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[Urist McScoopbeard]

Can anyone issue or direct me to a engine drawing tutorial? I've been trying to do a spaceship in high-detail and I am having a mental block on how to design a fair amount of its parts.

[Patchouli]

As far as engineering stuff goes, honestly, the best way is to understand and read up on how they exactly work.

[joss]

Reading alone doesn't do you much good, I'd say. Now the technical drawings that often accompany the boring technical stuff, that should be useful. Or you could always google for reference.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

i dont want a detailed cut-away view, I need help with the external part. I'll try to get something up soon and show you guys

[strongrudder]

The best way is just to jump in and start failing, honestly. You only get better through pencil mileage. Study is a good supplement, but it doesn't work very well on its own. This is something I've been struggling with lately.

[Jopax]

I've found the best way is to learn some basic principles of these things, then, when making stuff like say a jet engine you roughly know how it works and how it generally should look, then you modify that to your hearts content within certain parameters which will vary on your idea of realism and how far from it you are willing to deviate.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

So, I was messin' about tryin' to make some proper clouds when I stumbled across the lil technique:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I quickly slapped on a blue background and it turned out purty cool.

In the future I think I'll tone it back on the colours it's a bit too intense (unless it's really rainy), also the big cloud could have been managed a little better, but for stumbling across this it works out

Maybe if I do a second rendition i'll add a proper sun and sky and land

[Hippoman]

It is extremely blurry, I can't tell if it hasn't loaded or if it's just that blurry.

Clouds aren't blurry. Sorry, it just kinda strains my eyes.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

Its just like that. Well I thought it was cool at least

[rarborman]

Thats how clouds look to me, being nearsighted makes everything blurry.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

So, I tried my hand at a cloud again, and it appears to be easier to look at:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Is it too sketchy? are the individual strokes too easy to see?

Edit:Im actually changing it as this is posted, but give me some critique anyways please

[Jopax]

This one is much better, some more lightning shenanigans and you've got yourself a cloud mister!

In general, clouds do have somewhat hard edges, especially if it's not terribly overcast or raining. And they're especially hard in sunset/sunrise conditions due to lightning making everything razor sharp (plus all kinds of pretty colors to boot!).

So a suggestion if you're doing them in PS is make them on a separate layer, and slighty lower it's opacity, but do use a hard brush for all but some slight tone/shading changes.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

Im actually using autodesk sketchbook (which basically amounts to the same thing) but ok, Ill try doing the hard edges like that

EDIT:

actually here's an edited version:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Jopax]

Another thing that's missing, a sense of light direction, right now there isn't a clear source in that last piece, making it look very odd and unnatural. Pick a spot and decide that light will come from there (or more if you feel alien) then work the shadows and shapes of the clouds in with that point in mind.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

All right thanks, maybe i'll upload another pic l8r (gotta do homework now)