Another great project MadMan. I always look forward to your ships.
Jetfreak's Alternate Universe Excelsior...
- Thread starter MadMan1701A
- Start date
Thanks, guys. 
Sojourner, that saucer is just a placeholder... when I get back up there, I'm going to deviate from the drawings quite a bit, though, because I don't like that square detail he's got going on, there.
I think I'm going to stick with these nacelles, though... they're very similar to what he's showing in his "doodle" image, and they're fairly close to what's in the prints, anyway.
More later.
Sojourner, that saucer is just a placeholder... when I get back up there, I'm going to deviate from the drawings quite a bit, though, because I don't like that square detail he's got going on, there.
I think I'm going to stick with these nacelles, though... they're very similar to what he's showing in his "doodle" image, and they're fairly close to what's in the prints, anyway.
More later.
I know what you mean, but please don't lose the general style of the saucer superstructure. It's part of Excelsior's character (like the curved deflector area and the deep cut-out).
[edit]
Don't know if you want to continue other subtle traits of the original, but if you look at the aft view photos of the original model that area isn't completely flat. Here's a more exaggerated example of the shape.
[/edit]
[edit]
Don't know if you want to continue other subtle traits of the original, but if you look at the aft view photos of the original model that area isn't completely flat. Here's a more exaggerated example of the shape.
[/edit]
Wow. I always enjoy seeing you interpret sketches like these (*really* nice work from Jetfreak, BTW, guess I need to browse Deviant Art more often).
Reminds me of old ILM work, comparing a Johnston or McQuarrie "napkin sketch" of something, then being blown away with the final filming miniature.
Anyway, great work as always, love that engineering hull, looking forward to more.
).Reminds me of old ILM work, comparing a Johnston or McQuarrie "napkin sketch" of something, then being blown away with the final filming miniature.
Anyway, great work as always, love that engineering hull, looking forward to more.
Yeah, I know where you're coming from. I'm definitely going to keep the basic look, but that area is definitely going to be curvier than the original.
Wow. I always enjoy seeing you interpret sketches like these (*really* nice work from Jetfreak, BTW, guess I need to browse Deviant Art more often
Reminds me of old ILM work, comparing a Johnston or McQuarrie "napkin sketch" of something, then being blown away with the final filming miniature.
Anyway, great work as always, love that engineering hull, looking forward to more.
Yeah, he did a fantastic job.
More later.
Got to do a little more on this today...
It's coming along, for sure. I think I need to have something going on in the front of the neck, though.. it's coming across as kind of featureless, when it shouldn't be.
Anyway, I'm going to move on to laying out the saucer section next.....
It's coming along, for sure.
I think I need to have something going on in the front of the neck, though.. it's coming across as kind of featureless, when it shouldn't be.Anyway, I'm going to move on to laying out the saucer section next.....
I Like the way its going, but i do agree that the neck needs to be a little beefier.
I'd like to see a re-design of the nacelles though, they'd look a lot better if the whole nacelle was more cylindrical like the designs. They look to long to have the funnel feel like the JJPrise's.
Don't hate me bro
I'd like to see a re-design of the nacelles though, they'd look a lot better if the whole nacelle was more cylindrical like the designs. They look to long to have the funnel feel like the JJPrise's.
Don't hate me bro
Comin' along, but ya, steroid the neck up a bit.
Hmm... That neck it pretty wide.
It does taper towards the front, though, keeping in contour with the hull, and making room for that ridge thing at the top of the secondary hull.
I'm not sure why no one likes the nacelles here... the ones on the original drawings (especially the "doodle") look A LOT like the STXI Enterprise's anyway... I was playing with the idea of making them red/orange on Excelsior, though.
More later on...
It does taper towards the front, though, keeping in contour with the hull, and making room for that ridge thing at the top of the secondary hull.
I'm not sure why no one likes the nacelles here... the ones on the original drawings (especially the "doodle") look A LOT like the STXI Enterprise's anyway... I was playing with the idea of making them red/orange on Excelsior, though.
More later on...
The nacelles just look TOO much like the Ent's. The nacelles on the original Excelsior looked NOTHING like the nacelles on the Enterprise, so even though this is the Alternate Universe version of the ship, you still need to keep that in mind.
As for the neck, yeah, it's that width in the front that really defines the Excelsior. It doesn't have nice smooth lines. Excelsior is bulky. I think the neck would look more Excelsior-like if it had a more round, convex shape in the front.
As for the neck, yeah, it's that width in the front that really defines the Excelsior. It doesn't have nice smooth lines. Excelsior is bulky. I think the neck would look more Excelsior-like if it had a more round, convex shape in the front.
Man, I'm getting torn up today.
It's still a good-looking ship. It just doesn't really evoke "Excelsior" yet. Even though it's an alternate universe, the Excelsior has some very defined characteristics. A fat, stubby neck is one of those features. The Excelsior also has very long, stretched out nacelles. They are the same size in the front as they are in the back. You need to adhere to those characteristics, otherwise you're not designing the Excelsior. You're just making your own ship.
The Alt Enterprise has some extreme cosmetic changes, but it still looks like the Enterprise.
Well, there are some that say the new Enterprise doesn't look like the Enterprise at all. 
Yeah, I see where the neck thing is coming from... I think if I round it off at the front, that'll help a lot with the "wideness" effect. In the original sketch of the front of the ship, Jetfreak did have some heavy lines there, which I interpreted as the sharp corners...
Yeah, I see where the neck thing is coming from... I think if I round it off at the front, that'll help a lot with the "wideness" effect. In the original sketch of the front of the ship, Jetfreak did have some heavy lines there, which I interpreted as the sharp corners...
Man, I'm getting torn up today.
Well to be fair, I'm really having a hard time equating "Excelsior" with this design... it really just looks like an enlarged and elongated Enterprise, with no real Excelsior design elements linking it to that ship... the deflector and "rocket fin" area behind the bridge just look like they were shoehorned into the Enterprise design, and not like they are parts of an overall original design. I'm sorry, but that's just how I see this ship... it's an overgrown and stretched-out Enterprise, and not an Excelsior, lol.
Another thing I'm noticing:
The way the back of the neck extends all the way to the aft of the secondary hull also takes away from the Excelsior aesthetic. The secondary hull of the Excelsior always reminded of a boat, with the round "underwater" part on the bottom and the top very flat.
I know you're trying to base your design off of that drawing that you posted earlier, but in my opinion, it could use some tweaking.
The way the back of the neck extends all the way to the aft of the secondary hull also takes away from the Excelsior aesthetic. The secondary hull of the Excelsior always reminded of a boat, with the round "underwater" part on the bottom and the top very flat.
I know you're trying to base your design off of that drawing that you posted earlier, but in my opinion, it could use some tweaking.
Well, you work is always stellar (pun intended) and although I do like this design as a alternate universe Starship I too am having difficulty seeing some Excelsior elements in it. First of all the nacelles are straight from JJ's Enterprise and the original Excelsior had nacelles that were different from the original enterprise. I liked hooded nacelles but if you could change them up a bit to look more like hooded nacelles of the Excelsior class then I think you'll be closer to your goal.Man, I'm getting torn up today.
That front view shows the neck width better - forget the steroid comment mate.
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