:Industrial Design: IDD

How to Draw Hands: An Art Tutorial:Create Realistic Fingers, Thumbs, Nails in Your Drawings of People

2008-07-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here are tips and tricks to help make your hand drawing fears fade away.

Most artists have problems drawing hands in the beginning. Let's be honest, they're hard to draw. Some beginning artists tend to solve this problem by hiding their subject's hands behind their backs or behind props. Eventually, though, a time comes when the artist just has to bite the bullet and draw. Here are some surefire ways to draw hands... so no more excuses!

How to Draw Fingers

Properly drawn fingers are one of the keys to good looking hands. Take a look at example number one. Notice how all of the fingers are different sizes? The difference between finger sizes varies from person to person, but, in general, most people have fingers that arch in in size.

The middle finger is the longest finger and the highest point in the arch. The pinky finger is the smallest finger in the arch and the arch gently slopes to the pinky from the middle finger. On the other side the slope is much more dramatic. The difference between the middle finger and the index finger is usually much more than any other finger.

Drawing fingers is a lot like drawing cloth. Take a look at your own hand. The skin drapes around your knuckles much like cloth. In many drawings you will be able to simply imply these folds with simple marks. Take a look at example number two. See how the folds are simple lines?

How to Draw Fingernails

Properly drawn nails make your hand drawing much more realistic. Here are some things to remember:
Draw a light line that curves downwards to indicate the white area of the nail.
Make sure to draw the cuticle on each nail when drawing hands close-up.
Remember, some nails are rounded, some nails are square, some extend past the fingertip, and some don't.
Nails don't go all the way to the edge of the fingers. There are areas of flesh on each side.

How to Draw Thumbs

Thumbs often get confused with fingers. Thumbs shouldn't be drawn like short fingers; they have a shape all their own.
First, notice how most thumbs curve outward, away from the hand. They also have only two joints, unlike fingers, which have three joints.
Thumbs are rounder than fingers, as well. When drawing them, think of a potato-like shape that connects to a round, fleshy joint.

How to Draw the Palm of the Hand

The palm should be drawn like a square with rounded edges. When you are drawing a hand in motion, think of it as a folded square. There's no need to make it much more complicated then that.

Take a look at example number three. The hand is in motion and the palm is basically bent into a fold. The part that is closest to the viewer looks like half a square. The part farther away is very shadowed, but basically follows the shape of the part that is closer.
To draw a hand as a whole you need to combine these tips to make a realistic whole. Use your own hand as a model and practice. One day drawing the hand will be as easy as the rest of the body.

How to Find Work as an Artist::Jobs for Artist, Illustrators, and Other Creative Types

2008-07-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

This article covers several ideas as to finding work as a freelance illustrator, artist, and more through job boards and forums, including site addresses.

Finding work as an artist can be a daunting challenge. Jobs for artists and illustrators aren't easily found by browsing the local newspaper. So what's an artist to do? Here is a list of great sites where you can find paying jobs for illustrators, graphic artists, and other art related professionals.

Craigslist
If you've never heard of Craigslist, let me enlighten you. It's a great place to find local and national openings for artists. You can choose your city, click on what profession you want to apply for, and the site will give you ads for just what you were looking for. To reply to the ad, simply click on the Craigslist email address at the top.

Creative Hotlist
Creative Hotlist is for all creative types. After free registration, you can search for jobs all over the U.S. with ease. You can also post your resume and portfolio for job posters to see.

All Graphic Design
All Graphic Design is just what it claims to be: jobs for graphic design. Beware, though. There is a lot of spam on this site.

Get a Freelancer.com
Get a Freelancer.com is a great place to bid on freelance jobs. This site mostly caters to very computer-savvy artists, such as web designers, computer illustrators and graphic designers.

Variety Careers
If you yearn for Hollywood, this is the site for you. Variety Careers immerses you in posts searching for artists who want to work on the big screen.

The copyright of the article How to Find Work as an Artist in Painting/Drawing is owned by Alina Bradford. Permission to republish How to Find Work as an Artist must be granted by the author in writing.

Industrial design rights

2008-07-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Industrial design rights are intellectual property rights that make exclusive the visual design of objects that are not purely utilitarian. An industrial design consists of the creation of a shape, configuration or composition of pattern or color, or combination of pattern and color in three dimensional form containing aesthetic value. An industrial design can be a two- or three-dimensional pattern used to produce a product, industrial commodity or handicraft. Under the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs, a WIPO-administered treaty, a procedure for an international registration exists. An applicant can file for a single international deposit with WIPO or with the national office in a country party to the treaty. The design will then be protected in as many member countries of the treaty as desired.

