Cyfa's art challenges and other bits & bobs
- Thread starter Cyfa
- Start date
This months art challenge is set, and it's another good one: "Let's see your OC!"
I've got a few ideas and sketches that I've been sitting on for a little while now, waiting for an opportunity (and the time) to make something of them, and the November Art Challenge is that opportunity. I'm going to work on my Gallamite design and attempt to come up with a crewmember for either a Starfleet ship or a private fleet vessel. This is the very rough sketch:
This is a Gallamite seated at a glass table - As I mentioned back in April here, it's inspired by the Alien xenomorph with some icthyoid tendencies (barreleye & toadfish), and has two pairs of upper limbs (the smaller, lower pair are crossed and resting on the tabletop), a pair of lower limbs, and some sort of tail. Although, I'm now leaning more towards an Alien-Beluga whale concept - mainly for the lovely Beluga smile, its whiter-shade-of-pale colouring, and smooth physical features. If this becomes a Starfleet officer, I'm envisaging it to be a cetacean liaison officer or navigation specialist in Cetacean Ops aboard a Galaxy-class starship.
I've got a few ideas and sketches that I've been sitting on for a little while now, waiting for an opportunity (and the time) to make something of them, and the November Art Challenge is that opportunity. I'm going to work on my Gallamite design and attempt to come up with a crewmember for either a Starfleet ship or a private fleet vessel. This is the very rough sketch:
This is a Gallamite seated at a glass table - As I mentioned back in April here, it's inspired by the Alien xenomorph with some icthyoid tendencies (barreleye & toadfish), and has two pairs of upper limbs (the smaller, lower pair are crossed and resting on the tabletop), a pair of lower limbs, and some sort of tail. Although, I'm now leaning more towards an Alien-Beluga whale concept - mainly for the lovely Beluga smile, its whiter-shade-of-pale colouring, and smooth physical features. If this becomes a Starfleet officer, I'm envisaging it to be a cetacean liaison officer or navigation specialist in Cetacean Ops aboard a Galaxy-class starship.
I've only managed a few quick sketches of my (Alien xenomorph-Beluga whale) Gallamite so far:
I think he's looking a little too Beluga-friendly here with the exception of the far right "mouth-open" sketch. Also, I'm not going to give him an elongated head/crest (top left) as I think it would just get in the way. As would those ridiculous circular shoulder-pad thingies that the xenomorphs have. But he's keeping the middle pair of smaller (vestigial?) limbs that the Alien Queen has.
I think he's looking a little too Beluga-friendly here with the exception of the far right "mouth-open" sketch. Also, I'm not going to give him an elongated head/crest (top left) as I think it would just get in the way. As would those ridiculous circular shoulder-pad thingies that the xenomorphs have. But he's keeping the middle pair of smaller (vestigial?) limbs that the Alien Queen has.
I haven't kept up on this thread as well as I would have liked, but I really like these redesigns, both by you and @ScribbleAfter a little while away from Trek BBS, I am absolutely elated to be able to share @Scribble 's interpretations of my somewhat ropey alternate take on the TOS Movie Era rank insignia! Scribble's done a fantastic job of turning my pen and ink (unfinished) musings into beautiful models that I think are utterly realistic.
First up, my rather slapdash approach to the insignia (earlier versions can be seen on page two of this thread). The first column on the left were sketches from years ago, while those in the middle on the brown wrapping paper are from the last year or so, and those on the right (ignore the travesty that is the captain rank insignia at the top) are from a few months back:
And this is Scribble's stunning work:
You can see more variations in Scribble's scribbles art thread (from page 4 onwards), plus incredible models and renderings of Robert Fletchers original movie-era rank insignia..
Thank you for sharing. I wonder if I can find a way to put them on a uniform...
- Thank you, @Michael - This Gallamite is a really nice guy, and super-adorable, but my sketches have made him look too cute, I think. So, I did this:Looks kinda cuddly.I like it!
Here he is looming up from the depths of Cetacean Ops to scare a couple of the Takaya's Whales who work there (he loves to frighten those silly whales
)- Find time. Your work is always brilliant. FIND TIME!!!
- Thanks @fireproof78 . If @Scribble 's plans come to fruition, there should be 3D printed versions in the near future!
- It is indeed. And we wouldn't do without it.
- Thank you, @Michael - This Gallamite is a really nice guy, and super-adorable, but my sketches have made him look too cute, I think. So, I did this:
Here he is looming up from the depths of Cetacean Ops to scare a couple of the Takaya's Whales who work there (he loves to frighten those silly whales
Awesome! Love the tidbit, too!
Thus far, characters are beyond me. I'm impressed.
I had originally asked Cyfa if I could offer 3d prints of my digital models of his ranks on Shapeways, but things have changed since and took a MAJOR turn last night (in my mind, for the better), and I should be able to offer these in metal fairly soon. There will be two options: the first will be white metal and the second will be Argentium Silver (better, brighter, and slower to tarnish than Sterling Silver) frames with brass bars.
