10-23-2013, 11:35 AM
Hi Lyraina. So sorry to hear about your cat. I hope you're feeling better - that's a beautiful portrait of her.
For visual library regarding sci-fi stuff (or for most things in general), what I feel could be useful is to learn about "how things work" (at least, on a very basic level) - that way you can really commit a design language to memory easier. Basically instead of trying to remember exactly what something looks like, you instead remember why something looks like that and what it's being used for.
For example, you can look at a diving suit - you learn, okay, so it needs an oxygen tank (for air), goggles (to see underwater with), flippers (easier to swim), skintight (why? better aerodynamics, maybe?), waterproof material (rubber?), in-built flash lights (for those deep, dark areas?) etc, etc. So when you adapt it to a fictional space suit, maybe you can remember those elements and then apply it to your own design.
Another example - you studied molecular biology, so you can use your understanding of - I don't know (forgive me if I sound like an idiot here) - how cellular structures work and replicate and try to adapt that to a design, perhaps? Like this space suit has a nucleus (acts as a power source?) and a membrane (outer protective layer?) or something, something, something.
I hope that all made sense, sorry if I'm just blabbering. All the best!
For visual library regarding sci-fi stuff (or for most things in general), what I feel could be useful is to learn about "how things work" (at least, on a very basic level) - that way you can really commit a design language to memory easier. Basically instead of trying to remember exactly what something looks like, you instead remember why something looks like that and what it's being used for.
For example, you can look at a diving suit - you learn, okay, so it needs an oxygen tank (for air), goggles (to see underwater with), flippers (easier to swim), skintight (why? better aerodynamics, maybe?), waterproof material (rubber?), in-built flash lights (for those deep, dark areas?) etc, etc. So when you adapt it to a fictional space suit, maybe you can remember those elements and then apply it to your own design.
Another example - you studied molecular biology, so you can use your understanding of - I don't know (forgive me if I sound like an idiot here) - how cellular structures work and replicate and try to adapt that to a design, perhaps? Like this space suit has a nucleus (acts as a power source?) and a membrane (outer protective layer?) or something, something, something.
I hope that all made sense, sorry if I'm just blabbering. All the best!