DIGITAL PAINTING
- WORKING WITH PLATES
Christian Kugler, who worked on The Social Network, says “Each project
has a unique set of challenges, whether it is time, money, reference, plate
quality, difficult perspective, or human error. For each one my approach is a
bit different but they all require patience and perseverance.”Movies are a group endeavour, “Most of us work on set extensions,
patches, fixes, or being part of a sequence where the hero shot is done by a
senior artist. When you get to that level then you are able to have more of a
say about lighting and other decisions.”Kugler explains, “Compositing is really important, so having a good
working relationship with the compositor of your shot is key in working
towards a finished version... It is essential to know that the layers are
being updated and fixes implemented.”You must keep your artistic skills sharp. “Study the work of accomplished
matte painters and concept artists. Keep your work fresh and mix things
up. Study anatomy, colour and design, 3D, architecture and anything else
that can help give you solid foundations.”- WHAT MAKES A GOOD MATTE PAINTER?
It’s a hard question to answer, just as it’s hard to
sum up what makes a good artist of any kind. But
as Tomáš Müller explains, there are certain things
that a matte painter does need to be able to do.
“We all have our own way of how we perceive
things, how we imagine and create,” he says. “In
[the] most general sense it’s always imagination
that is most important, but for matte painting there
are also other things that matter a lot, like the
ability to look at your work and see if it is really
© Tomáš Müller©Christian Kuglerfinished or if it needs changes or improvements,
especially in the case of projects that are supposed
to feel photorealistic. Every project is different
sometimes you need to use different types of
stylisation, sometimes you have more freedom
other times you are bounded by a strict brief. So
versatility and ability to emulate different moods
and styles is handy as well.
“When I do my personal works I have my own
approach and ideas I like to visualise,” he adds.“With commercial jobs it’s completely different,
because you need to follow someone else’s
direction. So in my personal work I’m trying to
keep it in line with my personal taste and style. In
commercial work I’m trying to keep my personal
approach but also offer the client exactly what
they requested and need. I’m always happy when
a client is open to discussion and when I can be
part of [the] creative process behind overall style
of shots and visuals that I am producing.”