Blocking

Lesson 1 in Hard Surface Design

Lesson Information

This first lesson will get you right into the action. After studying what makes a great prop, you will come up with a concept and gather reference for your own design. Lars will first show you the basics of blocking out a simple prop, before guiding you through three separate design blockouts. You'll combine the best elements of these into one hero concept, which you'll refine throughout the rest of the course.

Homework

Finding Your Path

Use the Brief Builder to come up with a set of concepts for your hard surface design, then gather reference images. If you're not feeling so confident in your abilities yet, try starting your design from the same set of criteria Lars uses in the course. More advanced students can branch out to any category.

You can also visit our free Brief Builder web app to generate ideas: www.briefbuilder.app

Building Blocks

To help get used to the software and blockout process, try blocking out a relatively simple prop based on a piece of reference. You can either follow Lars' design or build your own. Focus less on perfection at this stage, and more on learning the techniques.

Block Around the Clock

Create three simple blockouts for your design. Once you have those, combine your favorite elements from each version to create your ideal blockout. You will expand on this design through the rest of the course.

One Block to Rule Them All

Once you've decided on the direction for your final blockout, you can begin adding smaller details. Add just enough details that you have a blueprint for where to go in the modeling stage. Finally, upload your finished blockout to the Learn Squared homework gallery.