Science Fiction - Concept Art

[a_lost_packet_]

Oftentimes one is faced with a description of an alien species in Science Fiction that is either too radical to comprehend easily or simply not described well enough to form a good mental image. Usually, that's not a problem for avid SciFi readers because, quite frankly, we'll make up whatever we want and substitute bits and pieces that are missing.

But, sometimes, you really want to see what others' interpretations of a favorite author's alien children look like. It's usually possible to extrapolate from cover art. But, sometimes you have to go to the fans themselves in order to get a good idea of what others believe the author was trying to communicate when either artwork or descriptive text is not enough.

That's where I'm having a problem. There are many, many art sites online. Many even specialize in Science Fiction. But, it's extremely difficult to wade through pages of art in order to find just one that addresses a favorite alien species. I'm looking for something like a "Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials" (Great book, btw) online. That would be ideal but, I doubt there's anything dedicated solely to artist's and fan's art of little known alien science fiction species. So, with that being said...

Does anyone have any favored links (or willing to try to contribute some) that deal with artist's conceptions of science-fiction notables? It doesn't have to be author's aliens. Worlds, spaceships, etc.. are all welcome.

For instance -

Jeff Russell's Starship Dimensions - In my opinion, the premier site for comparing science fiction ships/objects in terms of scale. A real eye-opener when it comes to communicating the scale of some of our favorite science fiction constructions. Take a look at "Ringworld."

*added Sci-Fi-o-Rama - Concept Art Mostly film concept art but some literary items tossed in as well.

A request and the primary reason I'm looking for links - I'm trying to get a handle on Gregory Benford's "Mechanicals" from the "Galactic Center" series. Specifically, the "Mantis", one of the main protagonists. I'm building a 3D model of it and am then going to texture it and rig it for animation. (It's a hobby.) But... I'd like some input from other's concepts before I get too far with it. I'm finding it difficult and I'd like to be true to the story rather than just re-inventing it on my own. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[nimbus]

A relative of mine works in the CA industry. I'll ask and see what he suggests..

 

[a_lost_packet_]

A relative of mine works in the CA industry. I'll ask and see what he suggests..

Sweet! That would be most helpful. There's a lot of CA out there for movie projects and such. They're frequently bundled up for print reproduction/books/etc. But, for works of fiction that probably aren't going to see a film camera, it's scarce. Occasionally, you can run across random bits and pieces on art sites like deviantart, scifiart, etc.. But, there's gotta be a place where some artistic sci-fi fans that actually READ hang out.

 

[nimbus]

It is scarce; he has no idea. Closest he could think of was
http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/ (it's not in there)
and maybe asking at cghub. I'll ask him about it every now and then to see if he knows someone who knows, though it's a long shot.

 

[eburacum45]

I haven't seen any Benford related art (yet), Lostpacket.

Here's a nice page of Niven-related art
http://www.larryniven.org/dangerous_creatures.shtml

Here's some aliens from the Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton
http://nightsdawn.tripod.com/beings.htm

and here's some aliens from the Orion's Arm scenario, for which I am an editor and illustrator; I didn't realise we had made so many.
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/4b700fe54fb1f

 

[a_lost_packet_]

It is scarce; he has no idea. Closest he could think of was
http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/ (it's not in there)
and maybe asking at cghub. I'll ask him about it every now and then to see if he knows someone who knows, though it's a long shot.

Nice. I ran across a couple of "vintage cover art" sites for Sci-Fi magazines. I wish I had saved the links. Those were pretty cool.

I'll post over at cgsociety when I get a chance and ask there.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Here's a nice page of Niven-related art
http://www.larryniven.org/dangerous_creatures.shtml

Here's some aliens from the Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton
http://nightsdawn.tripod.com/beings.htm

and here's some aliens from the Orion's Arm scenario, for which I am an editor and illustrator; I didn't realise we had made so many.
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/4b700fe54fb1f

Very nice! I especially liked the Night's Dawn sketches. Pity they're not larger. I also stop by orionsarm every once in-a-while. It's a great concept and I really like to see imaginations being expressed so freely there. Hmm.. considering my interests, I should really join.

