AIYSHA ALSANE Virginia Tech B.Arch. 2015
PORTFOLIO OF RENDERINGS IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
PREFACE The skills I’ve honed solely by rendering objects and machines, has helped take it to a larger scale in terms of building interiors and invisioning design, regardless of scale. But also, it has helped me learn about the design process itself. Rendering is a tool that allowed me to not only bring visions to substance, but also learn and modify layer-by-layer. The iterations are not simply stuck in one form: awaiting its successor to fulfill what it only alludes to. This media allows the one ‘thing’ itself be all iterations, all layered up, modified, hidden, surfacing, all depending on the former action. Of note, paraphrased from Noise Orders: Jazz, Improvisation and Architecture, written by David P. Brown: improvisation, a negotiation between anticipated and unanticipated phenomena and a play of the familiar within processes of tradition, repetition, change. I strongly believe this media has allowed me to explore this phenomenon of improvisation, where the current is a reaction to the precendent.
Cone and Cylinder
prismacolor pencil on newsprint Operation: Plaster objects where manipulated with different light sources, spotlight vs natural. These are early explorations of contour lines, cast shadows, core shadows, reflected light, and value change as it relates to surface change. They formed a basis to creating more complex renders. This acquired knowledge is the base to creating believable and hence more credible renders.
Ellipses and Line Weights
ballpoint, fine point felt-tip pen Operation: The struggle with cylinders, spheres, and cones is as they stack in perspective and rotate on an axis, it is difficult to skew the circle base into a believable ellipse. This is a drawing of a complex network of curved surfaces and circle-based objects. The subject, consequently, is a legged vehicle that has lots of hinges and pivoting joints.
Finned Being brown pastel Operation: This drawing applies the newfound understanding of cast shadows, core shadows, reflections, local light, natural light, and value change as it relates to surface change. In addition, it drew on the arrangement of ellipses on different planes in perspective, and drawing shapes tangent to those cross-sectional curves.
Train Surface Value
prismacolor black pencil Operation: After regular exercises in shadow and surface change, I applied those techniques to an existing drawing of a train. Where is light coming from? Where is the core shadow? Cast shadow? How do I depict a recess or protrusion? The network of cast shadows, core shadows, and reflected light come together to make a believable render.
Jaguar F-Type Render
prismacolor artist markers on laserjet paper Operation: This depicts value change in the fluctuating surface of a car. The glossy finish allows a dramatic contrast of highlights and shadows. It draws on the previous applications of shadows and light. It is a rendering of an existing design, as a way to control the variables and master technique, before delving into rendering my own designs.
FJ Character Render
prismacolor artist markers on laserjet paper Operation: A new set of quick sketch arose, ones that are meant to train the hand in making shapes fast and proportional, but also assign basic values and depict an overall character. At this point, some skills are easily and readily at my command. I had gathered an understanding, and it was time to start designing.
Concept Sedan pencil sketches Operation: I was laying down basic proportions. The relationships of shapes and spacing can, then, yield a more complex design. What is important is the process and successive operations that were implemented to arrive at a final form. The form was tilled, and it was time to transform the basic wireframe in to a render
Concept Sedan
pencil drawing taken into photoshop Operation: I applied textures, highlights, shadows, reflections, light sources, and a very basic foreground and background, using my attained tools to depict an in-between reality and surreality. I also experimented with movement: movement of tires, movement of light, movement of a blurred background. The result was not as cultivated as the final iteration.
Concept Sedan
pencil drawing taken into photoshop Operation: Although this was the final render of this series, it’s important to note that the distillation did not happen until I have tried many techniques and experimented quite a bit.
Concept Sport Car
alternation between pencil drawings and photoshop rendering Operation: The fruit of my skills is served in this render, where the render is more attuned to subtle surface changes. It is a more accurate and sensitive application of shadows, highlights, and reflections.
Concept Sport Car Reinvisioned
alternation between pencil drawings and photoshop rendering Operation: Inspired by graphic novels, I thought it was healthy to reinvision work, keeping an open mind and staying receptive and flexible. I applied a weathered texture to the render, keeping in mind where joints and break lines are. The rusty tires make it a more believable depiction, as well.
EPILOGUE I would like to leave you with, again, David Brown’s thoughts on improvisation: a negotiation between anticipated and unanticipated phenomena and a play of the familiar within processes of tradition, repetition, change. Consider this book an exploration of media. It shows an understanding that is then represented, and isn’t that what we do as designers? We see, understand, translate, then represent.