9 replies to this topic

[FenrirUlfsbane]

Hey all, I am looking for feedback on my fiction, and on my mech designs/art. I know there are a ton of awesome artists on here, and I'd love to have your advice!

http://scouttherange...-Zeus-634485413

http://scouttherange...ailer-595189189

http://scouttherange...-MK-6-633241654

http://scouttherange...neart-619479691

http://scouttherange...WS-8Q-603946067

[Mark Nicholson]

Three pieces of advice:
1. keep drawing! (you'll improve by doing, and I want to see more).
2. mechs are not balloons. while this may be a stylistic choice, you still need to go in and draw details in the gaps.
3. host your images so we can see them instantly without links (use imgur, if unsure how).

[BLOOD WOLF]

awsome

[FenrirUlfsbane]

Mark Nicholson, on 15 September 2016 - 03:18 PM, said:

Three pieces of advice:
1. keep drawing! (you'll improve by doing, and I want to see more).
2. mechs are not balloons. while this may be a stylistic choice, you still need to go in and draw details in the gaps.
3. host your images so we can see them instantly without links (use imgur, if unsure how).

Thank you so much for your feedback! It's an honor to have you look at my stuff.

On the subject of filling in the gaps, I admittedly don't do it because I've never felt confident on how to do that. What are your recommendations on how to learn how to do that? Any tips?

BLOOD WOLF, on 15 September 2016 - 03:33 PM, said:

awsome

Thank you! ^^

Edited by FenrirUlfsbane, 15 September 2016 - 10:15 PM.

[FenrirUlfsbane]

My current project

Edited by FenrirUlfsbane, 16 September 2016 - 03:28 AM.

[GonaDie]

FenrirUlfsbane, on 15 September 2016 - 10:46 PM, said:

My current project

The legs are too short IMO.

[FenrirUlfsbane]

GonaDie, on 16 September 2016 - 04:52 AM, said:

The legs are too short IMO.

Yeah, I had noticed that as well, and I'm gonna be fixing that tomorrow when I work on it again

[Alex Iglesias]

Some helpful stuff that is super helpful when it comes to mech design

-Practice perspective and vanishing points.

Mechs have a lot of hard edges, a lot of size, so getting perspective working is good for consistency and scale.


-Study the reasons for why hardware of various kinds looks the way it does, both real life and fictional.

There are usually reasons for why man made things in real life have certain looks about them, often owing to how they are produced and what their function is, learning those reasons helps you as an artist to inform your ability to make things up that look believable.

Think about 3rd read, 2nd read, 1st read details.

1st read is the broad shapes, 3rd read is the tiny details, 2nd is everything in between. You typically want to balance these things out to varying degrees to fit a certain style or convey a feel. After a while it becomes instinctual. A good example is an apple product. Apple products are mostly 1st read, as they are very minimalist. However buttons would qualify as second read. Seams where the product comes together, connection ports, and small logos qualify as 3rd. Something like the star wars deathstar has a 1st read that consists of the giant ball shape with the massive indent. 2nd is the trench. 3rd is all the little panels and doodads that make up the surface.

As you are working on something, at the beginning focus on silhouette, and flip it periodically.

Having a strong silhouette does wonders for having an interesting design, flipping it back and forth helps to balance out the design better and look at it with fresh eyes.

[FenrirUlfsbane]

Alex Iglesias, on 16 September 2016 - 12:58 PM, said:

Some helpful stuff that is super helpful when it comes to mech design -Practice perspective and vanishing points. Mechs have a lot of hard edges, a lot of size, so getting perspective working is good for consistency and scale. -Study the reasons for why hardware of various kinds looks the way it does, both real life and fictional. There are usually reasons for why man made things in real life have certain looks about them, often owing to how they are produced and what their function is, learning those reasons helps you as an artist to inform your ability to make things up that look believable. Think about 3rd read, 2nd read, 1st read details. 1st read is the broad shapes, 3rd read is the tiny details, 2nd is everything in between. You typically want to balance these things out to varying degrees to fit a certain style or convey a feel. After a while it becomes instinctual. A good example is an apple product. Apple products are mostly 1st read, as they are very minimalist. However buttons would qualify as second read. Seams where the product comes together, connection ports, and small logos qualify as 3rd. Something like the star wars deathstar has a 1st read that consists of the giant ball shape with the massive indent. 2nd is the trench. 3rd is all the little panels and doodads that make up the surface. As you are working on something, at the beginning focus on silhouette, and flip it periodically. Having a strong silhouette does wonders for having an interesting design, flipping it back and forth helps to balance out the design better and look at it with fresh eyes.

Thank you so much for the feedback! I never heard of the 3 read system. I'll definitely work that more into my work. All of your suggestions are great, and I look forward to trying my hand at using the tips that you have given me! thank you so much for responding, and it's a great honor to have you look at my work.

update on my bushwacker: Fixed the leg proportions, added details, and am currently coloring it to be part of the Kell Hounds

[FenrirUlfsbane]

And here's my my most recent project! What do y'all think?