On request, I have decided to make this quite short - but hopefully interesting and inspirational - tutorial on how to make spacecraft (in this particular example a ground-to-space vehicle).
The tutorial is released in two parts.
My equipment:
- GIMP 2.0
- Wacom Intuos 4.0
- I usually use hard or soft circular brushes, depending on the material that is to be drawn. Specific brushes will be described in the tutorial steps.
The tutorial:
Step I:
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Before you start drawing, it may be advisable to create a transparent and a white layer, with the white layer underneath. This will make drawing feel more natural, especially while using dark colours. Of course, if you are drawing on a project, and you wish to quickly introduce a new object, it may be better to have a perception of the surrounding colours and geometry by keeping the project background.
When everything is ready, there are multiple ways to begin the construction of your spacecraft. I usually draw a basic, rough image of the spacecraft in its base (unshadowed/unhighlighted) colour, then proceed to 'carve' out details. In this tutorial, however, I simply 'draw' a selection representing the outlines of the object, then fill it with the base colour - in this case green. Note that base colours may change depending on surroundings and lightning (an object placed in a room lit by orange lamps will assume a slightly more orange tinge).
Step II:
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Having filled my selection with an appropriate colour, I then proceed to add 'premature' shadows to indicate features of the ship that will stick out from the main surface, and to get a better perception of what is which. Generally, to get the 'perfect' shadow, I usually darken and de-saturate the colour (as you can see in the image).
Step III:
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With the basic shadows done, I can move on to add some details. The main advantage with drawing spacecraft, airplanes etc. is that their structures are usually segmented, offering a better perception of geometry. The most important thing isn't that these segment lines correspond perfectly: use repeated, short brush strokes to complete a line.
Also, while segmenting the craft, make sure to check the outlines so that any unwished features are edited or removed (as you can see by comparing the image in the first and second step, I adjusted the left wing of the craft to better suit the right wing).
Step IV:
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This step builds on what I did in step 3: add darker shadows to the segment lines - especially those that would not be lit by the light source (in this example, vertical lines). Also note that some outline shadows were added (look at the flaps). Further crop or expand the vehicle body if necessary, and add more details.
One new object that you may have noticed is the window. Adding windows, separate panels, antennae and other objects separated from the main hull should have their own layers - this will ease shadowing and highlighting.
Step V
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Note that quite a few things have happened in step V, but none are in fact very complicated, even though they do add to the immersiveness of the image.
The first thing that you may notice is the extended shadowing. For more complex shadows, I use a tiny soft brush, which I move in small, rapid movements across a surface. Note that depending on material, shadows may be of different 'graduality'. A very gradual shadow is perfect for metal and 'perfect' surfaces, while a less gradual, more chaotic shadow technique works well for anything else (such is the case here).
Secondly, turn your attention to the soon-to-be engine fan tunnels. Note that while some of the features there are clearly shadowed by the hull of the ship, they are still less shadowed than, for instance, the tunnel entries themselves. This is because anything the surroundings emit indirect light - not the light that comes directly from the light source - at these features. It is thus important to note that just because one side of an object is shadowed, it doesn't mean that it will all be covered in the same, dark colour.
Thirdly, the window has now been shadowed. When working with the materials coloured yellow, I usually create shadows by gradually working towards red - and, of course - darkening gradually (see picture). The fact that we created a separate layer for the window means that shadowing is now much easier, no colour is accidentally drawn on the green surface.
Step VI
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In this step, I have both continued darkening shadows, and prepared for the highlighting of the craft with the base colour. Highlighting edges is in fact very easy; it is simply a matter of drawing a line, quite in the same way as segment lines, but with a brighter colour. When highlighting a wider area, a suitable comparison would be 'shadowing' with bright colours.
At this stage, the spacecraft could in fact be deemed more or less complete. With only shadows and some minor highlights, the craft would be constructed in a non-metallic/non-reflective material. Adding a few lights, a real engine exhaust and some other details would be no significant task. Therefore, Step VI serves as a conclusion of the first part of this tutorial. The second part will feature more highlighting, as well as the addition of details and secondary lightning.
Part II:
Step VII
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With the shadows more or less properly completed, I move on to add highlights. I use a similar technique when picking a highlight colour as I do when I am to shade something: not only do I move towards a lighter colour, but I also de-saturate slightly (see image). Highlights should be added in most lit areas if the material being drawn is reflective. Metals tend to have brighter (more effective) reflections than irregularily-surfaced materials.
