Environment Concept Art, Matte Painting, and 3D for 2D Online Course
Tools: digital art, Matte Painting, Photobashing, 3D, kitbash, and VR
Registration Now Open. Course Start: Aug 11, 2025
Want to create visuals for the modern game, film, and advertising industries?
This course is for you.
A Proven System
Cutting-edge techniques combined with solid artistic foundations
Mentorship. Attention to detail. A personalized approach.
14 essential 3D tools for 2D artists — from scratch
This digital art course is ideal for both beginners and professionals who want to master new 2D/3D tools and refine their entire creative pipeline — from sketch to final concept.
This program has helped hundreds of aspiring and experienced CG artists, illustrators, film compositors, motion designers, architects, and even beginner 3D modelers and visualizers grow their skills and portfolios.
1,000+ graduates have already launched careers as concept artists, promo illustrators, and matte painters in top studios across the film, game, and animation industries.
Meet Your Instructor
My name is Lina Sidorova, and I’ve been working as a CG artist for over 15 years in games, film, and illustration.
I created promotional artworks for AAA projects such as: ArcheAge, Warface, Armored Warfare, Perfect World, Dragon Nest, Skyforge, World of Speed, and more.
I also worked on matte paintings and concept art for films, advertising, and mobile/browser games.
In 2011, I graduated with a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture.
In 2019, I completed additional pedagogical training at the British Higher School of Art & Design.
In 2025, I was granted a U.S. EB-1 visa — awarded to artists with extraordinary ability — in recognition of my achievements in digital art and teaching.
I've been teaching the Environment Concept Art course both online and offline for over 10 years, constantly refining and improving the course.
Guest Lectures by Industry Experts
To complement the 3D module, this course features exclusive guest lectures from top artists working on notable projects, including Valorant (Riot Games), Rainbow Six Extraction (Ubisoft), Leo & Tig (Netflix), King’s Bounty 2, and others. Guest instructors include: Andrew Khrutsky — Blender for 2D Artists, Nikolai Andrianov — Maya + Unreal Engine, Pavel Bokai — 3ds Max + Unreal Engine, Andrew Sidorov — SketchUp & VR in Concept Art.
Course Structure
In this course, you'll follow a structured system of visual thinking, art fundamentals, and workflow organization — developed through years of professional practice and teaching.
In an era of constantly shifting creative tools, this system will remain effective — no matter what software or rendering method you use.
📅 Course Duration:
12 weeks + 1 bonus month for finalizing your course project with optional instructor feedback.
Each week, you'll access a new lecture and materials. You’ll have a week to complete the assignment, which will be reviewed in a live webinar.
📦 What’s Included:
12 lecture modules + 12 live practice webinars
(with bonus content depending on the group’s pace — all broken into clear, digestible blocks)A comprehensive 3D module covering 14 software packages across 9 practical toolsets
An extensive resource library: references, demo files, extra video tutorials, brush sets, shapes, flares, and more
A 100-page illustrated PDF manual with original exercises, theory, and clickable links to literature and resources
Access to the CG LAB private forum — filled with helpful materials, job boards, and peer support
Direct support from the instructor (me!) 24/7 — feel free to DM or post questions in the group chat anytime
What Makes This Course Unique?
Personal Mentorship — Not Just Lessons
I provide individual support throughout the course — no waiting a week for help. If something isn't working, you can get feedback or overpaint right away via private messages or chat.
A Layered Artistic System That Sticks
My method teaches you to build images in logical layers — just like in a production pipeline. It’s a proven way to simplify the complex, reduce endless reworking, and answer the question: “What exactly isn’t working — and how do I fix it?”
Foundations that Actually Work
This course offers a clear explanation of composition, value, light, and color. You won’t find this kind of structured teaching on YouTube. It’s all based on my hands-on experience as an artist and educator.
Constantly Updated Tools & Topics
I refine and expand the course with new software tools, industry-relevant workflows, and improve the structure based on student feedback. For example, the 3D for 2D Artists block was added in response to evolving pipelines, and the composition lecture came from common issues I saw across earlier groups.
The Manual
A 100-page PDF companion guide is included. It contains: exercises not shown in the videos, theory breakdowns, clickable resources, and cheat sheets you’ll keep using well beyond the course.
Taught Directly by Me
No curators. No automation. This course is 100% taught and supported personally by me, Lina Sidorova — and I’ve helped over 1,000+ artists grow their skills and careers.
Course Program
Week 1
Composition
Workflow · Organization · Speed · References · Composition
Digital Art in Photoshop and Alchemy: a look at creating compositions using non-standard tools, getting out of your comfort zone, and thus widening the circle of idea generation.
Result: 20 black and white compositions (10 simple, 10 with texture brushes)
Week 2
Tone
Tone · Separation of plans · Rules of good tone · Tone keys
Use tone not only as a plan separator, but also as an element of controlling the viewer's emotions.
