Designing Droids

01

02
03
04

05

06
07

Designing Droids Chapter 01: Recon Droid

Chapter 01: Recon Droid
Software Used: Photoshop
Hello, my name is Alex. I draw mechs a lot!
Some might say its a calling and they would
be right. When you get down to it, robots
are just plain fun to draw/design/model etc.
Its practically a fact. Between the numerous
aesthetic approaches one could take, imagining
the functionality of a design, the design
flexibility to make stuff up as you go and the
miscellaneous cool factor that robots innately
possess, it means that, at least for me, (having
grown up on a steady diet of video games
featuring the piloting or blowing up of mechs of
every stripe) its always been a fun endeavor. In
the case of this particular robot image, the goal
was to create a scout droid of some sort, so lets
go on and explore that. The tools I used were
an Intuos 3 Wacom tablet, Photoshop CS5 and
various brushes and textures.
While not always a necessity (as it very much
depends on if the piece is for fun or for a client,
as well as just how much familiarity you have
with the various mecha genres in general) it
often helps to stop and really think about what
your design ought to have. Just mull things
over for a bit. Think about what kind of role this
scout is supposed to fulfill; think about what
sort of equipment and configurations of parts it
would need to succeed in that role; think about
the relative level of technology this design is
supposed to be a product of.
Now, when I think of scout droids the first
thing that comes to mind is something lanky,

these I keep the requirements of the design in

for the pose and form. These included shrinking

lightly armed and armored, with a considerable

mind as I play with various shapes, poses and

the left arm a small amount and seeing how the

amount of spotting gear and electronic

body configurations. More often than not if you

image might look running instead of standing.

countermeasures. Something that looks like

go this route it might feel like taking a Rorschach

While there is always room for adjustments

it would have only just enough protection and

test at the same time as you create one. As the

later, it does help to sort of settle on a basic

armament to affect a speedy escape. In terms

silhouettes develop you should start visualizing

form from the onset (Fig.01).

of relative tech level, as a matter of preference I

the relative placement of parts and features, and

went for something that would look like it could

begin extrapolating their general placement. In

Now I started the clean-up of the sketch. I began

potentially exist somewhere within the next 25

the case of this particular scout droid, I ended

by reining in the shapes, defining the angles of

50 years.

up going with my second design, as it seemed

various parts and further interpreting the loose

to convey the scout feel the best.

sketchy amorphous shapes into having a clearer

function. I also established a particular shade

After brainstorming for a few minutes I

started messing around with various different

With the sketch decided upon I started to make

of gray, which would become the relative base

silhouettes straight in Photoshop. When doing

a few subtle experimentations in black and white

tonal value of the design that I would work off of

page 5

Chapter 01

www.3dtotal.com

Chapter 01: Recon Droid

Designing Droids

later. I also made adjustments to the pose and

proportions, as the hip area was not looking all
that great to me anymore and the left arm felt
too long (Fig.02).
As I continued I made further adjustments and
alterations as I interpreted the rough shapes
of the design into more detailed forms, moving
steadily into the detailing work. I also returned
the pose to the original sketchs standing
position as I felt it worked better.
With the main figure more or less settled upon it
was time to begin establishing the environment
surrounding this scout. Considering its scouty
nature, I felt that the implication of an overlook
of sorts would be fitting, and considering the
machines splayed feet and long flexible arms, it
seemed suited towards picking through broken
and potentially unstable terrain. So I went for a
desert ruins motif. At the end of this stage, I took
a sandy yellowish color and applied it as a Color
Burn layer to the entire image to set the basic
starting hue (Fig.03).
Continuing onward I began to add additional
line work type details, refined the shapes further
and adjusted the position, size and angle of
the droids left arm. Feeling the need to have
some spots of more saturated color in an overall
unsaturated image, I decided to give the droid
a bright orange eye. In order to establish a
more defined set of shadows and highlights on
the droid, I roughly painted into two separate
overlay layers one white, the other black
where the general highlights and shadows were
to go. I then used Gaussian blur to soften both
layers and reduce their opacities (Fig.04).
Following that I copied and merged the image
into a new layer and desaturated it completely.
Then, using the Dodge and Burn tools as well as
the level adjustment tool, I tweaked the overall
contrast before setting the layer type to Overlay.
I also significantly decreased the opacity so as
not to make the design too contrasted.
At this stage it felt like the design needed to
be made a bit more crisp, with slightly sharper
looking edges. To do this I copied and merged a

www.3dtotal.com

page 6

Chapter 01

Designing Droids Chapter 01: Recon Droid

new layer and used the High Pass filter, then set
the layer type to Overlay, thus causing edges
over the entire image to come in a little sharper.
At this point I began to poke around the image
looking for small details to correct/add and
rough areas that could stand to be refined.
Later secondary and tertiary colors/tones were
added to the droid, namely as orange striping
and bare grey metal surfaces. In order to accent
the edges further and brighten up the design
a small amount the image was copied and
merged again, run through an accented edges
filter, set to the lighter color layer type and
dropped significantly in opacity so as not to be
overpowering (Fig.05).
Although I continued to add small details and
make slight tweaks, this stage of the images
development focused primarily on establishing
some of the atmosphere in the environment that
the droid was standing in. Using various sand
and dirt textures set at a low transparency I was
able to establish the terrain in the foreground.
Various cloud textures were repurposed as
drifting smoke by adjusting their hues and
transparencies. I set one layer to Soft Light, one
to Overlay and a third as a subtraction layer, as
this gave the impression of a bit of light bleeding
around the sides of the figure. Additionally the
entire image was copy merged and run through
a darker setting of the accented edges filter
to get more of an overall grittiness. Then the
opacity was dropped. At the end of this stage
the image was looking rather dimly lit (Fig.06).
Next I began to add weathering, scratches and
bullet holes for a little extra authenticity. This
was done via setting a layer to the Color type
and then, in the blending options, I adjusted
the Bevel and Emboss sliders as well as using
a grimy metallic texture with the bevel/emboss
effect. I then began to paint scratches and dings
where they would seem most logical to occur.
For example, near joints, on areas that would
likely bump into things and areas that I just
wanted to look battle-damaged to some extent.
In light of the overall dimness of the image I
used some Overlay layers and bright colors to

www.3dtotal.com

page 7

Chapter 01

Chapter 01: Recon Droid

Designing Droids

make certain areas pop out more brightly and

to add color and highlights to the bare metal
surfaces, as their specularity would be higher
than the painted metal, and thus would take a
hint of color from their surroundings. Also time
was taken to use dedicated circle brushes to
clean up some of the more irregular hand-drawn
rivets, joints, bolts and assorted round areas
(Fig.07).
At this point I was happy with the droid (though
I did end up slapping a unit designation decal
on it), which meant I could concentrate on
achieving a good look for the rocks and broken
ruins surrounding it. This was done by taking
various images of broken concrete and resizing
and reshaping them to match the breaks
and cracks in the original silhouettes. I then
erased the parts that where necessary. Certain
foreground rock shapes were redone completely
to make them fit the image better. The layers
were color corrected from their original tones to
match the sandy yellow hue of the rest of the
image (Fig.08 10).

