ID Sophomore wanting to improve in the new year....

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Hi, eveyone I’m new here on Core 77, its my first night actually posting…

I’m a sophomore in Industrial Design at DAAP (Cincinnati, Ohio, US)
I recently finished my first quarter in genuine Industrial Design Classes and I love it. I feel like I’m in the right place and heading in the right direction. I will be on co-op this summer and I hope to work in toys as my future profession. Regardless, now that the quarter is over and we’re heading into 2008, I want to improve and succeed even more. Kind of an eternal new years resolution of sorts… anyways, for the past two years my sketchbook has been on Concept Art and I enjoy getting critiques on there (there are other DAAP I.D. student on there who critique) but I’d love some strong I.D. oriented critiques from the community here at Core77. Below are the links to my most recent post of my work from my Des Tech class and Industrial Design Studio (without coments from others, just my post):

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1561174&postcount=58

The following link is to my work from my Design Composition (drawing) class: ( again, without comments from other, just my post alone)
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1562183&postcount=61


If you’d like to see my work from its inception in high school including all comments from people on ConceptArt then you cna go here:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=90135

(Its three pages long, so do note it continues if you wish to view it entirely)


I know this is kind of a big undertaking as the work from this quarter is kind of extensive but I would greatly appreciate any comments and critiques especially. In the drawing section, especially I feel I need improvement.

Thank You all in advance and I’ll will be around if anyone has questions, I am very open to discussing where I need improvements. I am currently off of school until January 7th and want to make the most of the free time improving.

Thanks again!

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You guys get into Alias in first year? Hmmm… I would advice getting away from computers now.

I think you need more sketching and drawing practices. Your understanding of perspective needs to be re-enforced. With enough practice, your lines will start to become more fluid, so don’t sweat over it now.

I see that you are doing some modeling. I like that, but I also see some 3D prints. I don’t see a purpose in letting a machine model for you. I’d rather that you do it by hand. Everything is a learning process for you now, so make good use of them.

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Oh wow, I’m sorry I didn’t reply sooner! I must have missed the email that someone responded!

Anyways, yes we get into Alias, albeit in a rather basic sense… I think the most advanced thing we’ve done is some simple draft surfaces… I know what you mean about “getting away from computers” but its not like I have a choice, the Alias and Solidworks work is part of my Design Tech class. Its only a small part of the work we do but I agree that I prefer the hands on approach to designing right now.

In terms of my perspective, its something I’m constantly working on… I guess you never really stop right? I mean, perspective is something we all work on. But yes I definitely am practicing it constantly.The thing I always find funny is that with perspective, you can get 98% of a piece correct in perspective, and that makes the 2% stick out dramatically and ruin the entire piece because one misproportioned ellipse, or a line of a wrong angle can make the whole thing look bad.

Finally in terms of modeling, this is really another out of my hands moment. We have been learning multiple modeling/machining techniques this past quarter and one of them was powder printing. In terms of modeling by hand, we did do some of that with foam core (the Pink aggresive motion sculpture was on of those pieces) but we won’t be doing clay models I think.

At DAAP they are all about giving us every possible option in terms of creating something (partially for our learning and partially so that we know about it when we go out to COOP). Also, I get a sense from my professors that people arent doing a lot of hand modeling because of speed and technology. I’m kind of bummed because doing clay models of toys and cars (like you see in the automotive commercials) would have been cool and fun. Also I find it hard to believe that people would just jump to the technology so quickly, but as the upperclassmen come back from COOPs they tell us: “know Alias” or “be sure you know Maxwell” etc. (Now the upperclassmen from our I.D. Transportation program attest to doing those models by hand of cars, they learn it in class and have done it on COOPs. But normal I.D. student haven’t done it to my knowledge.)

Now I guess that modeling techniques depend on the COOP but still, I can’t help but think that modeling in real life would be integral to modeling on the computer, much like having a solid knowledge of perspective and drawing is integral to digital painting…

Also, thanks molested_cow for looking at my work! (there’s quite a bit, so its a time consumer) I hope more can help me in improving in this upcoming year… and I promise I’ll be more swift with the response this time! lol

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I’d love to hear other’s opinion of my work and more importantly, this new development, my personal website:

http://www.daap.uc.edu/~leedybc/

I’d really like to hear people’s thought’s on it. Currently I am using it for freelance work opportunities, and directing people to it to show them my work in a convenient and easy to use way. Like I mentioned above, I’m only a sophomore and I will be starting my COOP this upcoming summer. By then I will have condensed the large body of work into a smaller portfolio which can be given in pdf format to potential employers. That being said, if you see any works that stand out in your eyes as either “definite portfolio pieces” or pieces that you think hinder the overall display of work PLEASE let me know! Like I stated before, I am more than willing to take any and all criticism and I really want to continue improving this year.

Thanks everyone!