10 WEEKS • ONLINE • INSTRUCTOR-LEAD • SKILL-FOCUSED

Concept Art:

Introduction to
Matte Painting

with Christian Dimitrov

COMING SOON
JOIN THE WAITLIST
MASTER SKILLS & SOFTWARE

10 week live, online skill-focused training for artists


Matte painters are crucial crafters of background elements for visual effects, creating set extensions and supplementing 3D elements for games and film. The work is as challenging as it is rewarding for those already working in the field as well as those aspiring to join it.

In this course, Christian Dimitrov will share proven strategies and techniques that he uses to create realistic and dynamic backgrounds every day.

This Introduction to Matte Painting course will consist of ten weeks of LIVE demonstrations and reviews. You'll learn how to use photo references, develop painting techniques and join a community of artists all working to achieve next level quality in their work.

You'll learn how to leverage software like Photoshop, references from various sources and professional workflows to create a portfolio matte painting that will impress.

YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS

What you'll learn


This course will be mainly focused on an introduction to matte painting techniques and how to use these techniques for creating realistic fantasy environments for matte painting shots for films, illustrations and highly finished concept paintings. The course will help students better understand painting and background environment workflows, as well as how level designers, game designers, and environment artists fit into the game pipeline.

Estimated time for course work: 8-10 hours per week

Skill Level:  Intermediate

Course Format:  Standard

Duration:  10 Weeks + 2 Weeks Of Access
Lecture Type:  Live weekly
Assignment:  Deadlines each week
Feedback:  Live weekly

Software Requirements:
• Photoshop and Wacom tablet
• Camera (recommended)

Prerequisites:  Basic knowledge of digital painting and Photoshop

By the end of the course, you'll:

Know how to gather and use photo references.

Know how to add history to your landscape piece.

Have developed an efficient workflow pipeline that will sync well with future colleagues and industry professionals.

Have created a dynamic and realistic matte painting.

A GREAT POINT FOR INTERMEDIATE ARTISTS

Build a portfolio of real-world projects


 

This course is perfect for:

  • Digital painters who want to focus on matte painting skills
  • Absolute beginners taking the first steps to become an environment and/or background artist
  • Experienced environment artists who enhance their skill set and to add to their portfolio while receiving live feedback along the way

This course is the best way to create a real portfolio while getting started as an matte painter. Working with one of the top working professionals in the industry, you'll build your own matte painting using Photoshop and Tablet. Don't know what those are? Your mentor will teach you 1-on-1. You’ll graduate with an enhanced portfolio and an active ArtStation profile.

CURRICULUM

Our Industry-Standard curriculum is built together with today's best artists to bring you the highest quality training possible. Achieve your dreams today.

WEEK 1

Introduction, Research, Start A Painting
  • Importance of cameras and lenses
  • Composition, design and perspective
  • Demonstration: Alien landscape

WEEK 2

Alien Landscape
(Start)
  • Color theory and lighting analysis
  • Photobash sky and points of interest
  • Find possibilities in your reference

WEEK 3

Alien Landscape
(Develop)
  • DMP techniques,
  • Organization, flexibility and painting flow
  • Landscape layout
     
 

WEEK 4

Alien Landscape
(Finish)
  • Build layout of scene
  • Find balance between fantasy and reality
  • Create macro composition to achieve a rich and natural look
     
     

WEEK 5

Realistic Fantasy Landscape (Start)
  • Creating realistic elevated landscape from photo reference
  • How to obey a photo reference without losing freedom of experimentation
  • Set extensions matte painting techniques

WEEK 6

Realistic Fantasy Landscape (Develop)
  • Photo bash points of interest
  • Build scene layout
  • Develop lighting
     
     
     
     
     
 

WEEK 7

Realistic Fantasy Landscape (Finish)
  • Continue to build full layout with lighting
  • Review painting
  • Mentor & peer critiques
     
     
     
     
     

WEEK 8

Relight & Repaint a Scene
  • Relight a finished painting by changing the angle and time of day
  • How light can affect mood and story and form language
  • Importance of having technically flexible light

WEEK 9 & 10

Capstone
Project
  • Mentor insights
  • Workflow & process review
  • Mentor & peer critiques
     
     
     
     
     
 

HOW WE DO IT

Life as a Skill Track student


This course is what we call a Skill Track. That means, you work closely with an expert in the field who demonstrates the tools, workflows, techniques that you'll need to know to excel as an artist.

Skill Focused

Skill Tracks rely heavily on lectures and demonstrations whereas Bootcamps & Career Tracks focus primarily on you and your work.

Flexible Commitment

Are you just looking to pick up a skill? Just want to learn how an artist works?  If so, then Skill Tracks are the perfect solution.

Live Weekly Meetings

Stay connected! Yes, we're ONLINE but you meet with your instructor every week to learn new skills.

Pick Up New Software Skills

Want to pick up the software skills you need to thrive in a Bootcamp or on-the-job?  Skill Tracks are a great way to achieve this.

Your first day

Meet your mentor, access the curriculum, and join a community of 3000+ students and mentors on the Artist Awake workplace. At GAI, the relationships you form with your mentor and peers help you learn faster.

During the course

Create more. Each course is focused around projects to emulate real work and industry-recognised workflow pipelines. And if you get stuck, ask your mentor.

Graduate on your schedule

Every GAI course is self-paced so there's no need to quit your job. Typically, students finish a Skill Track in 10-12 weeks with an expanded personal portfolio. All graduates receive lifetime access to the Artist Awake network and community.

About your Instructor

Christian Dimitrov

Chritian is a concept artist and matte painter working in the film industry. He has studied production design at the Production Design Master Class at Concept Art Workshop and is currently based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Some of the projects he's worked on include the following films: Hunter Killer, Hitman's Bodyguard, Security, Mechanic: Resurrection, and London Has Fallen.
 
 

A SAMPLE OF CHRISTIAN DIMITROV'S WORK:

OUR ALUMNI HAVE BEEN HIRED BY

COMING SOON

GET ANSWERS

We love questions, almost as much as we love providing answers. Here are a few samplings of what we're typically asked, along with our responses:

When is the live session?
TBA at 10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern

When is the first class session?
TBA at 10 AM Pacific

What if I miss a class? Can I download it later?
Yes, everything is recorded and downloadable.

How long do I have access to the material?
You have access to the course material for two weeks after the end of the course.  A total of 12 weeks.

How long are the live sessions?
The live sessions are between two and three hours long.

When do you get the downloads up?
We get the downloads of live sessions online about 24 to 48 hours after the live session ends.

How do I talk to the teacher?
You can talk freely during the class and also via the Workplace group and private forum.

Will I be able to ask questions?
Yes.

Are there demonstrations or lectures?
Yes. They will be live and recorded. All downloads will be in your course.

More questions?

Call us at +1 (888) 765-2999

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