Alexander Iglesias
Web: http://flyingdebris.deviantart.com/
Email: flyingdebrisguy@yahoo.com

www.3dtotal.com

page 8

Chapter 01

Designing Droids

Chapter 02: Repair Droid

Chapter 2: Repair Droid

Software Used: Photoshop
Hello, my name is Alex Iglesias and I am a
mech art addict! In this tutorial were going to go
through the process of designing and illustrating
a repair droid.
Now when it comes to the basics of mech
design, the first thing you want to ask yourself
is, What is this mech/droid supposed to do and
how is going to do it? In the case of this design,
the what was part of the assignment and that
was repairs. Now, to different people the idea
of some sort of repair droid means different
things. Some people might picture some sort of
anthropomorphic robot handyman; others might
imagine spiderbots working in unison, or maybe
some kind of ambulatory multi-tool. In the case
of this design, I pictured some sort of battlefield
engineer unit that follows around combat units
and patches them up, or tries to salvage them

As I looked at the initial sketch it became

sketch into more specific surfaces. I also began

if they are blasted apart. With that approach in

apparent that there were a few things that didnt

experimenting with certain dark areas and

mind I began making sketches exploring that

quite sit right in the image it felt too static and

aspects of lighting. However, it was still fairly

idea.

lacked energy. The solution I found was to flip,

crude and more clean-up work and refinement

warp and distort areas of the image to make

continued well into the process of this piece

At this point the idea of the how began to form.

things appear just a little bit more dynamic.

(Fig.02).

It would fix up/interact with other droids via long

Tilting the horizon a little bit helped this too. Also

spider-like appendages ending in pincers, tools,

I put more of a lean into the repair bots pose,

Immediately after I was comfortable with the

cutters, etc. After a small bit of exploration of

which added a little more implied weight to its

basic details and layout, I added a flat brown

silhouettes, I decided to depict the repair droid

form.

tone over the whole image and added some

rudimentary shadows, in order to provide a bit of

mid-work, sifting through wreckage while its

allies converge on an off-screen fight in the

After I was happy with the sketch I started

a background tone as I continued the rendering

background (Fig.01).

defining the originally ambiguous shape from the

process (Fig.03).

www.3dtotal.com

page 11

Chapter 02

Chapter 02: Repair Droid

Designing Droids

I began to add some color gradients to start

establishing the dusty atmosphere of the piece,
and started to clean up the design of the droid
itself. I also began to establish the forms of
the background vehicles at this point. I really
wanted to give the impression of some large
mobilization consisting of a combined arms
force. Part of the reason for this was to give the
viewer some rough idea of what the blasted
wreckage at the repair droids feet might have
looked like (Fig.04).
For some reason I really enjoy bright yellow
color schemes on vehicles. So in the case of
this repair droid, to help distinguish it from the
combat units and to make it associated with
industrial equipment, I applied an Overlay
layer of a bright, school bus yellow! I didnt add
this yellow to the areas I wanted to leave as
exposed metal. I also painted in some dust to
show the movement of all of the droids in the
scene (Fig.05).
I wanted to differentiate areas further, help
diversify the color scheme and add even
more of an industrial flavor, so I made several
surfaces much darker and unpainted. The
caution strip was also added to several areas as
its a classic, easily identifiable motif that helps
cement the industrial aspect further. In order to
make the machine appear more used, areas of
chipping and fading in the paint were added.
Experimentation with the color scheme via the
Hue and Saturation tool also caused the overall
colors to become brighter and more vibrant
(Fig.06).
After taking another look at the image, I found
that the colors actually a bit too saturated now
and the machine was still not looking worn
enough! More weathering was added using
grunge brushes I had, in addition to some
smaller clean-ups and edits. The overall effect
made the machine appear a little darker and its
paint job a bit more mottled. At this point I also
felt that one of the surfaces was woefully empty
and decided to add a number decal for fun.
Areas that were meant to be bare metal were
also considerably more defined at this stage in
the progress (Fig.07).

www.3dtotal.com

page 12

Chapter 02

Chapter 02: Repair Droid

Designing Droids

The mechs details were pretty much nailed

down at this point, so it was necessary to move
on to other aspects of the piece. In this case the
foreground. First and foremost I had to come up
with some convincing dirt! Using the underlying
color plus a texture I found I was able to create
exactly what I was looking for (Fig.08). After
that I had to edit the overall silhouette of the
scattered debris, cleaning up the shapes and
adding form to them. For added form and detail I
used various metal textures and grunge brushes
at low opacity to get the necessary amounts of
metal noise. The fires were essentially tweaked
and modified textures that I applied using the
Lighter Color layer style, which really gives that
sort of flames in broad daylight appearance.
My personal favorite part of the background

The image was now looking pretty solid to me,

With the foreground and focus point where

though was the creation of the artillery muzzle

but it was still a bit too clean and flat. Something

I wanted them it was time to finish off the

flash on the far left giant mech platform.

had to be done about that. Using some gray on

background. The attack units took a bit of work,

Essentially it was just a sketched blob shape

a Color layer I opted to desaturate certain areas

namely in cleaning up or adjusting the individual

that had some tweaked fire textures dropped in

of the image to make the repair droid seem a bit

silhouettes. But as they were relatively small,

it. The texture was then merged, set to Lighter

more worn. Also, finding the bare metal surfaces

implied detail went a long way here.

Color and dropped in opacity (Fig.09).

themselves a little lacking, I decided to clean

them up and contrast them a bit more, so as to

The giant weapon platforms in the far distance

The end result was something relatively minor,

also got some measure of refinement and

but it goes a long way to showing how much

definition, but not too much as it would not be

dust and distance there is between it and the

Although the image up to now looked dusty, it

conducive to conveying their far away distance

viewer. A considerable amount of hand-drawn

didnt really look that acrid, scorched earth, type

and immense size.

smoke clouds were also involved.

of dusty. I really wanted that carcinogens in the

www.3dtotal.com

page 14

make those parts stand out.

