Welcome to this advanced paint and prep course where we’ll focus on removing dark stripe-like shadows and unwanted gradient reflections from a ski goggle visor in a VFX shot. This task requires a deep understanding of clean-up workflows, color correction, and compositing techniques — all of which we’ll cover in a structured, step-by-step process.
Workflow Process:
- Create the face – We’ll begin by building a clean version of the face without the ski goggles, which will act as the base clean plate.
- Clean the goggles – Next, we’ll remove all reflections and gradients from the ski goggles, leaving just the base shape with a flat color.
- Rebuild the gradient – Using multiple Grade and ColorCorrect nodes, we’ll recreate the original colored gradient (red, pink, purple, and yellow) on top of the goggles to match the input look.
- Composite the elements – The clean face and the rebuilt goggles will be composited together, carefully matching color, lighting, and motion.
- Eye animation cleanup – Since the shadow also affects the left eye, we’ll create several layers of animated clean plates for the eyes. Using manual digital painting (including frame-by-frame animation for eye blinking), we’ll match the eye’s motion and color with the clean reference.
- Snow particle integration – Snow particles that interact with and land on the goggles will be added back using tracked and composited layers.
- Color and motion matching – We’ll fine-tune the shot using additional Grade and ColorCorrect nodes, adjust motion blur to blend with the original footage, and ensure that every element looks natural and consistent.
This is a highly complex shot that combines many advanced techniques, from frame-by-frame paint to multi-pass compositing and precise color matching. You’ll gain hands-on experience with Nuke, learning how to tackle difficult reflection removal shots and deliver them at production quality.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a complete understanding of how to approach and execute complex paint and prep tasks — and you’ll be able to apply these methods to a wide range of VFX clean-up challenges.
Let’s get started. Best of luck and enjoy learning!
