Developed by:
Thomas van den Berge, solo indie developer.
Release:
Out now on Steam and Rift. Quest 2 is releasing on March 24.
Platforms:
PC VR, supporting SteamVR, Rift and WMR. Quest 2 support will come soon.
Pricing:
$19.99
Discover your inner artist.
If you’ve ever watched a painter at work, you’ve undoubtedly felt the urge to try it for yourself. But getting an easel and expensive supplies is a serious commitment, one that few are willing to make. This is an opportunity for XR to show its full potential. Rotterdam-based solo indie developer Thomas van den Berge brings the joy of oil painting to Meta Quest 2 with the release of Vermillion on the Quest Store, giving you the unrivaled sense of accomplishment from creating beauty on the canvas, without the mess.
Simply donning your Quest 2 and starting Vermillion makes professional painting equipment appear in your own room, using the Quest’s Passthrough feature. This ensures you can still interact with those around you. If you need some time off from the real world (who doesn’t?), you can immerse yourself in your painting session by disappearing into a classical manor or whitewall loft studio, unaware of time passing by as you create your own world on the canvas.
The painting equipment consists of a height adjustable palette rest and brush stand, and an ergonomic easel that can be adjusted to any height and inclination, allowing you to paint seated, standing, or even lying down. There’s also a floating web browser, so you can learn to paint alongside your favorite artists on YouTube, or look up reference photos. The browser can be projected onto the canvas to liberate you from the challenges of drawing, if that is what you wish. Vermillion also offers full length paint-along tutorials recorded in-game that bring out your inner artist even if you’ve never held a brush in your life.
Vermillion features a far richer painting experience than any other VR painting app to date. Developed with the feedback of both traditional and digital artists, you’re sure to get the fun of oil painting without any of the frustration. To start the painting experience, you just whisk your brush through piles of paint on the palette to reach any hue or value. The colors mix realistically, so yellow and blue form green, and opposing colors such as blue and orange create black. You can also add some paint thinner to create transparent washes. Because Vermillion is all about wet-on-wet painting, colors will mix on the canvas as well. This allows for effortlessly smooth and natural blending of color. But because this is still a digital canvas, you get benefits which are sure to spark the envy of any traditional artist: layers, and undo/redo!
More than just color, the rich texture of oil paint is simulated as well. Satisfyingly squash the dollops on your palette as you load your brushes, and apply thick paint on the canvas to express yourself in three dimensions. The direction of your brush strokes changes the way the light reflects, truly imparting the feeling that this is a physical, not a digital work of art.
The variety of brushes and tools, ranging from the two inch brush over the palette knife all the way down to the rigger, offer simulated brush tips and precise control. With either smooth synthetic or rough hog hair bristle brushes, you’re sure to make the right mark. And if you’re feeling a bit shaky, the hand stabilizer is just a button press away. The canvas can be scaled up or down freely during the painting process, giving your more room for details, or the ability to block in the entire canvas with a few strokes.
Once you’re done, you can share your masterpiece directly on Facebook as an image. Or, create a beautifully varnished 3D model export, which can be used in your VR home or social applications, or shared on Sketchfab. Onlookers will marvel at the light catching on every brush stroke.
Vermillion will release on the Quest Store on Thursday the 24th of March.
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/4900967296622279
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