Environment Design - Exercises & Projects

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23/09/2025 - 01/08/2025 / Week 1 - Week 15

Lim Pei Jiun (0372548)

Vehicle and Props Design / Bachelor of Design (Honor) in Creative Media

Vehicle and Props Design - Exercise & Project

TABLE OF CENTENTS

INTRODUCTION


EXERCISE

Perspective Studies

Perspective is crucial to environment design. If the perspective is wrong, it will affect the overall effect. As for perspective studies, I had already been exposed to them when I was doing Digital Matte Painting, so for me this exercise was to consolidate my perspective foundation and make me more proficient in using perspective. This time, I was introduced to four-point perspective.

Fig 1.1 One-point Perspective
Fig 1.2 Two-point Perspective

Fig 1.3 Three-point Perspective

Fig 1.4 Four-point Perspective

Composition

I use the exterior design from my project 1 to do the composition. I tried creating different angles and compositions to find a composition that could better showcase my exterior design. I ultimately chose composition 2 as the final composition for my project 1.

Fig 2.1 Composition 1

Fig 2.2 Composition 2

Fig 2.3 Composition 3

Fig 2.4 Composition 4

Fig 2.5 Composition 5

Value Painting

After completing the composition, I start doing value painting to look at the light and shadow.

Fig 3.1 Value Painting 1

Fig 3.2 Value Painting 2

Fig 3.3 Value Painting 3

Fig 3.4 Value Painting 4

Fig 3.5 Value Painting 5

Ambience

Since it is a bar, all I can think about is the nighttime so I create night and rainy night. But I also wanted to see what a bar looks like during the day, so I tried Sunrise's ambiance. When I think of cyberpunk, I picture the smog emitted from factories in cities, which blurs the environment, so I tried foggy. For the sunset, I initially wanted to use orange, but I was trying to create a dangerous atmosphere, so I used red.

Fig 4.1 Night

Fig 4.2 Rainy Night

Fig 4.3 Sunrise

Fig 4.4 Foggy

Fig 4.5 Sunset

Color Management

Fig 5.1 Color Management 1

Fig 5.2 Color Management 2

Fig 5.3 Color Management 3

Vignette Set Design

I meticulously detailed some aspects of Project 1.
 
Fig 6.1 Vignette Set Design

Photo Bashing

For the photo bashing, I tried to change the material of the wall to metal.

Fig 7.1 Photo Bashing

Fig 7.2 Exercise: Fundamental (PDF)

PROJECT 1

For Project 1, I decided to make the theme Cyberpunk and start to do the mood board.

Fig 8.1 Mood board

My mood board is two different types of buildings, one is full of neon lights and the other is more old-fashioned. I was a little hesitant about which type of building to choose so I tried to make the silhouette first.

Fig 8.2 Silhouette

Fig 8.2 Sketches

For the sketches, I just wanted to try and see what the effect would be, so I made a rough sketch using basic shapes.

After consulting with Mr. Kannan, I tried some shapes other than squares based on his feedback.

Fig 8.3 Sketches

Ultimately, I combined the sixth and eighth sketches to finalize the sketches of exterior design. Also I start to so the exterior design breakdown.


Fig 8.4 Rough Sketch Idea

Fig 8.5 Exterior Design Breakdown

I tried applying colors to see the general visual effect. I wanted a simple design, so I didn't use too many colors, mainly silver, gray, and orange.

Fig 8.6 Apply color

After deciding on the colors, I start to refine the color and try adding lighting and shadow.

Fig 8.7 Refine color


Then, I do some adjustment of the lighting and shadow base on Mr. Kannan's feedback and add more details to the wall.

Fig 8.8 Final Exterior Design

Fig 8.9 Project 1: Exterior and Landscape Design (PDF)

PROJECT 2

For Project 2, I start doing the moodboad and draft a sketch for the interior.

Fig 9.1 Interior Moodbaord

Fig 9.2 Sketches

After consulting, I tried to add more things to the bar area and add a beer inside the tower. Also, I add some stick man to see how the size of the interior.

Fig 9.3 Process

For the composition studies and value studies, I try 4 more different angles but I think the first one is the most suitable so I didn't change it.

Fig 9.4 Composition Studies

Fig 9.5 Value Studies

After that, I start to apply color to see the general visual effect. Like the exterior, the interior's main colors are silver, dark gray, and orange. But since it's inside a bar, I used a dark blue to dim the interior lighting and added orange reflections from the beer tower and some neon lights.

Fig 9.6 Apply Color

Base on the feedback, I add more details and delete the barrel. 

Fig 9.7 Refine Color

Then, I do the ambience by adjusted the light color and start doing the design breakdown.

Fig 9.8 Ambience Studies

Fig 9.9 Design Breakdown

Fig 9.10 Final Interior Design

Fig 9.11 Project 2: Interior and Landscape Design (PDF)

PROJECT 3

After doing project 2, we require to sculpt it out. I chose to sculpt interior for my final project.

Fig 10.1 Process

Fig 10.2 Process

I am having some trouble building the stairs because my Blender is a newer version, so my UI is a bit different from Mr. Kannan's and online tutorials. Ultimately, I completed the staircase after consulting Chat GPT but I feel that this staircase still has some flaws.

Fig 10.3 Process

Fig 10.4 Assets

Fig 10.5 Overview

Fig 10.6 Overview

Fig 10.7 Overview

After sculpting, I start do rendering on Blender.

Fig 10.8 Up view

Fig 10.9 3/4 side view

Fig 10.10 3/4 side view

Fig 10.11 Back view

Fig 10.12 Front  view

After rendering, I add the neon light and refine the beer tower on Procreate.

Fig 10.13 After refinement

Fig 10.14 Final Output

Fig 10.15 Final Project: Complete Environment Design Bible (PDF)

Fig 10.16 Complete Environment Design Bible (PDF)

FEEDBACK

Week 2: You can try more shapes of buildings, not just square ones.

Week 7: Refine the outline, no need to emphasize the architecture in the background; the main focus should be on showcasing the bar. There's a little empty space where you can add some messy wires, signs, etc.

Week 8: Refine the lighting, the light-receiving surface needs to be stronger. Add some texture on the wall.

Week 9: Add more things to the bar area, can add the alcohol inside the tower. Draft a character to see how big the interior is.

Week 11: The color is fine, refine the outline and that barrel is not suitable for cyberpunk. It is better for you to change a material or just delete it.

Week 12: Make the chair out a bit. There is a small empty space next to the stairs, you can add a speaker.

Week 13: The stairs can use array and apply the empty.

REFLECTION

For this module, I learned how to use Blender and how to design an environment effectively. The biggest challenge for me was Blender, because it was my first time using it. Even simple things took me a lot of time, but once I got used to it, my sculpting speed increased significantly. However, I don't have a complete grasp of Blender, I still don't know how to use the shading editor to change the material of an object.

But regardless, I learned a lot from this module, which helped me improve my skills.

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