Big D.'s Drawing Tutorial - Drawing a Robotic Leg Part 1

[javierchanart]

dude!!

[chrisblaster18]

Shade it

[YINGAI1995]

Hi dude, can you send me robot concepts from all sides(back, left side, etc) so I can actually make it 3D? I model 3D concepts with Blender, so if you wish your drawings to come to life, PM me.

[SIX1NINEKING]

Hey im currently looking for concept artist, im currently signed with ink well productions as an author but i need concept art or someone i can bump heads with and comeup with concept art for my sci fi story im currently developing and working on. i have drawn some concepts of what machinery and futuristic characteristics my story will have but im looking for a second opinion or idea where i can partner up with and cook something up. please let me know if your interested. you left me in awe!

[darkmonolith97]

Your drawings are amazing. Are you like a comely artist in any way? Why haven't you been making some videos? Wheres part 2?... Just been wondering...

[iSOBigD]

@darkmonolith97 I generally work in graphic design and do some mixed freelance work (3D, photography, image editing, etc.), so I've never really gotten paid to draw. I usually draw when I'm bored or waiting for something so I haven't done it as often lately cause of my job. This did get a bunch of views though, so I might make some new drawing videos soon. Thanks for your interest!

[iSOBigD]

@Shizzle558 If you'd like to become one though, study anatomy and shading if you're into characters (proportions, bones, muscles, wrinkles) or just study movies, games and reality to get ideas for environments, vehicles and weapons.

The main thing is most places need you to be a good artist but you need to do digital paintings. Few people still make a living just drawing with a pencil. Buy a tablet and practice as much as possible - look up text and video tutorials online before spending!

[iSOBigD]

@Shizzle558 Song is Jigsaw Falling Into Place by Radiohead. The job you're thinking of is Concept Artist. You can be a concept artist for environments, characters, etc. they can be separate jobs at big game companies. One involves learning lots about anatomy and proportions, the other learning about perspective drawing, etc. It's never too late to learn anything. I've been drawing my whole life (and I create many other kinds of art) but I've never worked as a concept artist.

[DrawingWithGordon]

Hi iSOBigD,

Really nice robot leg! Very creative and conceptually plausable. I like your proportions and detailing. Keep making those tutorials! I just put up my latest drawing tutorial on the Viper Mark II with a CGI model I built and animated. Let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Gordon

[iSOBigD]

@DrawingWithGordon Thanks. Your ship's nice and having guide lines for the perspective is definitely the way to go. I usually don't have time to do that for complex things so I tend to draw side/front/top views then model it in 3D since I don't really try to make nice drawings, just helpful ones which make things easier for me when making images (using 3D/2D techniques). I tend to use the perspective drawing for very small spaceships with less detail then I add more once I scan or model them.

[iSOBigD]

@DrawingWithGordon I find that saves me a lot of time on the drawing phase so I can focus on just blocking out interesting shapes in my concept then in 3D I actually detail it so everything's good in terms of perspective and proportion. (Plus it's so easy to fix mistakes there!)

[TheHitez]

how do you guys visualize so well before hand then get it to turn out correctly? when i visualise shit trying to draw, I then get stuff in odd scale... I can do 3D just fine though.

btw I need someone with your talent to draw me like 2 concept arts for a game hit me up if you got spare time, and would like some details :) if not no prob.

[iSOBigD]

@TheHitez Don't really have the time since I work full-time, got my hobbies and I just bought Starcraft 2 today, but I can answer your first part. :)

The point of 2D drawing is to sketch out basic ideas before investing the time in 3D, uv mapping, texturing, rigging and animating. You can get complex shapes down much quicker than in 3D, but it helps to draw very basic shapes first to get an overall silhouette and only start adding details once you're happy with the basic idea.

[iSOBigD]

@TheHitez If you start with lots of details, you might find that your character's leg is too long and it'll be too late to erase it since you've spent 30 minutes detailing it. So just like with paintings, start with "broad strokes" or basic silhouettes and then draw smaller and smaller details in layers (like using a smaller brush each time). 3D works the same way, you box stuff in then add detail and only texture the model once the entire modeling process is done. :)

[TheHitez]

@iSOBigD thank you :)

[iSOBigD]

@TheHitez My pleasure. Good luck with your project. Science speed!

