Welcome to my article, where I share my journey as a 3D VFX and Digital Composition artist through my thesis project. In this article, I will discuss my experience working with matte paintings and 3D camera projection in Nuke, as well as the challenges and triumphs I encountered along the way. So, follow along as I reveal the creative process behind my matte painting masterpieces.
Embracing the Challenge: Concept Sketch
During my thesis project, the first challenge I faced was creating a concept sketch with my limited knowledge of digital sketching and painting. I decided to make two post-apocalyptic matte paintings, each featuring iconic architecture. The first scene would be set in a desert with the famous Taj Mahal in India.
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Concept-Sketch-03-1280x720.jpg)
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Concept-Sketch-01-1280x574.jpg)
Taj Mahal
For the Taj Mahal scene, I decided to hand-draw a large portion of the sand but not use 3D software to simulate the sand. I wanted to test my traditional matte painting skills and blend images with some painting. Finding the right images was not as easy as it seems. With the angle I chose, I needed to find assets that were more bird-eye angles, and since the Taj Mahal is a famous historical landmark, there were not many drone shots clear enough to be used in the scene.
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Concept-Sketch-02-1280x831.jpg)
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Create-The-Scenes-04-1280x574.jpg)
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Create-The-Scenes-02-1280x574.jpg)
St. Basil’s Cathedral
The St. Basil’s Cathedral scene was also tricky to work on. With limited pictures out there that show the whole building structure with a more top-down angle, I had only a few choices to begin creating this scene. I adjusted the buildings I put in the background and added The Spasskaya Tower on the side. It looked more photoreal after color grading and adding some mist in the scene.
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Create-The-Scenes-01-1280x720.jpg)
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Create-The-Scenes-03-1280x720.jpg)
Block-Outs
For the next step of completing my two matte paintings, I began to block out the shot and get ready to camera-project in Nuke. Since it’s for projection, I didn’t spend time modeling the details. So far there is just a floor and a few boxes. Then I used the sculpt tool to make it more dynamic, not just a flat surface. My next step would be to finish the block-out for the St. Basil scene. Right now, it’s just a combination of a few simple shapes.
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Block-Outs-01-1280x720.jpg)
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Block-Outs-02-1280x788.jpg)
Overcoming Obstacles
After some quick testing in Nuke, I decided to redo my whole sketch and start things slow with the black and white block-out. The result turned out better and had a more cinematic feeling. It took me a while to look for reference images online and try to set the tone of the scenes. Now the desert looks more mystical and larger, and I have used the guidelines to follow the rule of third and make sure the key structures are in the right place. It looks better now, and I can finally start putting images together.
![](https://victorlinvfx.com/wp-content/uploads/Thesis-Block-Outs-03-1280x720.jpg)