vertheim.com
  • Modelling
    • Links >
      • Modelling Hair & Fur
      • Paint Deformation
      • Painting with Objects
    • Types of Modelling >
      • Hard Edge Modelling
      • Poly Modelling >
        • VTMs >
          • Basic Geometry >
            • How to stop geometry using kites
            • Example of where to use kites
            • Poles
            • Extruding for Animation
            • Simple Muscle Definition
          • How to Start a Human Torso
          • Hands
          • Blocking Out a Hand
          • Modelling Hellboy's Head .vtm >
            • Simple breakdown in PDF format
          • Facial Geometry
          • Advanced Body Geometry
          • Cloth Modifier >
            • Making a simple tablecloth
            • Making a Cushion
            • Cloth Help files
          • Modelling Wire mesh
        • Images for Modelling Characters
      • Patch Modelling >
        • VTM
      • Spline Modelling >
        • VTMs >
          • Working with Splines
          • How to build a spline car >
            • Part 1
            • Part 2
            • Part 3
            • Part 4
            • Part 5
            • Part 6
        • Spline Car Images for VTM
      • Map Modelling >
        • Using Maps to Model (displace) >
          • VTM
      • NURBS
      • MakeHuman
    • Architectural Stuff >
      • Five AutoCAD Tips That Make a Big Difference
      • AEC Extended
      • Windows
      • Doors
      • Walls
    • Tools >
      • Realigning Pivots
      • Containers, Xrefs & Proxies >
        • Containers
      • The Array Command
      • Graphite Modelling Ribbon >
        • Read Me!
        • VTMs >
          • Painting Objects
          • Freeform Tools
          • Conform Tools
      • Optimising & Analysing
      • Solving Ngons
      • Populate Tool
      • Perspective Match
    • Speeding Up Production with a Custom UI in 3ds Max
    • Speed up your Workflow in 3DS Max!
    • Why are Ngons & Triangles so Bad?
    • Modeling with Quads or Triangles - What Should I Use?
    • Subdivision / Open Subdiv
    • Different File Formats. Which one?
    • Useful Geometry Images - How & Why
    • Retopology
    • Retopology workflow in 3ds Max - the how and why
    • Hard Edge modelling vs Organic Modelling
    • 10 Anatomy Tips for 3D Modelling
  • Photoshop
    • Links
    • Day to Night
    • The RAW Format >
      • RAW Images
      • ACR Camera Raw Filter Photoshop Clarity
      • Editing RAW Images
      • How to Read a Histogram
    • Pixelflakes.com
    • Animating in Photoshop (Video)
    • Animating in Photoshop (Keyframe)
    • Photographic Retouching and Manipulation
    • Young to Old - The Aging Process
    • Turn Anything into Fire
    • From Destructive to Constructive
    • CS4 VTMs >
      • 3D Cross Section
      • 3D Layers 1
      • 3D Layers 2
      • A Better Impression
      • Adding Depth
      • Ageing Process
      • Animation
      • Beards & Stubble
      • Blending Options
      • Boxing Clever
      • Cartoon Distortion
      • Change of Skin
      • Change of Skin 2
      • Clone Tool
      • Combining Body Parts
      • Complex Shadows
      • Content Aware 1
      • Content Aware 2
      • Custom Brush Design
      • Day for Night
      • Digging Graves
      • Drawing Ribbons
      • Easy Multiple Adjustments
      • Explosions
      • Flyaway Hair
      • Folds & Wrinkles
      • Free Transform
      • Hard Light Shading
      • Image Warp
      • Layer Masks
      • Lock & Load
      • Magical realism
      • Making it Rain
      • Metal with Curves
      • Moving Eyes
      • Multiple Shadows
      • Multiple Strokes
      • Opening Doors
      • People & Cars
      • Perspective Crop
      • Perspective Drawing
      • Portrait Restoration
      • Refine Edges
      • Replace Colour
      • Reverse Ageing
      • RGB & CMYK
      • Rust & Grime
      • Selection Basics
      • Selective Hue - Saturation
      • Silver into Gold
      • Turning Heads
      • Vanishing Point
      • Visible Light
      • Watercolour
      • Window Light
    • Basic CC Training by Digital Tutors
    • CS6 Keyboard Shortcuts
    • Upscaling Images in PS CC
    • Ivy Generator
    • Mr Bean
    • Normal Maps >
      • Nvidia Plugins
    • Brushes >
      • How to load Brush files
      • Brush Tool .vtm
      • Custom Brushes (no images)
      • Custom Brushes (with images) >
        • Destroyed Heraldry
        • Abstract Splatter
