Gnomon Digital Texture Library
English | Training + Texture Maps | 12 DVDs | 37.26 GB
Genre: eLearning / Library
Creating textures from scratch can prove a challenge to even the most experienced texturing artists, let alone those who are new to the craft. Most artists like to have a library of references in addition to high-resolution photographs and images to begin their textures, to incorporate into their own textures.
Gnomon Workshop continues their tradition of excellent titles with this new collection of DVDs compiled and presented by Dreamworks artist and texturing veteran Jeremy Engelman. Each is a 3-DVD set containing video training and an incredibly extensive, high quality texturing resource for any artist. Comprising of a collection of custom-made distressed metals, woods, bricks and blocks, the combined collection amounts to literally hundreds of high-resolution images (24-bit uncompressed tile-able TIFF files), together with hundreds of ‘feature’ images. These are special texture maps of things like bolts, decorations, etc that have Alpha channels included for combining them easily into larger texture maps.
Each set also includes a few video lessons demonstrating various techniques for using the images supplied, using Photoshop, as well as 3ds max and Maya.
Unlike many texturing libraries available out there, the texture maps in this collection have been meticulously created so that they actually do their job correctly. Many ‘bump’ and ‘specular’ images supplied in texture libraries are simply grayscale versions of the diffuse images, which is thankfully not the case with these. Most of the color images provided have also had lighting artifacts and such removed to provide a more accurate effect when rendered.
For ease of use, an HTML-based browser for the images is provided on each resource disc, so that you can navigate through the selection quickly, preview the Color, Bump and Specular images, and save the appropriate images to disk.
Distressed Metal
Probably one of the most common textures that artists are called upon to create are those of metal structures. Adding an element of stress to them provides a greater sense of realism, so understanding how to construct textures that look appropriately weathered is an important skill for any texturing artist.
The first DVD in this set includes a lecture on constructing layered textures within Photoshop. Using different blending modes and a variety of tricks and techniques, viewers are shown an efficient workflow for quickly creating custom stressed metal images.
This lesson is followed by another demonstrating applied techniques within Maya. A similar demonstration in 3ds max follows, for creating multi-component textures within the 3D environment using diffuse, bump and specular images. Viewers will appreciate the concise, informative nature of these lessons, which demonstrate simple, efficient solutions that look good.
This DVD also includes a useful set of distressed brushes for Photoshop; with example Photoshop files for users to examine and learn from, and a set of shaders for Maya and 3ds max.
The remaining two DVDs in this set contain the texturing library and resources. The first has generalized images of corrosion, scratched metal and painted metal, while the second has images for severe stress, as well as specialist images (tread plate, corrugated sheeting, etc) and feature images (such as bolts, graffiti, rust patches, grunge details, etc). The total number of texture files is 280, and the number of feature images is 150.
Bricks and Blocks
This next set kicks off with a video training session covering a process of creating a unique, detailed layered wall texture in Photoshop, using elements from a variety of source images, followed by a demonstration on utilizing various elements from images to have flexible control over the look of each aspect of the texture map.
The other two lessons demonstrate the creation and application of multi-layered wall textures in Maya and 3ds max, respectively. Individual detail elements from different images sources are combined to created walls with bricks, mortar, edge details, and other features.
This DVD also includes Maya and 3ds max shaders, in addition to a set of Photoshop brushes and example files.
The two library discs contain a total of 250 textures for brick and cement surfaces, in addition to 200 feature images for specific details. Textures supplied on the first disc include a plethora of bricks and tiles in Clean, Painted, and Rough categories, while the second disc has Pavers, Speciality and Feature images. The Speciality category includes various pattern work and unusually uneven work, while the Feature images include graffiti, grunge details, cracks, and various weathering.
Planks and Wood
The third set offers a collection of wooden textures for boards, planks, posts, etc. Most texturing artists would agree that natural-looking wood textures are difficult to create by hand, so having a big collection of wood images is always useful.
Lessons on the first disc include a lesson on creating a large custom wood texture with various additional elements from other images (bolts, knots, hinges, etc) and grungy paint, using several non-destructive techniques including layer masks and selections from alpha channels. This lesson is followed by a shorter one on techniques for creating seamlessly tileable wood textures, as well as demon-strations in Maya (creating textures for a large pile of planks) and 3ds max (a single plank).
The first DVD, like the others in each set, also contains example Photoshop files and brushes, along with shaders for 3ds max and Maya.
The first of the library discs contains images sorted into categories of Boards (individual planks), Planks (groups of planks) and Posts (rougher woods for fences and posts), while the second disc has Panels, Speciality (including fences, roofing, etc) and Features such as knots, scratches, trellising, and weathering. There are 305 texture images and 160 feature images in this set.
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