Experimental Digital Painting with Daniel Reid

Sign-ups open Monday March 2nd at Noon ET!

Join Daniel Reid (papa.png) in this 4 week workshop as he guides you through using digital painting as a truly artistic medium for expression.

We’ll Cover:

• Letting go of perfectionism 
• How to use intuition and not just logic
• Hybrid 3D and photo workflows

Week 1: Foundations of voice and subconscious storytelling

• The Transformative Line: Using a technique called transformative line to contact storytelling deeper than the surface
• Narrative Engine: Using Dream Logic to drive the story. Prioritizing symbolic continuity and emotional truth rather than strict realism.
• Intent: Composing with the specific goal of contextual accuracy, bypassing the urge to “make it look pretty.”.

Week 2: Intuition & Composition

• Matte Painting as Experiment: Moving away from rigid photobashing toward experimental composition.
• The Mixer Brush: Unlocking the tool’s potential for flow, edge play, and controlled abstraction.
• Design Decisions: Analyzing why we make choices navigating the tension between Logic vs. Intuition.
• Tone Control: Using Contrast & Affinity as the fundamental tools to manipulate emotional and thematic impact

Week 2: Intuition & Composition

• Matte Painting as Experiment: Moving away from rigid photobashing toward experimental composition.
• The Mixer Brush: Unlocking the tool’s potential for flow, edge play, and controlled abstraction.
• Design Decisions: Analyzing why we make choices navigating the tension between Logic vs. Intuition.
• Tone Control: Using Contrast & Affinity as the fundamental tools to manipulate emotional and thematic impact

Week 3: 3D Forms & Image Crushing

• 3D Coat Workflow: Intro to Intermediate sculpting for silhouettes, forms, and rapid design generation. Combining that with our stories.
• Image Crushing: The art of destructive editing. Extracting energy from renders through heavy paintovers and artifact manipulation.
• Controlled Chaos: Articulating texture and focal points through “accidents” and destructive workflow techniques to find image tension.

Week 4: Synthesis & Direction

• Macro Critique: A holistic review of work produced across the month. Identifying recurring themes, strengths, and personal voice.
• Final thoughts: On industry, life, and why art is important.

Duration: 4 weeks
Date & Time: Saturdays at 1PM ET starting Saturday April 4
Skill level: All skill levels welcome
Tiers: 12 Critique spots – Receive feedback or spectate without homework feedback
Format: 4-5 hour live class with combination of lectures, demos, and feedback. Recordings will be provided within ~2 days of each class.
Materials: Any digital or traditional mediums. Paintovers will be done digitally.