Inspiration: Cyborgs, Robots, and Mecha
Many artists are drawn to visions of the future. In this article you’ll see a fresh view of robotic and mechanized artwork. Learn some digital painting techniques from some great Photoshop tutorials on the subjects of cyborgs and robots. Get inspired by multiple artistic visions and various technical approaches to bot artwork. Get inspired by how man and machine are melding today. The future has arrived. Let’s check it out.
Digital Art
-
Joan Charmant
This artist was placed in our Tutorial Suggestions area. It has some great photo manipulations—lots of melding of man and machine. Realistic robots, cyborg animals, and mecha creations on display. The source images show what was used to put the images together.
-
Abdul Rashid
This artist goes under the nickname of Spacemaggot. He breaks images apart and then rebuilds them. Follow the link to his portfolio. Some more of his work is on Deviantart. The link below is to a piece called Uncomplete. It’s based on Optimus Prime’s incomplete transformation. The artist mixes vector and Photoshop work.
-
The Workstation2 by Jujika
This artwork shows the Photoshop painter at work in her studio. It’s kind of funny to have such a huge robot be there to make you coffee. It’s supposed to contain all sorts of kitchen appliances. The artist describes this as, “New coffee bot fresh from the packaging!! Fully equipped with Espresso Machine, shelving, refrigerator, microwave, stereo system, and two choices of Slurpee flavor.” It’s a beautifully crafted digital painting done in Photoshop. Jujika has mostly fantasy work in her portfolio, but this mecha bot piece stands out.
-
I Love Music
This artist has an interesting style that merges Photoshop techniques with matte painting. A lot of work went into this piece. Here is the description the artist gives, “Photo Manipulation and Matte Painting, it Takes 21 hours, 127 layers of photoshop, .psd size 50 * 35cm 300dpi!” He has more of this type of work in his Flickr Matte Painting Set
Tutorials
-
People of the Future
This tutorial gives you a detailed overview of two collaborative artists’ workflow. They go from poser to Photoshop in creating this cyborg design. The tutorial describes the steps involved in this masterful creation. While this tutorial doesn’t hold your hand through the entire process, it is a good window into these artists’ processes.
-
Draw Robotech Mecha
This video tutorial shows you how to draw a Robotech character from start to finish in Photoshop. This site is a huge resource for learning to paint in Photoshop. It has beginner to advanced tutorials on the subject. In many of these tutorials, the artist explains each step and why he uses certain techniques. There are over 200 tutorials. Time to buy a Wacom Tablet.
-
Coloring a Robot in Photoshop
This tutorial covers coloring a drawing. It starts with a scanned in line art drawing, as if you had an inked outline to begin with. It shows how to build up the artwork using layers of tones. Then it adds in glow, shadows, and fades to finish off the image.
-
Photoshop and Painter Tutorial: Monkey vs Robot
This tutorial works with Painter to build the image and then moves over to Photoshop to apply some finishing touches and effects. It’s a broad description of the process, though the Photoshop steps are more detailed.
-
Digital Painting Tutorial: Naughty Robot
This tutorial has lots of screenshots. You see how the image is built up, while the artist explains each major step in the process. He discusses strategically why he uses certain techniques as well. In combination with painting techniques, he also imports texture to put onto his robot character.
Other Cool Stuff
-
5 Bionic Exoskeleton Suits of the Future
This article starts by dropping movie references, like Terminator and Robocop. Then it goes on to show real-life versions of hydraulic limbs, landwalking juggernaut robots, advanced computerized exoskeletons, and heavily armored exoskeletons. This article gives a nod to science fiction while showing where we actually are with technology today.
-
TheTransformer movie site has great photos, which are all super high 3D quality. It’s a full-screen Flash site. The new Iron Man movie has a great Flash fan site as well.
-
Robots Invade San Jose Museum of Art
There are over 80 images of this exhibit on Robots at the San Jose Museum of Art. The images are presented in a Flash slide show viewer. There is a wide selection of artistic visions of robots throughout history. There are paintings, sculptures, and more on display.
-
Festo AirJelly Video
This article contains two videos. Both videos are of Jelly Fish–like robots. One of them functions in the water and the other flies through the air, kind of like a moving balloon. The videos capture the beauty in the design and movement of these bots.
