This class will go in-depth into what matte painting has become these days as well as what it will take students to create an epic and believable matte shot of their own. The course begins with an introduction to the subject of matte painting, embracing every tiny aspect of the profession. We’ll discuss how to come up with strong ideas for a painting, focusing on what should be taken into account when designing a matte shot. We’ll cover essentials from traditional art that are crucial to artistic success—starting with black and white sketches, students will learn design and compositional rules as well as how to utilize lighting to tell the story in the best way possible.

Students will then move on to color studies, learning a wide range of tools and techniques, and will learn how to achieve photorealistic quality in the final matte painting. This course utilizes a wide range of techniques from 2D, 2.5D, to 3D, using software such as Photoshop, World Machine, Maya, Vray, 3D Coat and Nuke to create a final moving shot. This course is designed to be exceptionally useful for artists of all levels to help them achieve the best results in their work.

NOTE: there will be a “History of Matte Painting” lesson available prior to class beginning, located in the “Week 0” forum.