        • Destroyed Elements
        • Hand drawn Floral
        • Hand drawn Heraldic Designs
    • Colour Correcting & Matching using Curves
    • How to Use Layer Masks in Photoshop
    • Creat Ice Effect
    • Make a fantasy composite landscape
    • Discover Layer Masks in Photoshop CS6
    • 10 Tips on becoming a Hotshot Character Artist
    • Matte Painting >
      • Direct Links
      • 3 Great Matte Tutorials
      • CGMA Competition
      • Nathalie Mathé
      • 3D Artist - Matte Painting
      • Build a Matte Image using VUE
      • The Matte Paintings of the Star Wars Trilogy
    • Painting Direct on a 3D Model >
      • CS5 & Earlier >
        • Level: Beginner >
          • VTM
        • Level: Advanced >
          • VTMs >
            • Part 1
            • Part 2
            • Part 3
      • CS6 >
        • VTM
      • CC >
        • VTM
    • Creating 3D Objects in CS6
    • 3D - What's new in CS6 .pdf
    • Day to Night >
      • for Animation / Film using After Effects
      • for Stills using Photoshop
    • Using Perspective and Vanishing Point to make realistic composites
    • Using Perspective or Vanishing Point Filter >
      • VTM
      • Image used
    • Creating a 360 degree Photo
    • Techniques for Creating Realistic Eyes for Another Level of Believability
    • Blending Modes Explained
    • Tools >
      • Actions
      • Blur Tools in CS6
      • Edit / Transforms
      • 2D Displacement Maps >
        • VTM
        • Images for VTM
      • Liquify
      • Pen Tool Basics
  • Lighting
    • Links
    • An In-Depth look at Lighting
    • Volumetrics >
      • Direct Link
      • VTM
    • Ambient Occlusion >
      • VTM
      • Tutorial on Simple Nspace & AO
    • Shadows >
      • Types of Shadow - Help files & Other .vtms
      • Direct Links to books & sites
      • VTM
    • Caustics >
      • A Brief look at Caustics.pdf
      • VTM
      • Caustics Generator
    • Glow & Glare >
      • VTM
    • I.E.S. Lighting Files >
      • VTM >
        • What to do with an IES file
      • IES Viewer
      • IES Generator
      • IES Files >
        • Read Me First
        • Downlighting
        • Emergency
        • Fluorescent
        • Industrial HID
        • Rough Service
        • Track Lighting
    • MR Exposure Controls >
      • VTM
    • Stage Lighting
    • 24 things you should know about lighting
    • How to get better at Lighting
  • Substances
    • Substance Materials >
      • VTM's
    • Substance Designer >
      • Designer VTM's by Allegorithmic
      • Substance Designer Insanity Awards 2018
    • Substance Source >
      • Source Link Page
      • Mark Foreman's Medieval World
    • Substance Painter 2018 >
      • VTM's >
        • Introduction
        • 01 - Creating and setting up a project
        • 02 - Baking maps used in the texturing process
        • 03 - Creating the base paint material
        • 04 - Finishing the painted material and creating rust
        • 05 - Finishing the rust material
        • 06 - Applying Smart Materials and Layer Instancing
        • 07 - Using the brush system
        • 08 - Using Paint Effects, Projection and Cloning tools
        • 09 - Using Anchors
        • 10 - Masking materials with ID maps and Polygon Fill Tool
        • 11 - Creating the dirt and glass materials
        • 12 - Rendering a portfolio image and exporting maps
        • Project files
  • Textures
    • Links
    • How to Create a Material Library in Max 2015
    • Library >
      • Textures >
        • Computer Generated
        • Seamless / Tileable >
          • Bark
          • Brick
          • Fabric
          • Grass
          • Metal
          • Road
          • Rust
          • Stone
          • Wall
          • Wood
        • Sticky Tape
        • Foliage
        • Circuit Board
        • Paper >
          • Paper
          • Old Books
        • Grunge
        • Metal >
          • Assorted
          • Rust
        • Vectors
        • Wood
        • Water
        • Cement >
          • Cement
          • Stained Concrete
        • Fabrics
        • Peeling Paint
        • Odds & Ends
        • Trees & Foliage >
          • Maps
          • Bump
      • Images >
        • Free Images
        • Skulls
        • Assorted Photo Scenes
        • Lightning
        • Wraparound & Widescreen Images
        • Assorted Matte Paintings
        • Pirate's Galleon
        • Rocks & Stone
        • 140 Trees & Bushes
