Posting some designs I've been working on and off on over the past several months, as I've been trying to get back into doing artwork. This of course means I haven't been able to keep up with all of the fantastic work many others have been doing, but oh well.
First is the TNG Destroyer, which I've been working on in Illustrator. I've actually burned out on this project for the moment. She is intended as a TNG equivalent to the Saladin class.
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/TNG-Destroyer-WIP1-Part-1-837876714
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/TNG-Destroyer-WIP1-Part-02-837879011
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/TNG-Destroyer-WIP1-Part-03-837879611
Next, we have a design that started as a small sketch at work. Rather than having the engineering hull blended together, the shuttlebay and lower engineering hull have been deconstructed into a "figure 8". She is a Light Cruiser equivalent to the Andromeda class.
A total design of my Sparrow class:
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/What-I-ve-Been-Up-to-Part-II-858520414
For the previous incarnation, see here:
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/Sparrow-class-Frigate-Prelimary-Detail-Sketches-539188704
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/Sparrow-class-Frigate-Dorsal-539220205
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/Sparrow-class-Frigate-Side-539222720
A TLE Medium Cruiser, using components based on the Joshua and Ingram class. Practice for helping me get better at Illustrator.
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/108b06bd-6674-4b90-b8cf-3775122cf713/de756sf-38317a06-aaf7-4c71-b252-b577d599e9c1.jpg?
Finally, a result of binge watching DIS. I felt that the lifting body design works better for TLE.
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/What-I-ve-Been-Up-To-Part-V-858529657
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/What-I-have-been-up-to-Part-1-858504144
Posts
- Mike Oldfield
Komaro: Yeah, that's what happens when you look at too much of Atolm's work. I guess the Sparrow class is the result of a Vesta class and Akira class end up in dry dock together, presumably after one too many beers.
Another design I've been working on is this Light Cruiser.
The Kearsarge class is a Light Cruiser. The Saber class is a Light Cruiser that looks nothing like it's predecessor. And I was looking at Dan Uyeno's fantastic reworking of his USS Balmung, and thinking how the sides of the secondary hull and the shape of the main deflector appears to have a curvature not unlike the Saber class. I highly recommend giving his thread a looks-see here: forums.scifi-meshes.com/discus…
And so I started sketches of this apparent missing link between the Kearsarge class from Starfleet Battles and Saber class.
The laptop that has my Illustrator and Photoshop has not been working well (overheating problems, backup hard drive not working), and I've been putting off taking it in. No longer, I'm taking the damn thing in on Monday. But I don't know how long it will be in the shop, leaving me unable to work on or post anything, so I'm posting this baby now.
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/...t_new=10:1603558304&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/108b06bd-6674-4b90-b8cf-3775122cf713/de7gytk-c058a118-4165-4fd1-8b22-aba5f5c50f6b.png/v1/fill/w_1115,h_717,q_70,strp/another_tle_light_cruiser__major_wip__by_jeszasz_de7gytk-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD04NTczIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvMTA4YjA2YmQtNjY3NC00YjkwLWI4Y2YtMzc3NTEyMmNmNzEzXC9kZTdneXRrLWMwNThhMTE4LTQxNjUtNGZkMS04YjIyLWFiYTVmNWM1MGY2Yi5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTMzMzUifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.QsWYvZJmBIpXAnzwwG4HRhgAy2CShJqyr2TJch_j8_s
Also, if you're having problems running Illustrator on your hardware, might I suggest you give Inkscape a try? It runs on a potato, and for this line of work it's just as capable as Adobe's offering.
I just took my computer in for a checkup today, and, well the Grim Reaper is after my CPU, and it's too expensive, so I'm using a new computer in the near future.
As of now, I'm trying to get Adobe downloaded onto my Lenovo. We'll see how that goes.
The very quickly, very unprofessionally done labeling probably makes any explanations unnecessary, but suffice it to say, I've been experimenting with a variety of design elements. I was doing this in Illustrator at first, before deciding that I sketch faster than I can use the pen tool, and here we are. I'm actually rather proud of Proposal One, which uses design elements from Lord Savrain's USS Edward Teller, the USS Churchill, and even Jaryu's Oldfield class. And yes, those are megaphasers on Proposal 1. Proposal 2...would need a lot of work, I know. Those nacelles are just too long...
C&C is welcome...and necessary before I can move forward into Illustrator.
Ingram or Excelsior primary hull?
Keep the Churchill-type aft saucer superstructure?
Ingram, Lifting Body, or Excelsior Type engineering hull?
Integrated or Bracketed type shuttlebay?
Which type of nacelles? Ingram, Koeller 64, or Excelsior?
