Cutaway Drawings for Concept Artists

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Cutaways and 3/4 Drawings: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Concept Artists

Cutaway illustrations—often called “cutaways” or 3/4 views—are a powerful tool in concept art, industrial design, architecture, technical illustration, and environment design. These types of drawings reveal the inner workings or layout of an object, vehicle, or environment by seemingly “slicing” part of the exterior to show the internal structure or design. Whether you are creating intricate environments for a movie set or conceptualizing advanced machinery for a video game, the ability to produce an accurate and visually compelling cutaway is a significant skill that can help convey the full complexity and functionality of your designs.

1. What is a Cutaway Drawing?

A cutaway drawing is a type of technical or semi-technical illustration that depicts both the exterior and interior of an object by “cutting away” part of the surface. Imagine slicing a spaceship in half to reveal its command center, corridors, engines, and power cores while still showing enough of the outside shape to give context. In architectural or environment design, you might remove a portion of a wall or floor to highlight the building’s layout or mechanical systems.

Some common uses include:

  • Automotive design: showing the engine, seating arrangement, and chassis.
  • Aircraft and spacecraft: revealing cross-sections of cockpit, cargo hold, and internal systems.
  • Architectural design: displaying interior floor plans with partial exteriors for context.
  • Environment design (games, movies): unveiling hidden rooms, pathways, or infrastructure.

2. Why Cutaway Drawings are Important

  1. Clarity in Communication
    Cutaway drawings enable designers, clients, or team members to understand the relationship between external forms and their internal structures. They convey complex spatial ideas quickly and effectively.
  2. Adding Depth to Concept Art
    For concept artists, adding interior details enriches a design and brings it to life. This can be crucial when pitching ideas to directors or clients who want to see how a place or object “actually works.”
  3. Problem-Solving
    When you create a cutaway, you must think about layout, function, and practicality. This problem-solving process ensures your designs remain grounded in logic, even in the most fantastical projects.
  4. Professional Appeal
    A portfolio featuring strong cutaway work signals to studios, game developers, or design firms that you have both creative and technical prowess. It is a unique skill that sets you apart.

3. How to Create a Cutaway Drawing

There are several paths to creating a cutaway illustration. Some artists lean more on a technical drafting approach, while others rely on looser concept art methods. Regardless of technique, the process generally includes:

  1. Research & Reference: Gather knowledge about real-world analogs or study similar artworks to inspire your design.
  2. Sketching & Layout: Plan the overall shape, decide which areas to “cut away,” and determine how those cutaway edges will look.
  3. Detailing Interiors: Fill in mechanical structures, rooms, or relevant architectural features. Aim for clarity and intrigue.
  4. Refining & Rendering: Add line work, shading, color, or a painterly style to complete the piece, matching the project’s aesthetic needs.

4. Special Focus: Environment Design and Technical Drawing Schools

Environment Design Programs

  • FZD School of Design (Singapore): Founded by concept artist Feng Zhu, offers a rigorous concept design program focusing on environment, vehicle, and prop design. Emphasizes strong foundation skills including perspective, which is critical for cutaways.
  • Gnomon School of Visual Effects (Los Angeles, USA): Renowned for digital art and VFX, offers environment design classes that cover perspective, layout, and digital painting essentials.

Technical Drawing & Industrial Design Programs

  • ArtCenter College of Design (Pasadena, USA): Known for industrial design, transportation design, and entertainment design. A strong foundation in technical drawing is part of the curriculum.
  • Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) (Savannah, USA): Offers multiple programs (architectural visualization, industrial design, etc.) that incorporate drafting and perspective drawing.
  • Royal College of Art (RCA) (London, UK): A higher-level institution with programs in architecture, product design, and illustration; fosters conceptual thinking alongside technical prowess.

These schools have comprehensive curricula that often include perspective drawing, rendering techniques, and an understanding of material finishes—skills that lend themselves directly to creating polished cutaways.

5. How-To: Three Levels of Learning

Below is a step-by-step breakdown for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners. Each level assumes the student has gained certain foundational skills and is ready to move on to more sophisticated approaches.

5.1 Beginner Level

  1. Learn Basic Perspective
    • Goal: Understand 1-point, 2-point, and 3-point perspective.
    • Approach: Practice drawing cubes and simple geometric forms. Experiment with “blocking out” your subject in perspective before cutting away.
  2. Draw Basic Shapes with “Slices”
    • Goal: Familiarize yourself with the concept of slicing an object.
    • Approach: Start with a simple box or cylinder. Decide on one area to remove. Outline the inside space with simple lines.
  3. Add Minimal Details
    • Goal: Gain comfort in illustrating a visible interior.
    • Approach: For a box, show basic furniture, compartments, or mechanical parts. Don’t overcomplicate. Focus on clean lines and correct perspective.
  4. Practice Consistency
    • Goal: Ensure edges align properly when part of the shape is missing.
    • Approach: Use guidelines in pencil or digitally to maintain consistent proportions.
  5. Tools & Resources
    • Manual: Pencil, ruler, and a perspective grid.
    • Digital: Basic drawing software (e.g., Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, or Photoshop) with perspective guides.