Chapter 02

Designing Droids

Chapter 02: Repair Droid

air type of smoke factor in my image. Using
some textures of overcast skies and various
clouds, and some tweaking of layer types and
opacities, I managed to get the amount of
smoke desired (Fig.10).
Lastly it came down to adjusting the general
color, hue, saturation and contrasts to finally
make the image pop, plus a few general
color overlays and gradients. After a fair bit of
tweaking the various image aspects I finally
reached a point were I was satisfied with it. The
air in the image looked so thick that it could
have been cut with a knife. Also the mech
looked well-used and sturdy, which fitted the
image perfectly (Fig.11).

Alexander Iglesias
Web: http://flyingdebris.deviantart.com/
Email: flyingdebrisguy@yahoo.com

www.3dtotal.com

page 15

Chapter 02

Designing Droids Chapter 3: Medi Droid

Chapter 3: Medi Droid
Software Used: Photoshop

Introduction
In my opinion, the most important things to learn
when working for a game developer are how
to follow a brief, and how to develop a style or
closely follow an existing one. A concept artists
job is not only to come up with something
visually appealing, but, more importantly, its to
create an asset that is functional, scientifically
viable or at least believable and which is based
on the parameters of the games plot. A process
needs to be followed that enables the art
director (AD) to give ample feedback throughout
the development and that also makes the 3D
modelers jobs as easy as possible. The more
information supplied to the modelers, the faster
the model moves through production. The

Day One: 9:30am Brief

In terms of design, the droids should be

concept artist has a huge responsibility early on,

The AD has requested a medical droid for the

futuristic, but not too slick and curvy, and still

hence the importance of following a solid design

front line level of our game. The setting is Earth,

in-keeping with current military designs. Some

pipeline.

approximately 2050, and a variety of droids

organic shapes should be present for specialty

assist military efforts on the front line. The

areas, but they need a mostly hard and solid

Ive written a short brief similar to that which an

medical droids are used to assist injured troops

construction. Special metals and hard plastics

AD would supply. The following steps are based

and they have GPS and communication abilities

should be used.

on a pipeline that in its most basic form can

to locate injured soldiers. Every soldier has an

be found in any game company. This method

encrypted tracking device that links them with

You cant always hope for an in-depth brief, but

is one that has worked well for me. Ive also

the medical droid and this device is activated

basically the more information you have up-front

added approximate times for a typical work day

when needed. The primary function of the

the better your design is going to suit the game,

as a rough guide to what is expected. Some

medical droids is to locate and assist the injured

therefore hugely cutting down on revisions and

artists are slower and some are faster, but this is

soldiers and, if need be, operate on location and

even do-overs.

roughly the pace I work at.

safely transport the injured back to base.

Day One: 10:00am Research

Research is the part I really enjoy. I learn about
all sorts of subjects I would never usually read
about. Its also the best place to start. To assist
you in your research, its a good idea to first
break down the brief into key words. That way
you will cover everything in your design.
Here is my interpretation of the key brief points:
Year 2050
Front-line military medical droid
Some curves, but mostly rigid construction
Main appendages protected with high
density composite cowling

www.3dtotal.com

page 17

Chapter 03

Chapter 3: Medi Droid

Should have the following:

Designing Droids

shape brushes. The method I prefer is simply to

use a large brush to block in rough shapes and

Visible GPS and communications systems

then define them with quick lines and shadows.

Transportation device for injured soldier

To save time when selecting brushes, I put

(possibly stretcher)
Arms to perform tasks such as lifting body,

the ones I use the most at the top of the brush

selector menu (Fig.01).

moving debris and performing surgery

Audio and optical

I usually start with an A4 landscape page and

rough out about six to eight shapes in two rows

At this point I then start looking for references

(Fig.02). I try to make each thumbnail different,

on Google Images, using key words that

but sometimes find that once the first few

address each of the bullet points from the brief

shapes are created, an idea starts to form and

breakdown; army medic, military surgeon,

this stops the flow of new ideas. Its difficult to

military robot, army stretcher, medical robot and

move past the urge to do variations on a single

are thinking so your working drawings are not

so on. I then compile all of the reference images

design, but its a good idea to try. Some ideas

misinterpreted early on. You could save your

into one in Photoshop (PS) and place it on my

will be terrible, but its important to work through

initial work locally of course, but leads often ask

second monitor. That way, its always there so

as many as you can. Its just as useful to show

for you to work on the server for this reason. So,

I dont stray too far from the brief when working

ideas that dont work as ones that do. Bad

its quicker to scribble a few notes as you go, or

on my thumbnails.

designs also make the good ideas stand out. If

even paste an image to show what textures you

a co-worker comes to look at your progress, its

are thinking of rather than painting it.

Day One: 11:00am to 12:30pm

Thumbnails: First Stage

much better to have a page of rough scribbles

When starting thumbnails it can be difficult to get

able to see your thought process and let you

past the initial blank page. Its important to let

know if you are heading in the right direction.

your ideas flow onto the page without judgement

Its a starting point and if the direction changes,

or over-thought. Otherwise you can get caught

you havent wasted much time on detail and can

Day One: 1:30pm to 5:00pm

Thumbnails: Second Stage

up in the details on a single concept and before

quickly amend the roughs.

Once you feel you have some good ideas

than only a few detailed ones. The AD will be

down and the lead is happy for you to continue,

you know it, two hours have passed. The panic

of a deadline sets in and productivity drops.

Day One: 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Lunch

When working in a games studio, its common

you can add some detail and better define the

for leads and ADs to be watching your progress

shapes and surfaces.

There are many methods of starting thumbnails,

from their own desks over the network. Its

from blocking-in silhouettes to using random

handy to add little notes to reinforce what you

A method I use a lot when Im painting digitally is

to first break the object into readable chunks of
light and dark values; light being the main chunk
or section of an object, and dark being the
recessed area in between (Fig.03). I do this by
using the Polygonal Lasso tool (L) to mask an
area. Using a large flat brush I then lay in some
basic values, similar to that of a base 3D model
with global lighting. I then invert the selection
using Shift + Control + I and block in the darker
areas. At this stage Im working at 33% zoom.
Fig.04 shows a comparison between 100% and
33%. I find it easier this way to keep an eye on
how the design is reading as an object from a
distance, and to determine how the light and

www.3dtotal.com

page 18

Chapter 03

Designing Droids Chapter 3: Medi Droid

dark areas contrast with each other. Any closer

To add highlights I like to start with a flattened

To finish off its always good to add some notes

than this and the detail is largely pointless as

layer. Select all (Ctrl +A), then Copy Merge

if you havent done so already and label the

thumbnails are often only viewed all at once on

(Shift + Ctrl + C), then Paste (Ctrl + V). I do this

thumbnails with letters or numbers. This makes

a screen or printed onto an A4 page. No one is

because I use the Dodge Tool for highlights and

it easier for the AD to let you know which ones

going to be zooming in to look at detail at this

I like it to affect all of the layers.

are preferable (Fig.05).

