Uplift Universe - Image Entry: Aleksander (Olek) Novak-Zemplinski

#1

Aleksander (Olek) Novak-Zemplinski is entered in the “Uplift Universe Challenge” update: View Challenge Page

Latest Update: Concept / pre-visualization: bubbacup sketches 2

#2

I have to admit I was a little skeptical when hearing about the “dolphins and chimps in space”. it seemed a little silly. Yet, shedding my prejudices I started reading Sundiver as I did want to do something for this competition. I was very pleasantly surprised - the book is fantastic! - imaginative, intelligent and well put together.
Besides the clever setup with all the ancient races of the universe with their intricate relaitonships, the subject of the sun is extremely fascinating both scientifically and visually. If Sundiver is this good and actually only the following books got so much attention and so many awards - I can’t wait to read them too. Unfortunately I won’t be able to do it before the end of this competition.
Still, Sundiver has enough already to trigger imagination of any concept artist.
I am a great admirer of the Sunship idea too - so formally simple - brilliant concept for some very effective imagery and/or cinematography.

I have chosen one of the scenes taking place aboard the ship during one of the “sun dives”. The violent Sun landscape creates a powerful backdrop for an incident involving almost all of the important charachters: humans: Jacob Demwa, captain Helen deSilva, doctor Mildred Martine, crew, and the aliens: Kant Fagin, Pil Bubbacup, Pring Culla.
The scene I am going to illustrate in the end is the moment when the anthropomorphic sun ghost appears showing threatening gestures at the passengers of Sundiver. The sunghost is actually a visual mystification created by Culla. I want to show all the characters together sharing the bizarre and potentially dangerous event.

Here I’m starting with the mood, color, backdrop studies. The first image is a combination of reference photographs of the Sun from NASA. Then I will add studies of the main characters and follow with options for the final compositions.

#3

one of sun studies for the Sundiver illustrarion.

#4

another Sun study for the scene from Sundiver.

#5

another Sun study for the scene from Sundiver.

#6

another Sun study for the scene from Sundiver.

#7

Very nice work man…

#8

Just visualizing the interior of the sun was motivation enough for me, but the sundiver and the alien lifeforms add a lot of spice to it.

Your drawings are powerful. Really impressive, showing all that energy at work!

Excited about seeing your wip.

#9

it’s pretty late but I’m not discouraged.
finally I can work on this challenge again.
These are the first sketches of the Pring Culla alien. They are loose for now as I want to quickly cover all the characters.
I am using a colored background to maintain the Sun’s inferno mood of the final piece.

#10

it’s pretty late but I’m not discouraged.
finally I can work on this challenge again.
These are the first sketches of the Pring Culla alien. They are loose for now as I want to quickly cover all the characters.
I am using a colored background to maintain the Sun’s inferno mood of the final piece.

#11

it’s pretty late but I’m not discouraged.
finally I can work on this challenge again.
These are the first sketches of the Pring Culla alien. They are loose for now as I want to quickly cover all the characters.
I am using a colored background to maintain the Sun’s inferno mood of the final piece.

#12

this is bubbacup - member of Pila.
It is supposed to look like angry 4-foot teddy bear. I’m not sure if this is what I’m going to use in the final image but had to get it out of the system.

#13

closeup of the bubbacup’s psi helmet and speech apparatus called vodor…

#14

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