Note the marked areas. On one side, shadows help distinguish a feature that is clearly portruding from the right wing. To create a proper feeling of geometry in the image, I therefore highlight the opposite wing in the same area.
Step VIII
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In this step, I continued by strengthening the highlights. Also, I added a highlight to the quite reflective glass surface. As I said, metals (and highly reflective surfaces in general) have stronger reflections than other materials. Of course, this applies to glass, and therefore, I proceed to add a very strong reflection there. While highlighting yellow, I do not change the overall colour (as I did while shading it by moving towards the red spectrum), but simply move towards a brighter and less saturated tone.
Another thing worth noting is the fact that it is during highlighting that most geometrical problems become apparent. It is therefore important to cut out or change obvious problematic features during this phase (note the
Step IX
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This step consisted of adding stronger highlights, especially at highlighted segment lines (especially at the top). Note the geometrical feeling of volume and depth that this type of lightning produces.
Step X
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Here, I wanted to add some form of symbol on the wing. I created a new layer, and painted (with relatively low pressure) in white. This means that the white will assume a natural, slightly greener tinge. Also, it is important to keep the white colour clear of the segment lines, or you will have to apply shadows on the white as well (this isn't such a problem, but it is unnecessary to give the symbol its own shadow if it is of such a small size as here). Highlight it in some places to make it an interesting feature.
With these steps, a spacecraft has been created. There are still some details to add (and some areas to cut away) before it is implementable in a larger project - part III of this tutorial.
Review of what we have done so far
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Part III
Step XI
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And I am hereby back in action. I this part of the tutorial, we're going to add a background.
Please note the fact that I have left the spacecraft visible. This is partly because I want to get an idea of what the image will look like while I am working on it, but also because it adds a sense of scale to have something to compare the background with while one is working.
To begin with the creation of a background, I quite simply draw up the basic sky colour. The sky is going to cover most of the image's surface, and its colour will rule supreme when it comes to secondary lightning, far-off objects and the general 'blend' in the image.
When picking a sky colour for the casual, natural landscape, select one that is bright enough to support contrasts between mountains and sky, but not so bright that it might interfere with clouds, or the sun, for that matter.
Step XII
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In this step, I darkened the upper part of the sky. This is because the sky actually does get darker the further up you come from the horizon. Above that is the artistic effect, a dark area will make the otherwise quite plain sky look interesting.
On the colour scheme, I moved towards a deeper blue (darker, higher saturation, less green).
Step XIII
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This step is a continuation of the last step, the upper right part of the image was made even darker.
Step XIV
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In this step, I created mountains and forest.
When an object is seen far away in the distance in an atmosphere like the one we have on Earth, it'll fade away into the colours of the sky. This means that anything distant in the background imagery will be shaded slightly towards blue.
The first layer that I created here, the 'Mountains' layer, is the farthest away and should thus be significantly blue-tinged.
I then proceed to create a second layer for the forest. Here, I move the colour from a dark, blue-tinged, less saturated shade of green to a bright forest green. This gives a sense of depth, and the darkness at the foot of the mountain in the background is something that we will use to our advantage later.
Note the fact that I have placed the mountains and the forest on separate layers. This will facilitate editing.
Step XV
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Here, I added shadows to the mountains. Adding shadows to far-off objects is more complex than to darken and de-saturate; in this case, I turned the shadows heavily blue-tinged and darkened them. Once again, having a good balance in shading distant objects in blue colours will create a feeling of depth.
Step XVI
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Having shaded the mountains, it was necessary to clearly distinguish them from the forest in front. Since a forest isn't a particularily structured surface, I made random, strong (hard) brush strokes across the surface, the chaotic lines growing brighter and offering more contrast the closer to the viewer they got.
Farthest away, I made the brush strokes with the aid of a soft brush, so that they created less contrast than the closest forest.
Step XVII
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In this step, I added a river at the bottom of the rainforest. Since rivers are typically made of liquids reflecting light, they will usually bear the same colour as the sky when watched from afar. Thus, I picked a random colour from the sky, and drew the meandering river in that colour.
Step XVIII
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In this rather minor step, the background rainforest was smudged to offer less contrast, while the river was gradually, although only slightly, erased the further it went into the background. This will make it cut less against the distant forest.
