Overview

Using the same family of tools and techniques from the Challenge Files assignment, create a REALISTIC DIGITAL COMPOSITE from original source images.

We'll borrow from the cinematic term "matte painting" to help understand the process.

"A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is nonexistent in real life or would otherwise be too expensive or impossible to build or visit." -Wikipedia

This object composite will involve taking a photograph of on object and building a "set" around it and compositing it into a believable scene

• The goal will be to CREATE AND CONVINCING AND REALISTIC LOOK like movie stills (not cartoons, or graphics).

Process

Start by selecting an object to be the subject of the composite. Objects should be easily recognizable and made in a professional way. (IE. avoid abstract objects, parts of objects that are difficult to identify, etc.) Choose from:

• Food and Drink Products
• Food items
• Clothing and accessories
• Tools and equipment
• Products and packaging
• Household items

2. Using a DSLR camera, your Phone using Adobe Lightroom, or other camera that can shoot in RAW, photograph your object to be the starting imagery for your composite.

• pay careful attention to the camera's position and distance
• pay careful attention to the camera's angle
• pay careful attention to the light source
• use the photo room in the Pulliam Design wing for best results
• bring additional colored paper, fabric, or materials to use in the photo shoot
• the source image must be shot in RAW format

3. EXTEND YOUR ORIGINAL OBJECT to create a Photoshop composite with a DRAMATIC EFFECT. Dramatic effects can be achieved through various types of manipulations that include:

• Surrealism -irrational spaces, bizarre combinations, illogical or dreamlike juxtapositions
• Scale - Exaggeration of small/large, vast/minute
• Natural elements - rocks, clouds, water, splashes, waves, rivers, oceans, ponds, puddles
• Plants, trees, grasses, moss, overgrowth, forests,
• Wildlife - small or large
• Lighting Special Effects - optical flares, stars, sparks, lightning, fire
• Volumes - Smoke, Fog, Explosions

4. Composite the original object within the frame using additional objects, backgrounds, textures, etc.

• Use Layer Masks to create transparency where needed
• Use Adjustment layers and Blending Modes to match color and value
• Use Adjustment layers and Blending Modes to match light sources
• Use Filters to match Depth of Field (Blur), light, texture
• Use Color (paintbrush, paint bucket, cloning, patching, etc.) to add new color, light, texture, etc.

5. Set up your NEW document in Photoshop and paste compositing items into them

• Document size: 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 px) - portrait or landscape orientation
• 72ppi

6. Use your original object and a minimum of 3 additional images (excluding generative fill elements)

7. You will submit ALL your original source images including the original RAW file.

8. Print a color copy of the matte painting on letter-sized paper.

Parameters

YOU MUST START YOUR COMPOSITE WITH AN OBJECT YOU PHOTOGRAPH FOR THE ASSIGNMENT. THE OBJECT MUST BE FRAMED CLOSE TO THE CAMERA AND BE THE MAIN SUBJECT OF THE FINAL COMPOSITION. From your original object, you can use any of the following types of files:

• Your own photos and textures taken with a digital camera.
• Original materials that you scan yourself.
• IMAGES FROM ADOBE STOCK THAT ARE NOT MADE WITH AI.
• ALL STOCK IMAGES USED IN THE FINAL VERSION MUST BE SUBMITTED -10PTS. FOR EACH ELEMENT NOT SUBMITTED
• UP TO 3 GENERATIVE FILLS IN PHOTOSHOP (generative fills will be supplemental to other elements added physcially through compositng techniques. Points will be deducted if the majority of compositing is done with Generative fills. Points will be deducted if more than 3 Generative fills are used)
• Digital painted elements created from scratch
• Photoshop Brushes used in an original way
• NO ADDITIONAL INTERNET IMAGES.
• The requirement is to EXTEND YOUR OWN OBJECT

Objectives: Adobe Photoshop

1. Camera Raw

2. Compositing techniques - layer masks, blending modes, blur effects, light effects, etc.

3. Photoshop Layer Styles

4. Brushes and Blending modes

5. Layer Comps

6. Photoshop Actions

7. Generative Fill and Generative Expand AI prompts in Photoshop

LINKS

20 Matte Painting tutorial - links from Vanderlay Designs

Brusheasy

Other Brush sites - Freepik

Criteria For Grading and Evaluation:

FOCAL POINTS for convincing blends

• Light - what direction is the light coming from, what color is the light, does the light cast shadows, do your objects have shadows,
• Color/Value - what is the color temperature for each image being used. Unify the darkest darks and lightest lights for each element.
• Focus - try to match the focus to create a believable depth of field. Things farther away will be in a softer focus.
• Scale - look at scale and perspective when compositing different source material.

What to turn in:

1. Put your finished PSD (with layers), Adobe Stock images used, and ANY source images used in one folder.

2. Compress the folder into a .ZIP file

3. Name the folder landscape_yourname

4. Right Click (Control Click) on the Folder and choose > Compress

5. Submit your file to D2L