I haven't seen any Benford related art (yet), Lostpacket.

Well... Then there's a niche that needs to be filled. I guess I'm going to have to go through the books and catalog some descriptions for a concept piece.

 

[nimbus]

Relative suggests that you make a proposal (you're willing to do info compiling in exchange for rendition) at the conceptart.org forums. In the Jobs>Free work section. Only advises that you try and be as clear as possible.

Hope that's helpful. There's a pretty wide gamut of skill on that forum. With some luck you inspire one of the virtuosi.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Relative suggests that you make a proposal (you're willing to do info compiling in exchange for rendition) at the conceptart.org forums. In the Jobs>Free work section. Only advises that you try and be as clear as possible.

Hope that's helpful. There's a pretty wide gamut of skill on that forum. With some luck you inspire one of the virtuosi.

A really nice site! I'm going through the books, compiling descriptions and trying to get a handle on it myself so, it'll take awhile before I have an accurate enough description to try to be "true" to the story. By that time, if I don't have a good enough image in my mind for 3D work, I'll definitely look for some help there.

(PS - Thank your relative for me and congratulate them on being in a wonderful profession. I pushed hard when I was 13 to convince my parents to back me on becoming a medical illustrator.... didn't work, heh heh. Though the program people liked what they saw. Very exclusive program, dunno if I would have made it. BUT, it would have been worth trying. )

 

[nimbus]

He went thru the same. He was passionate, so all I had to do was counsel him with the cold hard facts, so I was mediator between relatives who gave him the usual pragmatic brow beating, and his wilder expectations. All skepticism died when he got hired by a big time company without even finishing half his undergraduate cycle He got the offer on a monday and was moved in to his new place a couple of states away by the weekend.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

... He got the offer on a monday and was moved in to his new place a couple of states away by the weekend.

Sweet... Dreams do come true, huh?

 

[nimbus]

Sometimes overnight, with no prior warning, after what seems like eternity getting no traction towards your goal, yep

 

[nimbus]

Any luck?

 

[yevaud]

Hope no one minds me posting one of my own, but this is something I did about 20 years ago:

Roger Dean and all of the Le Metal Hurlant artists inspired me...

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Hope no one minds me posting one of my own, but this is something I did about 20 years ago:

Roger Dean and all of the Le Metal Hurlant artists inspired me...

I like it.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Any luck?

Not luck on finding any worthy descriptions of the "Mantis" that I'm looking for. So, I decided to put some together for myself from the available evidence and a healthy dose of artistic license.

I started work on something, more of a proof of concept piece so I could collect my thoughts on it. I've done several "studies" of a figure, trying to plan out how I want to go about creating it. I think I have a fair enough handle on it to begin in earnest.

I went through some of the literature, jotting down notes on Benford's description of the alien. The thing is, it's pretty surreal, the various descriptions. They are more "impressions" than accurate attempts to explain the appearance. So, you get things like "something like a jumble of rods and spheres" and "antennae and detectors sprouting from its body" and such. So, you have to take some liberties in trying to get the right impression. I did manage to figure out the size of the thing which is "10 men stacked end to end" or some such. And, Benford's humans are a different size than modern man but, atm, I can't remember the height given in later books. I think average is 2.3 meters or some such. Not quite sure. So, that'd put it at somewhere around 70 feet, give or take.

I also worked on modeling real-life bits and pieces of insects derived from etymologist papers and drawings, trying to mimic the joints appropriately so I could translate them into a "sci-fi insect looking thing."

