Complete Guide to the Dynamic Paint Simulation in Blender 3D

Name: Complete Guide to the Dynamic Paint Simulation in Blender 3D
Rating: 4.8 (100 reviews)

Learn Everything There is to Know About the Dynamic Paint Simulation in Blender!

Created byStephen Pearson

Last updated 9/2025

English

What you'll learn

Learn how to set up Dynamic Paint canvases and brushes in Blender to create interactive painting and wave effects.
Use Dynamic Paint outputs to drive materials, displacements, and modifiers for unique animated effects.
Animate objects that paint in real time, adding dynamic reveals, surface marks, or growth effects to your scenes.
Polish and render your effects with materials and export maps ready for games, VFX, or real-time use.

Course content

6 sections • 37 lectures • 2h 44m total length

Introduction1:41
Here is the introduction to the Complete Guide to Dynamic Paint in Blender 2.9!
Blender Basics Overview16:21
This video is a basic overview of Blender. If you are a complete beginner this is the video for you. If you have been using Blender for awhile you can skip this video.
What is Dynamic Paint?5:31
What is dynamic paint? That is the question and in this video we will discuss what it is and how it works in Blender.
Practical Ways to Use Dynamic Paint2:32
In this video we will learn about some practical ways to use Dynamic Paint in your own Blender scenes and animations!

Dynamic Paint Settings3:39
In this video we will start learning about the canvas and how it works in Blender!
Surfaces Paint Type6:39
Now it's on to the surface types. The first one on the list is the paint type and in this video we will discuss it.
Displacement Type2:14
Displacement allows you to take a mesh and indent it onto the canvas. In this video I show you how it works!
Weight Painting with Dynamic Paint3:05
Weight Paint is very useful when it comes to Blender. It can be used in simulations, modifiers, particle systems and much more!
Creating Waves2:05
The waves type is one of the coolest things that dynamic paint has to offer. It can be a little tricky though to figure out so let's jump in and learn!
Baking Cache4:47
The baking cache is where all the data is stored for the simulation. It's important to learn about this subject so you can actually render an animation properly!
Paint Effects5:01
The paint effects allow you to create some interesting animations. You can either have the paint spread, drip or shrink depending on what you want.
Initial Color3:51
The initial color refers to the canvas color. You can set it to a couple different things and in this video I show you how it works!
Initial Color Update Fix1:12
This is just an update video on the Initial Color. Before you weren't able to use the Vertex Format for the initial color set to vertex. Now in Blender 2.93 you are able to.
Output Panel3:33
Finally, you wouldn't be able to create anything using dynamic paint without the output panel. This is where you export all the data to wherever you want!

Brush Settings3:21
In this video we will be learning about the brush in the dynamic paint settings in Blender 2.9!
Brush Source6:12
Moving on from the brush settings, we now take a look at the source values and how it changes how the brush operates.
The Velocity Setting3:10
This setting allows you to change how the brush behaves depending on how fast it's moving. In this video we take a look at that!
Brush Wave Values3:28
Finally the last part of the brush is the waves panel. Here you can change how strong the brush is to create waves and the different types of wave brushes.
Create Your Own Simulation
Resources0:26
Here is just an article describing the next couple videos and what you will need to follow along!
Vertex Colors to Materials4:22
In this video you will learn how to add vertex colors from dynamic paint into the material in Blender!
Image Sequence to Materials3:03
Moving on from vertex colors it's now time to learn how to import an image sequence from dynamic paint into the material!
Creating Footprints with Dynamic Paint5:07
Here is a fun video! In this one you will learn how to create footprints on the ground using a character! Make sure you download the resources so you can follow along with it!
Paint Drying Effect5:46
Next up is the a paint drying effect. For this one we will be exporting the wetmaps and plugging that into the material in Blender!
Texture Paint Effect2:30
In this video I will show you how you can apply a texture to the paint instead of using a straight color.