      • Blueprints >
        • Links
        • Vehicles
        • Aircraft
        • Buildings
        • Marvel Characters >
          • Male
          • Female
          • Other...
      • Map Sets >
        • Alien Wall
        • Stone Carved Wall
        • Lumpy Sharp-edged Wall
        • Mossy Castle Wall
        • Carved Rosewood Panelling
        • Distressed Concrete Blocks
        • Muddy Wagon Tracks
        • Art Deco Doors
        • Lava Cracks
      • Assorted .psd Texture Files
    • Render to Texture (Baking) >
      • Direct Link
      • VTM
    • Viewport Canvas >
      • Links
      • Paint Models directly in 3ds Max
      • Read Me >
        • Introduction and Custom Brushes
        • PSD Workflow and Using Render to Texture
        • Viewport Canvas and Render Surface Map
        • Matte Painting and Viewport Canvas
    • Road Texture Generator
    • Applying Textures >
      • UVW Unwrap >
        • VTMs >
          • Unwrapping in Max 2017
          • Great Link
          • Drinks Carton
          • Hand
          • Pelt & Peel
          • External VTM,s Parts 1 - 10
          • Peel
        • VTM Images >
          • Carton
          • Hand
        • VTM .psd Files >
          • Carton
          • Hand
        • Max file for the Hand
      • Camera Mapping >
        • VTMs >
          • Part 1
          • Part 2
          • Part 3
        • Images For Camera Mapping Exercise
        • Images for you to practice with
    • Shaders >
      • Autodesk help on Shaders
      • Submerge
    • Creating Textures >
      • Composite Materials (NOT multi-sub)
      • Ivy Generator
      • Tips for Creating Perfect Normal Maps Every Time
      • Normal Maps >
        • Tutorials
        • Projection Mapping
        • The Atomic Thrust Bucket >
          • VTM
      • 3D Displacement Maps >
        • VTM
      • Tileable Textures >
        • VTMs >
          • Part 1
          • Part 2
        • Mix Maps
      • Mix Maps & Vertex Painting
      • Hair & Fur >
        • Direct Link
        • VTM
      • Sub Surface Scattering >
        • What is it?
        • Epic Tutorial
        • VTM
      • Procedural Maps >
        • VTM
    • Plug-ins >
      • Advanced Procedural maps
    • The Problem with Hair... >
      • Modelling Hair
      • Making Hair with Planes
      • Using Hair & Fur
    • PTEX
  • Animation
    • Alan Becker - Stick man Master
    • Adobe Character Animator
    • Links
    • Animation Terminology
    • Animating Cameras for Architectural Visualisation
    • Emphasizing Animation Timing to Convey Weight and Force
    • Animation Body Mechanics - Understanding Exaggeration
    • Fire Effects using Particles
    • Animation for Games
    • Character Studies? Yes, Please!
    • Particles >
      • Sparks
      • Pouring Beer
    • Rigging >
      • Cat Rig Setup
      • Skinning
      • Skin Morph
      • Skin Wrap
      • Facial Rig
    • Roboball - Read Me >
      • Part 1 - Animation
      • Part 2 - Shading
      • Part 3 - Shading
      • Part 4 - Compositing
    • How to make objects disappear using procedural maps
    • Artist Guide to Motion Graphics >
      • Read Me First >
        • Part 1 >
          • Introduction and project overview
          • Initial project concept and storyboards
          • Adding lights to the scene in 3ds Max
        • Part 2 >
          • Using mental ray materials
          • Using 3ds Max particles to create sparks
          • Getting acquainted with State Sets in 3ds Max
        • Part 3 >
          • Using State Sets to create custom render passes
          • Separating scene elements using State Sets
          • Using Render Elements in 3ds Max
        • Part 4 >
          • Creating 3D elements that can be transferred to After Effects
          • Using the 3ds Max Compositor View
          • Installing the Autodesk Compositor Link plugin for After Effects
          • Overview of Media Sync workflow between 3ds Max and After Effects
          • Using Helper Objects to quickly place 3D layers
          • Using 3D Nulls to drive 2D effects like lens flares
        • Part 5 >
          • Baking an expression to fix motion blurred camera animation
          • Creating glows and changes with the Object ID pass
          • Overview of the compositing techniques use in the final render
          • How to install MAXScripts and add them to the interface
          • Creating custom attributes and transforming selected objects
