Matte painting is a visual effects process which combines 3D rendering in programs such as 3DSMax, Maya, and Fusion, along with hand-painted and photostock elements to create a seamless visual environment. For feature films, this matte painting environment is then used along with camera techniques to composite the actors into a virtual 3D scene while maintaining natural lighting and realistic environments. Matte paintings have been used in many films, from the Wizard of Oz, all the way up to James Cameron’s smash hit, Avatar.
This post will showcase 30 incredible matte paintings from the most talented matte painters around, including Dylan Cole, Dusso, and Frederic St-Arnaud. Movies showcased include Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, The DaVinci Code, and Sin City. This post isn’t necessarily an endorsement of the film, but instead, focuses on the stunning visual effects displayed.
If you’re wondering why there are no matte paintings from Avatar here, most of the matte paintings have not yet been cleared for release. However, you can check out some DVDs from the artists involved over at The Gnomon Workshop, who recently saluted the artists of Avatar.
Enjoy the artworks, and special thanks to all the artists for creating breathtaking works of art that leave us dazzled film after film.
Quick Navigation (Scrolls to Movie)
- Lord of the Rings
- Sin City
- Star Wars
- The Chronicles of Riddick
- Alien vs. Predator
- Journey to Mecca
- The Island
- The Punisher
- The DaVinci Code
- Superman Returns
- Night at the Museum
- Daredevil
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Eragon
The Lord of the Rings
via Dylan Cole
via Dylan Cole
via Dusso
via Dylan Cole
via Dusso
via Dylan Cole
via Dylan Cole
Sin City
via Frederic St-Arnaud
via Frederic St-Arnaud
Star Wars
via Dusso
via Dusso
via Dusso
via Dusso
The Chronicles of Riddick
via Dylan Cole
via Dylan Cole
Alien vs. Predator
via Chris Thunig
Journey to Mecca
via Frederic St-Arnaud
The Island
via Dusso
The Punisher
via Rob Blauser
The DaVinci Code
via Chris Thunig
Superman Returns
via Dylan Cole
via David Luong
via Dylan Cole
Night at the Museum
via David Luong
Daredevil
via Dylan Cole
via Dylan Cole
Pirates of the Caribbean
via Dusso
via Dusso
Eragon
via Dusso
01.20.10
Good Job man !! thts a pretty cool collection
01.20.10
…. completely cool with me…. matte paintings have been around for a long time…. but now we are in the “digital age” …. so they are even better than ever !! Thanks Brukhar for showcasing these here at CreativeFan !!
01.21.10
I really liked the first shot under “Daredevil” and the way it bends the perspective so that when you look down the painting you go from looking at the skyline to looking straight down at the road. I imagine this would be tough to pull off in a realistic way but he did it.
01.22.10
Coool! thanks eric! i just love Dylan Cole’s work. aspecially what he did for LoTR
01.22.10
really excellent paintings.
01.31.10
amazing but i have a question. since they are paintings and not complete 3d models in themselves still, how do they do pan shots of the scene???
01.31.10
They use compositing software such as Fusion to create a 3D version of the scene, which allows camera navigation.