Creating the Animation5:44
In this 4 part tutorial series we will be making an abstract displacement effect using dynamic paint. This first video we will learn about animation and the graph editor.
Simulating Dynamic Paint3:18
Next up is applying the dynamic paint and exporting the wetmaps in Blender!
Adding the Displacement4:21
Now that we have finished with the dynamic paint it's now onto the displacement effect!
Glowing Material Creation8:22
Finally to get everything to look good we will be creating a nice procedural glowing material!
Post your Animation!

Dynamic Weight Painting4:51
In this 5 part tutorial series we will start out by adding dynamic weight to the model so we can use the fire simulation later.
Fire Simulation3:48
The fire simulation is next on the list. It's time to learn how to use and with the weight paint we created in the last video.
Adding Burnt Paint2:20
Now we add the burnt maps to the sphere using dynamic paint in Blender!
Creating the Materials6:40
Now for the materials. In this video we will learn how to create a fire material and how to add procedural bumps to the model.
Rendering & Sequencing4:51
Finally it's time for rendering and sequencing the animation using Blender's built-in movie editor.
Post your Animation!

Creating the Particles5:51
In this 4 part tutorial series we will be creating a wave droplet effect using dynamic paint. In this first video we will add in the particle system.
Adding Dynamic Waves4:00
Now that we have a particle system set up it's now time to move onto the dynamic paint and create the waves.
Materials & Lighting7:04
For the lighting and materials we will be using the sky texture and a nice reflective material for the water.
Making it Seamless4:09
To make the animation seamless we will jump into the video sequence editor and do a little trick with transparency.
Post your Seamless Animation!

Requirements

Prior experience with Blender is useful but not necessary
A 3 button mouse and a keyboard with a numpad will be helpful

Description

Welcome to the Complete Guide to Dynamic Paint in Blender. In this class you will learn everything there is to know about Dynamic Paint and how it works. It was also created for all skill levels. So whether you are a complete beginner or an intermediate Blender user, this class is for you! Not many people know about Dynamic Paint or how it works, so that is why I created this class where more can learn about this amazing modifier and create their own animations!

What is Dynamic Paint?

Dynamic paint is a modifier and physics system that can turn objects into paint canvases and brushes. Doing this allows you to create vertex colors, image sequences or displacement. This makes effects like footsteps in the snow, raindrops and paint that sticks to walls very easy to create!

In the first couple sections we will discuss all of the different settings and values and how they change how the simulation works. You will see side by side comparisons so it's easy to understand exactly what is happening. A variety of other topics also covered include adding dynamic paint to materials, creating footprints in the snow, paint drying effects and much more.

One of the best ways to learn is to create something yourself, so that is why I have included 3 tutorials in which we use Dynamic Paint to create some high quality animations.

The first one is about creating an abstract displacement effect. You will learn how to export an image sequence from Dynamic Paint and use that for the displacement. Then to top it off you will be creating a glowing material.

The 2nd tutorial is about creating a disintegrating fire effect. This tutorial will cover many topics including: fire simulations, dynamic weight painting, proximity brushes and fire materials.

Finally the last tutorial will be about creating a seamless rain drop animation. For this one we use particles and dynamic waves to learn how to make the animation seamless so it can loop over and over again.

If you are looking to learn about Dynamic Paint and how it all works in Blender this is the class for you! So hit that enrollment button and let's get started! I look forward to seeing what you create!

Thanks,

Stephen

Who this course is for:

This course is for Blender users who want to add dynamic, interactive effects to their animations.
Perfect for beginners looking to explore simulations in an easy, guided way.
Great for 3D artists who want to make their scenes more engaging with paint, waves, and animated surfaces.
Ideal for anyone curious about unlocking Blender’s Dynamic Paint tools for creative projects.

Complete Guide to the Dynamic Paint Simulation in Blender 3D

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction4 lectures • 26min

Dynamic Paint Canvas10 lectures • 36min

Paint Brush & Other Effects10 lectures • 37min

Abstract Displacement Effect4 lectures • 22min

Fire Disintegration Effect5 lectures • 23min

Seamless Rain Drop Animation4 lectures • 21min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: