Used Alchemy to create 20 random shapes that I could eventually refine into silhouettes for a vehicle design by adding details to make them look more like a mech or vehicle design.
Created a generic ship shape in a triangle shape to make the design look streamlined. The stray lines under the ship looked like loose wires so i added more to make it look intentional.Thought the shape looked too dark so I added a circle of negative space with what could be a corridor running through it.
The ‘pull’ tool in Alchemy creates random objects and shapes. It created this and I thought it looked like the head, torso and tail of an animal. Made into a ship that resembles an animal and added wires and straight lines in areas to indicate that it is mechanical. The pull tool created the shape of a spine where the tail would be so I added some lines that look like ribs in the finished silhouette to follow a skeletal theme. Added something that looks like the tail of a cat since the shape initially looked like a tiger.
This is possibly the shape with the most difference in final result. Made the larger circle a central part of the finished version and made it look as through it would fly using the circles on either side, either by hovering or propelled forward using them somehow.
Using the pull tool again, Alchemy came up with a smaller, simpler shape so I made something non threatening and reasonably simple. Tried to make it look like the body and face of a robot with antennae and wings. Overall shape looks circular and has some character.
Of all the finished silhouettes, my favorite is probably the top left or bottom right. Top right because it makes the most sense in terms of 3D modelling and is the most recognizable as a ship and bottom left because the idea took more thought. Least favorite is probably the top right because some of the shapes don’t make sense in terms of where they would place in a 3D model and it’s hard to tell what is in front of or behind what shape. I like the bottom left in terms of character design but I want to stick to the theme of a ship.
Added 3 more designs to the collection of silhouettes.
Decided on the ship I ultimately want to model and continued with the idea by adding textures to the silhouette using clipping masks and shading by using dodge and burn tool. Picture below is a work in progress and still some polishing needed around the area that looks like a rib cage.
Added photos to the area left blank in previous photo and added blue highlights to areas affected by the lights
Used photos of pipes to cover up blank space and edited a photo of a grey car to look like a panel on the side. Could be either a ship or a mechanical snake. Position on concept looks confusing. Some things appear to be viewed from the side and others 3/4 or front. Currently sketching a clearer side view so it will be easier to model overall.
Very happy with how to model turned out. I think it’s an improvement from the last attempt at making a ship and I think the design looks interesting. I was planning to UV unwrap the entire model but after learning about baking a high poly model into a low poly model, I think that could be less time consuming.
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