Steampunk Myths and Legends Entry: Christopher Miscik

#1

Christopher Miscik is entered in the “Steampunk Myths and Legends” update: View Challenge Page

Latest Update: Concept / pre-visualization: Odysseus - sketch02

#2

Hey everyone! This challenge is going to be awesome! Steampunk and mythology are two of my favorite subjects, so I’d probably be drawing something like this anyways, regardless of the competition. Some of the CG Talk competitions can be a bit daunting with their blue sky restrictions, so it’s nice to see something a bit more honed in.

First off, let me just say that there is some damn steep competition! Some of you guys can model so many awesome details! Pipes and gears and valves and little flourishes and all the cool little details that make steampunk so much fun! It’s going to be hard to compete with such crazy stuff!

So after entering, and not having enough time to finish, several competitions, i finally decided to pick an idea relatively soon and just run with it. It’s easy for me to spend weeks on coming up with the back story and doing research and writing ideas and all this other crap that’s, in the end, dodging the actual drawing part.

Immediately after hearing about the subject matter i decided to go with one of the first ideas that popped into my head, something familiar, yet something that hasn’t been done before in this light: The great hero Odysseus and his confrontation with the giant cyclops, Polyphemus. After gathering some reference and brainstorming a bit, I came up with a quick sketch.

The basic plot of the illustration (loosely based on The Odyssey), is that Odysseus and his men have been lost at sea for several years now. Rather than being sailors, I’ve instead made them into deep sea divers. And instead of coming across a cave on an island, they have instead discovered an underwater cave. Fresh air comes in from several holes to the surface or perhaps pipes, I’m not completely sure yet.

Instead of Polyphemus being a sheep herder, I’ve instead made him into a scavenger/hunter who lurks around on the ocean floor, collecting bits of sunken ships and cities, and feasting on whales and giant squid. Part of the idea for this more underwater vibe came from the mythology that Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon and a water nymph. It seems like a no brainer to make something with parents like that into a sea monster (WTF Homer!?).

The original cyclops were great black smiths (or in my version, inventors). The second generation (which Polyphemus falls under) have lost these talents, and instead live a much simpler life style. Because of this, I thought it would be interesting to give Polyphemus some sort of jealousy or residual memory of his more inventive ancestors. He’s not skilled enough to create things from scratch, but he can build things using pre-existing parts. Not to mention that I’ve always been a huge fan of Assemblage art and take any chance I can get to work it into my illustrations :wink:

So in short, the basic vibe could be summed up as ?20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?, meets ?The Odyssey?.

Hope that all makes sense. Let me know what you think!

#3

vey cool miscik. i like the cyclop idea with that helmet.:thumbsup:

#4

Really nice drawing!

#5

nice composition and character design… cant wait to see more

#6

Nice myth, and really nice setting and palette so far! Still some perspective issues to work out: The guy on the fart left doesn’t quite read as lots further away from the next closest guy: Look at the 2 of them together and the far left one looks like a mini-version. But hey, it’s looking really nice for a first pass. There are some great references around the net of old-fashioned diving helmets and suits that I bet would be really useful for your piece. Good luck with it! :thumbsup:

#7

now that i have a sketch of the basic vibe, I’m going to start refining the individual elements, starting with the star himself.

I’m not sure if this is totally the way i want to go with him, but i would like to work more machine elements into his design. otherwise he’s kinda just a big monster wearing a bunch of junk, and that’s not really steampunk.

thanks for the feedback everyone!

walrus: i can totally see what you are talking about. it’s glaringly obvious now, almost to the point where i can’t see anything else. why was i so blind! damn these frail eyes!!

fortunately, that was just a basic sketch to get the mood, setting, and characters across. i will be doing a much tighter more worked out drawing for the final image (probably incorporating some basic 3d as well).

thanks for pointing that out.

#8

Great sketches. Though I’m not a fan of the new robotic arm. I think it should remain organic as in the original sketch. Just My Opinion.:thumbsup:

#9

Just plugging away at the designs for me cyclops. I’m leaning away from giving him a robot arm, so I’ve designed this leg instead.

this represents the basic version fresh off the assembly line (or in his case, fresh out of Poseidon’s workshop). I’m then going to swap parts out with things that he’s picked up on the ocean floor and add bits of spartan inspired armor as well.

so from his waist down he will be all steam and clockwork. his chest, head and arms will all be organic (with metal bits and junk to tie it all together).

tune in next time for a sketch of Odysseus.

this has been really fun to work on! i can’t wait to start putting it all together!

#10

Great concept sketch and detail on the leg!

#11

plugging away at the other elements of the image with more quick sketches.

I’m trying to go for a spartan meets diving suit look, with a bit of Victorian general thrown in. it’s going to be a delicate balance, but i think i can pull it off.

thanks for the feedback peeps!

#12

This looks really good. I’m looking foreword to your next wip.

#13

Another take on Odysseus.

I wasn’t totally happy with the last one, so i decided to sketch a few more. The last one was lacking some oomph, so i added some plating to give him more of a deep sea diving suit/Spartan feel.

After researching Spartans a bit more, I found out that the kings (such as Leonidas) had sideways crests and the lower level Spartans would have the regular Mohawk looking crest.

only a few more things left to design, and then i can start putting it all together!

#14

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