Art Thread (Concerns)

For the talkin' of jibba jabba.
User avatar
Malchus
Posts: 1257
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 7:05 am
Location: In a chibi-land, eating the brains of H. P. Wuvcwaft.
Contact:

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Malchus »

Image
A space suit design for the background of the pic I previously posted. The Mars colonization is supposed to be an international affair, so I figure I'd include astronauts from different countries. This one is my design for a Chinese taikonaut in the setting.

Unlike the Thoth Conglomerate's suits, which were based on the Newman bio-suit, I wanted to make the Chinese suit look closer to modern day designs. I even included a sun visor that can be flipped over the clear visor instead of the single autopolarizing visor in the Thoth Conglomerate's suits.

This suit is actually a hybrid design. There's a constricting undersuit layer which partially pressurizes the wearer, but not as thoroughly as the Thoth Conglomerate's suit does. The rest of the pressure is supplied from the inflation of the suit, like in modern space suits. Thus, the Chinese space agency in the setting don't have to make the extremely expensive "smart" multi-layered constricting material used in the Thoth Conglomerate's suits, while the simpler constricting material they use for their undersuit layer allows for less suit inflation. This makes the suits less ponderous and movement constricting than modern day suits, although it's not as flexible as the Thoth Conglomerate's suits.

The same simpler, more utilitarian design philosophy I'll also use for the Russian cosmonaut suit designs. I'll try to base those on the modern day Orlan suits. And, yes, that's a ghostly outline of my next pic since I decided to be cheap and bought a low-quality drawing book with thin pages instead of a proper sketchbook.
Image
This pic is of a female astronaut from EICON (European Interplanetary CONsortium), which is sort of like a Mars colonization-focused offshoot of ESA with more contributions and influences from private space companies. The suit the astronaut is wearing is a design from the Thoth Conglomerate's biggest competition, Voster Unlimited.

Like the Thoth Conglomerate's suits the Voster suit design was based on the form-hugging Newman bio-suit. It also has a single autopolarizing visor. Unlike the Thoth Conglomerate's suits, however, the Voster suits are purposely designed to look much more aesthetically pleasing for advertisement purposes.

This does not mean, however, that looks are all it has going for it. Is is every bit as functional as the Thoth Conglomerate's suits. It does tend to be marginally less hardy, but not to a significant degree.
Image
I admire the man, he has a high tolerance for insanity (and inanity - which he generously contributed!). ~Shroom, on my wierdness tolerance.
User avatar
Malchus
Posts: 1257
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 7:05 am
Location: In a chibi-land, eating the brains of H. P. Wuvcwaft.
Contact:

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Malchus »

*Pic of girls floating in microgravity spoilered for size*
Image
*Long-winded description made during feverish state spoilered for its . . . longness*
Well, the last few days sucked since trying to design the last two remaining astronaut suit designs for the pic I'm working on now all flopped. I was also sick with cough yet stupidly kept on going to work anyway, so that didn\'t help. As a reprieve, I decided to draw designs related to the story behind the Mars astronaut pic, but didn\'t involve @#$%*!-hard-to-make space suit designs.

Basically, the basic premise for the story involves the following:
1. Kaylee’s mom (abandoned by her husband) and Tyler’s dad (divorced) started dating. Their kids, a hyperactive and somewhat spoiled girl with poor social skills and a very reserved boy being raised to be a Renaissance man founf themselves potential step-siblings.
2. Patience wins out and the kids become fond of each other, but just as that happens Tyler gets whisked away by his grandpa to Mars—to Kaylee’s extreme annoyance.
3. Parents shortly marry, and they find themselves long distance stepsiblings. Kaylee spends the last few years pretty much bugging her mom and new step-dad to send her to Mars too. They eventually relent and send her off with Tyler’s older sister.
4. Story takes place in the months Kaylee’s ship is heading to Mars, with she and Tyler exchanging pre-recorded messages (due to the time delay for transmissions to and from Mars and the limited allotted time and bandwidth for personal messages) as correspondence. They’re each surrounded by their own eclectic cast of characters.

The above picture is going to be a scene from the non-gravity area of the ship Kaylee's in, which I'll do after I'm done with the Old People contest. Eventually it'll include Dick Baylor and a new character (I decided to change around the character cliques and relationships from the original).

Characters above from left to right:

Kaylette Kaminskiy - holographic AI Assistant for Kaylee created by Tyler based on one of Kaylee's old dolls. Primary manager of Kaylee's personal network (the inter-linked embedded technological devices that are used in place of cellphones, iPods, tablets, notebooks, and whatnot in the setting).

