Revised Building Design

This is the roughly refined design for my revised building. The curved base is taken from the profile of scissor handles, with the larger building being inspired by the electric razor. The curved building was developed from a profile of a high heel shoe. The rest of the smaller touches can be found in most of the items, such as the circles being in almost everything and the striped pattern being taken from the concertina-like tubing.
I like this design as it reminds me of 1950's Googie-style architecture and the French tourist attraction, Futuroscope. The minimalist design plays to the outstanding characteristics of the items well, and I feel that the choice of shapes form a convincing structure.

In this final refined design of the building, I have added minor features to the rear of the building to make the building feel as if it is fit for a purpose. The external elevators and consistent rows of windows lend the design to that of an expensive hotel or convention centre. 

Revised Machine Design

This is a roughly refined version of my machine design. It resembles a futuristic motorcycle, similar to those used in 'Return of the Jedi'.
It started of from the loose silhouette of a pair of scissors. I built upon this shape using the various items provided. The panels on the centre were developed from the head of the electric razor, which was misshapen slightly to fit the silhouette better. The connecting piece in the centre was taken from the simplified shape of a high heel shoe. The exhausts at the back are from, what I believe, is landing gear for an aeroplane.

This is a final turnaround of the design, created in Adobe Illustrator. The final design is more sleek and minimal than the previous draft, but this is down to it be greatly refined. There are no gradients in this current design due to time constraints, but I feel the illustration still projects my idea efficiently.

Developmental Sketches 1-50

Revised Lifeform Sketches Part One

I began redrafting my designs this evening, making sure to only take inspiration from the items provided. I experimented mainly with the rotation and reflection of familiar shapes, and simplifying so that they would fit well with the images within my head.

I began with experimenting with reflecting a simplified versions of familiar shapes in the items, most notably, the high heels. As I experimented further with the technique of symmetry, I noticed my sketches were developing into somewhat insect-like creations. I pursued this idea, and tried to keep away from a predictable, bipedal creation.

My next design began as a design for another, beetle-like creature, which ultimately bled into some misshapen, deformed humanoid. Even though I was attempting to keep away from designs of this style, I found the quirky, somewhat menacing tone of the image incredibly charming, and I had to continue to build upon this.

I roughly sketched a head out and began to loosely flesh out a body, taking inspiration from shapes within shapes, for example, the arch formed beneath the high heel. I structured the thighs around the handles of the scissors, the neck from the concertina tubing and top half of the torso from two high heels, touching sole-to-sole. I will build upon this idea tomorrow, and hopefully finalise my turnaround of this lifeform too.

Summer Project

These are the final turnaround's of my designs for a lifeform, building and machine for my 2011 summer project. The main inspiration I took from the items provided was the basic shapes that their silhouette's projected and the mechanical aspects behind many of them.

Lifeform

My lifeform was inspired by a variety of science fiction related themes, most notably, the idea of using a mechanical host to sustain a life. The 'lifeform' itself is housed within the mechanical body (much like a Dalek or Darth Vader) and the internal organs are kept operational.

The design of the lifeform was always pretty robotic from the start. I tried to incorporate the shape and structure of items on the sheet in the early designs, such as acting as the basis for the main body. The majority of the influence is subtle, but present. The objects acted as a very loose substrate on which I could build upon with, well, whatever I thought looked good, really.

I experimented with a more organic structure, but it seemed too 'I-Robot', and even though the inspiration was more blatant in this rough design, it didn't have the charm I was looking for. I also experimented loosely with the idea of creating some form of animal related creature, with this strange ostrich-like lifeform.

I loved the little mechanism that appeared to be some form of pneumatic pump, so I attempted to incorporate a similar structure in the design of the lifeform's legs.

I sharp edged construction and somewhat steampunk tone was inspired by the items provided, as well as other mechanisms and devices I had discovered whilst working in a silversmithing workshop over the summer. 

Building

My building took inspiration from various themes and objects. I attempted to display a sharp, crisp utopia from the front of the building, whilst leaving the back decrepit and unkempt. This idea was inspired by films such as Blade Runner, indicating an idea of a bright future, with the reality being quite the opposite. 

I started off simply scribbling down what I saw to resemble the components of a building, take inspiration from the items mainly. As always, I would then add anything that was aesthetically appealing, aiming to stick close to original items.

I really liked the feel of the final sketch I created, as it had a somewhat circus-like feel surrounding it. The arched beams at the front shaped the building and made it appear to be a large tent of sorts.

Once again, the shapes and artefacts that make up the building were inspired by the items provided and other familiar things that I simply thought of when drawing (for example, the basic door shape and size were inspired by the entrance to Pizza Planet in Toy Story, whilst the sharp roofed building in the back was inspired by the German Huf Haus).

Machine

My machine was a cobbled-together accumulation of a thousand different objects. I took a steampunk approach once again on this design, randomly piecing together bits of whatever I happened to see on a daily basis. The machine consists of an old CRT television set, a respirator, piano keys and pedals, organ pipes, a fire extinguisher and other miscellaneous junk. I love the idea of making something from nothing and I feel this design plays to this idea quite nicely.

In retrospect, I completely missed the point on this one. I like the design, but it was about as far away from the original inspiration sheet as I could be. Unfortunately, by the time I realised this, it was too late. Although, if I was to justify this, it does play on the mechanical themes of the items and even though the centrepieces are completely different to what was provided, it does still comprise of the shapes and styles of the items on the sheet.