Digital-Tutors, an Autodesk Authorized Publisher and leader in video-based training, has announced the availability of INTRODUCTION TO MUDBOX 2009 -- the newest release in a library of interactive training for emerging digital artists using Mudbox, the advanced, high-resolution, brush-based digital sculpting and texture painting software.
In this month's issue of "The Digital Eye," Hank Driskill, technical supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios, tells VFXWorld how Bolt impressively achieved the look of a 2D-painted background in CG.
The seventh book in the d'artiste series from Ballistic Publishing -- MATTE PAINTING 2 -- features master artists Yusei Uesugi (the first digital movie matte painter), Max Dennison and Chris Thunig. With more than 30 Hollywood blockbuster movies to their credit, they show you the approaches and techniques used to create unforgettable movie environments.
This week The Gnomon Workshop has two new titles: TATTOOING PORTRAITS WITH NIKKO HURTADO and DYNAMIC FANTASY PAINTING WITH TOM BAXA.
World renowned tattooist Nikko Hurtado demonstrates in detail the secrets of tattooing realistic color portraits from start to finish. In this two hour tutorial Nikko guides you through his process with a keen eye and honed skills. He delivers a brilliant portrait with admirable creativity, while discussing his techniques.
Last week, Walt Disney Pictures offered journalists an extensive look at its next animated feature, BOLT (opening Nov. 21), including some stereoscopic 3-D sequences (the opening TV series within the movie and a pivotal moment with Rhino the hamster), and a peek at the studio's innovative use of CG lighting.
Directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard hosted the screening of clips in 3-D. "Chris wanted to make the TV show so cool -- like a Michael Bay movie -- that you'd want to see it [on the air]."
The sixth book in the d'artiste series -- DIGITAL PAINTING 2 -- features Master Artists Don Seegmiller, Melanie Delon, Daniel Dociu, and Marta Dahlig. For the first time, Ballistic Publishing offers pre-order customers the opportunity to download the majority of the Photoshop/Painter brushes used by the Master Artists in their tutorials.
This week the Gnomon Workshop is excited to brings you their much-anticipated two-volume series on Dave Dorman's Illustration Techniques.
In these dynamic titles Eisner Award-winning artist Dorman shares his techniques for creating original pencil art all the way through to painting the final piece. These DVDs cover such topics as composition, light and shadow, figure drawing, preparing a board for painting, color theory, oil painting and mixed media.
ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUES WITH DAVE DORMAN VOLUME 1: PENCIL ART AND PAINTING PREPARATION:
ZODIAC, which just scored two VES nominations (Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects and Outstanding Created Environment), is now available in a new director's cut on DVD and HD DVD (Paramount Home Ent., $34.99 and $39.99). Although the director's cut is only four minutes longer (a two-minute passage-of-time sequence and a search warrant negotiation), it illustrates David Fincher's meticulous approach to cinematically exploring the notorious serial murders that rocked the San Francisco Bay Area in the late '60s and early '70s.
AWN affiliates Glenn Vilppu and Larry Lauria will be leading sketching and painting workshops in the Tuscany and Umbria regions of Italy in the summer of 2007.
Vilppu's workshop SKETCH AND PAINT ON LOCATION runs from May 28, to June 8, 2007. The workshop is a watercolor and sketching tour of Bagno Vignoni, Florence and Tuscany, Italy.
Luxology announced modo 301, a major upgrade to its 3D content creation software for Mac OSX and Windows. A milestone on the modo roadmap, modo 301 is an "all systems grow" release that includes comprehensive improvements to modeling, painting and rendering and the addition of two new core capabilities: sculpting and item animation. Luxology plans to ship modo 301 during summer 2007.
This new master course presented by UCLA Extension, Advanced Digital Painting, is for students who want to expand their digital painting and drawing capabilities.
Using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Corel Painter and working with instructors Chana Messer, Andrew Behla and Scot Drake, students improve their ability to use trace, lasso, pen and gradient mesh tools, custom brushes, layer masks, layer effects, adjustment layers, interface and palettes, brushes and movers.
At the Entertainment Art Academy, William Wray hosts an event on urban landscape painting. Students work small in oil with limited values and simple massed forms. Class is designed for the midlevel student struggling with starting his painting strongly or the long time artist who wants to add foundation to their work. With a strong lay- in, comes that foundation. Most artists have an inclination for rendering, but rendering is a painting technique for finishing paintings, used at the start of a painting, detailing can make the piece feel overworked and unstructured by the end.
