In this lesson, Nick Hiatt explores the creation of 360° images in Photoshop, addressing the technical challenges of spherical mapping, such as distortion and seams. He advocates a hybrid workflow that combines 3D asset libraries for broad coverage with 2D painting for refinement, balancing speed and artistic control to produce detailed, immersive 360° environments efficiently.

Duration: 16m 10s

In this lesson, Nick goes through his work flow for painting in 360 space, prioritizing speed and efficiency for client level work by leveraging custom shape libraries, strategic use of Photoshop's tools, and understanding where distortion occurs in panoramic space. He focuses on getting the perspective and Z-depth right in the composition, allowing viewers to feel the dimensionality in the work.

Duration: 19m 33s

This lesson showcases Nick's workflow for planning out kitbash elements. By understanding where distortion occurs, maintaining organized layer structures and building reusable assets from parts instead of painting or designing from scratch, he shows how he can generate an alien-looking environment with speed and quality. Choosing the appropriate tool for each task, Nick shows how to work smarter not harder.

Duration: 33m 9s

This lesson looks at Nick's process for generating, exporting, and modifying character assets from Daz 3D. Understanding how artists can use Daz 3D strengths as a rapid prototyping tool, can reduce what once took days to hours per character. Combining these advantages with strategic refinements in Maya, Photoshop, and rendering applications, Nick shows how he can quickly populate scenes with multiple posed and textured characters.

Duration: 42m 29s

In this lesson, Nick builds on the previous workflow, using pre-made asset libraries from Kitbash3D and Daz3D to quickly assemble detailed scenes in Maya. This practical, production-focused approach demonstrates how selecting the right tools can streamline complex 3D environment creation, highlighting Nick’s philosophy of working smarter, not harder.

Duration: 28m 1s

In this lesson, Nick demonstrates a professional approach to 3D environment and character layout that prioritizes speed as well as the narrative of the whole piece. As he is using many kitbash assets in his workflow, Nick ensures that every element, from the vehicle placement to character poses to the reflection in puddles, serves the story being told.

Duration: 17m 49s

This lesson looks at the lighting and texturing portion of Nick's process, requiring strategic placement and design to create focal points which guide the viewer's attention throughout the 360° environment. By using HDRI dome lighting and carefully positioning the render camera to place key subjects at the canvas center, Nick demonstrates how to avoid seam issues while creating compelling, high-contrast renders.

Duration: 15m 53s

In this lesson, Nick goes through the process of compositing his 360° panoramic artwork. By starting with rough renders to identify problems and prioritize areas of focus, Nick shows how artists can avoid wasting time on details that won't contribute to the final composition. Nick’s approach to mocking up individual hero moments in smaller frames before tackling the full 360° canvas also helps establish mood and lighting direction.

Duration: 33m 23s

In this lesson, Nick continues the compositing process, adding depth and detail to his composition. Working in broad strokes, leveraging photo references, and maintaining meticulous layer organization, Nick shows how to cover vast amounts of canvas real estate while preserving flexibility for revisions. He uses effects strategically to guide viewer attention, while always looking for reusable assets to add to his library.

Duration: 44m 6s

In this lesson, Nick starts to add in finer details to his piece. He always looks to use whatever technique, whether 2D photo-bashing, 3D rendering, or painted elements, to achieve the desired result fastest for the specific use case. As layers become more and more complex, he notes the importance of maintaining organized layers and leveraging adjustment layers for non-destructive editing.

Duration: 44m 13s

In this lesson, Nick adds in grunge and other photographic elements and effects. He reinforces the idea that realism comes from accumulating details, such as weathering, damage, atmospheric effects, and environmental elements, which all add to the emotional and contextual impact of the shot. Because of the size of the 360° scene, it's imperative to stay organized, using layer sets and treating effects as iterative passes.

Duration: 24m 12s

In this final lesson, Nick shows how artists can export their 360° concept artwork as video and VR content through After Effects. Nick uses the "Video is VR" option in the Adobe Media Encoder, to handle all the technical metadata requirements automatically. This process enables artists to share more immersive experiences on social platforms while maintaining the flexibility to add animations and audio.

Duration: 2m 33s