          • Controlling many objects simply with MAXScript and expressions
    • Principles of Animation >
      • Digital Tutors' 12 Principles
      • 12 principles
      • Staging
      • Exaggeration
      • The 12 Principles Simplified
    • How to Link Sub-Objects to helpers
    • Rigging (3D Artist)
    • Pushing Your Rigs to the Limit - Using Exaggeration for More Appealing Animation
  • Rendering
    • Links
    • 5 Rendering Tips for Animators When Adding the Final Touches to Your Demo Reel
    • Basic Render Elements
    • Produce Expert Renders
    • Quicksilver >
      • Direct Link
    • Mental Ray >
      • Final Gather vs. Global Illumination
      • Global Illumination & Final Gather >
        • For Still Images >
          • VTM
        • For Animation >
          • VTM
      • Proxy Objects >
        • Xrefs
        • Containers >
          • VTMs
        • XRef vs Containers
        • MR Proxies >
          • VTM
    • V-Ray >
      • The BIG V-Ray Book
    • Corona >
      • Sub Surface Scattering with Corona MTL
    • Tools >
      • Level of Detail Utility
    • Simple Render Passes
  • 3ds Max for Beginners
  • Maya
    • Introduction to MAYA 2019
    • Basic
  • Mudbox
    • Tips for Beginners
    • Sculpting VTMs
    • Sculpting Films
    • Materials & Textures
    • Mudbox & Photoshop
    • Map Extraction
    • Retopology
    • Modelling using Displacement Maps
    • Creating hard surface stamps for Mudbox
    • Creating Vector Displacement Stamps
    • Using Vector Maps
    • Lighting
    • Using the Pose Tools
    • Ptex VTM
    • PTex - Mudbox to Max
    • Rendering Ptex with Mudbox, Maya & MR
    • The Jason Welsh Boxset >
      • Retopology Phase
      • Hard Surface Brushes
      • Creating Stamp from an Alpha
      • Image to Stamp without height information)
      • Texture to stencil
      • Sculpting with Stencils
      • Uniform Subdivision
      • UV Phase
      • Mapping Phase
      • Combining Normal Maps
      • Specular Map Option
      • Painting Option
      • Post Processing Texture Phase)
      • Post Processing Preview Cleanup and Repair Phase)
  • PBR Materials
  • Epic Games
    • Creating Materials in UE4
    • Hotkeys, Naming conventions etc.
    • Unreal Studio >
      • Preparing Models and Datasmith
      • Lightmass and Beyond
      • Steamroller
      • Unwrapping for Arch Vis
    • Unreal Engine >
      • Doors
      • Changing cameras
      • Complete Lighting Workflow
      • Beginners Guide
      • Big VTM for beginners
      • Must see! Speed Level Design
  • Post Production
    • After Effects Tutorials by Surfaced Studio >
      • Beginner >
        • How to Create Cool VFX
        • Compositions & Pre-Composing
        • Introduction to Masking
        • Adjustment Layers
        • Track Mattes
        • Parenting
        • Null Objects
        • 3D
      • Intermediate >
        • Muzzle Flash
        • How to Morph / Warp an Object
        • Advanced Morphing
        • Realistic Bullet Effects
        • How to get Hit by a Car
        • Motion Tracking
        • Explosions
        • How to Curve a Bullet
        • Bullet Hit Destruction
        • Make a Shooting Look Real
        • Common Green Screen Mistakes
        • How to Clone Yourself
      • Advanced >
        • How to Move a Camera Through a Wall or Floor
        • VFX - Dissolve into Crows (Short & Breakdown)
        • VFX - Dissolve into Crows Tutorial
        • How to Blow Up a Motorbike
        • Compositing Fireworks
        • Breaking Through a Roof
    • Dramatic Lighting in After Effects
    • Post Production in After Effects
    • After Effects, 3ds Max - Motion tracking, match moving & camera tracking
    • Mass FX, 3ds Max - Ball and Chain Complex Rigid Body Constraint
    • Links
  • Photography
    • Concepts & Terminology
    • Camera Equipment & Accessories
    • Editing & Post Processing
    • Colour Management & Printing
    • Understanding the F Stop
  • Photogrammetry
    • Photogrammetry
    • Create 3D Models & Textures From Photos
  • Photorealism Explained
  • 3D Scanning
    • Fuel 3D / Scanify
    • 3rd party stitching >
      • Autodesk Meshmixer
      • Meshlab
  • Games
    • Character, Controls, Camera: The 3Cs of Game Development
    • 10 Things Professional Game Artists Wish They Knew When They First Started
    • Animation for Games
    • Vehicle Game Asset
  • Film
    • Hollywood VFX
