for a sunset for my lighting. It's good to know that while creating a project, you may not use everything you work on. This is ok. Allowing yourself to cut and refine your art will lead to a better end result. I ended up changing my mind on the lighting, background, and water, and I'm glad I did.

Step 3: Trees

After this, I added some trees. I modeled a quick, low poly tree and then scaled and modified it a few times for some variation. To add it to only the top of the mountains, I first duplicated them, and then deleted the entire bottom off one. This way, the trees will scatter onto this plane, instead of the full object (otherwise they'd scatter beneath the water as well).

I then used a simple Geometry Nodes setup to take a bunch of random trees (from a collection) and scatter them on top of the plane I made.

Step 4: Zooming In

After coming back to this project after a bit of a break, I decided to commit to a starry, night sky. To do this, I first changed the background to more realistic starts. I did this by changing the texture to a simple noise pattern, and then used a color ramp to take most of the light out except a few scattered dots.

To change the time of day, I substituted the yellow hue for a lighter blue one. then I changed the direction of it so that it would highlight the back of the scene, creating a backlight.

For the boat, I used a few different techniques for each object:

Lantern: I used a wireframe modifier for the outside, and an emission material for the inside. I also added a point light source right below the lantern to help with light dispersion.
For the hook, I added a bezier curve, which helped to shape and mold the hook into the right position.
For the boat itself, I used a technique called box modeling to quickly mold the boat into shape, then added a solidify modifier to give it depth.

Step 5: Setting the Frame

After adding some underwater lights beneath the boat with geometry nodes, it was time to revise the camera position. By moving both the boat and camera around, I was able to use some compositing tricks to line up these shots. There are numerous frames here, each with its own advantages and downsides. In the end, I went with a shot that checked off a few key things:

Boat close enough to the camera to see detail
a background with mountains and trees
A good use of the rule of thirds to attract the eye to the boat and the background.

Step 6: Conclusion

After tweaking a couple of things, adding bloom to the compositing, and changing the color of the light, it was ready for the final render. Although it a bit to make this render, in the end it was an incredibly rewarding experience, and well worth it. Creating renders like this that push you out of your comfort zone is one of the best ways to grow as an artist. Practice makes perfect. Enjoying the process of creating art will not only give you more experience but will also provide a greater love of the craft.