Using an airbrush with the range set to Mid-

End of Day One Meeting with AD

point. Thumbnails are about the basic design.

Once the basic shapes are defined, I can then

tones, I drop in some quick down light. I then

suggest detail with quick lines and break up

change the range to Highlights and use a

the panels with joins and creases. Its good to

smaller brush to pick out high contrast areas.

Day Two: 9:00am to 10:30am Finalize Design Choice

use a few simple colors to hint at decals, glass

I like to add extreme light right next to shadow

By this point the AD will have looked over

and artificial light sources. I then lay in shadows

areas, which emulates a trick that light plays on

your roughs and hopefully made a selection;

with a large flat brush using complete black at

the eye. If the objects are looking too washed

either one particular design with possible

100% opacity. If you dont press too hard, you

out here, I create an adjustment layer set to

amendments, or a combination of thumbnails.

will achieve a nice shadow effect with single

Selective Color. I then set the colors to whites

For example, he might like the top of A, with the

strokes. The standard Round Flat brush does a

in the menu and slide up the black until the

bottom of D and the arms of E. For the purpose

good job for this, but I find that textured brushes

balance is right, maybe introducing a little bit of

of this exercise, D was chosen as a suitable

such as Chalk do just as well.

yellow as well.

rough to work up.

www.3dtotal.com

page 19

Chapter 03

Chapter 3: Medi Droid

Designing Droids

Day Two: 10:30am onwards Front

and Back Renders
The first thing I do when working up a thumbnail
into a final front and back view is roughly
plan out both views beside each other. I find
its important to do this early on as it helps to
determine if the back works well with the front in
its present state. It also allows me to see if Ive
missed anything in the front view that should be
visible. I try to make the front/back perspective
as straight on as possible to make it easier to do
the orthographic views later.
The fastest way to do this is to simply copy
the thumbnail and flip it horizontally. Then, by
dropping the brightness and contrast to black,
its easier to imagine that you are looking at the
object from the back (much like a silhouette), as
there are no details to fool you otherwise.
By running lines across from key points on the
thumbnail drawing, you can determine where
things are placed on the back view. I also do
a quick render of the medical droid with the
stretcher down and the soldier inside being
operated on. This gives me a good idea of what
parts I need to add in order for this design to
function (Fig.06).
The next task is to paint in the front view using
the same method as described earlier in the
thumbnail section, but taking more care to
render surfaces a bit more smoothly. Its at this
stage that I basically clean up all of the shapes
and start to make sense of how the parts fit
together. I often use the Elliptical Marquee
tool (M) as a mask tool for arcs and circles.
The thinner lines are created using the stroke
function, as shown in Fig.07. I use Transform
Selection to make the mask bigger or smaller
and also the Modify/Expand and Contract
function for irregular shapes that dont transform
that well.
Using the shortcuts Ive mentioned so far
(selecting with the Lasso, blocking in value,

www.3dtotal.com

page 20

Chapter 03

Designing Droids Chapter 3: Medi Droid

inverting selection, blocking in value), rinse and

repeat! I work my way down the image, cleaning
everything up and solving any issues I find
(Fig.08).
I do the same with the back view, constantly
running guide lines across to see if everything
matches up (Fig.09).
Shadows are created using a large flat brush as
stated earlier, but this time I use the Lasso tool
to more accurately select the areas (Fig.10).
Its good practice to keep sections of detail on
separate layers. That way its easy to select
specific parts, and add lighting or make changes
later on (Fig.11).
It is then time for another clean-up pass and to
add more detail lines and joins, making sure all
of the surfaces are the right color and all of the
points match up from front to back (Fig.12). I
find that a good way to achieve crease lines is
to take a flat brush and turn off Other Dynamics
in the brush pre-sets. You can then hold down
Shift while you are drawing a line and just keep
clicking from point to point. I use this a lot.
I finish the front and back renders by adding
some metal and grunge textures using a Multiply
layer, and paint in scratches, dents and decals.
Finally I flatten the layers and use the Dodge
tool to add highlights, like I stated earlier. A drop

www.3dtotal.com

page 21

Chapter 03

Chapter 3: Medi Droid

www.3dtotal.com

page 22

Designing Droids

Chapter 03

Designing Droids Chapter 3: Medi Droid

shadow is created by making a Load Selection
of the robot and using Transform Selection >
Distort to change the perspective to ground
level. A simple gray fade and its done (Fig.13).
Sometimes its a good idea to add samples of
the texture references youve used in boxes to
the side of your renders. This is to make sure
that the modelers know exactly what type of
materials you would like to use for each surface.
Even if you render the object beautifully, it can
still be misconstrued as another texture.

Day Three: 9:00am onwards

Orthographic Views
Orthographic sheets are where all your hard
work will pay off. If you have designed your
object well, then this stage should hopefully be a
walk in the park.
I start off by placing the front render onto the
page and dropping the opacity right down. I then
drop in some guidelines at key points, similar
to when I was doing the back view. Rough
lines are used initially to get an idea of where
sections sit and how the model translates into
a front view. I try to imagine the model turning
slowly in order to get an idea of how the shapes
appear when facing straight-on to the viewer.
Basically the side planes will become thinner
and the front planes wider. You can even select
some of the larger shapes from the view,
drag them across and widen them slightly as
something to start from (Fig.14).
When Im rendering the views, I keep in
mind that it would be handy to have some of
the arms and legs close to the correct plane for
orthographic use. This way I can simply paste
them in and draw over them. The arms are bent
in places so I straighten them out by moving the
pivot point in Transform mode so I can rotate the
arm from the right spot (Fig.15).
Its important to show the arms straight and
have the legs side-on so that the modeler can
use them to model from properly. Movable

www.3dtotal.com

page 23

Chapter 03

Chapter 3: Medi Droid

sections that cover the object, such as the

Once I have everything laid out, its time to drop

stretcher and the arms, should be removed and

in the final linework. This is simply a matter

drawn separately so that detail can be added

of being more precise with lines and making

behind them (Fig.16).

certain that all points match up in all of the views

Designing Droids

as best as I can (Fig.18). Its not crucial to get

To get an idea about whether the front half

everything spot on, as the 3D artists are usually

is correct, mirror the image and make sure

very good and can fill in the gaps. Although its

everything looks good before continuing. Ive

nice to get it close!

found that when doing orthos in the past,

everything looks good until I mirror it, and it

When doing the side view, its a good idea to

always seems to have a chunk missing out of

have it as close to the front view as possible

the middle, especially with faces (Fig.17).

