The Digital Matte Painting Handbook (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between matte painting and digital painting? ›

Digital painting and matte painting are both techniques used in the digital art world, but they have distinct differences. Digital painting is a standalone art form, whereas matte painting is used in the film and video game industry to create realistic backgrounds and environments.

The first digital matte shot was created by painter Chris Evans in 1985 for Young Sherlock Holmes for a scene featuring a computer-graphics (CG) animation of a knight leaping from a stained-glass window.

Starting is Always Stressful

Getting started with digital art can feel like an overwhelming task, but don't let the stress get to you. Don't be afraid to start because you're making the wrong choices. Remember, there are no wrong choices. Don't fret about feeling like a student again.

Plus you don't need to worry about the mess and cost of art supplies. In fact, for entertainment art like video games and movies, digital painting is the standard. The most amazing thing about getting started with digital drawing is that it's easy to start. You do not need a high-end computer or an expensive studio.

Matte Painting Artist salary in India ranges between ₹ 0.5 Lakhs to ₹ 8.4 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 2.2 Lakhs.

Matte painters such as Michael Pangrazio, Mathieu Raynault, Norman Dawn, and Albert Whitlock are notable icons whose work propagated the use of matte matting in the movie.

Artists such as Chris Evans, Mike Pangrazio, Frank Ordaz Harrison Ellenshaw (see below), and Ralph McQuarrie created sets through Matte Paintings on all three Films and while all artists deserve honourable mentions, I believe one of the more "well known" artists is Harrison Ellenshaw.

A digital matte painter paints believable, photo-realistic environments and backdrops (interiors and exteriors) on a computer that seamlessly replaces live-action elements and/or improves existing live-action footage for films and TV series. They can also paint backgrounds for video games and game cinematics.

Matte painting is a technique used in the film, television, and video game industries to create highly detailed and realistic backgrounds and environments that would be too expensive, impractical, or impossible to recreate or achieve through traditional on-location or practical set design.

Matte painting is the creation of imaginary or realistic sets for filmmaking, movies, and video games with digital or traditional painting. It grants access to places that cameras cannot reach and helps build fictional universes.

Can I sell digital painting? ›

Unlike traditional art forms, digital artwork can be easily reproduced and sold online, allowing artists to reach a global audience and monetize their creative talents. With the right strategy, marketing, and platforms, artists can generate a steady income stream by selling digital art.

The debate over digital versus traditional art is ongoing. Digital art offers easy experimentation thanks to features like undo buttons, which can be great for beginners. Traditional art, however, demands skill with physical materials and offers a hands-on experience that digital can't match.

A digital matte artist, or digital matte painter (DMP), is today's modern form of a traditional matte painter in the entertainment industry. They digitally paint photo-realistic interior and exterior environments that could not have been otherwise created or visited.

The correct way is to start with a gloss finish and “rub down” the finish with the proper abrasive to put tiny scratches in the paint. This reduces the ability of the paint to reflect light. The bad thing is it is a pain to keep clean. The common way to create a matte finish is to add a matte clear coat.

To be good at digital art, you'll need a strong foundation in the traditional mediums of drawing and painting. Although the medium you'll use for digital art is different, the skills are the same. So, if you don't have much experience with drawing, you should start at the beginning: drawing basic shapes.