how to design models

[steuben]

I can design and build for functionality reasonably well.

I'm looking for tips on how to design for aesthetics in stock. Not so much building for aesthetics, there are many tutorials for that. So the next hop is building models of various ships.

How do you take the design from that sketch on the back of an envelope to laying the first pieces?

[Cpt Kerbalkrunch]

Wow. That's a pretty wide-open question. I'd say, much like any ship, start by asking yourself what size you want your main fuselage will be. This will determine which command pods are available to you (a major decision for design and functionality). This is going to go a long way to deciding what the ship is going to look like. And then, just go from there. Not sure what else to say. You have to go by "feel". Don't be afraid to replace an entire section, or to scrap the whole thing and start over if you don't like the way it's looking. You'll know when it's right.

[Servo]

I'm not much of a ship builder, but I specialize in replica aircraft  (building from a blueprint, so a similar idea), so I may have a few bits of wisdom. 

1.) Find your root: 

Not in the literal sense, the part you build everything off of, but what the main idea of the build is. For example, in my B-52, I wanted to get the nose and cockpit as close as possible. Or in my F-22, I wanted to get the exhaust ports right. For a ship, it might be the command post, or the bow. Spaceships might be rooted on their engines, or their crew sections. Make it something relatively specific. Basically, what part makes or breaks the build for you? 

Build that part first, and iterate on it until you're happy. Don't even worry about the rest of the build until you've built your root. This will give you a sense of scale, plus a solid starting point from which to build everything else.

2.) Frame it out:

This isn't as necessary for small models, but for big ones I always start by getting my dimensions. I offset some I-beams (holding shift while offsetting allows you to drag it for as far as you like) down, then build out a skeleton shape (credit to @EpicSpaceTroll139 for the idea). For my planes, I set the length, width, and height, plus where the wings are. Then, I build as normal above the I-beams, and once I'm done, I remove them.

3.) Build it in your head:

This seems to be what you're doing with your sketches, but take it a step farther. I find shapes that fit nicely to existing parts, and get a mental image of what it will look like before I even start building. For example, on my F-5, I knew that I wanted to use radial air intakes for the intakes, a fairing for the nose, mk0 parts to shape the fuselage, and inverted small air intakes as "engines". 

4.) Just keep trying:

This is easily the most important one. Don't give up when the first few craft don't work out. I've been playing for years, and building replica craft for most of it. Of the 60+ replicas I've uploaded to KerbalX, I only consider a handful of them to be really good. And even those, I iterate on a lot. Just don't be afraid to try and fail. And when you do fail, look back and find something that you learned in the build. 

 

Good luck, and don't be afraid to hit the delete button and try again!

-Servo