so you can easily eyeball back and forth to see

where things should be going. It would take too

long to make this an exact match, but as long
as its close, the modelers will love you for it
(Fig.19).
If the arms and legs are the same on both sides,
its not always necessary to draw them twice. So
Ive left them off the back view to save space on
the page for other sections. In Fig.20 you can
see that Ive simply drawn over a shape from the
back render and will just drag it across and
manipulate it if necessary. The more views you
do, the more problems you will start to find, so
its a continual process of moving lines around
to make everything work.
Once Ive finished the linework, I make sure
that there are no gaps in the outer perimeter
by drawing a single thick line around the whole
drawing (Fig.21). The reason for doing this is so
that I can then use the Magic Wand tool (W) to
select the empty white space around the droid.
Once this is selected, I then invert the selection
using Shift + Ctrl +I, create a new Multiply layer
and fill it with a light gray. I then lock the gray
layer and paint in some darker areas using the
Lasso tool. Finally, I use the Dodge tool to add
a small amount of light for curved surfaces,
label the views Front, Back, Side etc., and
its done. Its also a good idea to add a human
figure for scale reference (Fig.22).
If you have time, sometimes its nice to do a
quick painting of the object in its proposed
environment. This will help sell the idea and also
be a good addition to your portfolio (Fig.23)!

www.3dtotal.com

page 24

Chapter 03

Jeremy Love
Web: http://jeremylove.com/
Email: jez.love@hotmail.com

Designing Droids Chapter 4: Bartender Droid

Chapter 4: Bartender Droid
Software Used: Photoshop

Introduction
This image was a great challenge to think about.
When I got asked by the editor of 2DArtist
magazine to do it, my first thought was to draw
something simple, perhaps, with my focus being
the design. But finally, as I nearly always do, I
ended up making things much more complicated
so that my work has an added value. I believe
that in order to produce a more desirable idea, it
is necessary to be a perfectionist.

The Idea
I really like to wander here and there at night
with my friends, along the streets of Buenos
Aires, stopping for a while at any one of the
numerous bars or pubs that open throughout
the night. I like to enjoy a beer or a drink whilst
watching a football match on the TV, or just talk

visitors from abroad can choose how and where

or Irish pubs where foreigners usually meet,

a mixture of nonsense and seriousness while

to have fun.

together with artists and lovers of beer and good

football.

getting acquainted with people who enjoy the

never-ending journey like I do. From Mondays

So while looking for inspiration and references,

to Saturdays this cosmopolitan city offers a wide

I visited several places that were decorated in a

The first thing I did was to draw several

variety of places where Argentine people or

modern or classical style, and also some British

thumbnails and sketches so that I had options

available by the time I needed to start the final
design. I always say that the best thing to do
is draw anything that comes into your mind,
without any limitations. This is the way you have
to work in the film and video game industries;
thumbnails and sketches are what you have to
get done first (Fig.01).
When choosing a single design among several
concepts, the best thing to do is meet with the
art director, lead artist and lead designer to
select the parts you all like from each design.
You can then put these parts together and link
them in a final concept (Fig.02).

The Design
The nightlife made me think that the best way
to show a robot bartender was in its work
environment. I chose a retro 80s style, with a lot
of influence from Star Wars, which is one of my
favorite movies for its designs.

www.3dtotal.com

page 27

Chapter 04

Chapter 4: Bartender Droid

Designing Droids

In the production of professional work, we

have to show a schematic of our designs. This
technical guide is useful for 3D artists when
modeling the character (Fig.03).
The easiest way to make a schematic is based
on the view, which means we can project the
guidelines in order to step to the next view. Its
like moving the plan of a house to be able to see
all the sides of it (Fig.04).
The most important views are the view of
the front and back. If we want, we can add the
profile view and detailed plans of the areas

To understand how to make a schematic better, I

To obtain a perfectly presented idea, we can

that perform some specific functions. The more

made an example with simple geometric shapes

add the color design along with the schematic;

information we give to 3D artists, the more

(Fig.06).

this is a more professional and aesthetic way to

accurate the final model will be (Fig.05).

www.3dtotal.com

introduce our designs (Fig.07).

page 28

Chapter 04

Designing Droids Chapter 4: Bartender Droid

The Illustration
Previously I said that the first stage was
the concept, the second stage was the final
approved design and the last stage was
marketing materials or the finished artwork.
Almost all video game studios work this way.
The final illustration will show the method
of creating this style and how the design is
applicable for all other project designs.

Once I knew which scene I was using, I began

to add detail to the sketch on a new layer;

To begin the illustration I made a couple of

I enlarged the image and began to polish it

sketches. This was to see which the best option

completely (Fig.09).

was to see how a bartender works. In Fig.08 are

some examples of this.

The next step was to set the background color;

this is the base to add colors to each element

I found the first sketch very symmetrical and

of the drawing. Red will lead all the other colors

front on, without much action. The second

(Fig.10).

option seemed perhaps a bit more dynamic,

but I still did not like it. What I needed was a

When the drawing is very complex I usually

scene where I could feel part of the situation,

define volumes in black and white or in this

as if I were stuck in the scene. So I went with

case, using the base color. I found that drawing

the last option. I really like pictures that have

the robot was very difficult. That is why I detailed

photographic effects like films do, or make me

volumes in a single color first, so that afterwards

feel as if I were interacting within the scene. I

it would be easier for me to add the final details

think they are a lot funnier and impressive.

(Fig.11).

www.3dtotal.com

page 29

Chapter 04

Chapter 4: Bartender Droid

Designing Droids

To accurately define geometric objects, in this

layer in Normal mode. From there I started

As I always say in my tutorials: paint the light to

case the bar and walls, I used the Polygonal

painting, using a brush at 70 to 100% opacity

show the shape of the individual elements in the

Lasso tool towards the vanishing point. I painted

(Fig.13a b).

scene (Fig.15).

edge. Using the vanishing point as a guide

For painting I am guided by the lights in my

To help achieve a photographic effect while

helped give a perfect finish to all surfaces and

picture. In this case, there was an orange light

giving depth to the picture, we can place objects

flat edges (Fig.12).

on the top right and a blue light coming from the

that are further back and out of focus. This

bar at the bottom left. The blue light effected the

creates an illusion of being inside the action; as

Color

robots base, since it came from below and, at

if we, the viewer, are the ones taking the photo

Once I had defined the basic plans of the

the same time, touched the top of the face and

(Fig.16).

drawing I started with color, creating a new

hands of people leaning on the bar (Fig.14).

with a mask to create a well-defined and neat

www.3dtotal.com

page 30

Chapter 04

Designing Droids Chapter 4: Bartender Droid

Conclusion
To work professionally, you dont need to be
an expert in digital art. As you can see, almost
everything I have explained can be done with
the Brush tool, masks and a few layers. The
important thing is to have a good foundation
of traditional drawing and a lot of patience. To
create this picture it took me two weeks to think
about the idea before I was prepared to draw it.
Always keep in mind the way in which you will
present the image. Making sure its different
from others will give you the opportunity to do
great things.

