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Early NX-01 Concept Art:

Praxius

Praxius

Fleet Captain
Fleet Captain
Dunno how official any of this is, but if anybody else has some early concept artwork to share, I'd be interested:

http://johneaves.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/the-early-nx-01/

http://johneaves.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/11.jpg?w=665&h=394

http://johneaves.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/nx-01.jpg?w=665&h=446

When Enterprise was starting up the first and foremost top of the list was the new ship, and orders were to try everything under the sun and don’t go for the obvious.

Doug Drexler was seriously stuck over at Foundation Imaging and he was pining to come over and start on day one.

It was a big show and for a month or so it was void of it’s greatest designer. My boss Herman Zimmerman gave me both the NX and the Sulibon vessels as a starting point. He had found a shape he liked in one of Syd Meads many books and thus had me translate the shape into a starship thus is the first image.

I was so glad that after he saw it on paper he changed his mind and we started to pursue a more traditional starship look. Many many versions came and went and all were getting the boot with little to no direction on what they wanted to see from the producers end.

By now time was getting critical and the Sulibon stuff was falling behind as well. On the side Doug had started to also work on Enterprise concepts and his work was very impressive and filling the voids of time and history with great ease.

I think being away from the heavy pressure at the art department was a blessing for what he was doing. Sadly none of his beauties were getting anywhere either. the next sketch was the last that I had drawn together with Herman, and it was a fun piece just to for concept sake. Doug was now free and starting on the lot so our duties split thankfully.

Doug had a huge nightmare to work thru but I’ll let him tell you that story!!! and the Sulibon was also full of horror and gnashing of teeth. but the art department family was back together again and there was no better place to be.
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Anything else out there?

I know there's a bunch out there for the various 1701's, Voyager and Defiant, but there doesn't seem to be much for the NX-01.
 
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I don't care much for the top one. It looks like a whale with warp nacelles.

The bottom one is interesting, very close to the original E.

I still wish they hadn't forced the designers to modify an Akira (i think) design for the hero ship. Call me weird, but I was expecting a modified Daedalus class with the sphere up front instead of the saucer.
 
I seem to recall prior to Enterprise's official announcement of seeing an AkiraISH design in a Nebula, except it looked like it was made out of TOS connie parts. I haven't seen it since before the premiere, and always thought it was an officialish image because it looked quite polished for fan art at the time. Does anyone know what im talking about, or am I insane? :p
 
Dac said:
I seem to recall prior to Enterprise's official announcement of seeing an AkiraISH design in a Nebula, except it looked like it was made out of TOS connie parts. I haven't seen it since before the premiere, and always thought it was an officialish image because it looked quite polished for fan art at the time. Does anyone know what im talking about, or am I insane? :p
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No, I remember that pic too. However, I recall that it was simply a full Akira-class ship with its nacelles replaced with TOS-style ones and a slightly simpler hull design. I think it was just some fan-made thing that came out after the official ENTERPRISE patch was revealed showing the top-view silhouette of the NX-01.

NCC-1701 said:
Oh wow, I hadn't seen those! Where're they from?
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IIRC, they were pics from the side of a model box (what the model was I don't remember). I think Drexler stated that those designs were just starting points and were never realistically considered for the actual ship. Drexler's and Eaves's blogs have more ENT concept art if you're interested.
 
Check this out:

stacadent5526547.jpg


Kinda looks like NX-01, doesn't it?
 
The top one seems to have the warp nacelles of a Vor'cha class Klingon attack cruiser. The second one looks like a rejected nuTrek concept.
I'm really glad we got the NX-01 design we did! I think it looks great.

Also NX-ish: FASA's old roleplaying game from way back in the 70's had the Loknar-class ship, which was pretty much an NX class ship made of TOS components (pics at Memory Beta. I can't do a link 'coz I'm on my phone at the mo).
 
If starship form were dictated by function, then I'd be fine with NX-01 concepts like the second one in the original post. But we know that this isn't true - starships can come in any shape, and often do.

Early submarines look at least roughly similar to modern ones because there function does dictate form. Even some of the earliest aircraft share some similarities with modern ones, although most do not. But it would be sheer lack of imagination if NX-01 were to be of the same general shape as NCC-1701!

Two nacelles plus a saucer... Okay if a bit unimaginative, because we know that saucers aren't the only way to go and nacelle numbers may vary. Two nacelles, a saucer plus a secondary hull cigar? That's beyond silly. A new show, with a desire to create a distinct visual look, shouldn't imitate previous shows to such a ridiculous degree. It's too bad that some of the "lettered" Enterprises looked so much like each other...

Timo Saloniemi
 
Mach5 said:
I can read too, thank you...
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I wasn't implying that you couldn't.

That can only be true if the designers of NX-01 never saw that artwork before they developed their own concept.
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Whether Doug Drexler saw this artwork or not is irrelevant. It's fact that the NX-01 was going to be the Akira-class starship, per UPN's boneheaded order. Drexler simply played with the original Akira design until it became what we all know. The Starfleet Academy concept art had nothing to do with it.
 
Dukhat said:
It's fact that the NX-01 was going to be the Akira-class starship, per UPN's boneheaded order. Drexler simply played with the original Akira design until it became what we all know.
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Fact, you say? Any evidence to support the claim? A quote perhaps? A link?
 
Mach5 said:
Dukhat said:
It's fact that the NX-01 was going to be the Akira-class starship, per UPN's boneheaded order. Drexler simply played with the original Akira design until it became what we all know.
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Fact, you say? Any evidence to support the claim? A quote perhaps? A link?
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Doug explicitly stated this in his blog:

www.drexfiles.wordpress.com

You'll have to find the section on the NX-01 where he talks about this, as I'm too damn lazy to go looking for it now.:)
 
Reminder, Praxius: hotlinking is not allowed here. Save images to a Photobucket-type account and post them from there, or post as links.

More info about image posting here and here. Thanks.
 
Dukhat said:
Doug explicitly stated this in his blog:

www.drexfiles.wordpress.com
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Indeed, he did. :techman:

As everyone knows, the NX was based on the Akira, in fact the Enterprise producers had decided that they were going to use the Akira as is for the NX Enterprise! Herman Zimerman, the Enterprise production designer talked them in to letting us come up with a version that was across between the TOS ship, and the Akira class. [source]
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