Kaylee - newly-minted step-sibling and" radio pen pal" (as she calls herself) of Tyler. Somewhat spoiled from being coddled by her grandparents while her Mom completed school. The jacket she's wearing has holographic projectors and cameras (in those stripes) as well as motion sensors.

Squidly - store-bought AI Assistant that Kaylee had before Kaylette. Also based on and old stuffed toy of Kaylee's. Usually lets Kaylette take the lead in their interactions with their owner.

Nicole Mackenville - Serious and sarcastic daughter of a scientist couple. Ended up as Kaylee's roommate. Nicole's really not happy about that. In the final pic she'll be pointing at a viewing window while looking at Dick Baylor, who'll be floating "upside down" over her left shoulder.
Image
I admire the man, he has a high tolerance for insanity (and inanity - which he generously contributed!). ~Shroom, on my wierdness tolerance.
User avatar
Shroom Man 777
Global Mod
Posts: 4637
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 7:09 pm
Contact:

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

I like it, and the potential for cyberpunky pseudo-hard Mars sci-fi stories is cools. What WILL be the story, btw?

UPSIDE DOWN SPACE BAYLOR
Image

"Sometimes Shroomy I wonder if your imagination actually counts as some sort of war crime." - FROD
User avatar
Malchus
Posts: 1257
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 7:05 am
Location: In a chibi-land, eating the brains of H. P. Wuvcwaft.
Contact:

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Malchus »

Shroom Man 777 wrote:I like it, and the potential for cyberpunky pseudo-hard Mars sci-fi stories is cools. What WILL be the story, btw?

UPSIDE DOWN SPACE BAYLOR
Well, the basic story is that Tyler's grandpa, Thaddeus, is pushing to turn the Mars colony from isolated research station into an actual colony with actual families living in it. He brought Tyler along as one of the media-dubbed "Marskinder," among the few kids brought along by the first families of scientists/technicians/whathaveyou on Mars. This kids were mostly whiz kids in one way or another, mostly to generate media attention. It was a public relations success, so Thaddeus next step is to import even more families, but this time mostly of the construction workers needed for building up the colony.

Kaylee is in one of these Thoth Conglomerate ships carrying new families and their kids. She's coming along with Tyler's older sister, who'll be the public face of this new wave of ThothCon construction workers. Dick Baylor is being brought along because his parents are useful to the colony in two different ways. His ex-Marine dad is being brought along as sort of an unofficial bodyguard for Tyler since Thaddeus is a paranoid old coot and thinks his business rivals might try to off his "heir" and make it look like a tragic accident on the frontier. His mom will be one of the teachers in the school being set up for the new bunch of kids. She'll have an AI Assistant that looks and acts exactly like her, and she'll enjoy unnerving her students by making them unsure which one they're talking to. Dick, himself, will spend the months-long trip trying to get into Kaylee's pants.
Image
I admire the man, he has a high tolerance for insanity (and inanity - which he generously contributed!). ~Shroom, on my wierdness tolerance.
Zor
Posts: 271
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Zor »

Image

An Novan Imperial Navy Captain advances, drawing her sword. This is among the last thing that a Pirate Commodore will see, the absolute last will be his view of said Captain after a quick motion, an image which turns over and fades to black
Last edited by Zor on Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Booted Vulture
Posts: 965
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 9:33 pm

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Booted Vulture »

Is this a novan captain or an admiral? You just said both.

Also I'd rate the pirate's chances quite well considering the capmiral seems to have at best a good view of the pirate's ankles.
Ah Brother! It's been too long!
Zor
Posts: 271
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Zor »

Booted Vulture wrote:Is this a novan captain or an admiral? You just said both.
Corrected
Also I'd rate the pirate's chances quite well considering the capmiral seems to have at best a good view of the pirate's ankles.
That is why he is bound.

Zor
User avatar
speaker-to-trolls
Posts: 766
Joined: Thu May 22, 2008 12:34 am
Location: The World of Men

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by speaker-to-trolls »

Well that hardly seems fair, that woman's got arms like a 1920's circus strongman, I'm sure she could take him in a fair fight assuming she can look in the right place.
"Little monuments may be completed by their first architects, but great ones; true ones leave their copestones to posterity. God keep me from completing anything."
Zor
Posts: 271
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Zor »

Meh, i will improve.

Zor
Zor
Posts: 271
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Zor »

Image

Anton Starkov: Famed Academician and Engineer, member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labour, Order of Lenin and so forth. Well known for bringing the previously anemic field of soviet computer science up to date and who's expertise in the field of robotics was responsible for the successes of the tenth and eleventh five year plans in being able to make up for gaps in the areas of consumer goods and improved foreign trade, as well as his fondness for strong drink, loose women and sarcasm. In 1985 while overseeing some field tests in Afghanistan, he was captured by a force of Mujahedin who attempted to make him to assemble captured equipment to provide weapons for their fundamentalist cause. However, with some assistance he was able to assemble using various components of scout drones and missiles a powered exoskeleton and fight his way out.