www.3dtotal.com

page 31

Chapter 04

Ignacio Bazan Lazcano

Web: http://www.neisbeis.deviantart.com/
Email: i.bazanlazcano@gmail.com

Designing Droids Chapter 5: Demolition Droid

Chapter 5: Demolition Droid

B), or maybe built to roll over all types of terrain

Next, I started planning my illustration. I wanted

Software Used: Photoshop

(E). Perhaps the droid is equipped with tank

to show the droid at its most exciting a

treads or multiple sets of wheels (C, D, and F)?

squad of these units, powering forward, arms

carrying explosives ready to be planted, missile

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this tutorial

and was pleased with how it turned out! Id

In the end, a design that hovered was chosen,

launchers firing (indicating there are enemy

like to show my overall working method for

as the droid could go anywhere and wasnt

units ahead of them). I felt this model of droid

completing these pieces in Photoshop, as well

limited by height, terrain or blockades. The

would be particularly effective as a squad, hitting

as communicate a little of my thought/design

design needed to be durable enough to take

multiple targets at once and striking quickly

process.

a few hits and still function, so thumbnail B

before the enemy can regain ground.

seemed the most suitable. The main body would

Since the main purpose of a demolition droid

be a sturdy case, which held small explosives

I started drawing out some quick compositions

is to destroy things hopefully in a planned

operated by a small arm. This arm could

based on this squad mentality, until I arrived

and organized way I started out creating a

place the explosives strategically, to maximize

at the one I was happiest with. From there

few thumbnails that demonstrate this objective

the bombs potential to destroy a structure

I created a rough drawing of the scene and

(Fig.01). I wanted it to read as a droid and not

or vehicle. To aid in the placement of these

blocked in my basic shapes. I created an

as a mech or battle-suit.

explosives, a cutting torch was added, to slice

extremely rough proxy model of the piece

through metal bulkheads and doors. Lastly,

in Google SketchUp, just to get some rough

First off, it would need to be durable, small and

missile launchers were added, so the droid

perspective lines in there, as well as a 3D

somewhat stealthy maybe able to fly/hover (A,

could defend itself or remove obstacles.

feel. I tilted the droid to give it some force and

www.3dtotal.com

page 35

Chapter 05

Chapter 5: Demolition Droid

Designing Droids

some dramatic appeal. Then I added in a few

more rough perspective lines to help me do an
accurate under-drawing (Fig.02).
I will frequently flip an image and keep an eye
on my Navigator window, to be sure the piece
reads when its small. I started to indicate my
lighting and values now that I was somewhat
satisfied with the overall design. I want the front
droid to be dark against a background of fog and
explosions (Fig.03).
Next, I concentrated on picking out a color
palette. I wanted the piece to be mostly warm,
indicating explosions and fire around the squad
of droids, but with the smoke from the burning
targets bringing in some cooler hues. To add

www.3dtotal.com

page 36

Chapter 05

Designing Droids Chapter 5: Demolition Droid

more action and depth, I would eventually want

place out in some oil fields of a desert or plain.

Here I continued to tighten up the piece, defining

some enemy fire crossing over and behind the

The main body would be a brown/tan color, so

my edges on the main droid and indicating the

main droid (Fig.04).

that it blends in with this particular environment

other robots and structures in the background.

(Fig.05).

I wanted the ground to be on fire for a very

Here, I refined the design/color/lighting. I will

warzone-like feel, which would allow me to add

usually do both drawing and blocking in shape

I toned down the saturation of the entire painting

some light from beneath, to make the droids

silhouettes at this point. I looked at many military

a bit, because I felt that the color was getting too

stand out from the background. I also fixed a

references for color, and decided this would take

bright and vivid for a war scene (Fig.06).

few perspective issues as I saw them (Fig.07).

www.3dtotal.com

page 37

Chapter 05

Chapter 5: Demolition Droid

Designing Droids

A friend suggested that the droid needed some

military, as well as caution symbols and danger

overlays, dirt around the edges and some blast

small details that made it really stand out and

signs around the engines. For some scale

marks were also added to push the battle-worn

gave it character warning signs, ID numbers,

reference, I added in some handlebars on a few

appearance (Fig.08).

logos, etc. I came up with a logo for a fictional

of the panels. Extra scratches, grime, texture

www.3dtotal.com

page 38

Chapter 05

Designing Droids Chapter 5: Demolition Droid

A few lighting tweaks and it was done! I cleaned
up some of the edges on the main droid, added
detail and texture, and brought the enemy fire
beams back into the piece (Fig.09).
Usually I do the turnaround sheet while I am
still working on the illustration, to be sure the
design is right and is exciting from all angles,
not just the one Ive chosen to illustrate (Fig.10).
I felt like the piece was done and accurately
illustrated the basic idea of what a demolition
droid does blows stuff up! Thanks for reading!

Justin Albers
Web: http://www.justinalbers.com/
Email: albers.justin@gmail.com

www.3dtotal.com

page 39

Chapter 05

Designing Droids Chapter 6: Fighter Droid

Chapter 6: Fighter Droid
Software Used: Photoshop

Intro
Weve reached a point where neon lights
and metallic/technological matter can quickly
becoming boring and predictable, which is why
I tried to do something totally different for this
droid.
Its very hard to create something very classic
that is based on contemporary times, so I
went back in time to a very sensitive, but very
interesting event: World War II. I was specifically
interested in the German technology of this time
period.

History, Legends and Design

There are a lot of myths and legends about the
weapons and unfinished projects of the Bad
Guys that could have changed the course of
the war, so I set out to investigate. What I found
included things like special jets, aired canons
and alleged flying saucers!
I took these legends and generated a collection
of data in order to be able to design a
revolutionary droid for the time that was elegant
in design, but also highly functional in a war
situation.
Next I studied the basic needs of a good
combat weapon. The scope for urban combat
was a necessity the German troops were not

Design References

360 rotation

prepared for these urban struggles. I concluded

I referenced many armored vehicles, guns and

Grab land system against bullet impact

that the required features for an extremely

soldiers. All of these things helped me to find

Nuclear reaction battery

effective and reliable war prototype were as

the perfect balance.

Sketches and Final Concept

follows:
I liked the top features on the Panzer PzKpfw

I already had a clear idea in my mind, so I didnt

Cheap production method

model, a WWII tank, and decided to add them

draw too many concepts. I wanted a robot

Full autonomy

to my own invention to give the model more

that was inspired by the Panzer, and looked

Lightweight design, suitable for urban

functionality (Fig.01). These features included:

like a half-wolf, half-raptor, with large feet, a

combat

good shock absorption system, jumping ability,

Self-sufficiency

L/24 de 75 mm

lightweight design and overwhelming speed

No logistical troubles

Anti-aircraft gun

(Fig.02 03).

