A Bentley Design Tutorial: SketchBook Designer 2012

Part 2: Illustration
Objectives o this tutorial: We are going to go through my process in creating the illustration of the Knievel
Concept, with a focus on the tools in SketchBook Designer. We will also take a look at techniques that can be
use when illustrating vehicles an proucts.
Design !rinci!les an" strategies or !ainting# Before illustrating the concept, we will look at the following!
value change an form" surface language such as position, tangent, an curvature" escribing materials visually"
the use of color, te#tures an braning" an the use of $D unerlays.
SketchBook Designer ocus tools
Simplicity in work flow
%ock &ransparency
%ayer 'asks
(raient )ills, &e#ture )ills
Curve Snap
%ayer Blening
%ayer Warping
Surace $anguage Theory# %Position& Tangent& 'urvature(#
&here are $ types of basic surface transitions! position, tangent, an curvature. &angent surfaces o not occur in
nature.
Position: *ar eges give the sense of precision. +#amples! stealth fighters, crystals.
Tangent: 'an,mae an thus comes across as purposeful an inustrial. +#amples! -eeps, tools.
'urvature: Smooth surfaces an transitions flow organically. +#amples! animals, .orsche /00.
)or* Describes )unction# Suracing Styles are a Descri!tion o the Design# *ow shoul the prouct be
seen an unerstoo1 Below are some e#amples of how mi#ing ifferent combinations of surface languages
can communicate ifferent meanings an emotions.

Positional + Tangent , Precise -ngineering# Conveys precision an purpose builing. +#amples! Craftsman
tools, ('C &rucks.
Positional + 'urvature , Scul!tural& S!ort $u.ury# Design looks precise, but is also highly organic an free
flowing. +#amples" Sculpture, %amborghini.
Postitional + Tangent + 'urvature , S*art Design 'onscious# 2 precise esign which is also organic, but
the tangents 3roune eges4 give it a more man,mae, purpose,built look. +#ample! 2pple5s esign.
Other e.a*!les:
/ilitary "esign uses tangential surfacing or positional surfacing for facete stealth technology.
Basic Bu"get0value !ro"ucts usually are tangent if a plastic prouct, or positional if woo or fole metal.
Paint 1ork )lo2 an" /etho"ology
2bove are some painte e#amples, ranging from a iffuse surface to a polishe, reflective surface with color.
/aterial 'hanges
6n general, simply changing the sprea of the highlight an a7usting the strength of the reflection works well
for material changes. 8ough surfaces have broa, flat highlights an generally no reflection. *ighly polishe
materials have tight hot white highlights an strong reflections.
Te.ture )ill Tool
&o make woo 3or other te#tures like leather4. 6mport a te#ture into the )ill Te.ture Tool& locate" in the
3ector Tool Pallet. Click an rag into a close network of curves 3in this case, simply a circle4 scale the
te.ture properly, an 2ar! the te.ture into !lace with the hanles.
$ayer Blen"ing )ilters#
9se the overlay $ayer Blen"ing )ilter to maintain highlights an shaowing 3for woos, carbon,fiber, etc.4.
9se the /ulti!ly $ayer )ilter for iffuse ob7ects like concrete or layering black logos.
4nievel 'once!t
'once!t Descri!tion# 2 futuristic racing aircraft. &he nature of the racing is angerous" thus the given name
Knievel. &he concept is influence by Streamline esign as well as organic life" manta rays, bats, an insects.
&he color is taken from +vil Knievel5s outrageous re, white, an blue, outfits.
'oel :iews! final concept views
The 4nievel 'once!t# Surface language is .ositional ; curvature 3an organic moel with precise sculptural
eges4 to convey spee, anger, elegance an sport.
5D 6n"erlays
<ccasionally, 6 will create basic surfaces in a $D moeling package like Auto"esk7s /aya or Alias to use as an
unerlay for multiple tricky perspective shots. &his gives me an opportunity to play with ifferent camera
lenses an light. )or this esign, 6 ecie to use my original =D perspective sketch.
Illustrating the sketch
'urves0Strokes# )or this illustration, 6 outline the silhouette of the ob7ect with curves. With these curves 6
was able to use the )ill Tools& Sna! to 'urve Brush O!tion an the various $ayer /asking O!tions#
'reating 'urves# )or me, the Straight $ine Tool takes the least amount of time to outline the rawing. 6 then
use the )illet 'urve Tool to create the shape neee. <ccasionally, 6 will select the curve an" a"" han"les
to manipulate the shape of the curve.
)ill Tools# With the curves create, 6 use the (ra"ient )ill Tool. While there are a number of preset options, 6
simply use a efault an a""e" *ore color bars within the tool itself. <nce 6 was happy with the fill, 6
selecte" the e"ges o the tool7s boun"ing bo. to eform an istort the shape of the fill until it followe the
surface flow of the esign.
'asking. 6 then use the %ock 3.reserve4 &ransparency %ayer <ption. &his tool ensures that color an value
changes are only mae to painte pi#els. &o use the %ock &ransparency %ayer, 6 neee to convert my :ector
%ayer to a .aint %ayer. 6 i this by uplicating the layer an merging own onto an empty paint layer to make
it paintable. &hen 6 selecte %ock 3.reserve4 &ransparency, after which 6 repainte the surfaces with a har,
ege airbrush 3a preset option in the airbrush menu4 until 6 was happy with the shaing.
)or this illustration, 6 chose a light source that is high in the sky to help me rea the surfaces well. 6n orer for
the material to look polishe, 6 tightene the highlights an mae them bright. Anyti*e that suraces ol" or
!inch& the highlights shoul" tighten#
Sna! to 'urve an" Sna! to -"ge o 'urve Brush O!tions# 2n impossibly cool feature for cut,lines an, in
this case, an easy way to mask out areas. To use the Sna! to 'urve Brush O!tions& convert all the e.isting
curves to 8ui"e 'urves# Select all the curves an uner the Brush /enu change them from .en or .encil
Strokes to (uie Curves.
/asking $ayers# 6 then create a new Paint /ask $ayer an use the 'urve Sna! to -"ge Tool to paint out
the masks 6 neee. 6 generally create 'ask %ayers for any material changes an ma7or breaks in the surface.
&he 'ask %ayers are aitive an can be either .aint 'asks or :ector 'asks.
6 continue to tighten the rawing up by rawing curves for cut9lines an" *aterial changes. 6 then use Sna!
to -"ge with white an black pencils, respectively.
>e#t, 6 han painte areas of the illustration in the .aint %ayers, then use the Preserve %$ock( Trans!arency
Brush O!tions# 3+ach color represente is on its own layer, making it easy to paint out later4. <nce one, 6
han painte each of the layers using the /ulti!ly Blen"ing $ayer )ilter.

