Introduction

This tip is a quick rundown on how I use 3D materials for backgrounds.

The Process

stage 1: Sketch

First I start with a rough thumbnail sketch of the composition:

The I add the 3d material and adjust it to match the view in the thumbnail:

If you need a refresher on how to manipulate 3d materials, check out this official tutorial:

then I sketch out the characters/props and any background elements not in the 3D model (such as the tree in this image), First by blocking them out:

then drawing the details on another layer:

Stage 2: Line Art

after grouping the sketch and 3D layers, I lower their opacity, and on a new vector layer I draw the line art, essentially “tracing over” the 3d model:

This results in backgrounds that have a loose, organic quality to the line art. but feel solid with correct perspective:

Bonus Line Art Tips

- Having thicker lines for foreground elements and thinner for those further back helps create a better sense of depth.

 

- I use vector layers for line art as I find them helpful for making small adjustments to the line art, such as trimming overlapping lines.

Stage 3: Colour And Rendering

Next I add the flat colour, using a gradient for the sky on a seperat layer:

And lastly, I render in a cell shaded style (shadow layers set to 50% Multiply and highlights at 50% Screen):