5.2 Intermediate Level

  1. Complex Shapes & Structures
    • Goal: Move from boxes to vehicles, houses, or simple machinery.
    • Approach: Use reference images (e.g., car engines, house layouts) and plan your cut line(s) meticulously. Sketch multiple viewpoints before settling on a final composition.
  2. Vary the “Cut”
    • Goal: Experiment with diagonal or curved cutaway lines.
    • Approach: Instead of slicing straight down, tilt the cut plane or slice in an interesting shape that highlights the interior. This adds dynamism.
  3. Incorporate Layers & Depth
    • Goal: Show multiple levels or floors inside a structure.
    • Approach: If drawing a building, reveal the basement or a sub-level along with the main level. Keep the perspective consistent through each visible layer.
  4. Refine Sketch & Rendering
    • Goal: Achieve clarity through cleaner line work and logical shading.
    • Approach: Use cross-hatching or basic gradient shading to separate interior from exterior. Label key parts if necessary.
  5. Tools & Resources
    • Manual: Technical pens, marker renderings for toned-value studies.
    • Digital: Photoshop or Procreate with layering to systematically build up detail.

5.3 Advanced Level

  1. Complex Machinery or Large Environments
    • Goal: Show multiple functional systems within a single drawing.
    • Approach: For an advanced spaceship or a large fantasy fortress, highlight multiple decks or floors, mechanical systems, and layering intricacies. Consider how pipes, wiring, or pathways intersect.
  2. Artistic Storytelling
    • Goal: Combine storytelling with technical detail.
    • Approach: If it’s a fantasy fortress, hint at the culture or the story (e.g., banners, unique architecture). If it’s sci-fi, integrate futuristic materials and advanced engineering logic.
  3. Advanced Rendering Techniques
    • Goal: Achieve a polished, professional look.
    • Approach: Use color, lighting, and atmospheric perspective to differentiate interior from exterior layers. Consider adding subtle glow effects or reflections to highlight technology or windows.
  4. Mixed Media or 3D Support
    • Goal: Merge multiple techniques for accuracy and speed.
    • Approach: Block out shapes in a 3D software (e.g., Blender, SketchUp). Export your base model as a reference image into Photoshop or other painting software. Do the final line art and rendering by hand or digitally.
  5. Presentation
    • Goal: Showcase your design professionally.
    • Approach: Create clean layouts with callouts, labels, or text describing different parts of the design. This elevates the illustration from “cool art” to a production-ready document.

6. Gifted & Talented (Enrichment & Acceleration) Approach

For students who grasp concepts quickly and require extra challenge or enrichment, consider these approaches:

  1. Independent Research & Visualization
    • Encourage students to study historical architecture or advanced technology and create cutaway drawings that merge multiple styles or eras. This fosters critical thinking and creative synthesis.
  2. Multi-Project Integration
    • Combine cutaway projects with other subjects like history (creating cutaways of ancient structures) or science (illustrating biological or geological cross-sections). This cross-curricular approach accelerates learning and keeps students engaged.
  3. Mentorship & Collaboration
    • Pair advanced learners with professionals or advanced peers working on industry-level cutaways. This accelerates skill development and exposes them to real-world feedback.
  4. Portfolio Development
    • Encourage gifted students to build a themed series of cutaways—spaceships, fantasy cities, or future Earth environments—to develop a cohesive portfolio demonstrating depth of skill and conceptual richness.
  5. Experimental Methods
    • Challenge advanced students to incorporate animation or interactive media, where a cutaway might transition between exterior and interior views dynamically. This pushes their skill set into emerging fields like VR or AR concept design.

Conclusion

Cutaway or 3/4 drawings are not just about showcasing the outside and inside of a design—they are about story, structure, and clarity. Developing the ability to produce compelling cutaways can set you apart in concept art, technical illustration, and environment design fields. Through each learning stage—beginner, intermediate, and advanced—you will grow your foundational skills in perspective, expand your visual storytelling, and refine your techniques to communicate complex ideas with ease.

Whether you choose a formal educational path at a specialized school or follow online tutorials, remember to practice consistently, study real-world references, and challenge yourself with increasingly complex designs. For gifted and talented learners, integrating independent research, cross-curricular projects, and mentorship opportunities can propel your skills to professional heights. Embrace the challenge, and watch your cutaway drawings come to life!