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Invention Illustrations Before
Prototypes
If you are trying
to get financial help in producing prototypes, it is often worthwhile to do an
invention illustration so people can understand your idea,
We
are visual people with a better understanding of what we see rather than what
we read or hear about. If you have a brilliant invention idea, you may need to
convey its usefulness before the prototype is developed. That means you’ll need
some kind of imagery of what it may look like and what it does. Product
illustration is the visualization of your idea, a conceptual representation. It
is used to show and tell before you have the actual product to demonstrate.
Eventually product photography will take its place, but for now illustration
will do a great job simplifying the subject, making it easily understood.
The
best time for product illustration is right away when you need a visual. You
couldn’t send a product developer a flyer full of only letters and words. That
would do no justice to the idea. An illustration will generate almost as much
interest as a photo, so put it on a brochure to send out if you want to create
some buzz early on or if you want to test the waters to see what kind of
attention your idea generates. It could even be the drawing that you show to an
engineer to help him or her decide on how to produce the prototype. They have
to base their calculations off of something.
Different
Options for Illustrations
There
are multiple ways to illustrate a product: either with a computer or traditionally
by hand. Any of the
was listed here will work.
Computer Illustration
Computer
illustration is the most common and can sometimes be quicker with a more
realistic look. There are a few different illustration software programs that
are the standard in use. Some work strictly in 3 dimensions while others act as
more precise drawing tools. They can provide all sorts of textures and effects
to make the product look alive.
Rendering By Hand
Rendering by hand
can be done with pencils, paints, pen and ink or any art materials. The choice
really depends on the product, like a soft and fuzzy stuffed animal, which
could get that look through colored chalks. Charcoal will give an aged, hard
look while watercolors would create more delicate artwork. Before anything,
you’ll need to decide on your product’s branding, or its personality, that you
want to convey to your audience. That will help determine the illustration
style.
Multiple Viewing Angles
Most likely you’ll
need at least a couple views of the product to show its dynamics. The basics
are front, back, side, top and bottom. There should also be an angled view to
show the product more 3 dimensionally, which could also look up or down at the
product. The views used just need to make sense with the most important details
of the subject at the forefront.
If your product moves during use, you might want to show your product
A few more
variations to reveal more detail are the cutaway view and the exploded view. If
used, a couple basic views should also accompany them.
The cutaway view
takes away external areas of the product or makes them transparent in order to
see the inner parts. This allows someone to understand the internal workings of
the invention in relation to its outward appearance.
The exploded view
is literal in the sense that the parts of an object have exploded in an orderly
manner. They are floating and separated slightly to show their relationship and
how they fit together. This type of drawing shouldn’t ever be the main image to
represent the product. It may do a good job explaining how the product works or
how it’s constructed, but it doesn’t do an adequate job showing what exactly
the subject is.
Technical Illustration
Going beyond
product illustration, there is a style that is more complex and technically
accurate, hence its name: technical illustration. The two styles are similar
and can cross over categories, but they are used differently. Technical
illustration includes all of the details, workings and parts drawn in perfect
proportion and perspective for precise interpretation. Think more like careful
drafting. If needed, it would usually be developed more toward or after
engineering. If your brochure is introducing the product, you may not need an
overly detailed image, so something more straightforward would do. However, if
your brochure is intended to include assembly instructions or all of the
product’s working parts, etc., then technical illustration (or an exploded
view) could be the way to go. And when the product starts manufacturing and
selling, technical illustration may be needed for its instruction manual.
Product Animation
Another step
further is animating the product in use. It is an expensive process, but 3D
animation does wonders for a demonstration. A good animator can program physics
into the moving image creating an accurate representation of how your product
would work and move.
Producing your
invention’s illustration shouldn’t be difficult. You’ve spent time thinking
about what this product looks like and how it works, so you’ll have a strong
mental image and probably plenty of rough sketches to work from. You may not be
a great artist or you may have no idea what software to work with, but there
are professionals to help. They have the listening skills needed to translate
your ideas into pictures and ultimately this drawing will translate the
product’s ingenuity to your audience with smooth efficiency.
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