Scott Robertson is an internationally renowned designer, publisher, concept artist, entertainment designer and evangelist. OK, so I made that last one up. But he may as well be.
For nearly two decades Scott’s been teaching students the art of design, first from an Art Center classroom and now through a series of lectures he hosts regularly. He’s travelled from Shanghai to Italy, LA to Taipei (the long way round) and spent countless hours putting together tutorials for aspiring designers worldwide, all of which can be accessed through his incredibly popular YouTube channel on Fridays. There are no fees. All you need is access to a computer and an Internet connection.
But who is this man so many aspiring designers look up to? And why has he decided to pay his talents forward?
In the video above, Scott gives us a glimpse into his mode of thinking. He first describes the invaluable benefit of his new app for his most recent How to Draw book, explaining how video and the app have created a new dimension for showcasing the work within.
Scott then shows us a new algorithm he has devised that enables designs to be derived from photographs. The process uses Modo to render out an animation, producing photo-real first sketches and infinite variations. This not only allows numerous permutations of a design, it can also be computed in mere hours. It’s an entirely new way to use the tool.
“I would come in and see all of these different graphic explorations,” says Scott of returning from his home to find over 1000 images available on his studio computer. “It’s all just programming, using algorithms and rendering out an animation, frame by frame. Each frame is a different design.”
Finally while giving us an insight on his favorite design era – the streamlining period – Scott also talks about the future of transport in the urban context given today’s sprawling metropolises before revealing his ideal vehicle.
I won’t spoil the surprise…
The How to Draw book is out now, so head over to the Design Studio Press website or region-specific Amazon stores (.com, .co.uk, .de, .fr) to order your copy if you haven’t already. The app is available both on Android and on iOS devices now. Just search ‘h2dr’ in the app store or on Google Play.