Result: 6 compositions in simple tone, 6 compositions with advanced tone in different tone keys
Week 3
Light
Practical, real-world methods to paint believable light.
Result: 6 compositions with different light scenarios
Week 4
Material
Textures · Materials · Photobashing · Matte Painting
Create environments from scratch using photobashing workflows.
Matte painting on the ready-made composition.
Result: 2 photobashing grayscale artworks and 1 grayscale matte painting
Week 5-7
Color
Progressive lessons in color theory and practical application for matte painting.
Color Level 1: Emotions, Hue & Color Wheel
Color Level 2: Color Schemes that work
Color Level 3: Tone + Light + Saturation
Result: 3 full-color matte painting artworks
Week 8
FX
Learn how to add special effects: particles, noise, aberration, lens flare, color tricks, and others.
Week 9-11
3D
Week 9: Review 3D software and choose a bunch of 3D packages for coursework.
Blender / Zbrush / 3DCoat / Sketchup / Maya / 3dsMax / + Octane (Standalone or for Blender) / Keyshot / Unreal Engine 4 / Eevee. VR: Medium, Gravity Sketch, Blocks, Masterpiece VR. Fast generation of 3D characters in various packages: DAZ 3D, Design Doll, etc. Start creation of coursework: composition and basic modelling.
Week 10: Model and render in the selected 3D bundle. Create advanced materials and use photo scans.
Week 11: Collect and polish coursework in Photoshop, several variants of final works and lectures on the subject. Matte painting.
Week 12
Portfolio
Portfolio · Job Search · Pricing
Feedback on coursework, evaluating and analyzing each student's growth. Tips for further self-development.
Bonus lecture on soft skills.
Result: 1 high-detailed coursework with a 3D base
🎁 + 1 Extra Month
Feedback
You get 1 additional month to finalize your portfolio piece, with the option to request feedback in chat with the instructor.
⯁ All sessions include bonus materials: PDF handbook, brush packs, inspiration folders, video extras, and more.
3D for 2D Artists: 14 Programs
3D for 2D Artists Module
Software covered: PHOTOSHOP, BLENDER, ZBRUSH, 3DCOAT, SKETCHUP, MAYA, 3DS MAX, KEYSHOT, OCTANE (STANdALONE AND FOR BLENDER), UNREAL ENGINE, GRAVITY SKETCH, MASTERPIECE VR, BLOCKS, MEDIUM.
On week 9, students get access to a full set of video lectures introducing 14 popular 3D programs from scratch.
No prior 3D experience required — each tutorial guides you from zero to a fully rendered result in Photoshop.
Not enough time to explore all tools during the course? No worries — you’ll keep lifetime access to the lectures and can return anytime to expand your toolkit.
Student Work
All featured artworks were created during this course.
My students are my pride!
Testimonials
“I really enjoyed the course. The workflow is clear and well-structured — it instantly shows you what you need to improve and where to dig deeper.”
“I got exactly what I came for — I stopped being afraid of 3D and became more confident in drawing environments. There’s still a lot to learn and practice, but now I know how to move forward and grow on my own.”
“I want to thank Lina for the clear structure of the course, which helped me improve my technical skills, and for her patience and dedication during the feedback sessions. Thanks also to the fellow students who provided thoughtful feedback when needed — being part of such a supportive community is truly amazing!”
“Lina is a great speaker — I really appreciated how she gives constructive, friendly feedback. The atmosphere during the streams was great, and I always left feeling inspired. And honestly, I think that’s one of the most important things.”
“The best course I’ve ever taken. A huge and well-structured amount of knowledge — from sketching all the way to 3D and final rendering. I completed three complex artworks during the course. The feedback is super detailed, but don’t expect anyone to do the work for you — she’ll push you to grow!”
“This is my third course at CG LAB, and I’m still amazed by the instructors, the volume of material, the thoughtful lectures, and how much individual attention each student receives — both during voice feedback and in written comments. It’s genuinely hard to find strong teachers these days, and the quality of most online courses often falls short. I feel lucky to have found CG LAB — without exaggeration, it’s the best school I’ve studied at.”
Course Enrollment
Course Fee: $690
Registration Now Open. Course Start: Aug 11, 2025
🕘 Students will meet up with Lina Sidorova LIVE once per week on Mondays at 9 am PT / 12 pm ET.
+ 💸 Exclusive Offers for Our Students
Bundle Discount: Save 15% when you buy 2 courses at once, and an extra 5% for each additional course — up to 30% off total!
Feedback Bonus: Leave a course review and get 5% off your next enrollment.
Returning Student Discount:
- 10% off your second course
- 15% off your third and beyond
👉 All discounts stack — save up to 30%!
You can pay the full fee or in two parts:
– First half before the course begins
– Second half by the end of the fifth week
⚠️ Basic drawing tablet skills and Photoshop knowledge are required to join.
Please fill out the form to enroll, make a payment, or ask a question.
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