Vehicle and Props Design | Exercises: Concept Techniques and Practices

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5/4/2023 - 12/5/2023 | Week 1 - Week 6
Shofwa Alyadiena | 0350019
Vehicle and Props Design | Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Concept Techniques and Practices

Lecture Notes 

Week 1 - Introduction

We are to create vehicles - be it land, air, or water-type - to enhance our skill within the Entertainment Design specialisation. It's encouraged to use AI generators, though only as an ideation and inspiration source, as otherwise it'll be considered blatant plagiarism.


Week 2 - Good Presentation

We started off with a brief introduction to an AI engine, which was Leonardo.ai. The point was to familiarize ourselves with it and to refer back to the first week's encouragement, which is to gain inspiration from it for our base ideas if necessary. 

Next thing, we are explained how to present our sketches in a readable and understandable manner. Things to remember:

1. Any form or drawing we plan to make will always have volume or depth.
2. Since there is depth, we determine it by finding the mid-point and end-point to combine and break it down for a base construction for the vehicle or object, then proceed with vanishing points if possible.

It's recommended to start off with proportion and perspective, then the scale, and then lastly the details.

It's also recommended to limit ourselves away from perfectionist tendencies and be as loose as possible while sketching to show confidence in our skill that's both presentable and readable.


Week 3 - Concept Idea

Intellectual property is the base we'll take inspiration from the base existing universe. It acts as a type of prompt.

The designs can be based on different types or classes of vehicles: battle, defender, and transport. They can also be split into more categories based on how many wheels they have. The battle-type vehicles are usually necessary to be smaller or more compact in size for agility. The defender-type vehicles are typically heavy and layered, as it's for defence.

The transport-type vehicles tend to have big room space to carry passengers from one place to another.

Consider the following when making a vehicle:
1. Theme
2. Shape
3. Era
4. Colours
5. Genre
6. Function
7. Location

All of these will contribute to finding out the functionality.


Instructions 



Exercise 1 - Deconstruction

1. Deconstructing and constructing vehicles from references ( 5 x 3 types = 15 thumbnail sketches) 
2. Form and Function ( Pick 1 type X 10 thumbnails)
3. Perspective (Pick 1 type X 5 sketches min )
4. Line Weight ( Pick 1 and add line weights to the perspective drawing done)
5. Applying Colors ( Pick 1 and apply varieties to obtain appealing colours)
6. Texturing (pick 1 and test with materials and texture bashing)

For the first exercise, we have to collect references for vehicles,  deconstruct them with basic shapes, and then reconstruct them in a different perspective as proof of our understanding. The point of doing so is to get a general idea of the vehicle's measurements and parts by first prioritizing the appearance rather than the functionality.

Deconstruction

For the deconstruction exercise, I used a similar progress for each type and vehicle. I start with a makeshift perspective grid which was traced onto the original image. Then, I separate the grid from the image and attempt to block out the biggest shapes. The next step is to imagine the block out on a flat surface, then finally proceed to a three-dimensional perspective which gets refined.

These references were also done with a little bit of research in mind for the first project, as I wanted a more fantasy-like foundation for the vehicles I'll be creating.


1. Air Type


Fig. 1.1 Air-Type Deconstruction (4/4/2023 - 10/4/2023)

The first air-type vehicle I used as a reference is the F-16. The basic shapes used are mostly cylinders, triangles, squares, and a half-circle. The basic shapes were similar to the original vehicle, which greatly helped with reimagining a different perspective.

Furthering the exercise, I attempted different types of aircraft, adding helicopters and space shuttles as references. In the end, I've realized there are multiple things aircraft have in common, most notably the wings and the noses.


2. Land Type


Fig. 1.2 Land-Type Deconstruction (4/4/2023 - 10/4/2023)

The land-type vehicle I chose for the first sketch is a Brougham carriage. The basic shapes used were cubes and circles. The angle was difficult to pin down, and it was especially confusing to figure out how the wheels attached to the vehicle's body. I ended up cleaning the flat shape. 

Moving on, I collected more references and did the block-outs for those too. I was previously going to attempt a bus or a truck, but at my current skill level, I didn't think it was quite possible yet for me to deconstruct it.


3. Water Type


Fig. 1.3 Water-Type Deconstruction (4/4/2023 - 10/4/2023)

The water-type vehicle I first chose is a submarine. I looked for the Sindbad Submarine specifically because the submerged area had more details to it than that of a professional submarine; which mostly looked like one whole tube. The shapes used were cubes, triangles, and circles. The first refined sketch I completed for the submarine was done simply; as I was figuring out how to get comfortable with making vehicle thumbnail sketches.

