I had the idea of a smuggler’s cove that felt moody, dark and in shambles. I initially established the composition with rock formations, but I scrapped that to make the port the focus.
I’d been making building assets as prop call-outs before starting the environment, so once composition was established it was all about the assembly of different elements I’d prepared. The 3D is mainly used to establish materials and the mood; if the material is established properly you can overlay photos to give it that extra punch while keeping lighting accurate (see our guide to the best 3D modelling software if you want to add 3D to your workflow).
