Vehicle & Props Design - Exercises

Form & Function 

For this exercise, we had to take the images we used in our first exercise and redraw them without tracing. But rather our own intuition and understanding of the form that we had already traced over. After which we had to do simple line art to emphasise its form.

Perspective

After choosing one image of each vehicle type, we had to really put our perspective skills to the test. Using the image and the form we had drawn earlier, we had to try and draw the vehicle from three different angles with only our skills and imagination. This exercise was extremely difficult for me as perspective is definitely a big weak point of mine.

Line Weight & Values

Taking the vehicle drawn in the perspective exercise, we had to line art and then value paint them. Line art is to show our understanding of the depth and how we can use lines to emphasise on the form. While value painting is to further give the vehicle texture and form. This exercise was less difficult for me personally and more fun.

Applying Colours

After value painting, we had to paint over the values using colour on Photoshop. Personally, this was a new method of working for me as I usually start from colour rather than black and white values. This exercise showed how much colour can add in terms of mood and atmosphere to a piece.

Texturing

Texturing using blending modes added very minimal difference to the vehicle itself, while texture bashing added a lot of depth and interest to the vehicle. This method of working is also used by professionals to try and achieve the textures of what they are painting better from what I have observed. I have never tried texture bashing prior to this and after using it only once I realise how beneficial it can be in speeding up workflow.

Reflection

Experience: During the exercises, I realised how much I am still lacking in terms of my fundamentals for stuff like this. In terms of human anatomy, I have a much clearer grasp, but vehicle design is completely foreign to me. It feels like Fundamental Drawing from my foundation again, except I haven't exactly practised doing perspective and drawing cubes all too much so it definitely showed in my progress. I was working slow and struggled a lot with this but I know it is for the bettering of my skills.

Observation: A good vehicle is very clear as it is solid. It is solid in its fundamentals and functionality, it looks like you could almost reach out and touch the different planes of the vehicle. Another observation is that fundamentals are always difficult when starting out, I know I should not be discouraged but it's definitely hard to keep the motivation levels up this semester.

Findings: I've learned that there is a very specific way you draw vehicles and that their solidity is forefront in terms of importance. Vehicle design is also just very difficult in general, it requires a strong set of fundamentals. Such as the understanding of values and perspective. If these are weak, it is extremely apparent in our work. I've also picked up the skill of texture bashing, a very quick way to add so much more to my work without having to completely rip my hair out trying to figure out how to paint it in photoshop.