How much?

For what I did with the rest of my day, read the post below. While I was relaxing in the evening, I made this.

I wish. It was made by a very fine artist called Bert Monroy who spent almost a year on the above image.

I've seen the image linked to as "How much RAM does this guy have?"... but how much time does this guy have? The detail on this is amazing, but it still highlights how the human eye recognises CGI as opposed to real images. I could not for an instant believe that this is real.

This isn't a case of suspension of disbelief. In the context of the movie in question, this image is real to me, but maybe only because I know it is unreal. CGI as well, I am aware from the outset it is also a fake, but because it is presented as an unreal image, rather than an attempt to recreate the real world my mind accepts it as true. It is a fiction. As our artists are becoming better (or at least using better tools) at recreating the real world are they losing the sense of detatchment we require to believe in their authenticity?