He then returned to the USSR and was deeply effected by what he saw and how he was treated, as well as sights of abuse, which got only worse as it made him read into various things about armed conflicts elsewhere in the world. While he still by in large remained his extroverted self, secretly in his personal lab he worked on improving the design. A few months afterwards, the Central Intellignce Authority and the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate found itself facing reports of a bulletproof humanoid monster descending from the sky and tossing around the insurgents they sent into there like ragdolls and then an increasing number of photographs of this entity. As other meta-humans figures, good and bad began to emerge around the world, eventually the world got a good vision of this figure as he cashed with them, this Iron Man.
Zor
Posts: 271
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Zor »

Image

A personal attendant robot done with an art deco aesthetic. It is not the most practically designed machine but its designed to look impressive and it gets its job done.
Zor
Posts: 271
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Zor »

Image

A Suit of Type-262 Power Armor employed by the Union of Free Socialist Worlds. Type-262 power armor is quite maneuverable, has long range and is lighter weight than most other suits of general power armor while still having comparable strength, though this comes at the cost of defense. For this reason, applique kits are available for the frontal torso and the sides of the arms to increase durability. Underneath the transparent frontal section is mostly armor with vision ports for the eyes along with a couple of cameras and sensors.
User avatar
Heretic
Posts: 1750
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 4:45 pm
Location: IN AMERICA

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Heretic »

Your art style is improving greatly, even an awful drawer like me can see it (ok, that isn't so reassuring). Keep up the good work and gimme some tea, robot :P
Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
-Joseph Campbell
Zor
Posts: 271
Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Zor »

Image

This artifact is a Machine Tree. A Machine Lifeform and the foundation of a mechanical ecosystem. It is not a particularly impressive specimen and is fairly young, but it will serve the purpose of example.

Now you may be asking yourself "How exactly is this machine count as a lifeform?" The answer is simple. It grows, it feeds and it reproduces itself. In more detail, this machine is based around a system of nano robots. These microscopic machines need power to survive. To power itself, it relies on solar and wind power. Wind drives the rotors built into its trunk. Solar energy is collected using an array on top which can be adjusted to catch as much as possible, and on additional solar panels along its body. Electric energy is collected in power cells in the base and is used to gradually build and expand this form.

The machine is composed of metals and ceramics. These are designed to gradually expand, opening up to let new material grow in the gaps. Material is largely collected via the machine's roots, which shift through the soil in search of what is needed. Material is processed into a usable form in the base bulb and then sent where needed. Since generations of machine lifeforms have come before this one and died, their is often plenty of material on hand. In addition, it interacts with addition machine life-forms. Its roots link up with other Machine Trees, which exchange material for energy and vice versa. On the same note, there are drop off chutes. Small tubes in which other mobile machine life forms can drop off useful material in exchange for power. Often the remains of other machine life-forms, either scavenged or killed. It is more receptive when given the remains especially of nearby rmachine plants of rival species. On the same note, it has to contend with predators, machines that take power from other machines by force.

When it comes time to reproduce, it does so in a manner comprable to sexual reproduction. It splices its master blueprints with those of other machine trees of the same species. Thus creating slight variations which are given to small seed units. In the case of this one, they are small helicopter machines that fly a short distance and land on a prime spot, gradually growing into a new machine tree. Vast forests of Machine trees dominate the planet that this thing comes from.
User avatar
RRoan
Posts: 69
Joined: Fri May 23, 2008 4:00 am
Location: The land of trees and rain

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by RRoan »

User avatar
Siege
Site Admin
Posts: 2563
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 7:03 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Siege »

Whoa, hey, RRoan. Long time no see. Nice to see you're still at it with the outrageously awesome line-art :).
"Nick Fury. Old-school cold warrior. The original black ops hardcase. Long before I stepped off a C-130 at Da Nang, Fury and his team had set fire to half of Asia." - Frank Castle

For, now De Ruyter's topsails
Off naked Chatham show,
We dare not meet him with our fleet -
And this the Dutchmen know!
User avatar
NoXion
Posts: 556
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:51 pm
Location: Nova Mundi

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by NoXion »

