Well, often, it was just with a paintbrush and some glass. With a technique called matte painting, skilled artists would paint a scene and black out a portion of the frame for live-action photography.

Stromberg’s talk underscored how the disciplines are also merging. “I started painting on glass,” he said. “Matte painting became this place where you could create and you were in charge ...

And though Green Screen's dominance has given filmmakers an endless capability to invent, it's hard not to remain infatuated with the old school charm of matte paintings. The intricately designed ...

It was a master class of using specific camera angles, splicing together shots, using glass matte paintings, and twisting perspectives to make things look as realistic as possible. Silent Movie ...

The painted movie backdrop is a dying art, obviated by the rise of the green screen. But there's still something enchanting about those old Hollywood matte paintings; they lent a theatrical ...

These buildings by Kenzō Tange (1913-2005) look like matte paintings from futuristic movies — but they’re actually some of the most unique megastructures in the world. One of the most famous ...

This book represents the first sustained look at the art and technology of matte painting ... offering a peek inside a guild of genuine movie magicians. As a feast of technical information ...