The Gnomon Workshop – Designing a Military Aircraft

Learn how to create a believable 3D aircraft concept from initial sketch to final render using Photoshop, Blender, and 3D-Coat. Nikolai Razuev, a Senior Concept Artist at DNEG, shares his tried-and-tested techniques, starting with his tricks for sketching concepts in Photoshop and discussing the basic design principles that he follows when designing for the entertainment industry.

Throughout 6 chapters, Nikolai details the efficient techniques for designing, modeling, and texturing realistic flying vehicles using 3D-Coat and Blender, from shape design and shading the initial 2D sketch to rough modeling in 3D-Coat, and applying realistic shaders using 3D-Coat, Nikolai uncovers his complete process for detailing a believable concept. He finishes with some photo-bashing using Photoshop over the top of his 3D render.

This workshop is designed for intermediate artists and concept designers, particularly for those looking to learn some time-saving tips and tricks to speed up workflow and make things more efficient without sacrificing realism in your work. Nikolai’s production-proven designs boast the illusion of complexity and yet are created from scratch in a reasonable amount of time.

Nikolai’s PSD file is included as a downloadable resource with this workshop, along with a PSD file of the texture and decals used, plus his Blender file containing the model, textures, and HDRi.