Critical painting skills that are too important to neglect.
Does this sound familiar?
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Struggle to paint things realistically from imagination
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Waste lots of time with trial-and-error approaches
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All materials (skin, fabric, metal) have the same plastic look
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Tired of vague tips from half-baked tutorials and videos
I'm Clint Cearley, illustrator and instructor, and I'll give you my process
Material rendering is a personal favorite subject, having long been interested in what gives different materials their unique look. As a fantasy illustrator, I quickly learned that you often don't have the luxury of perfect references so you need to have reliable methods of mimicking realism without direct observation. I've studied the topic over the years, developing many methods and principles which I use in my professional work, and I'll teach you how to use them.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Gold & Steel
Old Metals
Glass & Transparency
Bone & Parchment
Stone and Wood
Designing a Prop Setup
TAKEAWAYS
Experience
Participants consistently give this course positive reviews and say it's one of the best courses they've ever taken.
Techniques
The principles and approaches you'll learn can be applied to any subject you choose to paint after the course.
Artwork
When you complete the course, you'll have a new prop setup illustration to share on your socials and add to your portfolio
PROCESS
01
Get the Course
From the store you will choose either the regular self-study version or the premium version with feedback (if available). If it's your first course at Academy, you'll be prompted to create a site profile during the checkout process.
02
Start the Lessons
Find the course module after logging into your site profile, download the provided assignment files, watch the lesson videos and follow any included paint-alongs, then complete the assignment worksheets.
03
Go Confidently
Share your new prop images made during the class on your socials then apply your new skills and understanding for both personal and professional pieces.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
"improved tremendously"
"It's incredible how well Clint and Diana convey complex problems logically in an attainable systematic way. The amount of knowledge I gained from the Materials course has become invaluable for my artistic career. I have improved tremendously thanks to the solutions and processes that are taught by the Swatches team!"
"worth every penny"
"The best class I had so far, I've learned a lot. Worth every penny."
Frank Freire
"clear and repeatable system"
"..I came into the course expecting to get better at rending materials but I ended up learning the importance of having a clear and repeatable system, how to observe references without relying on them too heavily, and what it takes to create images on a professional level. I created work I was proud of and learned tips and techniques I can take into work outside of class."
"highly recommend it"
"Swatches Material Rendering course was everything I hoped it would be, and more. The time I put into this course single-handedly resulted in the most drastic improvement in my technical ability and approach to painting in general. The contents of the course is excellent for I highly recommend it for all digital artists, regardless of skill level."
John Dahlgren
Participant art created during the course
RECRUITMENT
Outstanding students from Academy courses may be considered for recruitment to Swatches Studio where they are put on industry projects for clients including Wizards of the Coast, while receiving oversight from Clint and Diana Cearley.
FAQ
Will this help me be better at painting from imagination? Yes! While references should never be discarded, with the training in this course you’ll become less reliant on needing 1-to-1 references to achieve good results. You’ll learn how to adapt material information to a new subject using a reliable method.
Is this course a good training before Fantasy Illustration? Yes, the skills you learn in this intermediate class builds into doing the full scenes, such as those in the Fantasy Illustration course.
Do I need to know 3D for this course? No. This course is strictly 2D hand-painting, and uses no 3D modeling software or photobashing techniques.
I paint semi-stylized, is this class still a good fit? While the examples in this course are in a realism style, artists with a semi-stylized approach should feel comfortable with the curriculum since the principles covered can be directed in a stylized or realism direction. Many students using a Warcraft or mobile game rendering style have found the course to be very beneficial.
How do I know if I'm at the right level for this course? This course is intermediate difficulty which means students should already have skills in the following subjects: prior experience with digital painting, foundational drawing, and basic shading. Serious art students should find the class and homework enjoyable, yet challenging. Hobbyists will likely find the assignments somewhat more intensive and regimented than they may be used to. If you are still unsure if you have the skill necessary for this class, please contact Clint at clint@swatchesacademy.com and include a link to your online artwork, and we will let you know.
READY TO GET STARTED?
IMPORTANT INFO: Preparation and Specs so you're ready to start.
BONUS ($50 value): Everyone who registers for this course (both self-study and feedback versions) gain access to the Custom Career & Portfolio Strategy Kit to help create a time-saving art career plan, and dynamic portfolio.
Interested in this Course with Feedback?
Enter your email to be notified when this course becomes available with live feedback, and receive 10% off!
Both the self-study and the premium version use the same recorded lessons and course files.
Note, if you purchase the self-study version of the course and later take the premium version with feedback, we will reduce the price of the self-study from the premium version so you don't pay for the lesson content twice.
All live course students must adhere to our common sense Code of Conduct.