Tips on improving this rendering

I would work on your screen as I think it looks as if the baby is inside the unit and behind a glass window. This is obviously not what you are after and is even a bit scary!

Perhaps the addition of some icons or some other visual clue that lets the viewer know that this is a screen and not a window. Another way to achieve this may be to reduce the quality of your photo of the baby as it is currently the most realistic looking object in the composition.

I’m not sure how I feel about the combo of photo-realism and the sketchy linework. Personally, I would pick one.

What you need to do to make that baby look like it’s on the screen is use the transform feature in PS. Drag the corners until it is in the same perspective as the object, and the baby will flatten out.

Other than that, decide what you want to show in the rendering. If it’s supposed to be realistic, you need a lot more detail, and clean it up. If you want it sketchy, get a little softer on the rendering lines. they look like they are trying too hard.

I agree with the previous post though. the rendering is confused on what style it wants to be. Nice start though!

Ditto to the above posts. I would maybe scrap that picture and get a better photographed, more tightly cropped image of a baby if you can.

The problem with using a real picture of a baby is that your rendering has to look photo realistic, or damn close. Achieving that means getting rid of the sketch lines and tightening up your shading. I’d add some depth/texture to your speaker slots, and shade the parting line between the red and gray.

Post it again once your done!

I agree, great start. Everyone has their own methods, a few things I would try:

ditto on the screen stuff. I would either make a graphical representation of the baby (to match the rendering style) or go photo real with the render (to match the photo) You could also try adding some noise to the baby to make it look more like it’s on a screen, also, most screens have a black out area and are the lens over them casts a bit of a shadow as it is a few mm thick, try studying your cell phone screen carefully…

On the rendering, by the look of the pinkish hot spot, it looks like you are using dodge and burn to get tones? Try using the airbrush with a tone of red to get a better color. Red can be tough.

The three rectangular bars flanking the camera lens don’t seem to fit aesthetically…

Thanks for posting this. I think it is pretty cool that you put it up for feedback. Can you tell us more about your level and background and what this is for?

Thanks for all the info guys, some really useful stuff there. This is part of an ongoing project for my final year and this is a concept i did for the baby car seat manufacturer, Britax here in the UK.

Im only just getting into rendering in PS so i was really happy with this result but know it can be improved as i was pushed for time and had to complete this in about 5 hours (probably along time for you guys!!)

I’ll post a revised version making use of the comments in the next few days as im labouring down London to earn some desperately needed cash!!

Thanks again and check back in a few days. :astonished:

ok so ive made some changes…

added parting lines
removed sketch lines
used different shades of red instead of dodging
tightened up the speaker vents
put border round screen
added noise to baby pic

I think its better but theres still something not quite right with it. Any ideas??..i think its the baby pic but im not sure what to do to make it fit.

I just edited this as I realize you’ve made some changes while I was playing with this, but I’ll leave this up for what it’s worth.

the dark grey texture frame element
(maybe supposed to be a softtouch / elastomer detail of some sort)
looks very flat on the near side, it is hard to tell if it is supposed to be a chamfer or a round. It just need some shading to communicate the form from front to back like you have already done to communicate the form from side to side. There will also be a small highlight and shadow at the edges of the edges where the materials change.


I also quickly added a quick filter to photo ( not exactly happy with it, but just wanted to do this quick to give an idea). Also did the perspective transforms as suggested by others.

Nice improvements, I still like the other as more of a loose sketchy style (as long as the baby photo is made less photo, more sketch) , but this works as a tightend up version. The picture is still more real looking than the rest, so it still might be wise to make is look more illustrative and less phoereal.

Also the whole right side is still reading pretty flat. You’ve got some nice shading on the front area where the speaker area is, which would most likely have way less in the way of surface=lighting changes in reality and then the side is pretty much all one tone.

also might want to consider some speaker details that better fit with the aesthetic and form language of the rest of the unit.

good work though!

That feedback hits the nail on the head to me.

Cheers guys,

I will re-work tonight and post again tomorrow!

I prefer the sketchy look too so ill run with that and do something about the photo and speaker vents.

Check back tomorrow…

Your willingness to share, get feedback, and learn is impressive, Chameleon. Having that attitude will get places.

OK, this was done in 30 mins and i was obviously going for a more sketchy look this time. Still not sure what to do about the vents…They look in worse where they are now imo…any ideas?

I think your rendering could really benefit from a little work on the spherical lens. Lenses can look really interesting if you capture it right. Your original rendering was looking kinda cool with the blurry deep reflections, but was missing the reflections at the surface. Because of this I can’t tell if 1) there’s a flat cover over the lens, or is 2) exposed like a camera lens. If it’s 1), you should have a reflection that’s similar to what you have on the display, if it’s 2) you should have a hot spot (although smaller than what you have shown in your most recent rendering AND more towards the upper right 1 o’clock position 'cuz your brightest light source is coming in from that side). In your latest rendering, it looks too much like a black hole. I would suggest that you google search for pictures of lens, and study what’s going on.

Also, the sketchy contour lines you had originally were fine, BUT you need to show them moving along the other axis, showing surface as it moves from front to back, not along the shape of the device, you’ve got enough information showing that. Finally, add some highlighting for those vents, and kill the vignette. You’re in good shape, keep at it…

Hmmm…

Looking over it all again, it would be great to see you do some variations on the design during this. For me, I’m always nitzing the design little bit, by little bit through out the whole process, trying to move it forward.

I threw down a quick design iteration of it for you to get you thinking.

^michael

My proportions are all off… but you get the idea…

That looks kind of like a Nike baby monitor, Yo…I wonder why that is?

My tip would be to show it in context.

Things that appear to be missing:

Partner device at the crib. Is it different?
Method for attachment (esp. to the crib.)
Source of power (unless it’s battery.)
Controls
Microphone
Branding

Context would help explain why it’s taken this particular form. I’m guessing that it’s “weeble-wobble” shape affords standing upright, but that only matters if it’s frequently moved and sits on a tabletop. Is that the case?

Weeble-wobbles for those too young to remember.

They’re weighted at the base so they “don’t fall down.”

Hey people,

Thanks alot for all your input, its all been taken on board and ill be posting more on this project in the new year this project continues into full development as its a year long project at uni in association with Britax baby products firm here in the uk.

I’ll keep posting new sketches on other stuff im working on in the mean time as i appreciate the feedback. It only helps you get better imo :smiley:

Have a great christmas

M

@cg_

Your right context would make a lot of difference; i assumed a totally different context from you… I don’t know which is correct or if both are.

Judging from the baby in the car seat in the photos, I assumed this was hard mounted in a car, not freestanding at all.

The product is a two-way baby monitor for use in both car and home. I have already designed a mount kit for use in a vehicle which is similar to how sat navs can be mounted on a windshield. In the home the product is freestanding much in the way CG said with the product being heavier at the bottom.

I have to work on my dissertation from now until jan so i havent really got time do show any more stuff on this project but i will do once i start back next year.

Thanks again for all the feedback! :smiley:

get a better baby picture, and if the screen is not going to be flat, bulge the picture out a little. Also, the shading on the top doesn’t really show depth. Try and give some indication of size, it can be really confusing without some kind of common reference object/background. Were you asked to do a drawing or a rendering? I think you could just do better totally hand drawing it as opposed to using gradients which don’t look that real.