Good reference resources?

[dudecles]

Hello Forum. In anticipation of Starcraft 2, I have begun thinking about the map editor and possible games. The one I would most like to make is a remake of SCV Football (Maybe someone remembers it). Anyway, I want to make a nice title screen for the map - but i'm having some trouble creating a good design for the Space Vehicles (I've never really dealt with Mechs before). My goal with the design is the following:

1. Stay true to Blizzard's idea of the SCV (Space Construction Vehicle) but give it a new feel.
2. Give it some feeling of a construction vehicle (caution stripes, pneumatic hoses, hint of a welder's mask in the facial area)
3. Insert some football references (numbers on the jersey, armor that looks like pads? -etc.)

Football references are easy to find, construction/space vehicles are slightly harder, but i'm having a lot of trouble finding good mech references.

So, i was wondering where you guys find your reference pictures - internet? books? older games? Google image doesn't pull up very good stuff generally - are there good archive websites?

Thanks, I'll post some pictures when i get my webspace straightened out.

-Dudecles

[cookepuss]

So, i was wondering where you guys find your reference pictures - internet? books? older games? Google image doesn't pull up very good stuff generally - are there good archive websites?
Google is only as good as your search criteria.

Searching for mech stuff? Type in "mech", "robotech", "gundam", or any other mech related keyword. You'll turn up lots of stuff. It may not be exactly, what you need, but you can surely extrapolate and improvise. References are there for one thing and one thing only, reference. In an ideal world, you'd get clean orthos, blueprints, or in-house concept pieces. In the real world... not so much. Roll with the punches.

As for what I do, I keep tons of images stockpiled away. I said this in another thread today. Even if I don't need an image, I still save it. I may need it somewhere down the line.

Some sites offer valuable information and insightful tips. Unfortunately, I've found that some of those sites close down very quickly. Nothing lasts forever, after all. Grab & archive the info when you can because it may never appear again. Everybody else may be at a loss for that resource, but not you. :)

Books are good to get some information, but their focus may not necessarily fit your needs. You might end up spending $25-$60 for a book only to find 10 pages of useful info. Even worse, you may find that same info on the internet for free at some other point.

I also find that some of the best info, reference or otherwise, isn't even in books. Sad to say really. The internet just moves much faster than print media.

Want good reference photos? Grab your camera. Getting good reference photos can be time consuming and take a lot of practice, but its worth it.

What if the subject matter doesn't exist in the real world? That's what pencils, Wacoms, and sculpting tools are made for. Just use whatever references photos you can find and use them for inspiration instead of direct reference. Pick up your pencil. Pick up your ZBrush or Sculpy. Pick up your paint brushes. Whatever.

Look at how many concept renders and maquettes went into the making of movies such as "Star Wars Episode 3" or "The Incredibles". The art teams created stuff that clearly didn't exist in the real world. Sometimes, art is just about "winging it" until you find something that clicks. In one sense, this is where traditional, non-CG, art skills come in handy. If the references don't exist... make `em.