Step IXX
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In a way remniscent of how I shaded the spaceship in the previous parts (desaturating and darkening; note that this particular piece of the background imagery is so close that we can disregard most blue-shading effects), I now proceeded to make rather sharp river basin shadows. This will make the river stand out more against the closest rainforest, making the backdrop more realistic and overall more interesting to look at.
Step XX
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In this step, I have begun making clouds. Clouds are more difficult than they sound, and it does take quite a bit of practice to become decent at cloudmaking (yes, that does sound absolutely riddiculous).
First off; anyone can easily argue that clouds are not as bright as the sun, but owing to their white colour, they will reflect an astounding amount of light towards the observer. This means that clouds are exceptionally bright in clear sunlight, and that they should only have traces of blue and grey colours.
Secondly, drawing clouds requires a bit of imagination and perception of reality. In this case, the clouds are floating right above the ground, sometimes lightly touching it as mist in the valleys of the background mountains. Where the clouds are closest to the ground, they should be smudged the most. If the clouds are somewhat higher above the ground, make the edges slightly harder. If they are on a very high altitude, they should be formed into featherlike patterns.
As a final edit on this step, I added some stronger sunlight reflections on the closer part of the river, giving it greater variety and making it more interesting to look at.
Step XXI
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Here, I gave the clouds some shadows. Thick, rain-bearing clouds pose harder objects for sunlight to shine through than light clouds, which carry almost no water. Obviously, I was going to have rain pour down from these clouds, and so, I made them darker underneath. Note the fact that I have already roughly added the distinctive 'rain stripes' that one can distinguish while looking at rain from far away.
Step XXII
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Using the rubber, I slightly faded away the mist in the mountain valleys. I also smudged out the rain stripes, as well as adjusting the movement patterns of the mist slightly with the aid of said tool.
The mountains were made slightly rougher, while I also proceeded to create very distant clouds in the farthest background, barely visible having gone through an episode of fading.
Step XXIII
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In this final step, I added some slight shades and highlights of secondary lightning.
I began with picking a colour from the sky, usually one that could be expected to reflect off the surface of the spacecraft. Secondly, I chose a soft, very unopaque brush to give some of the shadowed areas of the craft a clearly sky-blue tinge. The window, being built in glass, a highly reflective substance, received a stronger dose of blue than most of the spacecraft's surface.
Just like I did with normal highlights, I made a few, strongly blue-coloured lines that would offer a better perception of the vessel's geometry, while also making it blend in naturally with its surroundings. These are not visible in the image owing to their disappearingly small size, but can be seen in the complete image at the end of this tutorial.
Note that shadows that could not possibly reflect the light coming from the sky were not highlighted.
The End Result
Having added a few details, such as wind stripes above the wings and mist over the river, the image is now more or less complete.
As a last note that will conclude this part (and the tutorial as whole); making the background may be a thrilling experience by itself, but the background should not steal too much from the main object of the picture (if there is such an object). It is important to keep the main object, the main character of the image the focus of the observer's view.
And that is all, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Aanker
Last edited by Aanker; December 12, 2010 at 03:50 PM.
Honestly, the tablet is perhaps the best tool ever for a computer - it works perfectly as a mouse, while also being the tool to use while drawing on the screen.
It's damn hard making the shape of the ship, step 1
Try starting with something simple, say, for instance, a rectangular spaceship. It doesn't have to be complex, and the geometry doesn't have to be perfect (mine isn't).
everything is made from boxes, cylinders, etc. just draw those basic primitives(will help if you draw the backside too, aka see trough) and then cut parts off. once the bic picture is clear details can be added
everything is made from boxes, cylinders, etc. just draw those basic primitives(will help if you draw the backside too, aka see trough) and then cut parts off. once the bic picture is clear details can be added
Well i started with some flowers nothing geometric since straight lines are harder than asymmetric objects , like per say organic objects, the plant turn out to be a mess after few steps in, however the tutorial turn to be genius!! thanx mate.
Well i started with some flowers nothing geometric since straight lines are harder than asymmetric objects , like per say organic objects, the plant turn out to be a mess after few steps in, however the tutorial turn to be genius!! thanx mate.
can you please do the 3th part? rep++++ you!!
Thanks!
While I have tried to convince myself to do the third part several times now, I feel that I'm set on doing it this weekend. And that is a promise I intend to keep.
Spacecraft Creation
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Re: Spacecraft Creation
Originally Posted by KDK
rep++++ you!!