    • Practical Effects and Digital Effects
    • Reel FX Helps Write The Book of Life
    • Behind the Scenes of X-Men: Days of Future Past
    • Gravity
    • 'Atlantis' Rope Bridge scene by Vine Studios
    • The Evolution of VFX in Movies: The 60s Till Now
  • Work
    • How to become a Successful Freelance Artist
    • If Every 3D Job Requires "Job Experience" How Will I Ever Break into the Industry?
    • Build a Professional Showreel
    • Create Your Best Showreel
    • Five Tips for Critiquing Your Own Work
    • Demo Reel and Portfolio Tips from Game Industry Professionals
    • Escape Studios Careers Guide 2016
  • Drawing, Sketching etc
    • 10 Tips on becoming a Hotshot Character Artist
    • Planning your Drawing
    • How to Draw a Human Head
    • Drawing a Human Head at Different angles
    • Drawing Mouths and Lips
    • Mouth Expressions
    • Gesture Drawing
    • Dramatic Facial Expressions
    • Drawing Eyes
    • Drawing Hands
    • Drawing Emotion
    • Female Body Construction
    • Foreshortening
    • Drawing Anatomy >
      • Drawing Anatomy Pt 1
      • Drawing Anatomy Pt 2
    • How to Find Natural Rhythm Lines
    • Perspective
    • The Character design Process
    • Poses
    • Western vs Anime
    • How to Create Realistic Textures >
      • How to Create Realistic Textures Pt 1
      • How to Create Realistic Textures Pt 2
    • How to Create Realistic Textures Pt 3
  • What's new in Max 2019
  • Odds & Ends
    • Cinemagraphs
    • Trees
    • RSS Feeds >
      • Technology Magazines
      • 3D Artists
      • 3D Printing
      • Science Fiction
      • Tech Radar
      • ScriptSpot.com
    • Graphic Design >
      • Understanding Design Jargon: Design Principles
    • External Links >
      • Luciano Sgarbi
    • How to set up a Project Folder
    • Sound >
      • Intro to Prosound
      • Free WMA-MP3 Converter
      • Royalty Free Music
      • Sounds >
        • Links
        • Alarms
        • Animals
        • Computers
        • Email
        • Sound Effects
        • Voices
        • Gunfire
        • Short Tunes
    • Scripts >
      • 3D Stereoscopy
      • Brickerizer
      • Camera Switcher
      • Clay Render
      • Resource Collector
      • Deformed Edges
      • Rockmaker
      • BookScatter
      • Material Creator / Randomisor
      • Quick Ambient Occlusion
      • Fracture
      • Links
    • Scanned Stuff >
      • Produce Expert Renders
      • The Future of VFX
      • Rigging (3D Artist)
      • Build a Matte Image
      • 3D Artist - Matte Painting
      • Atmospheric Arch-Viz Renders
      • 50 ZBrush Secrets
      • Animation for Games
      • Wooden Arch Viz Interiors
      • Dramatic Lighting in After Effects
      • 50 Tips for better characters
      • The Art of Arch Vis
      • 50 Hot Topology Tips
      • Post Production in After Effects
      • Create Your Best Showreel
      • Get a Job in the Games Industry
      • Create 3D Games Assets
      • Digital Doubles
      • 3D Printing
      • Essential CG Projects
      • Vehicle Game Asset
      • Turbo - The Art of Dreamworks
      • Facial Animation
      • CG Worlds
      • 3ds Max 2014
      • Gravity
      • Art of Sci-Fi
      • Rigging in Max
    • 3DS Models >
      • Previews
  • Video Encoding
  • Glossary
    • Modelling
    • Materials
    • Maps
    • Lighting
    • Animation
    • Modifiers
    • Rendering
    • Scripts
    • Shadows
  • VR & AR
  • Modelling
    • Links >
      • Modelling Hair & Fur
      • Paint Deformation
      • Painting with Objects
    • Types of Modelling >
      • Hard Edge Modelling
      • Poly Modelling >
        • VTMs >
          • Basic Geometry >
            • How to stop geometry using kites
            • Example of where to use kites
            • Poles
            • Extruding for Animation
            • Simple Muscle Definition
          • How to Start a Human Torso
          • Hands
          • Blocking Out a Hand
          • Modelling Hellboy's Head .vtm >
            • Simple breakdown in PDF format
          • Facial Geometry
          • Advanced Body Geometry
          • Cloth Modifier >
            • Making a simple tablecloth
            • Making a Cushion
            • Cloth Help files
          • Modelling Wire mesh
        • Images for Modelling Characters
      • Patch Modelling >
        • VTM
      • Spline Modelling >
        • VTMs >
          • Working with Splines
          • How to build a spline car >