It had been planned for a very long time, but I suddenly found myself living alone, so I have the run of the house and I can finally clear some space for my printers and casting gear.
I look forward to having money that I might be able to appreciate them in real life
Now that is just awesome! I love that you're doing this on black. Very fitting for an underwater creature. Looking forward to how this will go from here.- Thank you, @Michael - This Gallamite is a really nice guy, and super-adorable, but my sketches have made him look too cute, I think. So, I did this:
Here he is looming up from the depths of Cetacean Ops to scare a couple of the Takaya's Whales who work there (he loves to frighten those silly whales
Thank you! You are a great motivator!
- Thanks! I think the whale frightening gives him an air of mischief and playfulness, as well as an awareness/acceptance of his not-always-adorable visage!Awesome! Love the tidbit, too!
- I know. I keep waiting for that big Premium Bond win, or massive pay rise but, inexplicably, they don't happen. Most peculiar...I look forward to having money that I might be able to appreciate them in real life
- That was supposed to be a rough draft, but it will probably end up being part of my entry as it turned out better than I expected (even though it's not as good as I would have liked a final piece to be). I'd better get on with finishing it off!Now that is just awesome! I love that you're doing this on black. Very fitting for an underwater creature. Looking forward to how this will go from here.
One of these two will almost certainly be my entry for this month's Art Challenge:
This first one was a hasty slap-together but isn't immediately obvious as Star Trek. However, it's got a bigger image than the second, and more information.
This one was also rather hasty, but at least it has a bit of a Star Trek aesthetic going on. Unfortunately, I had to shrink my drawing of Svjolweir to fit it in a pre-existing LCARS template I'd made. Unless, by some miracle, I don't have to go to work tomorrow and can work on a bigger LCARS template, I think this one will be my entry?
This first one was a hasty slap-together but isn't immediately obvious as Star Trek. However, it's got a bigger image than the second, and more information.
This one was also rather hasty, but at least it has a bit of a Star Trek aesthetic going on. Unfortunately, I had to shrink my drawing of Svjolweir to fit it in a pre-existing LCARS template I'd made. Unless, by some miracle, I don't have to go to work tomorrow and can work on a bigger LCARS template, I think this one will be my entry?
I both like and am terrified by it. So, I say that's a good thing
Thanks @fireproof78 ! Svjolweir will be pleased to hear that.
P.S. His little mouth is more interested in fish than eating people from other planets...
P.S. His little mouth is more interested in fish than eating people from other planets...
Oh dear, despite not starting work on this month's art challenge until this morning, I thought I'd have plenty of time to finish something unfinished. I didn't reckon on The Invasion of The Time Snatchers (AKA my nieces) not fifteen minutes after I'd sat down to get to work...
Still, I've managed to pick something from the jumble of years-old sketches below, and have started some colouring in!
Still, I've managed to pick something from the jumble of years-old sketches below, and have started some colouring in!
Priorities, man, priorities.
- Yeah, I know, I know... Star Trek is All. My sister's urchin children shouldn't get a look in this close to the deadline of the monthly art challenge!
- And that's not even the half of it! I've got two box files full of sketches and drawings and half realised designs going back to the late 90s, and the select few pictured up there came out of the first quarter of one file! I also found a few bits and pieces (the sketch pad in which that nautilus starship features) in one of my old art school folders. The urge to procrastinate and sift through every single scrap of paper in those files and folders was (and still is) almost overwhelming!
So, I've managed to get something done this morning:
This is the original sketch from many, many years ago (although, those antlers weren't on the original - I think I added those a couple of years ago along with defining some of the lines, ranks, commbadges etc.)
And this is a hastily re-sketched and coloured version (some of the names will change for the final version)
This is the original sketch from many, many years ago (although, those antlers weren't on the original - I think I added those a couple of years ago along with defining some of the lines, ranks, commbadges etc.)
And this is a hastily re-sketched and coloured version (some of the names will change for the final version)
Here's the next stage:
As you can see, I've changed the name of the ship from Straxus (named after the cool, but evil, axe-wielding Decepticon commander of Polyhex), to Rosecrypt (named after a communications encryption invented by Uhura in the novel The Pandora Principle). The uniforms are redesigns of those 80s-looking civilian/science outfits featured in TNG: "Time's Arrow" and "Realm of Fear".
As for their lack of humanoid faces: don't worry, I haven't gone all Charlie X on them - I'm just hopeless at faces, so I didn't even attempt them!
As you can see, I've changed the name of the ship from Straxus (named after the cool, but evil, axe-wielding Decepticon commander of Polyhex), to Rosecrypt (named after a communications encryption invented by Uhura in the novel The Pandora Principle). The uniforms are redesigns of those 80s-looking civilian/science outfits featured in TNG: "Time's Arrow" and "Realm of Fear".
As for their lack of humanoid faces: don't worry, I haven't gone all Charlie X on them - I'm just hopeless at faces, so I didn't even attempt them!
Color me intrigued.
