Monday, November 3, 2008

Track Excavator

I’m attracted to sketching unlovely subjects, not to make pretty pictures, but just to understand how things are made. As I did this watercolor study of a track excavator, I was thinking how much the mechanical arm is like the anatomy of a human arm.

The main difference, I guess, is that the hydraulic “muscles” work more by pushing, while human muscles work by pulling.

10 comments:

  1. First !!!! Holalalalalala ! This is the fist time i comment one of your picture because this is very very very great !
    Really nice !
    Thanks to dag to link at me your blog ;)

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  2. I'm reminded that whenever I go to a talk on the Mars Rovers, one of the facts emphasized is that their robotic arms have the same dimensions and points of articulation as a human arm, and that their navigational cameras are set the same distance apart as human eyes. So, even something like a six-wheeled rover exploring an alien planet becomes easier to operate if the operators can think of the data relative to their own body.

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  3. Well, human muscles work in pairs both expanding and contracting.

    I love this piece. All the little how it's made parts. And plus I like how cool machinery looks when it's painted!

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  4. ^^^ "Well, human muscles work in pairs both expanding and contracting. "

    Not exactly... Muscles do work in pairs, but they are ONLY able to contract; muscle fibers are not able to expland. One muscle is contracting (biceps, for example) while its pair is relaxing (the triceps).

    These are agonist/antagonist pairs.

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  5. *head slap* Sad thing is I knew that. I've been typing the wrong words for some reason... contracting.. relaxing... Gah. Completely different concepts.

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  6. "not to make pretty pictures" - this one is very pretty nevertheless :D Rock on!

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  7. I did a drawing like this today ! But your trac excavator is better !

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  8. Unlovely things are very lovely, and this is no exception. I like particularly the rust of the bucket and the tonal gredation of the yellow just above it, to be able to mimic reality with the flick of a paintbrush is a hard earned ability. I also like drawing machinery and things to understand how they work. Just like I believe skeletal structure and muscles are a must to draw living creatures. Thanks for sharing. :}

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