The 10 Layers Strategy

In this article, I will introduce my 10-layers strategy, a streamlined approach that allows artists to create a solid foundation of realistic, procedural materials while maintaining full control over their artistic direction.
Using presets in Substance Painter may seem like a quick and easy solution, but they often lack the flexibility needed for precise material definition. To understand how to analyze and identify material surfaces allows us to assign the "right" values, which is essential for imitating real-world materials. Building the first 10 layers will help keep your workflow efficient without losing quality.
This method represents a solid material foundation which will require further additions - I used to call them "material features". It will help to reduce complexity and adds flexibility to your material definition in the process.