Gnomon: Texture Painting Fundamentals
Photorealistic Texturing in Photoshop

Texture Painting: Fundamentals
Photorealistic Texturing with Paul Campion

Instructor:
Paul Campion

Formats: (Mac or PC only)
DVD-ROM (2-Disc Set)
System Requirements

In this DVD, Paul Campion explains the essentials of texture painting with Adobe Photoshop®, discussing how observation and an understanding of the original object’s surface qualities are the skills necessary to create photorealistic textures. Starting with reference captured using a standard flatbed scanner, he demonstrates how to create color, bump and specular maps for a prehistoric shark tooth, explaining how each type of map affects the surface qualities of the CG model, and how these three basic maps work together to create a photorealistic surface. In addition, this DVD covers the human face, one of the most difficult areas of a human to texture. This demonstration shows some of the basic principles involved in texturing a human head, relying on the use of good reference and observation skills. Paul also demonstrates how Maya can be effectively used as a 3D paint package, using Perspective Camera Projection and texture baking to generate complex UV maps, which are then combined in Adobe Photoshop® to create detailed realistic head textures.

Over 4 1/2 hours of lecture.

Product Code: PCA01

Interpreting Reference Photography
Understanding Surface Qualities
Creating Efficient UV Space
Mapping Strategies for color, bump and Specular
Projecting & Baking Textures
Painting Facial Features & Eyes

Chapters: Disc One

01. Preparing Reference
02. Studying Surface Qualities
03. Set-Up of the Maya Workspace
04. UV Mapping Essentials
05. Bump Mapping Essentials
06. Specular Mapping Essentials
07. Creating UV Snapshots
08. 10 Minute Textures
09. Painting the Color Map
10. Painting the Bump and Specular Maps
11. Applying and Refining the Final Maps
12. Summary

Chapters: Disc Two

01. Photographic Reference Study
02. Setting up and Painting Projections
03. Assembling the Color Map
04. Painting the Bump and Specular Map
05. Painting the Eyes
06. Summary

Instructor BIO:

Paul Campion began his career as a traditionally trained technical illustrator. He worked for 10 years as a freelance airbrush artist, painting horror and fantasy illustrations for books and computer game covers. He completed a Masters Degree in Computer Animation at Bournemouth University, England, where he specialized in photorealistic texturing. He then moved to New Zealand to work on the Oscar winning effects for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, eventually becoming a Lead Texture Painter for The Return of the King. While working at Weta Digital, he painted textures for creatures such as The Balrog, Mumakil, Fellbeast and Shelob. Recently he has helped to create the Hell sequences for Constantine and the all digital environments for Robert Rodriguez's film version of Frank Miller's Sin City graphic novels.