Hey Reader,

Zach here,

Today we have a compositing tutorial for stylized renders, inspiring CG animated shorts and a (photoshop-like) layered texture painting add-on completely for free.

Let’s dive in.

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​Blender Compositing for NPR - tutorial​

If you think compositing is a technique only used for realistic VFX in films, this video by Pau Homs (lighting/compositing artist working for Disney) will prove you wrong.

You can use compositing to add stylized looks and elements to your 3D renders, adding a whole new level of artistic control. In this tutorial series (so far it has 2 parts) Pau explains the basics of using the real-time compositor in Blender to get you up and running in your post-production adventure.

If you want to master Blender's underrated yet very powerful compositor, we’ve just released an in-depth course about Mastering Compositing in Blender (it’s currently 20% OFF).

​TukTuk Tango - Animated Short​

"Indiana Jones’ Jeep, fed up with his lazy and obese owner, hits the road for thrills, spills and his own high-octane adventure." 🚙

I’d describe this one as a fun, wild ride, that is surprisingly well-crafted, with a tasty dash of chaos. This CG short deserves more attention.

Created for a Kitbash3D render challenge, built with Unreal Engine 5.4, with a bit of support by Blender, EmberGen, LiquiGen, Cinema4D, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter and DaVinci Resolve.

It is an impressive car chase scene with a lot of explosions, but what is the most fun part - it uses vehicles as main characters. Creativity and humor sprinkled with high-level cinematic execution make it really fun to watch.

​Blender Texture Painting Layers - Free Add-on​

Blender’s native texture painting system is powerful but complicated... and non-intuitive. It can be frustrating, especially if you’re just starting out.

This cool little add-on called "Paint System" adds a functional and simple layer-based workflow (if you know Photoshop or GIMP you’ll feel at home). What is even more amazing is that it’s 100% free (but you can donate to the author if you want).

The basics of how to use it are explained in this video.

If you want to start using it right away, download the add-on here.

​Boundless - Blender short film​

I hope you had a wonderful 2024, but sometimes we feel overwhelmed with too much stuff to do and spending too much time in front of a screen. This can make us feel uninspired and "locked in a box".

​This moving short animation made in Blender by Gurgen Aloian is a great reminder of where we can get fresh energy and inspiration from.
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That’s all from me today,

Have a great week and till next time.

~Zach