Sunday, June 10, 2012

Behind the Scenes

I've learned to become more patient with my designs since when I started drawing. I used to think what would define me as a good designer was how easy it would be. It seems to be the other way around, I've never found design as difficult as I do now. There are so many factors to consider. Color composition, shape design, straight vs curve,  readable silhouette,  weight, spacing of parts, anatomy, functionality, uniqueness, technical aspects of final format, story, mood, attitude, appeal etc.  Arriving at a drawing I like is damn frustrating, and takes many attempts, and still, when I look back at the final result in retrospect, there's always something that could be done better. I think one of the hardest things is to accept that I'll probably fail, but still dive into each drawing with passion and the hope that it will turn out alright. If I don't invest, the drawing is doomed from the start. Well, here are a few attempts.


2 comments:

Dado Almeida said...

Nice read. One of the reasons I´m liking your artwork is the 'solidity' of your drawings - Nice to see how you think about shape function and form (like you did in the torn of the cape).

Johannes Helgeson said...

Thanks Dado! Yeah, form is very important. I tend to try and make my concepts as useable as possible for a 3D modeller. They're the guys I communicate with in most instances. I like do thumbnails, because then I can think of Shape & color alone, not really caring about form. When I draw, I make my first pass lightly, focusing on shape, story and proportion, and then with a kneaded eraser I'll tone the drawing down, and then start being more careful with the form on the second pass. I learned a lot about drawing from Glen Vilppu! He's the master of form :D One of the things I don't like with Vilppu is how he largely omits shape, one of the key tools as a designer.