Drawing Yacht Interiors

Its been a long time since i've been on here, but am hoping somebody might be able to help me out with some answers or advice. I am a graduate of the yacht manufacturing and surveying degree run though the Southampton Solent University, and am aiming to get in to the yacht interiors side of the industry. I have sent out a lot of letters to a lot of companies offering to work unpaid in order to gain experience, but so far have had very little response as it seems that people are not in a position to take on relatively unskilled workers at this time. I am also applying to do a masters degree in interior design with a view to becoming more skilled in the area in which i would like to work. Most of all this is something that i am very very keen to learn everything about, its not just a career choice but also a hobby and something that i want to be able to apply eventually knowing that i have done all i can and learnt everything that there is to learn (if that is possible).

The position i am in at the moment is that i am trying to put together a portfolio of work from scratch, as i realise that this is essential to be able to get my place on a postgraduate degree, or even be considered for an internship. I am trying to learn how to take a published plan drawing of a yacht and turn this in to a number of 3D perspective drawings (hand drawn).

Questions.

1. Are most interior views of yachts drawn in 1,2 or 3 point perspective?

2. How is possible to get the measurements of the interior without actually being on the boat?

3. How can i get hold of a perspective grid template as used by some interior designers.

If anyone feels that they can help me to develop with this i would greatly appreciate your help. Any links, websites or personal advice would be very helpful.

 

If you are serious about interior design you should have (or figure out access to) Interior Design by John F. Pile.....I have the second edition.

One of the appendixes outlines a 2 point (vanishing points) system for drawing interiors. This is the system I used for a number of years, an example of the output is below. It's an involved system, but simple to understand once you've done it a bit. Pile's explanation also includes 1 and 3 point systems.

I currently have no use for this skill as almost all my current designs are created (full size 3D) in the computer. It is very easy to create a rough interior wireframe, print it the scale and viewpoint you want, and use it as underlay on your finish interior perspective. Usually interior designers get these wireframes from the yacht designer to work from.

None of this can be done without at least a plan drawing of the interior, you can guess at the heights if you have to.

We used to be able to get grid templates from the drafting supply store, now you could just make one in your 3D computer program and print it out.

 

Thankyou Tad,

Your drawing is exactly what i'm aspiring to do. I feel that once i've overcome this initial stage of getting it clear in my mind what i need to do i'll be on a roll. So your picture is 2 point perspective? i have got a number of books that explain perspective so i will study them a bit harder. You mention that it is easy to create a wire frame but this is what i am struggling with, do you have any examples?

 

schwing,

You are going to have to do it 3D on the computer. Interior design is all about bling bling and the WOW factor today, so the best drawings are going to sell yourself....3D provides these types of images, and it is nt all that hard to learn, certainly the basics will get you going. The NA's that do my work all use 3D, and it is simply spectacular.

....but most importantly, the wives get to see and create with you......then you have it made.

 

schwing,

I'd be very surprised if any small-craft builders were taking people on at the moment. I don't think the new boat market has been buoyant enough for about 2 1/2 years now. However, one man's hell is another man's heaven, as they say, and doing a postgrad degree until the market picks up seems like a pretty good idea.

Now, how did I do interiors... I've only done this once commercially, though I studied YPD at Solent. I'm now a software engineer which seems to be a much more lucrative career (smug grin).

So, given that boats are not the trivial geometries that buildings are, you need a 3D representation of the hull and deck. There are a few ways to get this.

1. Estimation from known geometry. Here you take the hull and deck outline, and based on the transom shape, and the floor shape try to re-build the hull. It is very hard to get close to the original shape, but it may be all the data you have.
2. Measured Offsets. Time consuming and often difficult to maintain a good datum. But I have successfully reverse-engineered a sailing dinghy this way while building a trailer.
3. Fit a surface to a lines plan. Which is great if you can get one in electronic format. Paper is a pain because it's likely to distort when scanned (though it can be done well).
4. Scanning ultrasound or Laser measurement. Expensive, but probably the fastest and most accurate method, however, you still need to fit a surface to the points, and this is time-consuming.

Once you've got an idea of the outside of the boat, you need to know something about the interior. For your purposes, it is probably adequate to note the dimensions and locations of frames and bulkheads without too much extra detail. The laminate thickness may be estimated given the boat's size (20mm out in the hull isn't going to cause too much of a headache, but it is more important for the deck). Now you have all the details you need to produce a reasonably accurate representation of the hull and structure, which will provide the bounds for your interior.

You may wonder why I have given such a detailed explanation above. In a yacht, the available space changes from floor level to deck level, and the clever designer recognises this. A plan view in itself won't give you this information. However, a plan view with a floor line, and perhaps two waterlines above it, say 0.5m and 1.0m, is quite useful for getting a general idea of the placement of objects (you may also need changes of geometry in the deck marked). This is particularly good if you can do it at reasonably large scale.

When you have an idea of placement (of settees, galley, chart table, forward berths, aft cabins, heads and all the other gubbins) then you can draw it all in CAD and ensure that everything fits (which until you've done it a few times, it won't). Once you have an interior which you are fairly confident with, then I would suggest that you did the hand drawing. At this point, you can develop the artistic part of what has so-far been a rather scientific process.