I had struggles choosing a proper reference as most ships (naturally) would be at least a little bit submerged.


Feedback

- If digital isn't possible. it's okay to return to traditional sketches first.


Exercise 2 - Volume

1. Find any physical object with a moderate amount of details.
2. Experiment with 6 angles.
3. (Optional) Refer to the book- "Sketching Product Design"

Fig. 2.1 Reference Collection (12/4/2023)

I decided to do this exercise using the ironing tool as it wasn't too complex or simple and had a lot of curves. I started by taking pictures and putting them together in a Photoshop file.

Fig. 2.2 Block-Out and Volume Identification (12/4/2023)

I then started by adding the base cube for where the iron is placed and traced out the bigger curves without yet thinking of the line width and depth.

Fig. 2.3 Lined Irons (12/4/2023)

I got rid of the original image and practised utilizing the width of the lineart to create depth. The farther the piece is from our point of view, the smaller and thinner the line will be.

Fig. 2.4 Shadows and Volume(12/4/2023)

I proceeded with adding colour and shadows to the sketches. The colour I choose is a cooler one compared to the original warm hues of the iron. I set the line layer as Multiply. Alongside this exercise, we're also encouraged to explore Blender. I choose to try blocking out and modelling the Ye-8 first.


Fig. 2.5 Blender Attempt (11/4/2023)

Firstly, I used an image that had the side of the same plane model. However, after several times it was attempted, I realize the image wasn't clear enough, and looked up a flatter reference to use. Luckily, there's a free one available.

Fig. 2.6 Model Reference.


Fig. 2.7 Reference Application and Attempt (11/4/2023)

I did forget to take progress shots, but here it is with all the references used. It was clear enough to have a rough idea of the measurements and sped up the process significantly.


Fig. 2.8 Front and Back of Block-Out (11/4/2023)



Fig. 2.9 Side and Top View of Block-Out (11/4/2023)

There were a few things I had to consider- remembering my blender usage from last semester, I have to make sure every surface/face has four points and avoid triangles the best I can. It's also more efficient to restart a mesh if it doesn't properly work out after adjustments, and to always have a backup of a mesh in case something goes wrong, as the blender's 'undo' has limited amounts. 


Feedback

- Consider a proper direction of the light for shading.


Exercise 3 - Silhouettes and Design Process

1. Choose 1 type (either air, land, or water) first.
2. Create 15~20 silhouettes (3 for each class).
3. Produce 1~3 final 'rough' choices.

Following the task guideline, I worked on the silhouettes based on the three classes; battle, defence, and passenger class air-type vehicles.

Fig. 3.1 Battle Class Air-Type Vehicles (18/4/2023)

Firstly, starting off with the fighter-type aircraft,  I tried implementing Mr Kannan's workflow by starting with the basic shape and then identifying where the pilot will be. He also mentioned the smaller and more agile shape of a fighter aircraft, so I attempted to add lines where the guns or so will be. 

Fig. 3.2 Defense Class Air-Type Vehicles (18/4/2023)

I'm actually not sure how a defence aircraft is any different structurally from a battle type other than being bulkier, so that's really all I did.

Fig. 3.3 Passenger Class Air-Type Vehicles (19/4/2023)

Finally, for passenger-type aircraft, I tried taking ideas from the mood board, I've compiled for my project 1, which is a steam-punkish world that revolves their life around the sun; while having to consider the cold weather of the area. I added elements to the silhouette to make it seem kind of like the sun's rays and the stars.

Fig. 3.4 Final Aircraft Exercise (23/4/2023)

Finally, I've taken number 14 as the practice sketch. I'm not satisfied with it, but it was good practice.


Feedback

  • Focus on fleshing out the line width.
  • Add breakers to the silhouettes.
  • Include more details.

Submission 

Fig. 4.1 Final Exercises Submissions (23/4/2023)

Reflection: 

Experience 

First task; I was way too excited about fleshing out how it looks. I used a world I had created from scratch prior to starting this semester and was impatient to use this class as a way to improve it.

Observation 

Looking at others' works, I believe I misinterpreted the prompts for the first exercise and did the rest in a way I understood best.

Findings

I found that there are similarities to every vehicle type and that it's super cool to see in real life as well as in an imaginary world. In this case, I documented my observations in the final submission. 

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