The Gnomon Workshop welcomes Chris Stoski and Darin Hilton to its training library with the release of four DVDs on digital matte painting. Used to create backgrounds, sets, extensions or environments that are too costly to build physically or digitally, matte painting is a cornerstone of the visual effects industry. With the transition from hand painted mattes on glass to the digital age using software, such as Photoshop, Maya and Max, the range of techniques available to matte painters has broadened dramatically.
Luxology Llc. announced the immediate availability of modo 201, its 3D modeling, painting and rendering software built on the ultra clean modo code base. modo 201 combines significant modeling advancements with cutting-edge 3D painting and rendering technologies in a modern workflow customized to enhance productivity for 3D artists working in game development, film visual effects, video production, graphic arts and design visualization. modo 201 is available for immediate download from Luxology at modo3d.com or can be purchased from selected resellers.
The Gnomon Workshop, in conjunction with Design Studio Press, has introduced three new instructional DVDs from artist Bob Kato, who shows the artist how to draw and paint the adult male head.
The Gnomon Workshop, in conjunction with Design Studio Press, has introduced three new titles from matte painting artist Dylan Cole.
Dylan Cole brings to The Gnomon Workshop years of experience working as a matte painter and concept artist for film, television and video games. He has worked on such films as RETURN OF THE KING, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, I, ROBOT, VAN HELSING, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, and THE AVIATOR.
The Gnomon Workshop, in conjunction with Design Studio Press, has released two new training DVDs by renowned matte painter and concept designer Christian Lorenz Scheurer. Utilizing Adobe Photoshop, Lorenz Scheurer shares his techniques for executing high-concept painting, including architecture, vehicles and characters.
Maxon Computer announced the immediate availability of a new plug-in that connects its renowned 3D painting program, BodyPaint 3D, to SOFTIMAGE|XSI. Now the unique 3D painting features of Maxons industry proven tool are available to all users of the latest generation of SOFTIMAGE|XSI. Character animators, game developers and motion picture artists in particular appreciate the versatility of BodyPaint 3D when it comes to texturing the most complex models without distortions.
Continuing our monthly look at 3D environments, Stash magazines Stephen Price helped VFXWorld compile a gallery of some of the best 3D environments for Warhammer by Blur Studios and environmental pics by KDLAB.
One of the many new features in Maxons BodyPaint 3D Release 2 is the direct link to Maya for Windows and Macintosh. Maya users can now benefit from the attractive features of BodyPaint 3D, such as the RayBrush mode, which enables the user to paint in the rendered image. So you're able to see the final result in realtime. Or the MultiBrush, which can paint in up to 10 textures simultaneously with a single stroke, so a brush can define an entire material rather than a single color.
The Gnomon Workshop will offer two new Analog DVDs that will be available Sept. 15, 2004, produced in conjunction with Design Studio Press and with a new instructor, Yanick Duseault (Dusso) -- THE TECHNIQUES OF DUSSO, 1: INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL MATTE PAINTING and THE TECHNIQUES OF DUSSO, 2: DIGITAL MATTE PAINTING FUNDAMENTALS. Both DVDs are priced at $69.
Maxon Computers announced the release of BodyPaint 3D Release 2, which included development aid from Sony Pictures Imageworks. The new version includes fast and easy-to-use tools for distortion free painting and Projection Painting, which allows textures to be painted onto a 3D model without UV seams appearing. Used in conjunction with RayBrush mode, users can create perfectly mapped textures and view results in realtime.
R!OT Santa Monica produced more than a dozen complex VFX shots for Warner Bros. TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES (produced by C2/Intermedia), including several highly detailed 3D digital matte paintings. Specializing in creating realistic virtual environments, artists from the studio's feature film unit created a remote desert military facility, a cavernous elevator shaft, a warehouse filled with robotic weapons, aerial scenes and other hard to replicate locations.
This workshop will expose students to the entireprofessional process involved in the creation of a background painting. Beginning with the developmentalsketch, colour keys will be created and used to producethe final background painting. Differnt graphic styles,as well as lighting effects will be explored. Backgrounds will be created for a film sequence. Theaim is to create portfolio work for the intermediateartist. Cost: 350 + GST
Join Clive Powsey, Tuesdays and Thursdays, for 4 weeks, 6 to 9 p.m.
Max the Mutt Animation School, also known as Studio M, is having its second Open House. Student work from both the Visual Arts Literacy and Classical Animation Programs will be on display, including life drawing, painting, background painting, cartooning, character design and more. Friday
