Matteo Paolini

Review

Tell us about yourself: Who are you, what do you love to do and where are you from?

My name is Matteo Paolini and I’m an aspiring concept artist from Germany. I love movies, series and games and it always amazed me how much creativity and passion goes into them. I especially have a weakness for fantasy settings like “Princess Mononoke” or “The Witcher 3”.

China Town

(3D in Blender, matte painting in Photoshop)

What were the biggest problems you faced when you started as an artist?

I think the biggest problem when starting out was having a clear goal in mind. Back then I usually just started things which ultimately ended up in the “Forever-WIP-Realm”. But over time, and especially due to the mentorship, I learned how important it is to plan things out first and gather proper reference.

What did you do during the mentorship and what helped you on each task?

In my first mentorship I was introduced to Photoshop magic, from photo bashing to proper perspective and lighting. The introduction to proper reference gathering helped during that process. During the second mentorship, I was already more confident, so we tackled two projects right away. This time again, I learned a lot of new techniques. Especially the 32-bit workflow and introduction to color spaces blew my mind. I don’t think I would have figured that out myself, cause it’s confusing at first.

Forest

Matte painting

Why did you choose our concept art school and not other art schools?

The great thing about the mentorship was to be in an actual call and collaborate on a project together with the mentor. This makes it not only way more personal, but it also allows asking questions and getting the answer right away. Compared with sharing screens, you can get an insight into a professional concept art creation process. Additionally, this mentorship makes the whole process super effective. You can’t compare it with any art school scenario, where you sit in a class with a bunch of other people and the teacher is doing some lecturing and that’s it. If anyone is struggling if they should go to an expensive art school or take mentorship classes: Take the CGVerse mentorship.

How was the Mentorship for you?

It was great! The mentorship was a big turning point for my art. Before I was just dabbling around with ugly cg stuff, not really with any intention or knowledge of what I did there (It looked horrible). With my first mentorship, I started to notice how little I knew about the craft. I learned so much that I just took another one right away, and it was a blast in every single session!

what would you say when you recommend us to an artist?

Basically what I have said already: Usually people who want to get better consider going to art school. Ignoring the fact, that going to school (at least in my opinion) is in many cases not teaching you many relevant things. Just also consider the amount of money you would have to spend on a good art school. And now compare it with the amount of 1 on 1 mentorships you can get for that money and you don’t even have to leave your house. And obviously: It is just a more convenient and efficient way of learning. Additionally, you get useful insights into the industry and a lot of useful tips on how to get a job, what makes a good portfolio, or whatever you are looking for.

Cyberpunk

Mattepainting and 3D