Challenging challenges

Still no dice on the product photos of batch no. 2 (I'm still utterly without inspiration), but my various 'challenges' are wielding some results. Disclaimer: with results, I mean actual results and not high-quality ones. No need to get your hopes up, it's all about learning here ;).

Challenge no. 1, '14 days 1 shape a day', is finished. It's been really good for my 3D modelling skills: when working on my product designs I usually don't feel like experimenting with the software, because things are progressing slow enough as it is. However, when just tinkering around for the challenge I can experiment to my heart's content, with improved skills as a result. The shapes that came out of this challenge are:

Not that bad, eh? I might actually use some of the shapes and techniques for future product or jewelry designs.

After this challenge I started a new one to learn creating designs with a sleek, futuristic look. '14 days 1 futuristic, sleek design a day'. I naturally lean more towards organic styles and have trouble making an item come across as sleek and high-tech. I'm trying to use several mediums for this: 3D modelling, but also sketching and marker drawings or even Photoshop and/or Illustrator (well, the free & open source alternatives GIMP and Inkscape for me).

It started out giving me quite a headache but after studying many reference pictures it's going better. But anyway, stepping out of my comfort zone is what these challenges are all about, so it is all good, I guess.

As you can see in the lower right picture, I managed to find the virtual 'camera' in the program back, with help from J. . Now I just have to learn how to make decent renderings...

Another challenge, photography with backgrounds & props, is still running. I find it rather difficult but it's a good exercise trying to come up with new props and compositions. The newest photographs:

I scrapped some pictures from a supermarket magazine with the theme 'la bella Italia' and taped them into my sketchbook. It is always nice to have some reference/inspiration pictures by hand. I love the colours of the pictures. Oh, and the pasta canister is a new purchase I came across and just hád to take home. I love canisters in various styles, they feel so homely ;). It is the perfect size and style for storing my embroidery materials, which until now were residing in a plastic zip bag.

These are the study sketches to understand how exactly 'futuristic' looks like. I find that studying those pictures by observing is one thing, but sketching them makes you understand the form language a lot better.

Well, that's it for now! In a few weeks, I'll have the bulk of my product design work for this year done, so I'll hopefully have a bit more time for creations in the kitchen and sewing field. Around that time I'll be busy with promoting and marketing so I will be needing the creative diversion...