Integrated or Ent-B type Primary Hull Impulse Units?
Exposed or Integrated Secondary Hull Impulse Units?
Megaphasers too much?
Proposal A, B, or something in between?
We're a democracy among artists, so vote away!
Okay, boy does this design have quite a history...
The current incarnation is influenced by Atolm's Assiduous class:
https://www.deviantart.com/atolmazel/art/Federation-Assiduous-Class-USS-Spyros-Spyrou-00-821328479
https://www.deviantart.com/atolmazel/art/Federation-Assiduous-Class-USS-Spyros-Spyrou-01-822451170
I had already started to rework the design about a month ago in this https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/What-I-ve-Been-Up-to-Part-II-858520414
The influence was specifically the way that the hull bracketed the center hull, because it wasn't like I wasn't going to bracket the bridge before, however, that was more like the Luna class at the time. But Atolm showed me a more exotic way to do this, and I started to run with this.
Unlike Atolm's design, I have chosen to keep the sweeping wing design, which might give her a bigger profile to shoot at, but I just can't seem to let go of Forbin's influence on this design. I have altered things a bit by flirting with the idea of a B-plane wing arrangement. It just seems like something that Atolm would do. There is also an alternate concept that uses a pair of deflectors integrated into the lower pontoons, similar to the Phobos variant of the Loknar refit.
As of now, the Sparrow class is supposed to be a direct descendent of the Assiduous class, the latter of which would see production cease soon after the Commissioning of the Vesta and Sparrow classes into the fleet, due to the latter being incompatible with Quantum Slipstream, not unlike how most turbo-prop aircraft were discontinued after WW-II as jet engines became mainstream.
My choice to revive work on this design and the registry number is an in-joke to this thread: https://forums.scifi-meshes.com/discussion/81931/3d-mkf-random-trek-thread/p71
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/Sparrow-class-Frigate-Prelimary-Detail-Sketches-539188704
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/Sparrow-class-Frigate-Dorsal-539220205
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/Sparrow-class-Frigate-Side-539222720
https://www.deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/Falken-class-Heavy-Frigate-B-and-W-Preliminary-539190968
I have used the opportunity to once again practice using layers in Photoshop to add color, which is also important of course for shading and lighting. The color scheme is this case will be heavily influenced by the Vesta class.
As always, C&C is welcome (even from BolianAdmiral for stealing his registry number), and is required from Atolm. Hey buddy, it's based on your design, so I'd really like your input.
I still want to nail down the rest of the design, so I can begin the vector schematics process, so I'll be starting on another view next time. Maybe aft ventral.
I've have been working on and off of the redux of my Sparrow class for quite some time, but have struggled to find time due to studying investing in stocks, which mostly takes place when I'd normally draw in the first place. Here is the progress I've made this far.
As you can see, just as Madkoifish has been working hard on the Assiduous class, I've been working on her successor. For the moment, there are three possible directions to go in. As before, the design consists of 5 components: the inner hull, a pair of outer hulls, a pair of nacelles/pylons, and an upper mission pod.
They are missing a lot of details, since that would just take more time, and result in this perhaps never getting posted.
Design A uses a (relatively) simple arrowhead shape. The forward downward swept pylons are optional, and might be replaced with different nacelle pylon designs as I work on the design further.
Design B uses a forked bow which might or might not be inspired by the Mark 4 from Speed Racer. The downward backswept nacelle pylons are again optional.
Finally, design C is designed to use optional hull modules (think Insignia class from Mark Kingsworth). According to Atolm, the Assiduous class has the ability to mount different modules, and I wanted to retain this ability in the Sparrow class. Possible modules could be designed to have better sensors, phasers, torpedo turrets, and passenger capacity. The upward backswept nacelle pylons are - you guessed - optional.
At first, I added shading to every view that I was working on, but I was looking as Zoids concept line art, and figured that since shading was taking so long, and line art always looks professional without the shading, that I'd just add white underneath the sketch work, and save coloring/shading for when I get to the final design phase. So yeah, all future work will probably, hopefully resemble Rick Sternbach's work.
Speaking of Zoids, I think that is what I'm going to work on for my next project. I've just been wanting to do something in that setting for a while.
In the mean time, I will likely have to start another file, since mine has practically reached the maximum size that I can save, and aside from making current layers invisible to make way for new ones, the room I have left doesn't leave me free to add more than maybe one more slate of orthos or angles.
You seem to be fluent in Trek. You're using words that I recognize as Trek, but I have no idea of the meaning.
I think the 'B' design group looks a bit Batman-y.
The side view at the bottom looks like the beginnings of a nice take on a Star Trek design.