This might sound like a lot of work, just to quickly sketch an interior, but it will ensure that you have an interior which will fit in the boat, and being able to prove that will stand you in good stead later on.

I can probably dig out a few typical 3D hull-forms if you want, just PM me.

Hope this helps,

Tim B.

 

With respect I will disagree with Landlubber....yes, the highest quality computer renderings will sell certain projects to certain clients......others will be captivated by hand drawn art....and especially by a guy who can sit down with them and do it on a napkin in the restaurant. Computer renderings are becoming standard expectations, now they're being farmed out to China where they are created at low cost in a few days. The guy who will be successful can show the client something in a few minutes.

A simple wireframe is shown below, note this includes just sole levels, bulkhead planes, and the surface curvature of the overhead and hull sides. You can quickly sketch in furniture.

 

Tad,

I can only agree with you entirely in your criticism of my post....BUT....let me explain why I posted as such.

Our new designer is just that, chances are he does not yet even know about waterlines, buttocks and disgonals, drawing them freehand is something that takes time and experience....the computer allows people that have no idea at all to do extrodinary "artwork"....and under these circumstances, I am happy still with my comments.

there is NO WAY a computer can do what you people can do (but it has taken you years of doing what you do , to do what you do......and you know what, many new boaters today do not even care....they want instant gratification both mentally. visually and physically.....something that , well in the boating game, takes time.

 

Landlubber apologies if i have not explained myself properly but i do understand to a certain degree the technical aspects of yacht design having spent four years getting my degree as mentioned previously. It is free hand drawing advice that i am seeking as i tend to agree with Tad being that anyone can produce a design when prompted by a computer programme to do so but it takes a certain amount of skill and practice to be a good and accurate with drawing. I would like to be good and accurate! which is why i am asking advice from people such as yourself with more experience. I am not looking for an easy solution to my problem i am looking to learn something new from someone. And by the way i am female.

Tad thank you for all your help so far, i hope you don't mind but by using you drawing and creating my own lines through it i can get a visual idea of what i am trying to figure out so this has helped a lot, can i come back to you for more advice?

Tim wow that is a lot of information but very helpful so than you. I will try my best to put into practice what you have suggested and would definitely like to get those hull forms from you.

 

schwing,

Great that you are of the female type of human....we need more of them, especially in the design field.

Let me give you a tip.....I was selling a boat that I had been restoring to a fella, he bought his wife to see it...later she pulled me aside and asked me if I knew what a good job I had done of selling the boat to her.

She told me that men will buy anything that floats as long as the missus is happy...he is happy too...and what I had done was simply replace the toilet with a new one and redo the galley (on my wifes advice anyhow)...her comments have remained in my head ever since......it is quite true that many men would in fact buy anything that made their wife happy as long as he gets a boat.

In your field, try to work on that theme, I am SURE it will be profitable to you. and along the way you will enjoy doing what you do.

I just spent three years working in China, the fella that I was working with was English, but born in HK. His mother was a pretty fancy lady, and she obviously inspired him in many details, he was quite simply, excellent at doing the design side of the game, and the boats are selling world wide now as a direct result of his input (and I like to think also my bit too, but that is just so I feel better)...design details in decoration ans style truely make a normal boat into a great boat...but unfortunately too many seem to follow the trends of others instead of doing their own thing....go for it!

if you are interested in the boats:
http://www.clippermotoryachts.com.au/index.php

the new versions, no so much the old......

 

schwing

You are right on the hand drawings! Although less experienced customers are very impressed by renderings and virtual "walkthrough" presentations, I found that free hand drawings and sketches sell the product better. It is not unusual, that owners ask for the original drawing to decorate their homes.


Lubs

nice boats, they look like bearing the hallmark of Rene van de Velden!?

 

late response here but along with all of the other good advice given here I might add that some knowledge of yacht joinery will help so that what you draw can actually be built. I have seen designers draw things which made the cabinet shop cringe, and which had to be redrawn to work correctly. Also when designing in "hidden" air grills etc a little knowledge of HVAC (air flow, velocity etc) doesn't hurt.

 

Joe,

Very good mate, and also the wall thicknesses and cavities needed for plumbing, insulation, electrical conduting as well as the HVAC (heating, ventilation and Air cond, for thiose that may not know this).

As a builder though, we have NEVER built a boat to the NA specs, they have always been the major guideline of course, but practical perspectives come into play that make the drawinhs impossible to construct, a bit of ad lib is normal and accepted. If we are really concerned, we then go back to the NA and have him/her advise us.

 

Hi schwing

Would you be interested in having a go at designing the interior of my project 38' Van de Stadt yacht ? I have the original plans but they are an old fashined 80's design and I want to try something new. You could have in your portfolio, a real boat interior that would actually get built, what do you think ?

Regards,
cws

 

Hey CWS,

That sounds like a project that i would definitely like to have a go at. I am just starting out at this (Although i do have relevant experience), but if your willing to let me have a go then i would gladly take on the challenge. What is the best way for you to send me the plans and information?

Schwing

 

hi guy's and give it a schwing schwing, i was at the hiswa show and alway's stop at interior stands looking at alcantara,
all the colors, materials etc. have a look at this interactif viewer for ex and interior here or the preview movie here
sure pencil can be art too but this thread reminded me of this -not to easy- viewer i wanna study better someday