Author: Zhang Jian Source: Youji
This time we design a realistic-style mechanical character. First, let’s take a look at the finished picture:
1. In the early concept stage, I only consider the large shape. I use monochrome to conceive the overall shape and rough structure. Capture the feeling of the moment and try out different sketches, and you can also combine different sketches back and forth. In short, the shape of the original mechanical character does not necessarily have to be a brain-shattering one. You can rely half on inspiration and half on luck.
Picture1
2. First determine the rough silhouette shape. At this stage, only consider the overall feel. I wanted this mechanical character to be majestic, handsome, and strong at the same time, so I looked for the Citroën GT concept car as a design reference.
Picture2
Personal opinion (1): The difference between industrial design and conceptual art design
Here I would like to briefly talk about my personal feelings about industrial design and conceptual art design: I think the biggest difference between them is that the starting point is not used, although the structural rigor of good conceptual art design is not inferior to professional industrial design.
The starting point of conceptual art design is modeling (mainly serving character characteristics and plot), while the starting point of industrial design is usage, so rationality and functionality are its starting points.
Therefore, I personally think that as a concept art designer, in the early design stage, you should first try to grasp the characteristics of the shape to innovate, and then “rationalize” it; while industrial design usually does the opposite, it is the first After understanding the function and meaning of existence, it is the process of giving its appearance a sense of design.
3. Try to conceive a rough structure based on the overall shape in the previous step. The shoulder blades can make the character look more heroic, and the huge elbow pads on the forearm can make the character feel good at close combat and aggressive. . I wanted to give its right hand a cold weapon, such as a scimitar, to visually give this futuristic mechanical warrior a contrasting tension.
Picture3
4. Follow the previous step and continue to explore design possibilities. Transformers designer Josh Nizzi said: “The proper arrangement of repeating shapes is very beautiful in mechanical design.” I tried putting some repeating structures on the abdomen, and it turned out to be very shapely. But don’t get into details too early at the beginning, and don’t finalize your design too early. Unless really good inspiration comes, it’s best to keep exploring, exploring, exploring…
Figure4
5. Try replacing the scimitar in your right hand with a hook. It still feels a bit strange. Randomly experimented with hip and leg structures.
Picture5
6. Some wing-like structures on the back can make the character look impressive. Just avoid making it too “gouda”. It is basically determined to place the four tires on the hips and feet. I like the design of the shoulders, chest and abdomen now. 😀
Picture6
Personal opinion (2): Rhythm of design
Here I want to briefly talk about the rhythm of design. When I was exploring various design possibilities in the early stages, I subconsciously maintained a pursuit of design rhythm, or rhythm. The so-called sense of rhythm refers to the contrasting arrangement in terms of density, size, speed, etc. It must be both dynamic and balanced. Change and balance are two aspects that I personally feel are better at grasping the sense of rhythm. Use details as an analogy: a design full of details is actually a failure because it has no characteristics. All features are contrasted. There are so many details everywhere that you can’t feel the details. Such details can only give people the feeling of being piled up, and the design lacks a sense of integrity. A good mechanical design should give people a sense of “life” and “organic”.
7. Immediately after the previous picture, I tried to make a more positive depiction of the chest, shoulders and abdomen that I was satisfied with.
Picture7
8. Slightly change the hips and add a repetitive structural arrangement of the exhausted abdomen. It feels like the design of the upper body is more integrated.
Picture8
9. Continue to definitely draw the chest, shoulders, abdomen and hips. I used very random brush strokes to depict the details of the internal structure of the machinery under the large armor, making it look dense, rhythmic and integrated. In the end, I decided to replace the hook with a more traditional cannon. I feel that the mechanical character I want is about to emerge. At the same time, I absorbed the shape of a cyclist’s helmet and began to consider the visual center of the final draft: the head design.
Figure9
10. Start the conceptual design of the legs, absorbing the anti-joint design that I prefer, and equip this mechanical character with two leg joints.
Figure10
11. I feel quite satisfied with the anti-joint of the thigh, and most of the designs on the upper body are also relatively reliable. Next, we began to consider some small details, add some things with different textures, and began to rationalize the entire design. We should also consider the movement aspect, starting with the joints.
Picture11
12. Adjust the composition to make the picture more balanced, and roughly sketch the calves and feet.
Picture12
13. Flip the screen and adjust the character’s center of gravity. Trying to flip the picture horizontally is a great way to check center of gravity, symmetry, and structural perspective. At the same time, it enriches the texture of the exposed mechanical structure under the armor.
Picture13
14. I wanted the entire cannon barrel to feel heated, and then roughly adjusted the overall atmosphere.
Picture14
15. Adjust the composition again and draw the hand in depth.
Picture15
16. Enhance the light and shadow effects of the character, refine the head, and begin to use random brush strokes to create a sense of damage. The edges of armor are generally the most susceptible to damage and paint peeling, and the relatively flat surfaces of armor are more likely to have scratches.
Picture16
17. Finally, the metal texture was enhanced, the structure of the character’s left leg was adjusted, and the cannon on the right hand was finally replaced with a more traditional rotating machine gun. Then use PS to select the visual center, perform appropriate sharpening and increase saturation, and call it a day.
