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So here's an entirely different subject, though construction applies to it all the same. In a lot of ways this is quite similar to how we tackled the computer mouse in the previous lesson.
This demo recording has no accompanying audio commentary.
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Here's the reference image we'll be working from. For the most part, all the important bits are quite visible, even though there's a lot going on.
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This time, let's slow down and try doing more preparatory work. By doing an orthographic proportion study, we can start to lay down basic landmarks against which we can place our major forms. I always start this off by drawing a rectangle that roughly matches the overall length and height of my subject. Then I subdivide it like crazy, creating a grid. When I actually draw the side view of the object, I try to stick to straight, clear-cut lines. I'll only use a curve when it's integral to the form I'm building, and even then I'll often start it off as straight cuts, coming back afterwards to smooth it out.
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The approach I'm using here is a mixture between the encompassing-box technique I first introduced in the last lesson, and the more standard stacking of forms. I'm using the encompassing box to create sections of my object, rather than the entire thing. In this case, the section is the base of the ship.
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The first step I'm taking to construct the bow of the ship is to establish its curvature with a sort of footprint. In order to construct this, I further subdivide the front section of the box a fair bit, in order to give myself a finer grid to work from. The important thing here is that I want to make sure that if the curve passes through certain points on one side, the opposite side of the curve should pass through the same corresponding points. This helps maintain consistent perspective distortion, which can be tricky without any additional reference points to rely upon.
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In retrospect, I probably could have created that footprint on the top face of the box, but I felt that having it on the bottom would help me relate it more easily against the actual footprint (which is slightly smaller and more tapered). Ultimately, I replicate that footprint on the top face, tuck in the base section a bit and connect them together to produce a three dimensional form.
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This ship has three tiers to it, so now I'm stacking on the next one. Before I do so, I want to place its footprint (which is pretty straightforward this time since it's just a box) on the existing base. In order to do this, I take a rough estimate on one side, and then mirror that measurement across the center line of the base form. Then it's just a matter of extruding that foot print up.
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Same idea, once again. Establish the footprint, extrude the form up.
Warning: Anyone with half an eye for perspective can start to see that my lines are... well, falling apart a bit. The reason being, the angle I'm drawing this at required me to work in three point perspective, which is notoriously difficult to estimate. I strongly encourage you at this stage to focus on constructions in two point perspective. Being able to trust that your verticals are all running straight up and down is incredibly useful. If you are going to be working in three point perspective, laying down a series of lines that go off towards the same vanishing point when you start out can be incredibly useful - just make sure that they are consistent in their alignment.
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As you can see in the reference image, the wheel house is a little more complex than a basic box. It's got beveled front edges, and it tapers down to its midsection before flaring back out. Deal with each of these details one at a time - probably the tapering/flaring first, then the beveling.
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For the sake of time and my sanity, I'm skipping over the big structure on top of the wheel house, as well as a lot of the extraneous details. Here's the point that I want to start organizing my lines and generally sorting through my mess. The best way to do that is, of course, to add line weight to key areas. The biggest thing I want to reinforce is the overall silhouette of the object, bringing it out from the rest of the construction lines.
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Continuing to do what I can to bring the meat of the boat out of the mess, while adding some minor details. One approach that I often use to help organize heavy messes like this, is to lay down some large, deliberately-designed shadow shapes. The key here is being deliberate. You have to think about how those shadows will run along surfaces, and you have to make sure the angles of projection are consistent. Basically, think about where your sun is going to be, and what direction it's going to be casting its shadows. Having a shadow come out towards your light source is a big no-no, as it'll break the illusion. Don't go too heavy with this, just place shadows in key areas, especially where it's going to help separate a key shape or form out from the fray.
Marco Bucci's got a ton of great courses available on proko.com, including some of the best videos you can find on using colour and light. Since a lot of our students want to break into working with digital painting however, I thought this course in particular would be a great start to get into the weeds with how to navigate the confusing world of layers, brushes, and more.
This course highlights programs across the full spectrum of options, ranging from the current industry standard Adobe Photoshop, to the Free-and-Open-Source darling Krita, as well as the mobile favourite, Procreate.
Having your work reviewed by others is critical, as those who are just starting out aren't in a position to properly judge their own work, and won't be for quite some time. Don't be afraid to show your struggles - it's by analyzing your mistakes that we can help you grow. Perfect homework is not what we're looking for; we just need it to be complete.
There are currently two places you can get your work critiqued by the community - Reddit and our Discord Chat Server.
Both of these are completely free.
If you are interested in receiving extra help, I critique the work of those who support Drawabox on Patreon.
All of these private critiques are done through reddit, in specific threads where students post their work as a comment, including a link to their work (often hosted on Imgur, though most image hosts are okay).
My requirements are more strict than the free community critiques:
The minimum pledge for this lesson is $10.00/month. The orange button above will take you to the reddit thread for this lesson, you can post a link to your work there and I'll be notified. Once I catch the submission, I'll add it to this backlog spreadsheet.
Pledges are collected at the beginning of the following month, but you may start submitting your work immediately. If you're a new patron, I'll be reaching out to your shortly to collect your reddit username.
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