Conditions for registration

2008-07-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

An industrial design is registrable if it is new. An industrial design is deemed to be new if it has not been disclosed to the public, anywhere in the world, by publication in tangible form or, in Kenya by use or in any other way, prior to the filing date or, where applicable, the priority date of the application for registration. However a disclosure of the industrial design is not taken into consideration if it occurred not earlier than twelve months before the filing date or, where applicable, the priority date of the application and if it was by reason or in consequence of:
acts committed by the applicant or his predecessor in title; or
an evident abuse committed by a third party in relation to the applicant or his predecessor in title.

Industrial designs that are contrary to public order or morality are not registrable.

Process of Indusrtial Design

2008-07-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

Although the process of design may be considered 'creative', many analytical processes also take place. In fact, many industrial designers often use various design methodologies in their creative process. Some of the processes that are commonly used are user research, sketching, comparative product research, model making, prototyping and testing. These processes can be chronological, or as best defined by the designers and/or other team members. Industrial Designers often utilize 3D software, Computer-aided industrial design and CAD programs to move from concept to production. Product characteristics specified by the industrial designer may include the overall form of the object, the location of details with respect to one another, colors, texture, sounds, and aspects concerning the use of the product ergonomics. Additionally the industrial designer may specify aspects concerning the production process, choice of materials and the way the product is presented to the consumer at the point of sale. The use of industrial designers in a product development process may lead to added values by improved usability, lowered production costs and more appealing products. However, some classic industrial designs are considered as much works of art as works of engineering: the iPod, Coke bottle, and VW Beetle are frequently-cited examples.

Industrial design has no focus on technical concepts, products and processes. In addition to considering aesthetics, usability, and ergonomics, it can also encompass the engineering of objects, usefulness as well as usability, market placement, and other concerns such as seduction, psychology, desire, and the sexual or affectionate attachment of the user to the object. These values and accompanying aspects on which industrial design is based can vary, both between different schools of thought and among practicing designers.

Product design and industrial design can overlap into the fields of user interface design, information design and interaction design. Various schools of industrial design and/or product design may specialize in one of these aspects, ranging from pure art colleges (product styling) to mixed programs of engineering and design, to related disciplines like exhibit design and interior design.

What is industrial design?

2008-07-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

According to industrial property Act 2001, an industrial design is defined as "any composition of lines or colours or any three dimensional form whether or not associated with lines or colours, provided that such composition or form gives a special appearance to a product of industry or handicraft and can serve as pattern for a product of industry or handicraft" .
In other words an industrial design is concerned only with the outward appearance (eye appeal) of articles as defined by their shape, configuration, pattern or ornament. It must be understood that an industrial design DOES NOT protect the method of construction or the function of the article.
Visual appeal is one of the considerations that influence the decision of consumers to prefer one product over another, particularly in areas where a range of products performing the same function is available in the market. If the technical performance of the various products offered by different manufacturers is relatively equal, aesthetic appeal, along with cost, will determine the consumer's choice. The legal protection of industrial designs, thus, serves the important function of protecting one of the distinctive elements by which manufacturers achieve market success. By rewarding the creator for the effort, which has produced the industrial design, the legal protection accorded thus serves as an incentive to the investment of resources in fostering the design element of production.

Making Design Proposals

2008-07-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Proposal

How do we make this happen?

Start a design panel concerned only with the typography of public space

Don’t stack the panel with old-guard designers, who are part of the problem; don’t stack it with public-space activists (Spacers); don’t stack it with anyone. The panel needs to consist of designers, architects, landscape architects, people with disabilities, activists, and citizens. Give the panel a veto over plans for city-owned typography. Require private developments fronting onto public space to submit their designs to the panel for review and comment

Divert money from advertising and marketing

Pay for this public process by spending less money on advertising and marketing. Don’t be afraid to put some new money into the process; if the city can fund the Clean & Beautiful City Roundtable and a proposed panel for architectural review, it can fund this

Commission and test specific fonts
We need two categories of type – one for signage and wayfinding, another for print and other uses. This is a city that can’t even make a no-brainer decision on the typefaces to use on streetsigns, fonts actually designed for signage or any old font at all. We need to start over

Principles of Industrial Design

2008-07-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Actively design
Make sure the typography of public space is actively designed and not left as an afterthought

