HOME | DD

Thomas-Peters — Hero class Trader fires!

Published: 2012-02-20 22:44:57 +0000 UTC; Views: 12229; Favourites: 161; Downloads: 361
Redirect to original
Description A Freetrader returns fire against pirates. This is one of the pen and ink drawings I did for the Traveller RPG in the 80's. In a fit of nostalgia I've been going through some of my old stuff, and decided to post a few of what I think are the best.

Pen and ink on Strathmore Bristol Board (gasp!)

Thanks for having a look!
Related content

Thomas-Peters - Inspection Boarding

Thomas-Peters - HMCS Hangaku

Thomas-Peters - Launch on Demand

Thomas-Peters - The Emperor's Lift Cavalry

Thomas-Peters - Through Alien Skies

Thomas-Peters - Reb Srcbk Shuttle Small

Thomas-Peters - Port Roll

Thomas-Peters - Running to the Gig2

Thomas-Peters - Yellow Nostromo

AI-tist - Steam mech [🤖]

LittleMissCalculated - The Neo Immortals - Page 40

bogatyrkhan - Everyday is a doodle day 959

sharlin - Battletech - Antares Class Fleet Tender.

biomass - 2300AD Thorez Class Courier

RobCaswell - Droyne Scout Courier

SteamPoweredMikeJ - Battletech - Spaceships

therealraxxis - Paladin Class Bomber

Jepray - Spacemaster 1.2 allies

Gromgorefiend - thumbnail FUmbles-SHIP-001

BaronNeutron - Allen Nunis 013

Mikezzzzz - Interplanetary Transport Ship
Comments: 56

tatersw [2017-08-03 00:42:16 +0000 UTC]

Your art really defined the way I saw traveller ships, and SF ships in general. Awesome work, thank you.

👍: 1 ⏩: 0

TSofian [2016-09-14 23:52:03 +0000 UTC]

This is certainly one of the best, but then again they were all excellent!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

macphersonscircus [2015-10-16 13:11:31 +0000 UTC]

always did like your pen and ink stuff

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

colongraphics [2015-06-07 21:45:23 +0000 UTC]

One of my favorite illustrations of one of my favorite ships. Thank you for sharing it.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

TSofian [2015-02-03 22:32:09 +0000 UTC]

This is amazing! I loved the look of the Traveller Universe then and still do. The black and white drawings were far more evocative than a lot of the more colorful gaming art that has come afterwards.

Terry

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

onimoroboshi [2014-09-20 02:38:53 +0000 UTC]

Terrific!  I love this kinda stuff; done a lot of it myself (your style here is very similar to my own), mostly on Strathmore Bristol Board, using Koh-I-Noor Rapidographs.
I've not been drawing of late--well, haven't done anything for several months, in fact--but this piece makes me want to get back to the ole drawing board, so thanks for the inspiration.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

somercet [2014-07-08 11:36:43 +0000 UTC]

So classic! Thanks for sharing!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

TSofian [2014-01-19 18:08:02 +0000 UTC]

I always loved the pen and ink that went with Traveller. It was clean and evocative. The lines were simple and elegant and told the story of the Traveller Universe clearly and simply.


Terry

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Eon-Works [2013-10-24 11:24:44 +0000 UTC]

Nice work

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to Eon-Works [2013-10-24 17:24:55 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! That is a particular compliment from you. I've been a big fan of your work for a long time.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Eon-Works In reply to Thomas-Peters [2013-10-25 13:35:52 +0000 UTC]

Thanks

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

blacklion68 [2013-04-27 18:27:59 +0000 UTC]

The last thing the space pirate will ever want to see...

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Patpahootie [2013-01-31 05:51:24 +0000 UTC]

Wonderful! - Damme, I remember this illustration.

The RPG world is all the richer for you having been a part of it.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

chirurgeon [2013-01-23 14:40:05 +0000 UTC]

Loving all the old Traveller art....it was a game that sorely lacked visuals, but you made a huge impact. So many times I've heard from my players..."oh so THAT's what it looks like!"

Superb work, and glad to be able to find you here and thank you!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Sabakakrazny [2013-01-21 17:08:23 +0000 UTC]

i remeber seeing this in the day - as good now as it was then. Love the composition, and the action in this pic.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

DrOfDemonology [2012-12-17 10:47:18 +0000 UTC]

Complete and total classic, and always nice to see traditional, hand-drawn illustrations in this age of digital.

I still have my 1982 hardcover copy of Traveller from GDW, and amazingly it's still in near-mint condition. Yup, I'm that old, too

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Veruliyam [2012-10-28 23:24:28 +0000 UTC]

"Chew on this, you leech."

Awesome pen and ink!

My MegaTraveller stuff is strewn across a card table behind me. Been bashing together early space tech ships for my own vision of Traveller's history and future.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

etholmberg [2012-10-13 02:20:07 +0000 UTC]

This is Classic Traveller at its best. Please place more of your pen and ink work in your folders. What memories this brings...Mayday, Mayday....This is the Freetrader, Beowolf.....(spark,pop,sputter)....

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

maikarant [2012-05-08 17:02:09 +0000 UTC]

You worked on Traveller in the 80's...

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Urus-28 [2012-03-27 20:06:02 +0000 UTC]

This is the kind of picture that have made me dream about space adventures while reading some of the rules of rpg books ^^
Congratulations and thank you !