            • Part 1
            • Part 2
            • Part 3
            • Part 4
            • Part 5
            • Part 6
        • Spline Car Images for VTM
      • Map Modelling >
        • Using Maps to Model (displace) >
          • VTM
      • NURBS
      • MakeHuman
    • Architectural Stuff >
      • Five AutoCAD Tips That Make a Big Difference
      • AEC Extended
      • Windows
      • Doors
      • Walls
    • Tools >
      • Realigning Pivots
      • Containers, Xrefs & Proxies >
        • Containers
      • The Array Command
      • Graphite Modelling Ribbon >
        • Read Me!
        • VTMs >
          • Painting Objects
          • Freeform Tools
          • Conform Tools
      • Optimising & Analysing
      • Solving Ngons
      • Populate Tool
      • Perspective Match
    • Speeding Up Production with a Custom UI in 3ds Max
    • Speed up your Workflow in 3DS Max!
    • Why are Ngons & Triangles so Bad?
    • Modeling with Quads or Triangles - What Should I Use?
    • Subdivision / Open Subdiv
    • Different File Formats. Which one?
    • Useful Geometry Images - How & Why
    • Retopology
    • Retopology workflow in 3ds Max - the how and why
    • Hard Edge modelling vs Organic Modelling
    • 10 Anatomy Tips for 3D Modelling
  • Photoshop
    • Links
    • Day to Night
    • The RAW Format >
      • RAW Images
      • ACR Camera Raw Filter Photoshop Clarity
      • Editing RAW Images
      • How to Read a Histogram
    • Pixelflakes.com
    • Animating in Photoshop (Video)
    • Animating in Photoshop (Keyframe)
    • Photographic Retouching and Manipulation
    • Young to Old - The Aging Process
    • Turn Anything into Fire
    • From Destructive to Constructive
    • CS4 VTMs >
      • 3D Cross Section
      • 3D Layers 1
      • 3D Layers 2
      • A Better Impression
      • Adding Depth
      • Ageing Process
      • Animation
      • Beards & Stubble
      • Blending Options
      • Boxing Clever
      • Cartoon Distortion
      • Change of Skin
      • Change of Skin 2
      • Clone Tool
      • Combining Body Parts
      • Complex Shadows
      • Content Aware 1
      • Content Aware 2
      • Custom Brush Design
      • Day for Night
      • Digging Graves
      • Drawing Ribbons
      • Easy Multiple Adjustments
      • Explosions
      • Flyaway Hair
      • Folds & Wrinkles
      • Free Transform
      • Hard Light Shading
      • Image Warp
      • Layer Masks
      • Lock & Load
      • Magical realism
      • Making it Rain
      • Metal with Curves
      • Moving Eyes
      • Multiple Shadows
      • Multiple Strokes
      • Opening Doors
      • People & Cars
      • Perspective Crop
      • Perspective Drawing
      • Portrait Restoration
      • Refine Edges
      • Replace Colour
      • Reverse Ageing
      • RGB & CMYK
      • Rust & Grime
      • Selection Basics
      • Selective Hue - Saturation
      • Silver into Gold
      • Turning Heads
      • Vanishing Point
      • Visible Light
      • Watercolour
      • Window Light
    • Basic CC Training by Digital Tutors
    • CS6 Keyboard Shortcuts
    • Upscaling Images in PS CC
    • Ivy Generator
    • Mr Bean
    • Normal Maps >
      • Nvidia Plugins
    • Brushes >
      • How to load Brush files
      • Brush Tool .vtm
      • Custom Brushes (no images)
      • Custom Brushes (with images) >
        • Destroyed Heraldry
        • Abstract Splatter
        • Destroyed Elements
        • Hand drawn Floral
        • Hand drawn Heraldic Designs
    • Colour Correcting & Matching using Curves
    • How to Use Layer Masks in Photoshop
    • Creat Ice Effect
    • Make a fantasy composite landscape
    • Discover Layer Masks in Photoshop CS6
    • 10 Tips on becoming a Hotshot Character Artist
    • Matte Painting >
      • Direct Links
      • 3 Great Matte Tutorials
      • CGMA Competition
      • Nathalie Mathé
      • 3D Artist - Matte Painting
      • Build a Matte Image using VUE
      • The Matte Paintings of the Star Wars Trilogy
    • Painting Direct on a 3D Model >
      • CS5 & Earlier >
        • Level: Beginner >
          • VTM
        • Level: Advanced >
          • VTMs >
            • Part 1
            • Part 2
            • Part 3
      • CS6 >
        • VTM
      • CC >
        • VTM
    • Creating 3D Objects in CS6
    • 3D - What's new in CS6 .pdf
    • Day to Night >
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vertheim.com

