Michael’s Art Challenge Thread
- Thread starter Michael
- Start date
Probably an old hat for many here, but I just learned of the existence of a free little program called MagicaVoxel. It's a voxel (3D pixel) editor with a neat rendering engine and it seems pretty easy to learn. For a first try the results look kind of nice …
EDIT: And another angle …
EDIT: And another angle …
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That looks like quite a fun and easy (relatively) program to play around with. I hope you'll show us more of your models when/if you continue using it? (I'm kind of tempted to have a go, but all the technical installation stuff has put me off - I'm gazing at my nice, friendly pencil crayons as I type this 
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Gladly. This is just too much fun. I'm already thinking abouth a ton of other stuff I'd like to model.
On OS X the installation was really a non-issue. Not sure how it compares to setting it up under Windows, though. The program itself seems super easy to me. And I say that as someone with no background in 3D modeling, only what I know about 2D pixel images in Photoshop.(I'm kind of tempted to have a go, but all the technical installation stuff has put me off - I'm gazing at my nice, friendly pencil crayons as I type this
Here's my version of the Tricorder …
Here's what I'm working on for this month's Art Challenge: the USS Malala, a Starfleet Medical hospital ship. Conceptually it's based on the idea of finding a primary hull form between a flat saucer and a complete Daedalus sphere. It's practically two Oberth saucers stuck together. 
Since I'm no good at actual 3D modelling, I'm realizing this in Illustrator. Here's where I'm at right now. I plan to add much more detail to it and refine some of the forms. But this is more or less what it will look like.
Any feedback?
Since I'm no good at actual 3D modelling, I'm realizing this in Illustrator. Here's where I'm at right now. I plan to add much more detail to it and refine some of the forms. But this is more or less what it will look like.
Any feedback?
Here what I'm working on for this month's Art Challenge: the USS Malala, a Starfleet Medical hospital ship. Conceptually it's based on the idea of finding a primary hull form between a flat saucer and a complete Daedalus sphere. It's practically two Oberth saucers stuck together.
Since I'm no good at actual 3D modelling, I'm realizing this in Illustrator. Here's where I'm at right now. I plan to add much more detail to it and refine some of the forms. But this is more or less what it will look like.
Any feedback?
Great concept! Your description of two Oberth hulls stuck together is great! I particularly love her name.
Interesting shape to the scallop on the secondary hull.
Much like you, I am far more apt to enjoy the process of making movies than watching the finished product. Whether that is watching BTS documentaries, viewing production images, or actually working on set or location.
Here what I'm working on for this month's Art Challenge: the USS Malala, a Starfleet Medical hospital ship. Conceptually it's based on the idea of finding a primary hull form between a flat saucer and a complete Daedalus sphere. It's practically two Oberth saucers stuck together.
Since I'm no good at actual 3D modelling, I'm realizing this in Illustrator. Here's where I'm at right now. I plan to add much more detail to it and refine some of the forms. But this is more or less what it will look like.
Any feedback?
Fist, I love the design, the idea and the drawing is gorgeous.
Second, the fact you did this in Illustrator makes me want to cry. It looks 3D. My Illustrator skills are not at this level. I'd love to see how you created this piece step-by-step.
The sketches are cool - especially the two more finished, angled views. They remind me of the AMT 30th anniversary posters.
There are so many great little design finishes/flourishes, but I particularly like the open-at-the-front-and-side nacelle caps and the hollow (?) deflector dish.
There are so many great little design finishes/flourishes, but I particularly like the open-at-the-front-and-side nacelle caps and the hollow (?) deflector dish.
First thing that popped in to my head after reading this:It's the U.S.S. Hamburg, er...
Please, Michael, don't ban me. It was intended only as friendly jest.
Thank you for the kind words, everyone! This helps me get going with this piece.
As for the deflector, I purposely chose a perspective where I wouldn't have to nail down the deflector. There are so many different directions to go with this and I'm not sure I would find something that I would like to stick with.
At this point I'm tempted to agree with you: the Illustrator version doesn't quite capture what I was able to hint at in the sketches. I hope this will change once I find the time to add more surface details to the ship.
Thank you! I, too, think Malala makes for a great ship name.
You guys hungry or what?It's the U.S.S. Hamburg, er...
Thanks for that, @Shawnster! It's all learning by doing for me. I don't really have a patented method for this. I'm more or less mimicking stuff I've seen on YouTube. I will say, though, that I regret not screencapturing the progress of this.
Always love that poster and the Star Trek cutaway posters in general. Seeing the Malala as a cutaway would be cool, but I doubt I would be finished before October 2019.
Thank you, @Cyfa! The nacelles are something I liked much more when I sketched them out. But seeing them now they don't quite work for me yet. Maybe they should be round/cylindric like I originally envisioned?
As for the deflector, I purposely chose a perspective where I wouldn't have to nail down the deflector. There are so many different directions to go with this and I'm not sure I would find something that I would like to stick with.
I won't. For now.
Thank you!Still a Real beauty
Great overall shape on her.
Those three are exactly the ships I'm using as inspiration. Plus maybe the Pasteur. And the Defiant.I quite like the shape, has elements of a lot of other ships, I see some Excelsior in it, some Oberth some Daedalus.
Another update on the Malala: Re-did much of the secondary hull and toyed around with some “post-preocessing” effects. Still don't like the nacelles, so will probably change them at some point. I hope I'll be able to finish this before the end of the contest deadline.
