Home  Articles Sketching a fuel tank
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Written by Glynn Kerr
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A beginner's guide to applying colour to a glossy surface such as a motorcycle fuel tank.
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Draw the upper tank line in marker, to the body colour you require. Try to taper the marker to match the varying thickness of the tank to show width - here it narrows towards the rear. |
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In the same tone, draw in the horizon or main body contour. |
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Fill in the encircled area in a lighter tone of the same hue if using a bold colour, or with a little of the ground colour added if not. |
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Now for the tricky bit. Blend in a gradated core of the body colour, leaving a "shine" of white paper on either side. Into this merge some sky colour for upward-facing surfaces, and ground colour for those facing downwards. |
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Finish off by picking out the highlights in white pencil and/or paint, and sketching in any reflections and shadows. |
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On computer, this kind of effect can be done afterwards by masking areas and altering the properties within. By hand, the colour splits and shadows need to be planned out in advance. Either way, ensure that any reflections, highlights and shadows follow the same rules, irrespective of colour. |
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