Guide
12 October 2026
A matte painting is a painted set added to filmed footage. For more than a century, it has been used to show places that are impossible to build or to film.
Questions
What is matte painting?
A painted set, by hand or digital, added to filmed footage. It shows a place that doesn’t exist or that couldn’t be filmed.
How does matte painting extend a set?
The shoot uses a partial set and the matte painting adds the rest. In compositing, the perspective, the light and the color are matched so everything looks continuous.
Is matte painting still used today?
Yes, in digital form. It is painted, projected onto 3D geometry or built as a full 3D environment.