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Scifiwarships [2012-03-01 11:12:06 +0000 UTC]

It almost brings tears to my eyes. I grew up with images like this. Thank you for posting.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Nuclear-Fridge [2012-02-24 12:06:49 +0000 UTC]

That's a nice touch, having the nose RCS system firing to keep her in trim as the missle launches!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to Nuclear-Fridge [2012-02-26 18:43:00 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, its those little touches of story that I love to put in, when I have the time. In this case, between the missile firing, and the obvious damage the ship's all ready taken, I figured there would probably be so instability still getting trimmed out.Glad you appreciate the touch.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Nuclear-Fridge In reply to Thomas-Peters [2012-02-27 16:14:41 +0000 UTC]

"Losing main cabin pressure... This is Free Trader Beowulf, calling anyone..."

It's been a long time since I first saw that box cover blurb, but it's what sold me on Traveller.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

steve-burg [2012-02-23 17:23:20 +0000 UTC]

This is very much aligned with my own sensibilities on what a spaceship is. It's a nice drawing, and a nice design! fave

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to steve-burg [2012-02-26 18:39:38 +0000 UTC]

Thanks, Steve! That's a great compliment, coming from someone whose design sensibilities I admire so much!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Tiberius47 [2012-02-21 23:45:28 +0000 UTC]

This looks awesome!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to Tiberius47 [2012-02-22 00:35:39 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

RobCaswell [2012-02-21 20:33:30 +0000 UTC]

Your work really took ships like the Free Trader and Type S and brought them to a level of functional definition that really set them apart. It helped elevate Traveller from mindless space opera to respectable SF. You should consider revisiting this image in CG!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to RobCaswell [2012-02-22 00:35:28 +0000 UTC]

Wow. Kind of you to say, Arcass. It would be fun to do this in Lightwave--if only I can figure out that flare at the back of the scoops! It was easy to draw--much harder to model...

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Colourbrand [2012-02-21 18:48:48 +0000 UTC]

Happy days!! Probably the BEST sci-fi universe I even encountered

And a sign of a great artist!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to Colourbrand [2012-02-22 00:32:28 +0000 UTC]

YAY! I gotta agree with you there--somethin' about the 3rd Imperium setting really appealed to me.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Colourbrand In reply to Thomas-Peters [2012-02-22 08:48:04 +0000 UTC]

I know - still have the source book...and it never tires.

No one is a clear winner, no one has a clear advantage, all have a chance - the possibilities for stories are thus endless!

Superb or what?

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

timberfox15 [2012-02-21 18:28:33 +0000 UTC]

looks great. there is some thing about pen and ink that you don`t get whive computer graphics.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to timberfox15 [2012-02-22 00:31:29 +0000 UTC]

Thanks. Glad you like it. Yeah, its awfully easy to lose spontaneity when rendering, and even when painting in something like Photoshop.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AbaKon [2012-02-21 15:55:26 +0000 UTC]

WATCH OUT! That's full of SAND!

Love it. Old Traveller = Great Traveller.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to AbaKon [2012-02-22 00:29:46 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, the missiles were always a little underwhelming in Traveller...

Thanks, Kon!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

AbaKon In reply to Thomas-Peters [2012-02-22 00:36:00 +0000 UTC]

Guns, however, were serious business. If someone pulled a gun on you in Traveller, you took him seriously.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to AbaKon [2012-02-22 02:21:14 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, ya got that right! And the flak jacket wasn't much help AT ALL!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

karanua [2012-02-21 07:48:48 +0000 UTC]

Keep going through that old stuff!
To me its not that much as far as nostalgia goes as I'm still involved with a small group playing using the megatraveller ruleset that you illustrated

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to karanua [2012-02-21 20:51:31 +0000 UTC]

There are a few more on the way. Its great to know folks are still getting some use out of Mega!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

karanua In reply to Thomas-Peters [2012-02-21 21:33:42 +0000 UTC]

Some of us still use the non-illustrated original black books too

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to karanua [2012-02-22 00:38:51 +0000 UTC]

Yeah! The last campaign I ran, long after Mega, I went back to the oldschool LBB's. It ended up being one of my better efforts.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

SpareFace [2012-02-21 06:12:31 +0000 UTC]

My favorite drawing style

👍: 0 ⏩: 2

Thomas-Peters In reply to SpareFace [2012-02-21 20:49:48 +0000 UTC]

Cool! I don't do much pen and ink any more. It can allow you to put a lot of motion and energy into a piece.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

1Wyrmshadow1 In reply to SpareFace [2012-02-21 09:53:56 +0000 UTC]

What he said.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to 1Wyrmshadow1 [2012-02-21 20:50:02 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

NICELabs [2012-02-21 02:05:12 +0000 UTC]

Fantastic One of my favorite hulls was the classic free trader workhorse. Such a great pic of a great ship!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Thomas-Peters In reply to NICELabs [2012-02-21 20:47:38 +0000 UTC]

She's one of my favs, too. Actually, my very first professional Traveller illo was a Hero class. Arcass and I kind of updated and standardized the design that Bill Keith originally did.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

NICELabs In reply to Thomas-Peters [2012-02-21 21:17:25 +0000 UTC]

Yah I remember seeing the transition of the design creeping up in the publications. Old and new, such a great ship

👍: 0 ⏩: 1


| Next =>