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jhatch
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Location: Santa Ynez Valley, CA
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Re: New work

Mike A wrote:
jhatch wrote:I put up the tech art I did for the new ICON Airmada Helmet that launched today. http://www.hatchillustrations.com/ICON- ... ustrations.

Beautiful illustrations Jim - as always. The tonal variation / control in what is a predominantly greyscale image is gorgeous. Were you working with a physical product as reference?
Hi Mike,

Thanks for checking out my work! Yes on this one I was sent a real helmet that I cut up and shot pics on a tri-pod. I draw everything on its own layer and then prepare the final " mix"

Jim

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Mike A
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Location: Warwickshire, UK
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Re: New work

Hi all,
As the board's a little quiet, I thought I'd put up a recent job. Not the most exciting job I've ever done, but there were some 'interesting' aspects...

Here's the finish:
Image
A higher res version here:
http://www.vantagegraphics.co.uk/Posted ... 1600px.jpg

The product is a 7.5 meter long concrete slab - a modern replacement for sleepers and stone ballast typically used on railways tracks. The primary use of the rendering was for a 2.5 meter display illustration on a trade stand, as well as the usual marketing print collateral. The final render was 10,000 pixels wide.

The 3D model was built in FormZ and was textured and rendered in Cinema 4D. Post work / ghosting in Photoshop.

The key thing to illustrate here was the jointing system between adjoining blocks - an interlocking section, and two curved internal channels, through which flexible bolts are threaded and tensioned.

In other words: we want you to illustrate a 7.5 meter long grey concrete slab with holes in it - and make it look exciting :lol:

The main thing that caught me out on this was that the client initially showed me some drawings that looked like finished engineering drawings - but when I started building it I found that these were rather more 'conceptual' than finished. So I ended up having to do quite a bit of 'layman's product design' - estimating some dimensions and working out others to build it and make everything fit. Much more work than initially estimated.

The other issue was the best way to illustrate the the internal channels and ducts - an important part of the product. This proved quite tricky too. I ended up with this 'pseudo glass' and concrete approach. That enabled me to add a bit of colour, and show the key external features (the interlocking block at the end) as well as the internal ducts.

The job is now finished, and the client's happy; but I'm always interested in getting a critique and suggestions for improvement, so feel free to fire away with any comments.

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Don Cheke
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Location: Saskatoon, SK Canada
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Re: New work

Mike A wrote:Hi all,
As the board's a little quiet, I thought I'd put up a recent job. Not the most exciting job I've ever done, but there were some 'interesting' aspects...
I think it looks wonderful Mike. You did a great job all around.

Just one question. There are six parallel gray cylindrical objects in segments. What are those? Re-bar of sorts?

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Mike A
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Re: New work

Don,
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement - always appreciated.

The grey cylinders are voids (100mm dia.) filled with a rubber material. They're designed to act as vibration dampers - and also have the benefit of reducing the overall weight of the slab. I always find it amazing how much science and engineering actually goes into a product like this - something that looks so simple on the surface.

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Don Cheke
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Re: New work

Mike A wrote:Don,
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement - always appreciated.

The grey cylinders are voids (100mm dia.) filled with a rubber material. They're designed to act as vibration dampers - and also have the benefit of reducing the overall weight of the slab. I always find it amazing how much science and engineering actually goes into a product like this - something that looks so simple on the surface.
Thanks Mike. That makes sense. I too am amazed at the insight and science that goes into much design.

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JamesProvost
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Re: New work

Nice, Mike.

I really like your solutions for showing the interlocking. We're actually looking at the interior view of the receiving side of the interlock, but it reads effortlessly, no confusion about the sense of space. The flexible bolt channels are nice too, delicate use of transparency.

The only question I could come with is why the vibration dampers in the top right go from visible, to hidden, then ghosted (see attachment)? I would have left it hidden like you did in the lower left. It's subtle and doesn't take away, I was just curious about the decision, or if there was something I was missing. Maybe to show that last horizontal tube?

Thanks for sharing!

EDIT: Oh, I think I get it now. It's to show that the vibration dampers are interrupted by those horizontal tubes rather than running continuously the whole 7.5m.
Attachments
Screen Shot 2012-10-01 at 10.17.02 AM.png

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Mike A
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Location: Warwickshire, UK
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Re: New work

Hi James - thanks for the comments.

Yes - the 'solid' end faces and the transparent body came off better than I could have hoped. Illustrating a product were the 'holes' are a significant feature proved tricker than I expected.

Your edit comment is spot on. I needed to show that crossing drainage tube / cable duct. That was the one area I wasn't really happy with. I tried various ghosting approaches, none of which I really liked. It looks a bit like I couldn't make my mind up...

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JamesProvost
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Re: New work

Here's a spray gun that I completed recently for a woodworking magazine.

I'm happy with the reflections on the handle, but I feel like the body needs something. More sharply defined reflections? Less contrast? Warm/cool reflections?

I'd love to hear some feedback.
Attachments
spray gun system.jpeg

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jhatch
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Re: New work

Very nice James, Is that all Illustrator? I think maybe the full drop shadow on the paper is flattening it out like it is a sticker?

Jim

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Don Cheke
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Location: Saskatoon, SK Canada
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Re: New work

jamesprovost wrote:Here's a spray gun that I completed recently for a woodworking magazine.

I'm happy with the reflections on the handle, but I feel like the body needs something. More sharply defined reflections? Less contrast? Warm/cool reflections?

I'd love to hear some feedback.
I think it looks great overall James, the handle too.

You are brave (being vulnerable) to ask for feedback. I am always afraid to do that, but I know that a positive critique can be helpful.

At any rate, Jim mentioned a flat look. I found that too and I wondered if it was because of the spray tip. Are those spray tips centered in the cylindrical end? If so, I thought that it needed more definition there as I quickly added in the attached image.
Attachments
Screen0076.jpg

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