Some of these designs are lovely. There's something familiar in all of them, yet all very original including the way you sort of draw 2/3s of ships.
I have to say, a few years ago, I spent a phenomenal amount of money on buying Illustrator and some other creative packages and I've never managed to get past twirling something around on screen that I can't get to 'commit' to stay there. I always thought the basics would be simple, like MS Powerpoint and all I'd have to figure out were all the cool swanky elements, like holding CTRL+ESCAPE+4+DEL with your left ear, and it dropped a bag of gold coins in your lap. But no... It basically involves ten minutes of me opening Illustrator, shouting, slapping my head and switching the computer off, before trying to... you know what, I may have wandered off topic...
Kudos to you and your design work.
A further refinement of my Sparrow class, now called the Swallow class due to the characteristic twin tails housing the aft RCS thrusters, which makes the design as tail-happy as a Ford Mustang GT. New feature is the modular forward hull segments, which can be switched out for anything from emergency hospital wards to phaser cannon batteries, similar to Mark Kingsworth Insignia class. I haven't decided whether I'm going with forward swept wings like the BOP, or backswept like in most of the concept art so far, although I am honestly leaning with forward swept.
The aft top view might have been a little bit influenced by the SS Emmette from the ENT opening credits, while the black background was influenced by John Eaves's concept art.
And here is also the link...
Basically what started this whole thing was first trying to make a Warthog type (with a saw, because it's a razorback!). And then someone on Reddit started making a Battle Royal type of game, and ran into problems modeling [url="http:https://zoids.fandom.com/wiki/King_Liger//"]King Liger[/url], because of it has a wonky design that ignores the anatomy of a lion. I've basically started to integrate a bunch of different design elements from other Zoids to try to make the design a little more realistic. I also admit that I took a lot of elements from another artist as well.
The long answer is that I first started working on the Swallow class, inspired by Atolm's Assiduous class, and then I switched to doing the King Liger above. And now I'm trying to start a Youtube channel for Zoids.
So I don't know when I'll resume work on that beast.
Further commentary provided in the link.
Keep the good work !
Sketch Saturday: USS Starrunner Week 2...
https://deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/USS-Starrunner-Concept-Week-2-918257178
Plus a shuttlecraft concept resulting from watching Tomorrowland over and over again yesterday, and asking the question "what if, as a designer, I tried to get a rocket developed that took cues from Star Trek?"
Oh nice, can't wait to see more on your side.
https://deviantart.com/jeszasz/art/USS-Starrunner-Concept-Week-3-919110787
Week 3 of my alternate USS Stargazer design. Not much progress due to lack of motivation hanging out with friends a taking on some more work.
Mostly just nailing down the looks of the different concepts while deciding which one to take into further detail.
I know you still are. We'll see when/if I get back to that. So much to draw, so little time. Plus I want to start trying some architecture sketches, and need to move away from spaceships, at least for a little bit.
Anyways, week 4 is here!
This week, I began taking the design in yet another direction, centered around an ovular nacelle pylon assembly mounted via interconnecting dorsal and ventral-I hesitate to call them necks, but that is essentially what they are, with the nacelles mounted on a 45 degree angle on the corners at every 90 degree angle.
Originally, I wanted to play with the command hull having a stretched lenticular hull with a pointy tip, but I can't quite seem to get it to look right.
Then I started playing around with the general design of the CSS Archer from Renegades, since I've always thought that was a logical direction for Federation starship design anyways. And her impulse drives were too interesting not to play around with, this time in a quad arrangement.
I've probably been also taking too much time practicing with shading and lighting contrast, but I've figured out that I'm going to need it in order to make everything look right, especially the nacelles.
C&C is welcome of course! Failing that, my plan is to take the design elements from the CSS Archer, the shuttlebay placements from the concept in the far left or middle left hand corner, the wedge-shaped design motif from the design in the middle right, and combine them, while the nacelles will likely be a lot like the CSS Archer, but more narrow, and I'm going to play around with combining elements from those with the USS Stargazer's.
I lot of my time has been spent drawing things I don't normally draw, and trying to get better with shading and lighting.
There is a little bit of ship art, but mostly only worked on for a few hours before bed:
USS Alaska during emergency re-entry
A TNG-era version of the Salcombe-type configuration USS Ptolemaios, and part of a potential Ships of the Dominion War series. Worked on for about 2 hours total.
I've been attempting to learn how to draw people. This is my only attempt of note.
Attempt to learn how to draw glass.
And this has been an ongoing project: a shuttle cockpit, probably set in Star Trek. A tedious art project that became too tedious, and I had to walk away from/start over multiple times.