-
The Most Striking 3D Robots Ever—Parts 1 and 2
There are a whole lot of images of super-cool 3D robots in this two-part series. You could first check out The Most Striking 3D Robots Ever—Part 1. Below is the link to Part II. Each image includes a description of the image, what was used to make the image, and artist information.
Enjoyed this Post?
Subscribe to our RSS Feed, Follow us on Twitter or simply recommend us to friends and colleagues!
By Sean Hodge
Photoshop to HTML
Take your Photoshop skills to the next level by learning how to slice up a PSD into a working standards driven HTML website.
Join our newsletter!
U-Design WordPress Theme only $35.00 
Modernize - Flexibility of W ... only $35.00 
When the storm comes - More
Photoshop Basix
Just getting started? Start with our basix tutorials on the fundamentals. View All Basix Tutorials
Create a Tutorial, Get Paid!
Have something to teach the world? Want to earn money doing it? Tutorials, screencasts, and articles published here on Psdtuts+ are largely contributed by readers just like you! We'll pay you great money for good content. Find Out More
nice collection
Very cool!!!
“5 Bionic Exoskeleton Suits of the Future” Visit Article link leads back to this page, not to the article.
Very inspiring indeed.
waw. This is a great article with lots of great inspirational stuff. Thank you Sean.
Thats quite an inspirational collection you’ve got there Sean. Thanks for all your effort and time.
Very interesting. I have always wondered how people make such awesome pictures that look just like the robots. I will be checking these out. Thank ya!
Great stuff!! I can never get tired of good inspiration.
Awesome collection
Lots of nice inspiration.. Thanks for sharing this with us ..
Sweet! I really like Mechs and Borgs
sweeeeeeet.
gr8!!!
I am not impressed with the nudity and suggestive nature of some of the links used in this post. These shouldn’t be used as they promote lust and such. It really draws on a person and leads down a path that is hard to get out of. Mature people as well as young people should not be exposed to this.
@Brent – I doubt very much that these links promote lust. Mature people have a right to make their own choices, and I don’t think that anything presented here is questionable.
Sean has the right to post links that inspire as much as you have a right to voice your opinion.
Well put together post. I am inspired.
incredibleeeeeeeeee
how dare you not put gundam in there…
this is madneeeeessssss? No, this is PSD tuts
Sheez. An article or tutorial always comes up right after I try doing this stuff. Awesome inspiration. Also, the article’s link for “5 Bionic Exoskeleton Suits of the Future” is just linking back to this article.
nice
Best. Round up. Ever.
@Brent
It’s only nudity. EVERYONE sees breasts and other body parts at some time in their life. The ‘nudity’ in question can only be looked at as inappropriate if the person interpreters it that way.
Anyways, awesome collection.
I especially like the Cyborg rendering that uses Poser and PS.
Nice post Sean! I loved the Robotech tutorial. I love to see Photoshop painting video tutorials. It was nice to have a little commentary.
Nice Round Up. Thanks Sean
good inspiration. I’ve to try those out..
All this talk about robots and artwork and NOTHING about Ashley Wood???? Holy snick. Look that guy up. NOW.
Cool. This post have some good inspirations.
Thanks.
David Carreira
Nice set of tuts
Cool article…
Daniel
Good collection! The link to “5 Bionic Exoskeleton Suits of the Future” points back to this article, however, and your description has peaked my interest! I may just have to resort to google.
Keep ‘em coming!
Did you see this website:http://www.asksabre.com
Really cool copy of psdtuts template
@Austin – Ashley wood looks great. I’m sure there are thousands of great artists out there as well. Feel free to let us know about more great artists that work in this theme.
I got the Article link fixed for “5 Bionic Exoskeleton Suits of the Future†– Thanks for pointing that out.
Also, not trying to offend anyone with the links, just trying to inform. Thx.
@ Mohsen
1) We call that a rip
2) That site steals tutorials.
The rip: http://www.asksabre.com/photo-manipulation/learn-how-to-zombify-people
Real tut: http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161073
Hehe at asksabre.com.. Wtf..
Nice round up
Great round up, @Arik, It’s so funny to catch a rip, I love seeing the thief’s reaction.
The first robot looks amazing.
I hate “idrawgirls.com” tutorials, they don’t actually teach you how to draw stuff, they just show you how they do it, and you have to figure things out by yourself.
call it “speedpainting” or whatever you wanna call it,,,it’s not a tutorial.
wow !!! Very Very Nice !!!!