NASA researcher turned matte artist Nathalie Mathé

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The NASA researcher turned Fast & Furious 6 artist explores the art of matte painting, how technology is changing the field – and how a chance meeting with Ralph McQuarrie led her to her current career path.

140326_NM_bioAfter a successful career as a NASA computer research scientist, Nathalie Mathé discovered the joy of painting and video directing. She first became a documentary director, then worked as a layout artist for several major studios in Paris, including Method Animation and Ankama Animations, and as a texture artist and matte painter for Mac Guff.

She moved on to an international career as a matte painter at Double Negative and now Image Engine. Her credits include Cannes award-winner Persepolis, Rémi Bezançon’s Un heureux événement (A Happy Event), Total Recall, The Dark Knight Rises, Les Misérables, Oscar nominee Captain Phillips and Fast & Furious 6. She recently contributed to Zero Point, the first movie ever made for the Occulus Rift VR headset.

In the interview below, she reflects on the lessons learned from a career spanning the worlds of art and science, how the art of matte painting has evolved in response to technology – and how a chance meeting with the legendary Star Wars concept designer Ralph McQuarrie set her on her current career path.

CG Channel: How did you get started in the VFX industry?

Nathalie Mathé: I have a scientific and computer programming background and it was only after working for several years in artificial intelligence research, that I felt the need to explore a more artistic path. I started with evening painting classes, and weekend video shooting and editing classes. I had so much fun the first time I used After Effects that I decided to study for a degree in video production in parallel to my career. I shot and edited my first documentary, which was screened at the Palo Alto Festival in California.

But the turning point was when I visited the Art of Star Wars exhibit in the mid-90s in San Francisco. I suddenly discovered that there were real artists working behind the scenes of movies. What really struck me was when I saw Ralph McQuarrie’s matte paintings. They were huge paintings on glass, bigger than me, and they were so realistic-looking – planets, alien worlds, and all painted by hand by this incredible artist. I attended a special evening reception and talked to Ralph McQuarrie in person. He was already an old guy at the time, but so sweet. I asked him how he got to work on Star Wars in the first place, and he told me that at the time he was working at NASA painting the simulations of the Voyager spacecraft’s journeys through the solar system, and that’s how Georges Lucas recruited him.

Suddenly I felt totally moved, because I was working at NASA too! A brand new possibility opened up for me. It took me several more years to go back to school, study 3D animation and special effects, and build a new career from scratch in the animation and film industry: first in France, my country of origin, then internationally. Nowadays, I am still working with a computer, but as a digital visual artist.

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The matte painter’s art: for the tank chase sequence in Fast & Furious 6, Mathé painted out surrounding buildings from the background plate (top) and blended it into a 3D canyon environment (above).

CG Channel: What does your current work involve?

NM: I’m a digital matte painter and texture artist, which means that I paint environments of shots in 2D as well as in 3D. For example, I might destroy buildings, extend environments, remove roads or add mountains – or whatever needs to be there that was not shot in the original scene. In my 3D texture work, I paint surface colours and mimic how materials will respond to lighting on 3D characters, vehicles and buildings.

CG Channel: What determines the choice of technique?

NM: The choice between 2D matte painting or full 3D texturing depends on whether that element is seen several times in a sequence, and whether it is seen under similar or different cameras angles.

Matte painting is often used because it’s faster, and it has become quite powerful with 2.5D projections and moving cameras: it isn’t just a static background any more. Unlike animated features, matte paintings for VFX films are created by digitally manipulating real photographs, not painting from scratch; texturing is more of a mix between the two techniques.

CGC: What part of the process do you find most enjoyable?

NM: I really enjoy the research and design phase for a matte painting, when you try to define the concept for the shot. Sometimes you are given a well-defined concept and there is not much room for creativity, but often, no one knows yet how the shot needs to look. You are given the director’s intention for the shot and some reference photos, but otherwise, the brief may be pretty vague. You need to propose something so that the look gets locked before proceeding to the full-blown matte painting

It’s quite an open phase and it’s very important not to rush it, so that you really immerse yourself in the shot. You need to decide what is needed based on other shots already approved in the sequence, production references, the story being told, and so on. You also need to respect the basics, like perspectives, lighting, and composition.

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A crucial transition in Les Misérables. The extreme zoom-in from the heavens involved projecting a series of 2D matte paintings onto a 3D model of the terrain, using historical reference from French real estate archives.

