'ZBrush, Photoshop & Google SketchUp'

While looking for photo references I also started working in ZBrush, creatingbuildings for my matte painting. You might think that it is an odd choice of program for that and you would be right. However I’ve seen many tutorials for creating buildings in this program and the results were amazing. So as well as helping me with this project, I was also able to learn new techniques during the creation process. I won’t be writing about the specifics of working with ZBrush as I don’t yet have enough experience, but to put it briefly the buildings were created from the simplest objects, while detailing was done using Alpha brushes that I created in Photoshop (Fig.06).

I added windows to my buildings as well as several architectural elements from the right pictures. To me, a city on the ocean’s coast should include the effect that time, salt, water and wind leaves on its ancient walls. But it was important to pick textures that would not overdo the effect or lose the details (Fig.08).