Good relationship between weight and

Flak 43 L/89 de 37 mm in an armored turret

power

with a Panzer IV chassis

www.3dtotal.com

page 41

Chapter 06

Chapter 6: Fighter Droid

Designing Droids

Composition and Colors

At this stage, I tried to clarify the composition of
the illustration. I wanted to prioritize the full view
of illustration more than a 3/4 or cinematic view.
I thought a linear drive composition might be
very interesting in this case.
In terms of colors, I wanted to have a very
desaturated color scheme, contrasting with
the fighting and fire details that would fill the
illustrations environment.
For that reason I chose a warmer palette to
show a day-time war atmosphere, with this
killing machine center stage (Fig.04 06).

Brushes
Brushes are a very frequent issue for an artist.
Which one do I use for this? Which one do I use
for that? Some people make it more complicated
than it should be. I personally opt to create my
own brushes and settings for each material
texture. I use the Calligraphy brushes, and
based on these brushes I create new ones, then
add texture and special dynamics for each one.
Here you can see an example of my brushes,
plus a graphic explanation of my realistic
illumination theory with natural colors (Fig.07).

Blitz Painting
This was a very simple stage. I used a big brush
to paint very quickly all over the canvas without
worrying about the details. I also did a quick
approximation of what would be in the painting
later.

www.3dtotal.com

page 42

Chapter 06

Designing Droids Chapter 6: Fighter Droid

Here you can see an example, plus the brushes
and key colors that I used at this stage (Fig.08).

Adding Photos
Sometimes its important to look to other
resources to help you with difficult details. In
this case, to expand my range of possibilities,
I had to turn to my girlfriends camera. I took
lots of pictures to help me with the background,
or weird details like the windows, buildings,
textures, etc.
To get a reference of houses destroyed by
war, I took lots of photos of huts in ruins. I also
photographed the structure of a dismantled car
and cloudy field landscapes.
To add a photo to an image is not hard; you just
have to consider a few things:
Lightning: The photos will naturally have their
own lighting and your painting another, therefore
you must make sure that they match. On this
matter, also make sure that the photo elements
are illuminated by a diffuse light source to avoid
creating harsh shadows.
Geometry: Try to take pictures in which the
textures or elements that are going to be
used are in a front view toward you, without
vanishing points, or perspectives that are hard

behaviors to add photos to your painting in the

The photographic elements in this illustration

to transform. If this is not the case, you can edit

most realistic way possible. You can put your

are the windows, car structure and fire (Fig.09

the geometry of your picture with Ctrl + T in

photos in many modes like Hard Light, Dodge,

12).

Photoshop.

Linear Dodge, Pin Light, Linear Light, etc. Each

Layers: Photoshop has many kinds of layers

one has very different lighting behavior, so you

Finding the Right Materials

must find the one that best suits your needs.

Im a fan of materials; for that reason, when

Im painting, I pay close attention to each of

and you can take advantage of these layer

www.3dtotal.com

page 43

Chapter 06

Chapter 6: Fighter Droid

Designing Droids

the materials in my illustration. I dont have a

definitive creative process when it comes to
painting materials, because its like a seek and
find process where you use the photos to study
each of the different materials.
Here is a guide on how to paint the materials
that I used specially for this illustration. All these
materials are under the same hierarchy of

The advantages to this technique are that you

same for the materials, colors, etc. You can see

colors, and illumination system (Fig.13).

can paint each item faster, with no worries about

the step by step in Fig.15.

crossing the boundaries of other close elements,

Mask

and you can get good definition in the details.

This is a very good tool for optimizing your

Silhouettes
The two soldiers are based on real WWII

work and speed up your painting time. Its very

The disadvantages are that its a very

photos. I tried to keep as close as I could to

simple: just select each item separately and

mechanical method and you can lose the flow of

these photographs to get a more realistic effect

paint each one a different color. That way, when

the painting.

with the poses and drawing structure (Fig.16).

the Photoshop Magic Wand tool and paint them

Legs

Soldiers

separately (Fig.14).

For this stage of the painting, I used the mask

These two men represent a remarkable

method that I explained above, doing the

contribution to the narrative of the image. The

you want to, youll be able to select them with

www.3dtotal.com

page 44

Chapter 06

Designing Droids Chapter 6: Fighter Droid

first soldier, who looks to the right, helps to
increase the feeling of advancing, as does the
linear composition of the illustration (Fig.17).
The second soldier in the background adds to
the narrative history of the piece and, along with
the sniper on top of the ruins, helps to generate
momentum within the image.(Fig.18).

Adjustments
To finish I edited the illustration, correcting
colors, editing element proportions and
retouching areas, etc. To do this I used a
number of filters including Levels, Color Balance
and adjustment layers.

Conclusion
To sum up, here are some final thoughts and

illustration is a good tool, but dont abuse it.

Examining your process is a good way to

suggestions:

improve your way of working.

When painting an image, make sure the

Christopher Peters
Web: http://trejoeeee.deviantart.com/
Email: trejoeeee@googlemail.com

It is fascinating to see how the wit and

detail is sufficient in the areas that deserve

intelligence of man is freely discarded in

it. To ensure this, use big brushes at first

favor of our capacity for self-destruction

and then small brushes to add the detail.

(Fig.19).

Using reference photographs for your

www.3dtotal.com

page 45

Chapter 06

Designing Droids Chapter 7: Pleasure Droid

Chapter 7: Pleasure Droid
Software Used: Photoshop
Stressed? Your back feels tight? Do your arms
hurt after long hours of making concept art for
the buck? Well, suffer no more! Simply ask
one of our latest I-pleasure 2000 robots for a
free back rub (relaxing music included) and we
guarantee you will feel in your twenties again!

Ideas
We start with a simple subject, in this case a
pleasure robot. First of all we have to sketch
some ideas on our canvas. As you can see in
Fig.01, I sketch some simple thoughts for the
robot. I choose a massage robot, so I decide
to add a vibrating massage device as the hands;
it is better than a couple of hands and keeps
the mood futuristic. In the back you can see a
big C battery type, to add humor to the design.
In the same line I decide that my robot needs a
face (as you can see it already has a camera),
so I choose a Japanese style for it and why not,
a weird, crazy painted face! In the sides of the
legs, I add a medic-kit and in the middle of the
chest, a kind of panel similar to the common
soda machines, so the person can insert a
coin and select the part of the body that needs
treatment.

