COURSE OUTLINE

Hello everyone,

This is the updated Winter 2018 Course Outline for Digital Sketching for Production


Week 1

Perspective 1

Course outline presentation

Drawing as a biophysical activity.

What is perspective ? a definition.

We go over the main notions of linear perspective : POV, Horizon line, field of view,

vanishing points, grid construction, foreshortening, high angle, low angle.

Division and multiplication of planes in perspective.

In class exercises - Fill in the exercise pages.

Assignment 1

Make a 4 panel view of a chosen object :

Elevation, top, plan view and perspective.

Week 2

Perspective 2

Mirroring in perspective - planes and curves.

In class exercises - mirroring planes and curves and simple objects.

Techniques to achieve accurate symmetry.

Assignment 2

Complete the half objects provided using the mirroring approach seen in class.

Do at least three.

Start with the simpler objects and move on towards the more complex.

Week 3

Perspective

Cast shadows, how to calculate them ; terminology ; shadow edges.

How to cheat cast shadows, approximate and eyeball.

Shortcuts to shadow tracing.

Assignment 3

Using the object you drew the previous week, produce a perspective view using

only values, and calculating an accurate cast shadow.

Week 4

Draw, Build and Draw.  

Make a sketch of your object of study.

Build a basic physical model of your chosen object using paper or cardboard or

a pale sculpting material.

Light it with one to three light sources and make 2 studies :

- B&W value study

- Full-colour study.

Don’t forget to take a picture of it to post to the blog.

Week 5

Basics of Sketchup

How to use Sketchup to create few basic lighting passes.

Assignment 5

Model in Sketchup your object of study of week 4.

Integrate this object in one of the 3 environment plates provided making sure your

correctly match perspectives.

Week 6

Textures and materials

How to make textures from scratch and apply them to objects or environments.

How to analyze textures and materials and work in passes to render.

Assignment 6

Keep integrating your object in its environment adding textures and materials,

matching lighting and mood.

Week 7

Lighting

Basics of lighting

How to render various types of lights : neon, tungsten,…

Light falloff.

Translating colours into values.

Assignment 7

Last week of work on your image. Final details lights, etc…

Week 8

Environment

Notions of composition.

Image construction. Image scenario and researching.

Sketching and thumbnailing.

Integration of elements into photos.

We go out into some yet to be determined Montreal location to take pictures and

sketch and find plates for set extension.

Assignment 8

Make 3 composition sketches for your final set-extension project.

And take pictures that will be used as the plates for your set extension.  

Think about how you can integrate the object you created in the previous section

of the course.

Week 9

Using photo references (photo-bashing)

Adjusting lighting, posture of characters, colour balancing, perspective…

Integrating vehicles.

Assignment 9

Keep working on your set extension for a second week.

Week 10

Finishing touches.

Flares, fog, atmosphere… tying it all together.

Paying attention to grain

Effects of depth and distance.