Most 3D modelling programs can make use of a modelling technique called NURBS.

It is very hard to tell in this low-resolution preview on this blog, but I am particularly proud of my pen-tool skills on this project.

The first one uses a gradient half-tone for the background and has the different fonts of the Myriad Pro typeface integrated into the background.

We were tasked with taking photos that contained the letterform of S.

We then had to reduce these photos to their most basic elements.

As some of you may or may not have figured out by now, I am an aspiring visual effects artist.

So if I have a lot of post-production work to do on a project in Nuke, I usually just end up exporting a hi-res JPEG or TARGA frame sequence of the whole project (or a selection of shots), then break the frame sequence up into individual folders based on the shot number.

That frame sequence is then imported into Nuke where I work my magic, then re-render out the frame sequence for re-ingestion back into Premiere.

I then of course replace the original video clip with the new frame sequence.

Instantly, a new project is created in AE, and all your shots are there in their own neat little layers with your EDLcuts maintained ready for you to more or less make it rain.

Nuke, which is quickly becoming an industry standard, is amazing with its node-based workflow, full 32-bit float environment, and support for over 1000 image channels which could potentially be contained within one OpenEXR file (but that will be another post itself).

Its definitely my tool of choice for manufacturing en masse the aforementioned explosions, but definitely a pain when I seem to have no luck with any of the 3rd-party plugins designed to bridge the gap between your post app by attempting to ingest XML data from Premiere or Final Cut and referencing times within the source media files.

The first item I wanted to discuss is the importance of the pen tool.

Having a well developed set of skills with the pen tool, or the bezier shape tool as it is called in other applications is crucial no matter what field of graphics youre working in.

Anyone can really use the pen tool, but it takes a deeper understanding of the way the control handles work along with making use of some clever keyboard shortcuts to truly master it.

The most common of these being Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects.

While there is a similarity in uses of the pen tool between these programs, each of them still has a different use.

Adobe After Effects since is primarily a visual effects compositor, so the pen tool is often used for maskingroto work and solid shape layer generation.

In Adobe Photoshop, I myself have primarily used it for masking, as well as extractingisolating elements in an image (for colour correction or otherwise).

In Illustrator, I find, the pen tool is used primarily for path generation and line drawings (which can be filed with a solid colour if the design requires it).

Almost every visual effects program (whether it be its purpose be trackingmatch-moving, compositing, colour-grading, or other) makes use of some sort of bezier related tool.

In VFX, this tool can be used to create garbage mattes for keying a green screen and isolate a section of a video to include or exclude it from a 3D track, to even drawing precise shapes and animating them to extract an element.

Adobe Premiere Pro Garbage Matte Nuke