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JamesLedgerConcepts β Fighter
Published: 2013-08-25 17:31:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 8622; Favourites: 224; Downloads: 0
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Description
My first attempt at a sci-fi fighter craft, painted from scratch in Photoshop CS5. This image is not available to buy as it's copyrighted by the client.I used one-point perspective initially, and then called on the vanishing point tool to get better perspective by setting up grids and planes. This took me about 3 weeks, on and off.
I would never have guessed something like this could be so hard to do, but I had to really get my head around 'form' and functionality.
Any new subject matter can be a real challenge, but defeat is not an option. This object went through many changes, but I am finally satisfied. Done for 'New Worlds Project'.
rpgnewworlds.com/news.php - website.
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Comments: 78
Never played the game, only discovered it through my love of both these artists... Elson was to have done the box cover art for the original game, but at the last minute the publishers went with a 3d render.
For some reason a bracket has been added to both URLs, so let's try again
Peter Elson www.peterelson.co.uk/
Chris Foss www.chrisfossart.com/
If you have problems, check the URL in the browser to see if a bracket is being tagged-on to the end.
There is no doubt that new techniques only come with a lot of overhead in learning and practice - it's never ending!
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Ahh, the game was so addictive and had an excellent music score.
Peter Elson died young - a shame. His style is sureal - reminds me of 70's book covers. More original than most ideas today, which all tend to look like star wars or star trek. Excellent atmosphere. Again, Chris Foss is of the same era of course. I love these styles - their imagination goes way further than today - much weirder and more though provoking. Makes me realize just how much everything is generic and predictable today. Good links!
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I have loved their work for so long; as a young teen, standing in WH Smith's choosing a book in the scifi section, it was their cover art that was usually the deciding factor. Yes, there are other great cover scifi cover artists (particularly Chris Moore, Angus McKie, Tim White and Jim Burns) but Foss and Elson were stand-outs.
WRT to your comments about todays predictable, generic styles... Very much agree; 7-8 years ago, there was a lot of fuss about the outstanding art in a new book called "Concept Design", so I duly ordered it from Amazon. I was appalled! The book contains work from half-a-dozen artists, but you wouldn't know it as their styles and technique are almost identical. They all use Photoshop in exactly the same way. Doug Chang who did a lot of the design work for the last three Star Wars films is the same. I'm not suggesting these artists don't have talent - they clearly do - but theΒ pressures of the film and game industry is forcing a very generic, stereotypical look on their art and consequently the film and games industry output too.
Interestingly, Foss has become quite hot again recently, thanks mainly to his inclusion on the 'Directors Cut' of Alien. As a result, there was a new compilation of his work issued in a gorgeous hardback - I couldn't resist treating myself and the print quality is outstanding www.amazon.co.uk/Hardware-Defiβ¦
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Funnily enough I know Jim Burns. Was with him this weekend at a convention in Bath. Got another one with him in October in Bristol.
I have always been lured by good book covers too.
I have a Doug Chang book - very good but yes, I really thought the new star wars films looked predictable - infact I can't remember a single element. The millennium falcon and x-wing fighters are in another class and very memorable.
Will look up the hardback right now!
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You know Jim Burns? You lucky so-and-so! Well, I have a soft spot for him as he's a fellow Welshman and, of course, he contributed artwork to the near legendary Terran Trade Authority books.
The Foss book is definitely worth 16 quid of your money...
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Yes, he still paints a lot, including tonnes of his own stuff. He does everything traditionally, no photoshop, as you probably know. He has been in so many books, judging for Ballistic too.
I will consider the Foss book as it looks ace.
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It's great to hear he is still working... Doesn't surprise me that he still works traditionally; of the artists doing book and LP (!!!) covers in the 70's and 80's, I think only Chris Moore and Fred Gambino made the jump to digital successfully.
You won't be disappointed with the Foss book... I have been buying books of this type of art since the mid 70's and it's is easily the best print quality. Also, the intro sections which cover his film involvements (Alien, Alejandro Jodorowsky unmade Dune film, Superman) has some great unseen development sketches.
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Cheers ARO!
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Wow, so from what I understand you just painted this from scratch and didn't use any kind of 3D modeling tools (I don't have Photoshop CS5--that's why I'm asking).Β If so this is more impressive than usual.
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Thanks - I just used Photoshop, but I set up perspective grids which made the perspective easier, rather than guesswork. It's still tricky though, as any curved surfaces have to be improvised (freehand). The vanishing point tool only creates flat planes i.e. boxes.
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Many thanks!!
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You are most welcome!
I had to use a 3D program to get my proportions correct, even though I know engineering drawing. And then you can change the orientations and texture rather easy, compared to a single still. Animation is too much for me to do alone, so I use the 3D program to create interesting highlights and shadows, and then add them to some 3D work. Some is 2.5D, and some is 2D. I mix them all, as many tools for strengths and styles, versus as an end to itself for just working in a single dimensional model.Β
I had some good art teachers in some junior college classes that demonstrated how to us industrial tools for creating art as well, back in the 1990's, before everything was all digital, but when the technology became available and was in great flux. I bought my first color printer then. Now they all are color.Β
Have fun!
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I keep being reminded by todays artists that 3d modeling is in demand, as you said for proportion accuracy and orientations. Mek Tek liked using 3d artists because of the ability to reoriontate characters for different promotional images, to be painted over in photoshop.
I think it's good to mix up as much as possible, as you are clearly doing. Things move on so fast, like printers and TV's.
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Our techniques are in use by many other artists now too. Keep up the fantastic work!
Years ago, we used to say if you were waiting to buy the best TV ever, you would never buy one.
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Good statement!
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Very nice work. Β Sleek and efficient looking.
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Hey you should sell it on CGI model websites!
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I can't - it has been done for a client already, but I wasn't aware of that - I will investigate.
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Cool, so will I. I've just gotten into it.
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That's really nice for a first attempt. I like it.
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Good, thanks!!
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Thanks dude!!
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