My concept sketch done in Photoshop.
Clay render from 3Ds Max model.
Breakdown of my matte painting process.
jordan desert meets calatrava
Assignment
Year
Software used
Yrgo
spring 2022
Photoshop, 3Ds Max
As opposed to most other projects at Yrgo, this one revolved around mainly using 2D assets on top of a simple 3D volume. It served as an introduction to matte painting in Photoshop.
My progress can be divided into a few building blocks. Initially I drew quick sketches – digitally and by hand – in order to find an interesting idea to work with. I found myself drawing inspiration from concept art, using artwork by Etienne Harbinger as a base for the composition. I was captivated by the depth of scale and the play with colors and contrast.
Adding to this I wanted to present untouched nature confronted by modern structures clearly built by humans. The final image shows Jordan desert mountains carrying the facade of Reggio-Emilia Mediopadana railway station, designed by Santiago Calatrava.
Inspiration: Canyon Bridge by Etienne Hebinger.
Sketch process before settling for my final concept sketch.
In the end, very little of the initial 3D model was used. The project proved a healthy excercise to focus on the strengths in 2D – in this case communicating an idea without complicating it too much. There’s great value (and fun!) in trying out different art styles and ways of painting a picture, as opposed to always opting for photorealism.