Control drawing

A control drawing (sometimes called control art) is finalized artwork rendered as line drawings depicting the full design and engineering of a toy. Unlike other artwork, such as those adorning the front of the packaging which represents a stylized version of the character, control drawings are an accurate line model of the design of the toy prior to ever existing as a prototype.

Control drawings are also often used as the basis for color guides.

Appearances

While control art is part of the internal design process for the creation of a new toy, it has sometimes appeared in materials available to the general public. These include:

• Binaltech - up to BT-16 Skids, each toy's control art appeared as part of the character's System Description in the booklet provided.
• The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide - this publication revealed control drawings for numerous figures that were never released or subsequently reworked into other characters, such as a VW Beetle-based Bumblebee.
• Transformers Collection 2007 - contains more control drawings for Binaltech toys, as well as several Masterpiece figures.