LogInPark Jun shared with us how he created a stylized grass project using Substance 3D Designer, explaining how he painted the grass to achieve a watercolor-like feeling.
Introduction
My name is Park Jun, and I am a 3D Environment Artist living in Seoul, South Korea. I specialize in creating gaming environments with a casual yet stylish aesthetic. It hasn't been long since I started working with Substance 3D Designer.
The Stylized Grass Project
I was inspired to start this project after looking at various references. It was my first time creating stylized grass, so everything felt unfamiliar, and since I challenged myself to do it in Substance 3D Designer, I became very attached to the process. After many iterations, I was able to produce a satisfying result.
Masking Area
I began by dividing the surface into grass and path areas, and created a base mask using Shape and Directional Warp nodes. I used Tile Sampler to generate a more natural pattern, and applied colors using Gradient Map.
Paint Layer
I then created a paint mask and added a variety of colors to give the surface a watercolor-like feeling.
Grass
Using a custom grass mask, I created several types of grass blades. By varying the colors and density, I was able to build up a lush, layered look.
Flowers
I added simple stylized flowers with a variety of colors to add richness and visual interest. Then I re-applied the path mask on top so that flowers and grass wouldn't grow over the pathway.
Rocks
For the rocks, I manually carved and refined the shape several times until I got the look I wanted.
Shadows
Finally, I added shadows on the raised parts of the Normal Map to emphasize depth and volume.
Viewport Settings
In Substance 3D Designer, I set the Height Depth value to 18 to calibrate the Normal Map. I used the default "Airport" HDRI for lighting, added a touch of bloom for brightness, and used ACES tone mapping for consistency.
Marmoset
In Marmoset Toolbag, I used the same "Airport" HDRI from Substance 3D Designer. I applied a bit of bloom and sharpening, and again used ACES tone mapping to match the look.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read about my project! And thank you to Binho and Seowon for your helpful feedback, and to Yonggun, Taehwan, and Youngjun, for studying together. I'll continue to grow as a 3D Environment Artist and keep pushing my skills forward.