Engineer looking at concept art

[DigitalNoesis]

I'm new here, but, although I have done lots of scanning through these threads. I figured I'd post here, because I didn't know exactly where this fits.

I'm a mechanical engineer (vehicle) that has recently begun doing more design work. My job is starting to include coming up with ideas and has more of a design aspect of it. So I've started trying to learn about art and concept work. I've purchased the Massive Black tutorials on concept vehicle design (both the one by Sam and Kemp are hugely helpful), and also read ImagineFX. I can use Photoshop, Illustrator... I do all my 3D work in SolidWorks (2009). My drawing skills are coming along, I've read some books and I'm fairly good at drawing shapes just because of all my CAD work.

But, overall, I guess I just want to introduce myself and ask for any general advice on where to go from here.

[GriNGo]

Hey Digital - Just start drawing a lot - you've already taken the right steps, and already can use the tools. As you make stuff, you should post them in the Critique section of the forums so other people can give you tips or insights on how to make your image better. Good luck!

[Peter Coene]

I'd suggest looking up books and such written by the teachers at ACCD. It have one of the largest transportation design departments that I know of.

[DigitalNoesis]

Cheers for the responses. I know my direction/path is kind of strange.

A lot of the design work I've been doing is confidential, so I think I need to do some personal projects to post and gain insight from.

The other thing I want to work on is making concepts fast. I've had a few designs that have been successful, but they took me a lot of time. I've been reading about speed painting and such, and also learning to draw on the spot... but, it has been difficult with zero art background.

Thanks again for all the help (And helpful threads I've been reading here).

[rhymeswithpuck]

i'd also look at sites like idsketching.com (http://www.idsketching.com)and core77.com (http://boards.core77.com) for resources on rapid visualization and sketching, if that's your goal.

the design process can involve churning out many sketches in order to generate a concept you're happy with. CAD can be cumbersome for this purpose (at least for me it is), so i would suggest working with pen/pencil on paper first to get ideas in front of you quickly, then moving to CAD to tighten up proportions, clearances, etc. when you've got the basic concept mapped out.

[tarc]

Hi,

For fast mechanical models, there's also a very intuitive and simple to use nurb-based modeler called Moi3d.

It is made by the same guy who wrote Rhino3d, Michael Gibson.
It also sports an incredibly tight meshing engine to export poly models.

Marc

[Peter Coene]

Cheers for the responses. I know my direction/path is kind of strange.

A lot of the design work I've been doing is confidential, so I think I need to do some personal projects to post and gain insight from.

The other thing I want to work on is making concepts fast. I've had a few designs that have been successful, but they took me a lot of time. I've been reading about speed painting and such, and also learning to draw on the spot... but, it has been difficult with zero art background.

Thanks again for all the help (And helpful threads I've been reading here).

Usually if you stick to quick sketches rather than paintings you'll get more done. Then when you have one that your Art Director (or whatever your boss styles himself as) likes you can continue on to paint that one and finish it up without having to make a ton of rushed paintings.

[IanE]

Get a nice fountain pen, a real one, a nice roll of white tracing paper (the size, of course, relevant to how large you sketch), a smaller sketchbook to carry around, sharpie ultra fine, maybe some different gray markers by Prismacolor. That'll do you good in the producing ideas quickly - remember, they don't have to be finished amazing renders. They're ideas. Iterations. A visual thought process that will help you realize where you're going, and help your job see where you're coming from when working on a professional project.

I'm recommending ink here because the mistake a lot of people make when starting out is pencil and eraser, and they spend the majority of their time erasing instead of thinking and drawing.

Digital speedpainting might also help you a lot, especially if you've already developed a 3D model good enough to export as a 2D still image and paint over.

You're definitely in the right place, with the right mindset. Just get to it :)

[DigitalNoesis]

You all are a huge help.

i'd also look at sites like idsketching.com (http://www.idsketching.com)and core77.com (http://boards.core77.com) for resources on rapid visualization and sketching, if that's your goal.

the design process can involve churning out many sketches in order to generate a concept you're happy with. CAD can be cumbersome for this purpose (at least for me it is), so i would suggest working with pen/pencil on paper first to get ideas in front of you quickly, then moving to CAD to tighten up proportions, clearances, etc. when you've got the basic concept mapped out.

Those sites are great, thanks!

My workflow has been starting with sketching on paper, then moving either into CAD or Photoshop. After watching a Massive Black DVD on concept vehicles, I started scanning my sketch into photoshop, or if its simple just redrawing it in photoshop making a 2D side view and then using Solidworks sketchview to convert it into an actual CAD model when it goes that far. Sketchview in Solidworks lets you import 2d images into 3d space and then use them to trace. So, I can import a side and top view and start making geometry off of that. This has been my most successful workflow yet.

When it comes to presentation, however, I vary. My sketches aren't good enough yet to show, and CAD models look too technical, and rendering is too time consuming.... so that's really how I got interested in the idea of concept art in the first place....when I first started playing with it I didn't even know what it was called.


Usually if you stick to quick sketches rather than paintings you'll get more done. Then when you have one that your Art Director (or whatever your boss styles himself as) likes you can continue on to paint that one and finish it up without having to make a ton of rushed paintings.

Get a nice fountain pen, a real one, a nice roll of white tracing paper (the size, of course, relevant to how large you sketch), a smaller sketchbook to carry around, sharpie ultra fine, maybe some different gray markers by Prismacolor. That'll do you good in the producing ideas quickly - remember, they don't have to be finished amazing renders. They're ideas. Iterations. A visual thought process that will help you realize where you're going, and help your job see where you're coming from when working on a professional project.

I'm recommending ink here because the mistake a lot of people make when starting out is pencil and eraser, and they spend the majority of their time erasing instead of thinking and drawing.

Digital speedpainting might also help you a lot, especially if you've already developed a 3D model good enough to export as a 2D still image and paint over.

You're definitely in the right place, with the right mindset. Just get to it :)

Seems like the consensus is to work on my sketching. My sketches are still too embarrassing to show anyone. :/

As far as exporting 3d models to 2d, thats been the best so far. I designed some air intakes the other day doing this, and with the basic shape there it made it a lot easier. Also doing a quick 'render' lets me cheat the shading, and at least know where the values are.

...

The upside is that I think it is pretty fun, although it is an added workload on top of actually building the stuff. Maybe I'll sleep next year. :)

[rhymeswithpuck]

Sketchview in Solidworks lets you import 2d images into 3d space and then use them to trace. So, I can import a side and top view and start making geometry off of that.

cool, i learned something. i'll have to try that out later, thanks for the tip.

I'm impressed that you have been able to transition/bridge between design work and engineering, especially without an art background. If you're at liberty to say, what kinds of vehicles are you involved with? I'm currently looking for exit strategies from engineering and industrial/product/transportation design was an idea I was kicking around in my head.

[DigitalNoesis]

cool, i learned something. i'll have to try that out later, thanks for the tip.

I'm impressed that you have been able to transition/bridge between design work and engineering, especially without an art background. If you're at liberty to say, what kinds of vehicles are you involved with? I'm currently looking for exit strategies from engineering and industrial/product/transportation design was an idea I was kicking around in my head.

Yeah, give it a go... It's hidden under 'sketch tools' ...

I'll send ya a PM with more about what I do. To much 'on the spot' to post it here haha.