Well now that we have the technology to make walking bipedal robots, ie: Honda and Asimo robot.(sure, still crude, but ya gotta start somewhere). It is a good idea to "study" their "structural anatomy". It is surprisingly "simple". The servos are just flat cylinders that connects every joints.

But we're talking about mechas. Large armor types. There are two schools of thought in the "design architectures" of mechas(that I know of). First in the "Clean look", the second one is the "mildly to the overly detailed and convoluted look".

We're talking about the "design architecture" here. Not the "design form". And I'm using these terms very loosely, coz I'm not a collage engineering professor, mind you.

The best example of a "clean look" that I could give at first thought are the "Patlabors" police mechas.
"Clean look", because they hide the joint parts by covering it with a sort of canvas like mesh(or a mesh like canvas ). Like the medieval knights. Solid armor on the outer layer, and then a coat of mail or hauberk and such for the neck, armpits, elbows, groin and knees on the inner layer. Although there are armors for the neck, armpits, elbows and knees, but that depends on what type of medieval armor and what medieval century your in. And we are digressing already.

Second example of the "clean look" mecha is the Battroid Valkyrie from Macross.

The "mildly to the overly detailed and convoluted look" are the most popular. You see it every where. From The "Katoki Hajime Gundam Designs" to the present Transformers movie version(now THOSE are the very example of the "overly detailed and convoluted look").

OK, enough foreplay.


As for recommendations. I suggest studying machine parts. That's what the designers of the Transformers movie did. I've seen the first TF movie almost 10 times now. And I must say I recognized some of the vehicles parts there like the clutch gear, flywheel, exhaust pipes, suspension springs, hydraulic suspension etc, etc...

My salute to the Art Director or who ever is responsible for their outlook.

Look at the servo motor of the shoulder joints in my second Cybertronian(the gold colored one). The first layer plate I referenced from a car's clutch gear.


You aught to buy performance car, 4x4 all-terrain vehicles, trucks and motorbike magazines. Second hand issues if you're short on cash, or perhaps your old man might have magazines of that sort(that's much cheaper). Or you could just goggle them if you have your own computer. Start drawing individual machine parts to make your drawing hand accustomed. Start with loose sketches. This will open the door to designing fictional machine parts that has the look of realism in it.

We are actually going into the realm of "Industrial Design" already. Only it is fictional.

Hmmmnn...you know in retrospect, I should have taken Industrial Design in collage instead of Fine Arts Painting.

Oh and you have to train you hand in drawing straight(without using a ruler), curved, spirals, crisscrossed and circled lines. Do it in repetitions until you fill a whole paper with it.

I'm not kidding! They really taught us this in Interior Design School.


How's that boys?