Profiles
This step is very important in any production
illustration because the design can be used,
for example, by a 3D artist, or used to maintain
one style in a complex project. Usually I dont
use this for a simple illustration, but in this case
I will show you the kind of style I use when a
client asks for it. If you can do a simple 3D base
in your favorite 3D program (for example, in
Google SketchUp remember to catch my past
2DArtist tutorial with this great program!) it will
be a lot easier to work on the profiles.
I do a rough 3D model, as you can see in
Fig.02 and export the different views to Adobe
Photoshop. The common style for this kind
of work is line art. In the past I painted all the

www.3dtotal.com

page 49

Chapter 07

Chapter 7: Pleasure Droid

Designing Droids

views, but several video game companies told

Now it is time to define much more of our

and the city behind is a good source of light for

me that this is not necessary and they always

illustration. In this step I add better lines and

our scene. But Im still looking for the correct

used a simple ink line. So forget anything about

a quick pass of grays to add volume to the

lighting and this is an early stage, so Ill probably

light and shadow in this stage and call on your

illustration. Im not sure about the lighting,

change the source later on.

interior inker. Check the final result of profiles in

but it is a good start. You can see how all the

Fig.03 04.

elements work well together in the composition

You can see in Fig.08 how Ive started to add

in Fig.06. Thats because I did the first step, the

more color to our secondary robot and client.

Color Illustration

rough sketch. I think an empty robot battery on

But you dont have to worry about detail in these

I start with a rough sketch, which I select from

the floor will be great to show how cheap this

early stages, so work loosely over the painting

my mind. You can see how fast and quick the

Japanese massage house is, so I add this in.

and dont worry about the details at all.

want to think too much about the illustration; I

Now it is time to add a simple base color, as you

I start to paint the foreground robot. I pick a

have the idea and now it is time to drop it onto

can see in Fig.07. In this case I pick a brownish

warm palette, but decide to add a little bit of cold

the canvas. So, work fluidly and fast, think of

one for the entire painting to accentuate the

color to the hands, so I pick a violet palette for

what you want to show and start to draw the

poor hygiene of this establishment (dont tell the

them, but something is not working and I can

rough sketch as I have.

inspector!). The blue letters add a cold contrast

feel it. But as I said before, we can fix it later or

that works perfectly against the background

try other colors; just let the art flow. Sometimes

strokes are in Fig.05. This is because I dont

www.3dtotal.com

page 50

Chapter 07

Designing Droids Chapter 7: Pleasure Droid

this kind of exercise is better than thinking too
much about an illustration.
Check Fig.09 to see the rough palette. Ive
changed the perspective of the front robot too,
but maybe it is too drastic. The face of the guy is
perfect because it shows how good the robot is
at doing its job!
The faces are done, as you can see in Fig.10,
and I add color to the panels lights. In the hands
I choose a green because I remember a similar
device I have at home, but I dont know if this
will work for this illustration. I now have several
colors on the canvas and a nice cityscape
behind. I pick some photos of a city to add a
simple texture; Ill paint over it later, of course.
Now we have a floor, a foreground plant and
some simple curtains behind. As you can see
in Fig.11 the green isnt as strong now that you
can see the floor and the background curtains
behind, right? We have to keep working on it
and remember that we dont need to worry too
much about details. Make big strokes and play
with the palette.
In Fig.12 we have the color scene complete, we
have the palette weve chosen, the characters
interacting with the robots and some simple
details on the curtains. I add a couple of objects
to make it more interesting; for example, a
carpet on the floor and a briefcase for one of
the clients. But now I have some problems.
The violet and the green are too strong to work
together; I want you to look at the robot, but
not just its hands and thats exactly what is
happening now. The floor perspective doesnt
look right and the light is a little boring.
So I start to think that maybe a good change
to the image would be to make the transition
to a night-time scene. Its a cheap massage
house, the city will look better at night and the
glowing hands of the robot will look much better
as another light source. So at the last minute
I decide to change the ambient light. See how

www.3dtotal.com

page 51

Chapter 07

Chapter 7: Pleasure Droid

Designing Droids

the hands and the light in Fig.13 are now more

Now I darken the entire image with one layer

choose the correct opacity so as not to over-

turquoise to integrate better with the scene

of overlay from the top of the canvas to cover

saturate the image.

and Ive added more detail in the face of the

almost all the image. Remember to always use

client and a little puddle of drool on the table.

a gradient to do this; dont change the complete

Well thats the whole process! I hope you have

The panels lights are yellow now because Ive

painting.

as much fun trying this one as I did. Remember

eliminated the green from the scene.

you can always improve or add modifications to

So, with a military dark green on that overlay

your pleasure robots; maybe even make small

In Fig.14 you will see the extra details Ive

layer, the painting changes to a night-time

ones for foot massages or toe nail treatment

added to the floor to accentuate the dirty place,

image and now is just the time to add the extra

thats up to you! See you in the next one; Im off

such as trash, papers and a cup. You can see

details. This is the fun part because you have

for a massage!

some reflections too from the lights I will add to

the final palette and you just have to add all the

the ceiling.

details you want. As you can see in Fig.16 the

Carlos Cabrera

robot has some sparks on the neck because its

Web: http://www.artbycarloscabrera.com/

Behind the background robot I put some offer

a very cheap model and a foggy ambience will

Email: carloscabrera@gmail.com

letters to show how commercial the massage

give our scene the mood we need. The cigarette

house is and put some extra detail on the robot,

smoke Ive added is a simple picture of smoke

such as graffiti on its body (Fig.15).

on a layer in Screen mode; make sure you

www.3dtotal.com

page 52

Chapter 07

Matte painting is becoming more and more important in the CG industry. The backdrops of some of the most
epic scenes in films have been created by matte painters who have used the techniques described in this eBook.
These detailed tutorials will talk you through an entire matte painting process, from creating a concept for your
scene to the integration of photo elements and textures. This eBook will not only demonstrate the process for
creating an image, but will also provide you with a catalogue of tips and techniques such as how to change the
time of day in your scene. This is a must for any novice or experienced matte painter.
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: Photoshop | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 26

Visit 3dtotal.com/shop to see our full range of training products |

Pin-up art has been ever-present in digital art forums for years. We are used to seeing it in many different styles
and covering many different genres. With this new eBook, 3DTotal can proudly announce their definitive guide to
pin-up art. Pin-up legend Serge Birault will guide us through the different styles and influences in pin-up art, as
well as giving an insight into the fantastic painting techniques he uses to create his outstanding images. If you
like pin-up art this is the eBook for you!
Original Author: 3DTotal.com Ltd | Platform: Photoshop | Format: DOWNLOAD ONLY PDF | Pages: 23

Visit 3dtotal.com/shop to see our full range of training products |