# Difficulty Drawing Buildings and Mechanical Designs



## Charrio (Nov 7, 2014)

I find sketching such things as Buildings, robots and most anything with a Hardline quite difficult to pull off. 
I'm probably not the only one who has this issue, being a Pinup artist primarily anything with hard lines is very challenging for me. 

Do any of you have any tips for such problems?
I find its mostly the details that tear me up, all those panels and windows. 

Here is a small example of my bad attempts.


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## foxhound22 (Nov 7, 2014)

They look good to me! XD

I have the game problems. Backgrounds in general for me is a chore but I'm sure you'll get it right! ^.^


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## Teckolf (Nov 7, 2014)

This is ironic considering I have the opposite problem... I can only draw technical or mechanical drawings with any semblance of accuracy. I have never been able to draw an even recognizable animal or human. But if it can be machined I can draw it.


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## Teckolf (Nov 7, 2014)

But with that being said if you want something to try and improve this skill, look up 3d plotting. if you draw within a one by one XYZ plot it can really help you understand technical drawing. Additionallly, try taking something you know, like a bicycle, and draw a side view, front view, and orthogonal view. If you have problems with dimensioning what you want to draw, find a picture online and measure it with a ruler. Use the ruler as a length reference for the drawing to proportion it correctly, much like the "heads" measurement for body proportions.


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## RedSavage (Nov 7, 2014)

Two things: 

1: Line weight. Work with some thinner lines to create fine details that fade in and out of view. Parts FARTHER away from view should have thinner lines. Smaller things such as steel paneling or finer mechanical parts should be smaller. 

2: Look up mechanical/technical details. Look up riveting of steel plates and how they fade in and out of view. Anime's are really good examples of finding illustrations of space ships. Cowboy Bebop especially. Lean to _imply_ rounded corners rather than try to draw them. Check out the Hammer Head. 







Check out how you can see that the actual -outline- of the space ship isn't the literal -edge- of the constructs of the ship. Especially on the front where it's rounded and on the sides. Remember---sometimes you have to REMOVE lines for realism. 

First--line weight. (Aka line thickness). 
Second--learn to imply certain elements of machinery that make them different from people.


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## Teckolf (Nov 7, 2014)

RedSavage said:


> Check out how you can see that the actual -outline- of the space ship isn't the literal -edge- of the constructs of the ship. Especially on the front where it's rounded and on the sides. Remember---sometimes you have to REMOVE lines for realism.



This step is where you can use a front view and a side view of something and try and create an orthogonal view... Savage is just better at explaining it than I am...


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## Charrio (Nov 8, 2014)

RedSavage said:


> Two things:
> 
> 1: Line weight. Work with some thinner lines to create fine details that fade in and out of view. Parts FARTHER away from view should have thinner lines. Smaller things such as steel paneling or finer mechanical parts should be smaller.
> 
> ...



Wow those are some really good tips and a good example pic.
Thank you very much, I really want to get better so when i illustrate my book i can do it well.


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## Maugryph (Nov 10, 2014)

Perspective! For Comic Book artists is a good book on the subject: http://www.amazon.com/Perspective-Comic-Book-Artists-Professional/dp/0823005674


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## Armendariz (Nov 10, 2014)

I do vehemently agree with the technique of line density. In lineart, the best way to simulate depth is through the lines. When you use colour, you have a huge array of tools but also details to keep in mind (usually lighting on metal surfaces).

Either way, keeping it short (or not) and in addition to what's been said, perspective is obligatory for large mechanical objects and landscape. As for the rest, it does stand on the details. As said, use references and lots of them. Photos of machinery, vehicles and even other artists concept art if you wish, it'll help you a lot. Not a single soul can come up with all the varied details of machinery out of sheer imagination (unless you're a technical designer or something).
My favourite artists in the genre are Katsuhiro Otomo and Masamune Shirow, but there's hundreds out there.

As for perspective itself, I can recommend the usual Andrew Loomis book. Mainly because it's free, but it still has a lot of handy tools you can use and learn from. I consult it frequently - Successful Drawing (just scroll through it and you'll find basic Perspective and it's follow-ups, including lighting and shadow).
I do have a book somewhere that mentions perspective in Space, but it doesn't have much to it. Always obeys the same rules, just without a floor to stand on.

And for the most common and repeated lesson, remember, always start out with the most basic shapes: squares, rectangles, triangles and circles, and from there build their 3D shapes, followed by their angular shapes and only then the details.


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## Rhansid (Dec 13, 2014)

I would have to second what others have said already and that is perspective. The book "Vanishing Point" by Jason Cheeseman-Meyer is a book about perspective primarily aimed towards comic book artists, but it is extremely useful for any artform. I personally recommend this book because it explains every conceivable form of perspective in such simplicity and clarity. Perspective can be intimidating and confusing at first, but this publication breaks it down much better than I have found anywhere else thus far. Learning to draw details and complex structures is fine, but it will never look quite right until you make them obey the laws of perspective. Learn this first, then focus on line-weight and details, you will be doing yourself a huge favor if you do. I tell you this because I started drawing machinery and landscapes long before I ventured into pinups and organic forms and I struggled to get things to work together in my pictures. Something always looked "off" one way or another. I realized this later on that is was my lack of knowledge of perspective. I forced myself to learn it (not as grueling as I make it sound, lol) and my art is much better for it. I am by no means an expert, I am always striving to better myself as every artist does. I see potential in your work, and I just want to help you improve, just as I would hope someone would do for me when I come up against an obstacle. Hope this helps, and I truly wish you all the best in your endeavors.


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