Grand Space Opera 2D Entry: Russell Collins

#1

Russell Collins has entered the Grand Space Opera 2D.

Challenge Page

Latest Update: Coloring WIP: ummm, can you say “roadblock”?

So, I’m not exactly healthy right now after 3 liters of mountain Dew, my brain, awake though it may be, is rebelling vigorously against me by shuttering all the bright ideas I had for rich details I could add to this image. I’ve tried to see how it looks with more dramatic lighting (wherein I can skip plunking in rigorous details everywhere).

I realize that I’m not a designer of cool machinery by nature. I’m a fan of the old school chunky style for its simplicity (not in the Apple sense of the term but in the Atari sense of the term). You’ll notice toggle switches on the console right next to a holographic image (anachronistic, perhaps?). Basically, I’m a character dude, not a rigorously detailed environment dude and so I’m stuck ONCE AGAIN.

I’m hoping some of you can help me out by giving me just the prod I need to keep from losing all my mountain-dew-induced momentum.

#2

This is just me playing with the 1960’s method of coming up with alien characters for tv or movies: take somebody who looks a little different and then give them obnoxious make-up. Not sure if I’ll use it, but the thought is what is motivating much of the look of what is to come.

#3

Here is a rough concept sketch for the “main character” or protagonist of my particular Grand Space Opera (at least in concept anyway). Naturally, he’ll be a pilot and wear a sort of pilotesque costume. Here is where I might diverge slightly from my 1960’s era feel a little bit.

#4

So this is what it comes to: a Drew Struzan rip-off in progress. I feel so ashamed. Ha ha ha! Actually, the dude sets the bar so high for movie posters, I can’t really call it a rip-off unless mine looks at least half as good as his stuff. Anyhoo, I’m not sure if I will really stick to the 1960’s movie motif and make a movie poster (and then sell out to merchandizing like a certain Mr Lucas), but at least this is entertaining for me to work through as if I would. Now all I need is to take a cue from Disney and come up with a little animal side-kick and my merchandizing empire will be complete!

#5

Sorry for the lack of updates. I’m steadily trying to talk my friend Steve Snoey into entering this contest and neglecting my own work at the same time. I guess I’m a better middle-manager than artist, eh. :stuck_out_tongue: I will post new work soon though so if anyone among the crickets is looking, you’ll have more too see.

#6

yea these ideas looked cool , would want to see more !

#7

Love the idea of 1960’s look. For a suggestion for an animal, a monkey would be ideal. That tip is free of corse, but if you ever do get your “Empire,” going, dont be afriad to pass some money my way :slight_smile:

#8

Here is the newest image. I’ve tightened up some of the details and tried some ideas about how to represent things. So far, I think the biggest challenge I have left is the one I started with: what the heck is going on? I have to figure out how to convey struggle and relate the foreground figures to the background action. I have a few ideas but for now, I’m happy just getting my referenced starfield effects to look good.

#9

Maybe I should change that nebular face into a monkey’s face… “nebular monkeys”… I smell “spin-offs” and “sequels”. Unless I of course get sued by a band having the same name. :smiley:

#10

I have nothing against monkeys personally…but please don’t go there. It is looking really amazing like it is. I’d just keep fleshing out the details. Way to go!!:thumbsup:

#11

Don’t worry Robin, I’m only joking about the animal sidekick and licensing stuff. It is all part of a sort of back-handed humor about George Lucas’ excessive product licensing and Disney’s saccharine marketing behemoth. I am above temptation when it comes to that particular dark side of the force since my stuff’s not good enough :scream:

I’ll post more updates soon. For now, I’m trying to make some money off doing a cd/dvd/poster art gig for a band.

#12

thats looks top notch.

The only thing I dont like is that it looks like the guy in red is about to throw a punch. Hes pretty far away to throw a punch. Perhaps if he was holding something, or he had both hands on the sword. Other wise its looking really good.

#13

JARhead: you’re right, it would be a really long distance for a punch to be thrown. Originally, I had intended him to be holding some sort of “Spaceman Spiff” vintage blaster or something, but as you can see from the barely visible blue light on the red-suited guy’s right, there is going to be a light source where his hand is. I’m thinking of giving him some sort of “Infinity Gauntlet” kind of thing because I desperately want to try and tie the foreground action to the background more strongly. I’m also thinking of turning that green/blue moon into a fleet of space vehicles and involving them into the scene somehow.

#14

Hey, it’s looking good so far, it’ll be great to see how this progresses. I like the fact that, like a good movie poster, you’re really focusing in on the human element.

I’m steadily trying to talk my friend Steve Snoey into entering this contest and neglecting my own work at the same time. I guess I’m a better middle-manager than artist, eh. :stuck_out_tongue:

I’d say so: I don’t know how you’ve fared with your friend, but you managed to talk me into joining this thing! :slight_smile:

anyhow, best of luck, I’ll definitely stay tuned…

-mike/walrus

#15

So, I was thinking… “…the picture I’ve made so far just got uninteresting to me, maybe I should go a new direction.”

I admit I got inspired by a visit to a certain Jon Foster’s website but beyond that, this started out mostly as a random doodle. Now that I’ve gotten to liking it, I’m thinking I should use this guy as a villian of some sort; an evil, twisted robotic scientist bent on galactic conquest or something of similar cheesey-quality. As you may have guessed, I’d watch Spaceballs before Event Horizon any day.

#16

It’s an interesting direction to move in, Russell. The head feels a little too large for the body and pasted on a bit, but I’m sure with additional passes that the two will integrate more. And of course I love the multiple legs on him! Look forward to seeing how you tie this all in together!

-mike

#17

What a freaky little scientist!!! I wonder what experimental monsters he could have created… Cool sketch by the way!

#18

At this point I would read him more of a worker drone than an evil galactic scientist, so I think there are a few things you can do to push it in that direction. I think the idea is good, but he needs to be more intimidating. Maybe scaling up the body might help, and using a darker metal instead of silver. Are those his eyeballs or is he wearing goggles? I woudl suggest showing his crazy eyes somehow - capture the madness! Anwyays, this is obviously early exploration, so keep going!

/d

#19

Yeah, I wasn’t actually drawing this at the beginning with the contest in mind, but I think I can use him somehow (drone idea is a good one). I was also thinking something along the lines of that scene in Spaceballs where Colonel Sanders (pfffft! :smiley: ) comes in on Dark Helmet “playing with his dolls again” except it would be this guy playing with models of planets on a galactic chart or something. I dunno, it will happen.

#20

So I took your advice, Blackarts, and tweaked it using the robotic dudes as more “evil drone” than “evil scientist” though kept some of the same sorts of activities.

I know it is hard to tell because the smallest sketch is also the most detailed sketch, but I think this is a much better composition than the first one I tried. My note, if they help to decipher what that thumbnail says at all, starting from the word “Heroine” at the top and working down counter-clockwise are: “Green/Red Lightsource”, “Hologram Map”, “Hero at the door”, “Main Drone/Dr. Badguy”, “Possible 2nd Drone”, “View Window/Screen Throne? Lab?”, and finally the all-too-necessary “.007 Laser”.

I think this on will be a lot more fun to put together than the poster idea.