Digital Matte Painting | Exercises: Fundamentals of Matte Painting

Nurul Asilah Binti Mohamad Asif | 0353346 | Bachelor of Design in Creative Media | Digital Matte Painting

Exercises | Technical, Digital Matte Painting Sensibilities 

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Instructions 

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Exercise | Tasks

Week 1 - Download Unity, Unreal Engine, NVIDIA Engine and Blender. Do perspective exercises, set the horizon to eye level, and put a point to see where is it vanishing, draw vertical lines.

Week 2 - Do value studies, with minor details, minimum 6.

Week 3 -
1. Adjust exercise 2 - value painting studies
2. Exercise 3: Sky replacement exercise (ambiance study) - find a location one base plate is enough, extract the sky, and replace it with all timing 5 time zones (morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night)

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Fundamentals of Matte Painting

1. Perspective Studies (Landscapes and Interiors) 
2. Compositions 
3. Value Studies 
4. Sky replacements 
5. 2.5D mattes 
6. Invisible Set Extensions

Week 1

Perspective Studies

We were tasked to find high-resolution landscape images and then we had to identify the perspective by drawing out the 1-point perspective/ 2-point perspective/ 3-point perspective with vanishing points. Then reconstruct the image by doing a simple line art of it. 

I identified the vanishing point and drew out the horizon line at eye level. And proceed with drawing the vertical lines. 

Fig 1.0 Perspective Study #1 (31/9/23)

Fig 1.1 Perspective Study #2 (31/9/23)

Fig 1.2 Perspective Study #3 (31/9/23)

Fig 1.3 Perspective Study #4 (31/9/23)

Fig 1.4 Perspective Study #5 (31/9/23)

Sky Placement
We were required to find a base plate and different skies according to timings like (day, noon, afternoon, evening, and night). Then replaced the sky of the base plate. 

Fig 1.5 Sky Placement #1 (31/9/23)

Fig 1.6 Sky Placement #2 (31/9/23)

Fig 1.7 Sky Placement #3 (31/9/23)

Fig 1.8 Sky Placement #4 (31/9/23)

Value Painting

Fig 1.9 Value Painting #1 (31/9/23)

Fig 2.0 Value Painting #2 (31/9/23)

Fig 2.1 Value Painting #3 (31/9/23)

Final Compilation

Fig 2.2 Exercises: Fundamentals of Matte Painting (7/9/23)

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Feedback

Week 2

Make sure to look at references, as it might not align with each other.

Week 3

Adjust the positions of the building, and follow the ambiance properly.

Week 4

Should be fine, move on to the next. Start building your mood board.

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Reflection

Digital matte painting is an exquisite blend of artistry and technology, weaving together imagination and precision to create breathtaking landscapes and settings that transport us to otherworldly realms. It’s a canvas where creativity knows no bounds, enabling artists to craft intricate environments with meticulous detail and striking realism. With the seamless integration of software tools and artistic vision, digital matte painting transcends conventional boundaries, offering a gateway to endless possibilities in storytelling and visual aesthetics. It stands as a testament to the power of artistry in the digital age, where every stroke of the virtual brush unveils a world waiting to be explored and experienced.