[SuperKoolaid65]

damn......looks professional

[Ninjerina]

I approach drawing mech stuff the same way you do but my stuff tends to not be detailed enough or too "organic" looking . Do you have any good reference sites for mech detailing you use? I guess I'll start checking out car and engineering designs...

[iSOBigD]

@Ninjerina Hmm, I can't really point to any one specific example. Now I really just come up with details out of habit. I've played hundreds of games, watched hundreds of movies, read of watched hundreds of hours of tutorials for 2D/3D graphics so I've just learned about it over the years.

What inspires me from real-life though are just plain mechanical things from vehicles. Gears, pistons and grills from cars or garbage trucks or various toys or objects I see. Just analyze everything you see.

[iSOBigD]

@Ninjerina I also take reference photographs of anything I find interesting like little details or interesting shapes on any object I see and that way I can always go back and look at those pics for ideas or just memorize those shapes in my head by analyzing them at the time. If you're consciously thinking about good shapes and interesting designs instead of just thinking, "oh, that's a nice car", they'll stay in your mind longer and you'll know what works and what doesn't.

[Ninjerina]

@iSOBigD thanks for responding I'll try to take those things more into account

[kween1thang]

It looks like ur referencing Sega's Strider video game, I think Ive fought some of those guys lol

[iSOBigD]

I've actually never heard of that until now.

[iSOBigD]

I wish! I still play TF2, some Demigod and some Heroes of Newerth, but with a full-time job, it's tough keeping up with all my hobbies.

I still draw and do some form of photography daily, but if I had too much free time, I'd have a lot more videos and 3D stuff to show, hehe.

[craiganator12]

i mean good

[iSOBigD]

Thank you sir. :)

[craiganator12]

you r a extremely god creative drawer

[Curopium]

This really helped, thanks

[cubbex]

awsome dude, I like too draw robots with a gel pen

[Shinok876]

Hello fellow artist...I was just wondering.

I am very interested in drawing mechs. But where in the world do you get your inspiration for joints, exoskeleton addons, etc. Would appreciate if you could show me the light. Good Job btw.

[iSOBigD]

Hi there. After having drawn thousands of mechanical things, I'm just used to creating little details, though I did spend a good few months just trying to come up with details to fill empty spaces with.

I would suggest looking at random mechanical objects, vehicles, screws, bolts, grills, fans, exhausts, anything with metal plates on the outside, cars, etc. Just focus on smaller details like that in everyday situations and then practice them when you draw or model them in 3D.

[iSOBigD]

As far as drawings go, see how those objects look from the top or the side. Screws can look like circles or octogons, for example, grills usually have typical parallel lines, so just draw those but add some cuts through them, more like: __/----\__ just to add some detail.

Also, repetition is key when trying to detail a surface in both 2d and 3d since it'll keep the overall art style and it's also easier to copy over or repeat the same pattern than it is to come up with 50 different ones.

[HaloGeek454]

nice drawings 5/5

>P.S. Fred Figglehorn Sucks

[ShadowGhost890]

Hey what type of drawing book do you have. And what pencil and eraser hah. I need new equipment.

[iSOBigD]

I used a regular sketchbook that I draw in. I think it's made from recycled paper but that shouldn't matter. I usually draw with an HB .5mm mechanical pencil and I use a white eraser.

Remember to just draw lightly if you want to be able to erase without smudging everything. Also, I tend to use some shiny paper to cover up parts I don't want to smudge with my hand as I'm drawing on other parts of the paper.

[WebTravellerPETJIM]

what`s the song??

[iSOBigD]

Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place.

[WebTravellerPETJIM]

thanks

[DefCon17]

Definitely interested in more.

- 3DFunkee (DeviantArt) :D

[leorrubin]

awsome dude

[InfinityHeart]

dude, MAKE MORE!!!

[carlonchox911]

radiohead ftw

[girladdicted2TF2]

:D

I love youuuuuU!

Make more!

♥