What I'm going for is a spindly creature yet imposing in appearance. A "mantis" motif will serve but, I intend to make it only superficially resemble a mantis. It must also be "alien" yet encompass the use of human organics as well. Human joints, IIRC, were particularly prized because of their self-repairing abilities and the exceptional lubrication available as well. So, I'm going to work those in as well. Above all, it must inspire "fear." Nothing about it can appear "cute" or comical as one may think a mantis would look like. So, some dramatic flare is necessary on some components. It's definitely a "challenge."

I'll get some screenshots together of what I've done so far.* They'd only be "proof of concept" pieces and none would be considered to even be a "beta" version worthy of inclusion in the finished work. But, I've also had somewhere around 5 other 3D projects in the works as well. I work on different ones, depending upon my mood and how burnt out I get on one particular model. The latest one I've started is a full model of the Icarus, including interior, rendered to scale using the actual blueprints used to construct the set. The Icarus was the spacecraft that appeared in the original Planet of the Apes and that Charlton Heston and gang crawled out of. AFAIK, nobody has done a model of it yet so, I elected myself to do it. I'm pretty happy with it so far.

*WIPS collage - These are just concept pieces to give me an idea of what I want to do. The head is full of separate objects that will be used for animation. After all, robots have to have some sort of ability to "express" themselves to a human observer. For instance, C3PO had no moving parts on his face but, because his body was humanoid, Anthony Daniels and the riggers that came later were able to use his body parts to relate "human" emotion. R2D2 was more difficult but, even he had ways of expressing himself with blinking lights, a turning "head" and various bits and pieces that would pop out from time to time.. So, the Mantis has to have some way for an animator to express themselves using something humans can identify with, even if they're alien. Various plates on the head will move as will the mouthparts and sensors that I'll stick on there. The "eyes" however will NOT move. They will remain "dead" as far as appearance goes to sort of convey the alien and unfeeling thoughts of the Mantis. The primitives behind the head are just to give me a feel for the "flow." The finished project won't have anything like them in the end.

The abdomen is vented on the bottom, the vents will be rigged so they can be setup to be animated as well as several access plates. The carapace covering the top will really be an "ad hoc" addition as will be many of the extras the final Mantis model has on it. The purpose there is to convey the "scavenger" theme that Benford runs through many novels where the "very intellgent" AIs augment themselves where they deem it necessary. So, there will be obvious "scavenged parts" visible on the final Mantis model. I included one, a sensor, on the head. Dunno if you will be able to make it out but it's obviously an addition not originally intended as the style is completely different and the armor plating is "cut away" to accommodate it. (Yeah, I'm overthinking it but, I overthink everything anway... )

Note: I realize it doesn't look like much. But, it's nowhere near what the finished model will be. It represents several hours of work just trying to get a rough feel for what I want to do. Many different pieces are "reminders" for me when I start the real model.

 

[yevaud]

Hope no one minds me posting one of my own, but this is something I did about 20 years ago:

Roger Dean and all of the Le Metal Hurlant artists inspired me...

I like it.

I used to do these kind of artworks all of the time. I'm trying to rediscover the "Fire" that had me doing so.

(I had quite the portfolio, but most got destroyed in an accident. You can see the water damage on the one I posted.)

 

[a_lost_packet_]

(I had quite the portfolio, but most got destroyed in an accident. You can see the water damage on the one I posted.)

Actually, the water damage makes it stand out even more. It has that "Bayeux Tapestry" type of appeal! Seriously.

I ended up throwing away all my art or either giving it away to people. I did a lot of painting as well and ended up donating it to a bunch of different people when I graduated high school. I would sometimes display pieces in my locker, when they would fit, and since I was cleaning it out at the end.. oh well. I kept a sketchbook, somewhere around here, I used to work with in college. It was mostly "studies" of interesting shapes and such. I had a pretty extensive collection of bones, organs and studies of various animal and human anatomy that got me interested in medical illustration. But, oh well...

So far, 3D is proving to be inspirational. BUT, I have a terrible habit of not finishing a project before moving to the next. So, I have literally "gigs" of 3D material that is half-finished.. /grrrrr