And the latest thing I've been working on: a Skinwalker/Werewolf Pokemon, inspired by listening to this Youtube channel called What Lurks Beneath. My idea is that there are different versions of these beasts, each with their own typing. I leaned heavily into the "scary monster" aspect here. I'm currently attempting hair/fur.
Looks like something they might have made if they weren't so limited to time and weekly budgets for miniatures.
The Yacht can double up the bridge's defense---and allow a fast get-away.
It could lower and use two nacelles to either side to generate a soliton wave....but it would junk the nacelles.
That's exactly the idea I had in mind. I think that the TNG era is rather neglected
I know, and I would like to see her developed into a 3D model too. As of now, I'm focused on building an art portfolio, so Blender has been left kind of neglected. I see it as a necessary evil. Oh, and I just took a quick glance at the USS Rycon, which looks like a nice little stablemate (haven't been on here, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten half the work done that I have)!
I got most of the rough linework done, before deciding to take a break from her. Even came up with a rough of what the shuttlebay might look like (which would be similar to the Galaxy class shuttlebay, e.i., making up the core of the "saucer" part of the hull).
Haven't decided which of these I'm going to refine further. Perhaps you guys have a favorite?
So what are these? Mechs, obviously, but the cliff notes is that sometime in the distant future, battle suits called Angel Suits are used in lieu of modern day attack aircraft. Why? The backstory is that when the public defense programs finally have access to the technologies supposedly locked up in black projects, mobile suits replace them, because A) they are easier to customize for specific missions,
The notable examples include:
#1) The Navajo "AKA, Skywalker". Flight is powered by nuclear-powered jet turbines instead of anti-gravity. It's a link between aircraft that use the two. Guess that the PTB lose/destroy the alien technology, rather than let it fall into the hands of public contractors. Or maybe alien sabotage that caused a disaster, and hence the political red tape saying "you can't use captured alien technology until you know EXACTLY how it works!". Attack helicopters in the American military commonly use the names of Native American tribes up to this point, while the Skywalker is a play off of the fact that this thing has legs, and is the first thing that can at least appear to walk on air, and the Skinwalker, a rather nasty beast of Navajo mythology that you don't want to meet, ever. Even evoking their name can allegedly attract them, and there are lots of stories of encounters online. Leave it to the military to not observe a taboo, but I guess that if you're facing against a technologically superior foe, who will likely kill you, then potentially attracting werewolves with a light-hearted joke seems like the least of your problems.
#2) "Tall Diamond": There are a lot of neat-looking mechs of Japanese design that have this tall body, and long, stretchy limbs, or bodies with a lot of facets and hard edges. Lots of design potential there.
#3) "Femme Fataile": I do like my puns, in case you haven't noticed. A custom model designed for female pilots, with provisions for different modules plugged into the tail, from a rail cannon, to a missile pod. Has vespine characteristics, because hornets are always cool. There would presumably be a "Super Hornet" mass production model with more androgynous characteristics.
#4) "Pandora/"Prometheus": The first of the modern battle suits. Still fucking big, which you would have seen if I had remembered to do a size comparison. Named after ancient mythological figures, who, for better or worse, changed everything, because there suits were the first to use modern anti-gravity technology, and perhaps other alien (or man-made) techs such as neural interfaces and zero-point energy, rather than fusion and MA/AM. The design is meant to still evoke many of todays aircraft. The "Prometheus" would presumably be a heavy weapons variant. The "Pandora" and "Navajo" are meant to act as a design lineage to the 25th Century, when the story would take place.
#5) "ARC Angel" One of the first modern battlesuits that I'm actually happy with. These are Iron Man-sized suits that fit around the pilot, with the idea that as technology advances, it also becomes more compact. Each suit might be customized to the wearer's preferences, and there would presumably be a typical male and androgynous version, and well as a heavy ARCH version. I really got into this design, including the design of different potential weapons integrated into the frame.
#6) "Dragonaga" One of the more unusual of my designs, a mix between an Eastern Dragon and a Cobra! What a wonderful counterpart to the Saurian-like Draconian suits! It's also long, and would likely be easier to target, but is supported by multiple anti-grav generators, and a coat of nanites programmed to protect the wearer (s?)! I see this as not being the standard suit, but the thing you send in when you want to nuke everything within a few dozen-hundred miles, but without likely alerting your enemy with a big warship.
#7) "Four-Arms": A Heavy brute of a design that also tries to evoke mediaeval armor. Also, my first attempt to rough design quicker, which means less detail, and more focus on distinguishing characteristics. The details should wait until later in the design progress.
Have been looking on Pinterest for inspiration, especially for weapons.