Here's How You Can Give Your 3D Models a 2D Painterly Look

3D Artist Cody Gindy has recently shared a highly-informative free tutorial that thoroughly explains how you can give your 3D models a 2D painterly look by leveraging Blender and Substance 3D software.

In the tutorial, the artist thoroughly explained a neat technique for setting up hand-painted-style surfaces by painting over Object Space Normal Maps, describing the technique as extremely easy to use and noting that it allows one to capture the feeling of a 2D painting while maintaining the flexibility of 3D. Moreover, the creator spoke about Normals in general and discussed how they work, making the tutorial especially perfect for aspiring creators. You can watch the full tutorial attached above or by visiting Cody's YouTube page.

And here are a couple of short guides shared by Cody:

Previously, Matte Painter and Surfacing Artist Marceau Tonoli also shared a comprehensive tutorial, thoroughly explaining how a similar stylized brush stroke effect can be set up using only Maya and Arnold's built-in tools:

And prior to that, 3D Artist Omar Faruq Tawsif showcased a hand-painted-style still-life illustration and shared a detailed step-by-step breakdown showing how the final result was achieved with Blender: