Behind the Scenes: Docking Boat Illustration (Patreon)

Summertime peaks and I got interested in a bit of boating lately, so why not enjoy some of that new found interest while indoors?

There were many ways to go, so I had to think for a while about some favorite approach. Do I want to go for an open sea, or the mooring? Motor boat or a sail boat?

I picked the easier to do adventure motor boat, because I was a bit tight on time and didn't want to get entangled (ba-da-ts) in all the lines and ropes on the sail boat. Also, I wanted to go with a bit of a playful approach, so I was looking for a stylized way to do this, with a cute chunky boat and overblown proportions.

Visit the full Pinboard here

First, I had to gather some good references and create a mood board. I use Pinterest boards for this and the great thing is, once you put in some images, Pinterest will recommend more for your board.

Even though I had a particular style of the boat in mind, references can help you lock that concept down with real proportions and real details. There is always something you can forget and the imagery can help you fill in the blanks.

Once I had enough materials and fixed concept in mind, it was time to put it down on paper. I always like to test oud my idea on a paper first to avoid unnecessary do-overs in Blender.

I sketched the isometric plane and tried to divide it, so it made sense. I needed some place on the water for the boat, some concrete on the side and wooden pier. The pier would allow me to fill more area with water, so the composition would breathe more.

I sketched in a boat, trying to stay on point with the shape, but making the proportions stylized and cartoonish. Then I had to find a way how to fill the scene with some details, that would balance out the layout.

I came up with a palm tree in a pot and a little rent-a-boat stand. Those details allowed me to put some interest on the waterfront and balance the large boat in the front.

The rest was all about putting in some small details, like lines, power station, ladder and other dock and boat related assets.

You can watch the process video on Youtube.