For example, in Les Misérables, I worked on a major transition shot when Valjean realises that he must turn his convict life around, with the action then jumping eight years forward to a different location where he has in fact found wealth and become mayor. For the extreme zoom-in shot from the heavens into Montreuil-sur-Mer, I went as far as researching the Napoleonic cadastral registers [real estate records] in French archives to provide the director with accurate historical references of the town and the distribution of the fields around it in the 1830s.

I proposed several concept illustrations that were refined and approved before proceeding to create the final digital matte painting. The work itself was technically complex and involved projecting 2D matte paintings created at various scales and camera angles onto a 3D model of the terrain, so that they matched seamlessly, and integrated with 3D models and renders of the town buildings created by a CG artist. If the look had not been locked first, it would have taken forever to fully revise each matte at different scales.

CGC: What was the proudest moment of your career?

NM: I would say that two of my proudest moments have been working on a small-scale VFX film, A Happy Event (Un heureux événement), at Mac Guff in Paris, and on a full-blown VFX film, Fast & Furious 6, at Double Negative in London. Each time I felt honored and challenged by being given a job I had not done before, and for which I had to come up with innovative and efficient solutions, yet at the same time feeling trusted and fully supported by my supervisors. In each case, this was an opportunity to grow and to work with exceptionally talented artists, and I was very proud of the results.

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An extreme zoom-out shot from Rémi Bezançon’s A Happy Event. Mattes were created using reference photos shot from a remote-controlled balloon flying above the streets of Paris early in the morning.

On A Happy Event, directed by César award-winner Rémi Bezançon, I created an extreme zoom-out digital shot from a close-up view of a window in the rooftops of Paris to a very wide view encompassing roofs, buildings and streets of several city blocks, to underline the loneliness of the main character lying on the sofa under the window. I blended several matte paintings at different resolutions and angles and reprojected them onto a 3D model of the area I had created. I also animated the 3D camera path to match the first part of the shot inside the room up to the window. The mattes and 3D models were created using photos shot from a remote-controlled balloon flying above the roofs of Paris early in the morning, under changing light conditions – and with a fairly unpredictable path!

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An occlusion render of the geometry used in the shot from A Happy Event. Mathé created a series of matte paintings from different angles and at different resolutions, and reprojected them onto a 3D model of the area.

On Fast & Furious 6, I was the principal digital matte painter for the huge CG environment required for the tank chase sequence in the Canary Islands. The end of the sequence involves a spectacular jump and tank flipping over. Double Negative built a completely digital bridge and a huge digital canyon environment and kept little bits of plate photography that were reprojected back in. We used a helicopter for a couple of days to photograph huge canyons in Tenerife and Gran Canaria. We mapped out specific flight paths for the helicopter using GPS and were able to generate really high-resolution panoramas and photogrammetry-based reconstructions. Once we got all this data back to the studio, we had to rebuild it as a renderable 3D model. Then it was passed on to me to paint the canyon environment onto it.

Given the size of the canyon and the huge amount of data we needed to integrate, I first performed a few tests using different software and methodologies to figure out what would be the most efficient solution, quickly settling on a combination of 3D camera projections and paint work using Mari. I selected about 50 of the 160 helicopter photos that gave the best angle and resolution, projected them onto the 3D geometry of the canyon using the position of the cameras during the helicopter shoot, and then blended them all together so that they matched seamlessly.

At this point, all of the surrounding hotel complexes, roads, fields and houses could still be seen, but Justin Lin, the director, wanted the location to feel more like a desert, and feel more remote, so I painted out all signs of habitation or cultivation from the surroundings, and replaced them with wild natural vegetation and rocks. Finally, we modified the canyon environment to extend it further and make it deeper and more impressive for the final sequence on the bridge. It was then used in almost every shot in the sequence, and I created more matte paintings specific to each shot to naturally blend the 3D environment with the original photography.

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Another before-and-after from Fast & Furious 6. A 3D model of the canyon environment was integrated into the background plate using a combination of camera projections and hand painting in Mari.

CGC: What advice would you give to aspiring matte painters, especially women?

NM: Always follow your heart, no matter how hard it is or what other people tell you. You are the only one to know what’s best for you. Of course, it’s crucial to have talent and keep developing it constantly, trying to work with the best artists on challenging projects, but you also need to learn networking skills, because who you know will make a difference.

Women are still a minority in this industry, although it is much better than 10 years ago when we were only 10% of the workforce. Now it is more like 30-40% depending on the company and project, but there are still very few female leads and supervisors in creative and technical roles.

Visit Nathalie Mathé’s website

Fast & Furious 6 images © 2013 Universal Pictures. Images courtesy of Double Negative.

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