Picture17
Several detailed pictures:
There is still a lot of room for further in-depth characterization and texture rendering of this character. However, as a conceptual design, since the main structure has been clearly explained, it can also be regarded as a rough design for now. Finally, thank you for reading. I hope this tutorial will be helpful to you
Author: Zhang Jian Source: Youji
This time we design a realistic-style mechanical character. First, let’s take a look at the finished picture:
1. In the early concept stage, I only consider the large shape. I use monochrome to conceive the overall shape and rough structure. Capture the feeling of the moment and try out different sketches, and you can also combine different sketches back and forth. In short, the shape of the original mechanical character does not necessarily have to be a brain-shattering one. You can rely half on inspiration and half on luck.
Picture1
2. First determine the rough silhouette shape. At this stage, only consider the overall feel. I wanted this mechanical character to be majestic, handsome, and strong at the same time, so I looked for the Citroën GT concept car as a design reference.
Picture2
Personal opinion (1): The difference between industrial design and conceptual art design
Here I would like to briefly talk about my personal feelings about industrial design and conceptual art design: I think the biggest difference between them is that the starting point is not used, although the structural rigor of good conceptual art design is not inferior to professional industrial design.
The starting point of conceptual art design is modeling (mainly serving character characteristics and plot), while the starting point of industrial design is usage, so rationality and functionality are its starting points.
Therefore, I personally think that as a concept art designer, in the early design stage, you should first try to grasp the characteristics of the shape to innovate, and then “rationalize” it; while industrial design usually does the opposite, it is the first After understanding the function and meaning of existence, it is the process of giving its appearance a sense of design.
3. Try to conceive a rough structure based on the overall shape in the previous step. The shoulder blades can make the character look more heroic, and the huge elbow pads on the forearm can make the character feel good at close combat and aggressive. . I wanted to give its right hand a cold weapon, such as a scimitar, to visually give this futuristic mechanical warrior a contrasting tension.
Picture3
4. Follow the previous step and continue to explore design possibilities. Transformers designer Josh Nizzi said: “The proper arrangement of repeating shapes is very beautiful in mechanical design.” I tried putting some repeating structures on the abdomen, and it turned out to be very shapely. But don’t get into details too early at the beginning, and don’t finalize your design too early. Unless really good inspiration comes, it’s best to keep exploring, exploring, exploring…
Figure4
5. Try replacing the scimitar in your right hand with a hook. It still feels a bit strange. Randomly experimented with hip and leg structures.
Picture5
6. Some wing-like structures on the back can make the character look impressive. Just avoid making it too “gouda”. It is basically determined to place the four tires on the hips and feet. I like the design of the shoulders, chest and abdomen now. 😀
Picture6
Personal opinion (2): Rhythm of design
Here I want to briefly talk about the rhythm of design. When I was exploring various design possibilities in the early stages, I subconsciously maintained a pursuit of design rhythm, or rhythm. The so-called sense of rhythm refers to the contrasting arrangement in terms of density, size, speed, etc. It must be both dynamic and balanced. Change and balance are two aspects that I personally feel are better at grasping the sense of rhythm. Use details as an analogy: a design full of details is actually a failure because it has no characteristics. All features are contrasted. There are so many details everywhere that you can’t feel the details. Such details can only give people the feeling of being piled up, and the design lacks a sense of integrity. A good mechanical design should give people a sense of “life” and “organic”.
7. Immediately after the previous picture, I tried to make a more positive depiction of the chest, shoulders and abdomen that I was satisfied with.
Picture7
8. Slightly change the hips and add a repetitive structural arrangement of the exhausted abdomen. It feels like the design of the upper body is more integrated.
Picture8
9. Continue to definitely draw the chest, shoulders, abdomen and hips. I used very random brush strokes to depict the details of the internal structure of the machinery under the large armor, making it look dense, rhythmic and integrated. In the end, I decided to replace the hook with a more traditional cannon. I feel that the mechanical character I want is about to emerge. At the same time, I absorbed the shape of a cyclist’s helmet and began to consider the visual center of the final draft: the head design.
Figure9
10. Start thinking about the legs.The design adopts the anti-joint design that I prefer, and equips this mechanical character with two leg joints.
Figure10
11. I feel quite satisfied with the anti-joint of the thigh, and most of the designs on the upper body are also relatively reliable. Next, we began to consider some small details, add some things with different textures, and began to rationalize the entire design. We should also consider the movement aspect, starting with the joints.
Picture11
12. Adjust the composition to make the picture more balanced, and roughly sketch the calves and feet.
Picture12
13. Flip the screen and adjust the character’s center of gravity. Trying to flip the picture horizontally is a great way to check center of gravity, symmetry, and structural perspective. At the same time, it enriches the texture of the exposed mechanical structure under the armor.
Picture13
14. I wanted the entire cannon barrel to feel heated, and then roughly adjusted the overall atmosphere.
Picture14
15. Adjust the composition again and draw the hand in depth.
Picture15
16. Enhance the light and shadow effects of the character, refine the head, and begin to use random brush strokes to create a sense of damage. The edges of armor are generally the most susceptible to damage and paint peeling, and the relatively flat surfaces of armor are more likely to have scratches.
Picture16
17. Finally, the metal texture was enhanced, the structure of the character’s left leg was adjusted, and the cannon on the right hand was finally replaced with a more traditional rotating machine gun. Then use PS to select the visual center, perform appropriate sharpening and increase saturation, and call it a day.
Picture17
Several detailed pictures:
There is still a lot of room for further in-depth characterization and texture rendering of this character. However, as a conceptual design, since the main structure has been clearly explained, it can also be regarded as a rough design for now. Finally, thank you for reading. I hope this tutorial will be helpful to you
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