Does it happened to you often to lack of inspiration?
When you feel like sketching, but you don’t know what to draw?

Instead of looking at the blank ceiling,
try to look around you.

I noticed out of the window, the overhead electricity wires and high voltage power lines from the street.
They looked organized yet chaotic.

I felt it like a great drawing challenge to take I am glad to simplify in 4 steps:

  • STEP 1 Draw the perspective with the main elements
  • STEP 2 Draw details
  • STEP 3 Add additional details
  • STEP 4 Add shadows using hatching

electrecity-the-design-sketchbook1
Chou-Tac ChungHigh-voltage power lines, Saigon
I guess that what attracted my attention is the contrast between the static power distributor and the fluidity of the electricity transmission cables.

gunm
From the manga Gunnm – Yukito Kishiro

It reminds me some concept art and animation about cyborgs such as Gunnm.
It is full of mechanic forms and wires from car engines, robots, maybe spaceships.

TIP 13 DO YOU LACK INSPIRATION? LOOK AROUND YOU.

To boost your creativity, draw inspiration from your room, the view from the window, your favourite lamp, any advertising, or even TV show like National Geographic. By paying attention to these surroundings, you might be pleasantly surprised by how much more creative you become! 

STEP1 | SET UP THE MAIN ELEMENTS USING BASIC PERSPECTIVE

electrecity-the-design-sketchbook2

See also  TIP 10 | Bring Your Ideas to Life - Doodle Your Ideas on Post-it Anywhere

TIP 14 Perfect lines with sketchbook Pro

Press and hold [SHIFT] to trace perfect horizontal and vertical lines.

STEP2 | Add details

electrecity-the-design-sketchbook3

  • Isolate the elements and decompose each of them in 3D in your mind.
    Most of the shapes can be simplified by sketching axes, ellipses and cubes.

STEP3 | Add more details and use the rubber

electrecity-the-design-sketchbook5 

  • Some areas are quite intricate. I use the rubber, especially for sketching the cables.

STEP4 | Shading with hatching

electrecity-the-design-sketchbook6
  • Identify the source of light, then add shadows.
    Different type of hatching for different level of grey.
    I’ve purposely left the cable in white to get a nice contrast.


I hope that the sketch of the day and its quick tutorial has been helpful.
Let me know what’s in your mind in the discussion box below.

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Hello! I'm Chou-Tac, a Product Designer from France.

If the sketching methods I’ve acquired aid me in my life and in my industrial design career, I believe that they can also help you reach your dream goal as a student or professional designer.

Leave a comment in the blog or send me an email at choutac@thedesignsketchbook.com : )

Chou-Tac

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