Imagining the Final Image.

vect00rzer00

Hello everyone. Since I dove into art, I have always worked with an object and made it up as I went along. I have never had pictured the final image while modeling or drawing it. I use to be able to do this as a kid, but I think this ability has diminished somewhere along the line.

I know many professional artist do this and I know that I need to retrieve this ability. I want my work to be perfect, but I don't have a conceptual idea of what perfect is. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Are there any mental exercises that can help?

Vrav

As you see people and things in reality, try to imagine a geometric topology; recognize the basic volumes, making particular note of their relative proportions. Drawing from life or even just looking at things in a certain frame of mind also helps build spacial imagination capabilities - try to catalogue everything into your head, building organized libraries of shapes and visual data.

It may help you to think of things in terms of how they might "feel," in order to help build a library of three-dimensional constructions in your head - the sphere being a ball, rather than a two-dimensional circle, etc. It also helps to just close your eyes and think about it for a little bit. Even the smallest amount of mental planning can provide good direction, if you can keep the imagined result in mind. If the image is too fuzzy, try to dissect why and what it might be lacking.

If that is at all what you're talking about..?

vect00rzer00

Sort of. I can say that i can draw from life really well. I have good depth perception and I understand how to use basic rhythm lines and shapes both 2D and 3D to "block out" my object so drawing from life is easier. I always draw shapes before drawing the final object. But when it comes to drawing (or modeling for that matter) it's difficult for me to conceptualize it.

I suppose i don't have a good visual imagination. If I do think of something cool to model, it's more of a list or simple symbols in my mind. I can model or draw an original "gun" or "warrior" from my mind with a couple of references but everything turns our looking more like simple symbols. or shapes that are two basic. I can have a very generic perception of what an "eye" or a nose may look like, but it will always be very symbolic (eye would be oval instead of all those intricate curves) instead of realistic (Same goes for mechanical parts). I suppose part of the problem is that I'm not very detailed oriented when it comes to drawing from imagination.

I'm beginning to think drawing out the basic shapes of my imagined scene is my only solution, but i have seen many people who can just dive straight into their work without setting up grids, shapes, etc. I have concluded in that they have a preconceived vision of their scene in mind. I would like to obtain that ability but I'm not sure where to start. For now, I just draw a lot but i can't help but think their is something more I can do in addition.

Vrav

Hmm, interesting. I'd like to hear just how detailed others' imagined scenes are. Mine are sort of collage-like, so when it comes to attempting to replicate something imagined, it's more of a freeform process (since I am not as skilled at drawing as I'd like to be). There really is nothing I can think of that I've ever done that I would consider successfully replicated in comparison to the initially imagined concept, beacuse the process is more musical than direct - working off what I see / am modeling or drawing, as opposed to copying explicitly some vividly imagined scene.

The rest of the world will never know something you made is not exactly how you first envisioned it; rarely is the early mental image, either, of optimal or necessarily original design.

I thought that was how it worked for most people, but I guess one never knows. In order to get past mental symbol-habits, though, I find it is helpful to study everything in the universe, from cars, appliances, textures in the world around you, nature... to the details of human faces in public, in the mirror, or on TV.

If you build up a greater library of shapes in your head, your things will look a bit less same-y... and if you find a set or motif you particularly like, it can become part of your style. Or, preferably, you can categorize the "why" of a certain look, having a bunch of 'futuristic' mechanical symbols, then another set for making something appear soft and friendly... you know the high level of facial customization in some games these days? Just store similar variables, but for anything.

I don't know. I think it boils down to "stick with it and you will get better," but yeah, I guess it would be interesting to know if there are any other suggestions on how to improve this process. Sorry to spam the thread.