Advanced Matte Painting

In this lesson, Maxx will show you how to quickly create and adjust terrains for your shot. He'll then find his preferred composition and begin kitbashing to add hard surface elements. From there, you'll learn to auto-generate plants by using a scatter system, and dress your set using custom placements for the most prominent greenery. By the end of this lesson, you will have a full 3D scene for your project. 

In this lesson, you will begin by making a 'halfway paintover' on top of your 3D render from the previous lesson. From here, you'll be able to quickly get a feel for where things need to be adjusted in 3D. Finding the right sky is a major step in this process, so pay special attention to this portion. Lighting comes next, which will begin a back-and-forth process with your props and composition. Sometimes lighting can reveal areas that need improvement, so don't be afraid to go back and change things once the lights are placed. Finally, you will render your scene and bring all the elements into Photoshop.

Now that the 3D renders have been brought into Photoshop, it's time to finish your painting. This process will make all the difference in the image's level of photorealism. The first step is to make a quick mood painting, allowing you to get an idea of the overall game plan without getting bogged down by fine details. After this, you'll start working in Maxx's 'back to front' style, meticulously fleshing out each asset in order of its distance from the camera to create a cohesive final piece. Finally, Maxx will review his own work from this course, and leave you with some closing thoughts on how to stay inspired and motivated in the years to come.