Plan
Have a master plan backed up by standards of performance for everyone, from developers to city planners to designers

Standardize and customize
Adopt what works from other places and invent new things that work here

Test
Test everything. If it doesn’t work as well for a low-vision person walking in the nighttime rain as it does for the designer of the piece at high noon in June, fix it

Train
Train the people who actually construct and install public typography. Turn a sign shop into a design shop

Review
The city changes every year and so do type and technology. Review the plan and the true nature of public typography at regular intervals – and don’t be afraid to change the plan to match the new reality

Replace
Take down what isn’t working and replace it with what does

Pay
Build the cost of design and testing for typography into the budget

How To Draw the Human Face: Draw Head with Simple Principles

2008-07-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Learn how to draw the human face and head with the simple principles found in this article.

The human head and face are often found to be among the hardest things for an artist to draw. They are complex, and contain many different facets that can confuse the artist. Here are some simple principles that can guide you in drawing a face properly. We'll take a closer look at them now.

Step 1: Look at the shape.
A human head comes in many shapes and sizes. The first thing you want to do when drawing a head is to identify what shape the head is. To do this, look at the jaw line and hairline. What do they suggest?

For example, Mel Gibson's head could be described as a square shape, whereas Angelina Jolie's head could be described as a rounded triangle.

Step 2: Make the proportions right.
The face itself contains specific proportions that are found on every human's head. Sometimes they vary slightly, but they are always close to being the same. (You'll notice that the proportions of a baby's head are quite different from those of an adult, by the way.)

Take a look at the example drawing:
Eyes: The eyes are always halfway down, between the top of the head and the bottom of the chin. They are also an eye-length apart. This means that, however long you decide to make the eyes, there will be that much space between the eyes as well.

Nose: The rest of the face underneath the eyes is divided into thirds. At the one-third line will be the bottom of the nose.

Mouth: The next third, or two-thirds of the way from the eyes to the chin, should be the mouth. The mouth's edges should be in line with the middle of each eye. To check this, put your pencil on the middle of one of the eyes. If the lower part of the pencil touches the outer corner of the mouth, it is aligned correctly.

Now that you know the basics, the individual uniqueness of a person's face should jump out at you. You should notice more easily if someone's eyes are unusually far apart, or if their nose is a little longer than normal. This will help you to draw more realistic portraits.

The new point-and-shoot

2008-07-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

Although I don't drink, I have been seduced by champagne – that is, champagne-coloured aluminum. Last year [1994] I was heading to New York to cover the Gay Games for the Village Voice and needed a camera for my own snapshots. I figured I couldn't get the hang of a "complicated" single-lens-reflex (SLR) camera – the kind real photographers use – in the short leadtime I had, so, after researching the alternatives, I settled on a Canon Z115, a small, light "point-and-shoot" camera with a panoply of electronic features and a very chic champagne-coloured aluminum exterior.

While I've been happy with the camera, I began to wonder about these "basic" point-and-shoots. Like the original Kodak Instamatic of 1963 (designed by Kodak and Pentagram), these cameras are supposed to live up to their billing: You grab the machine, point it at your subject, press the shutter button, and you're done. But if point-and-shoots are intended to be easy and economical, why do good ones cost anywhere from $400 to $1,200 and come equipped with so many of the features of a contemporary SLR? If you're going to shell out half a grand for an electronic camera, why opt for a point-and-shoot (P&S) rather than an SLR? The answer, it turns out, turns on a combination of sophisticated industrial design, effective marketing, and consumer technophobia.

Designheads can point to some notable milestones in camera design. Peripatetic Italian designer Luigi Colani drew a camera for Canon, the T90, which echoed his signature curvaceous style; as I.D. averred, "Colani's organic form was a revolution, but... Canon's camera lost market share." (Other Colani Canons.) The foldable, flask-like Polaroid SX-70 shattered preconceptions of boxy instant-camera design. Industrial-design enthusiasts today, however, will be disappointed at the new crop of high-end point-and-shoots. In the main, point-and-shoot industrial design these days involves tweaking the configuration of universal features like controls and information displays; there is no new overweening "design language" at play comparable to the work of Colani, or even comparable to David Carson or Neville Brody in the graphic-design world.

Or rather, the design language is one shared by all makers, with minor deviances – industrial-design fillips used as a means of product differentiation within and between brands. Meanwhile, new hybrid cameras are spanning the design gap between point-and-shoots and SLRs, with unusual feature combinations and, in some cases, aggressively retro case designs.
Source:joeclark.org