Details
2fter the aitional layers are painte an shae, it5s time to "etail the "ra2ing by tightening up the
illustration, making color changes, an aing graphics an te#t.
Tighten highlights an" accent e"ges# 6 punche up the etails by going over the illustration with pencils. 6
ae some ark airbrushing across the tops of surfaces to represent the reflection of the environment as the sky
arkens towars the center of the the heavens.
'olor# Color changes are quite simple using either the 'olor $ayer Blen"ing )ilter or, in this case, the
Overlay Blen"ing $ayer )ilter for more contrast. 6 use my previously create *asks an" curves or
sna!!ing to spee up the process.
8ra!hics# 9sing sharp lines an circles 3precise ; organic4 6 quickly create a logo an converte it from
vector to paint by merging it onto an empty paint layer.
1ar! Tool# 6 use this to pull the logo like taffy aroun the aircraft to simulate how it woul wrap aroun the
surfaces. &hen 6 use the Overlay $ayer Blen"ing )ilter to lay the logo onto the surface.
Te.t# 6 create some te#t in .hotoshop an copie it to the clipboar. 6 paste it as a layer into SketchBook
Designer 3from clipboar4, pressing Ctrl ; Shift ; :. &hen 6 warpe the layer over the surface an use the
/ulti!ly $ayer Blen"ing )ilter to lay it onto the vehicle, an a7uste the transparency of the layer.
A""itions an" thoughts to consi"er# 2fter 6 ha reviewe my moel sheet, 6 ecie to a wires to give it a
more bike,like feel. 6 painte some simple environmental reflections to give it some interest. 6 in5t want the
image to get too busy so 6 went with more of an anoi?e metal look an avoie reflecting the rier onto the
boy of the aircraft. 6 also coul have broken up the boy into metal panels but 6 like the clean, streamline
look. 6 woul have to place some more cut lines aroun the rier an sies of the vehicle to make this vehicle
manufacturable. 9nerstaning an implementing elements of the manufacturing process can a realism an
believability into a esign.
)inal I*age
Davi" Bentley
bentley#"esign:yahoo#co*