Testing new avatar, combining an Ouroborous symbol with a smaller avatar of mine, plus an alpha channel.
Zor wrote:The machine is composed of metals and ceramics. These are designed to gradually expand, opening up to let new material grow in the gaps. Material is largely collected via the machine's roots, which shift through the soil in search of what is needed. Material is processed into a usable form in the base bulb and then sent where needed. Since generations of machine lifeforms have come before this one and died, their is often plenty of material on hand. In addition, it interacts with addition machine life-forms. Its roots link up with other Machine Trees, which exchange material for energy and vice versa. On the same note, there are drop off chutes. Small tubes in which other mobile machine life forms can drop off useful material in exchange for power. Often the remains of other machine life-forms, either scavenged or killed. It is more receptive when given the remains especially of nearby rmachine plants of rival species. On the same note, it has to contend with predators, machines that take power from other machines by force.
Wouldn't the mechosystemic equivalent of predation be the forcible disassembly of other mechaforms for parts/materials? Taking power strikes me as more as an act of parasitism, especially if we're talking about plant analogues as prey. Think of it this way, what would be the best way to exploit a naturally evolved but fully functional nuclear reactor if one lacks the foresight and/or problem-solving capability to build or reconstruct a reactor oneself? Find a way of tapping the electrical output, which is more likely (because it's easier and therefore more likely for natural selection to hit on a way) if one is a mobile mechaform.

But really, the whole idea is fascinating. Do you imagine this mechosystem to co-exist with a biological ecosystem in a stable fashion, or do you think one would eventually overwhelm the other?
User avatar
NoXion
Posts: 556
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:51 pm
Location: Nova Mundi

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by NoXion »

Coloured "flag" version:

Image
User avatar
NoXion
Posts: 556
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:51 pm
Location: Nova Mundi

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by NoXion »

Here I am again, trying to break out of this funk...

Image

This is an interstellar battlecruiser with a hybrid antimatter-fusion rocket, Orion-style external fission pulse backup engines, and a electromagnetic ram scoop. It is designed to operate for extended periods and distances from a home base, making it suitable as a well-armed exploration vessel. It can be crewed by transhumans, posthumans, and/or baselines rotating in and out of nanostasis. It can support dozens of fighter-sized craft and can carry up to 18 landing craft (one of them can be seen in the image, above the large plane). I think the fuel tanks kind of make it look insectoid, but that was unintentional.

Image

Inspired by something similar, I created this edited infographic to give an idea of how military technology has advanced/will advance in the Nova Mundi universe. No real thought put into the figures, so I'd welcome comments as to how "off" I may be.
User avatar
Magister Militum
Posts: 921
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 8:01 pm
Location: California

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Magister Militum »

Wouldn't the guns mounted on the fuel tanks be really awkward to reload what with all the fuel getting in the way?

As for the infantry load out, I'm assuming that uploading your soldiers into giant, synthetic killbots isn't the popular thing to do, hence the integration between the soldier and armor (how does that work, anyways?), or is it that the technology doesn't exist yet? Or perhaps the soldier is already gene/cyber/nano-enhanced and there wouldn't be much point to changing bodies?
Democratic Socialist | Atheist | Transhumanist | Bright Green Environmentalist | Worldbuilder | IT Professional |


Germania your game is through, now you're gonna answer to... The Freestates! Fuck Yeah! Now lick my balls and suck on my cock! Freestates, Fuck Yeah! Coming in to save the motherfuckin' day! Rock and roll, fuck yeah! Television, fuck yeah! DVDs, fuck yeah! Militums, fuck yeah! - Shroomy
User avatar
NoXion
Posts: 556
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:51 pm
Location: Nova Mundi

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by NoXion »

Magister Militum wrote:Wouldn't the guns mounted on the fuel tanks be really awkward to reload what with all the fuel getting in the way?
For the cost of a minimal loss of volume, I suppose one could have resupply corridors running through the fuel tanks to the turrets?
As for the infantry load out, I'm assuming that uploading your soldiers into giant, synthetic killbots isn't the popular thing to do, hence the integration between the soldier and armor (how does that work, anyways?), or is it that the technology doesn't exist yet?
The Great Solar War was a conflict occurring no earlier than the 23rd century. The unit presented on the infographic represents a typical example of what most parties to the conflict would have considered a good-quality unit. The general design aims for a seamless synthesis of wetware and hardware, whereby the various subsystems (biological, mechanical, electrical/electronic, nanotech etc) enhance each others strengths and cancel out each others weaknesses. The resulting unit is able to function as a matter of course in the wide array of combat environments presented in a conflict spanning an entire planetary system. Which I suppose is a long-winded way of saying it's a synthetic killbot, but see below.
Or perhaps the soldier is already gene/cyber/nano-enhanced and there wouldn't be much point to changing bodies?
Depending on the polity producing the unit in question, it may be a volunteer, a conscript or a tool of its creators. Volunteers often had/have (what is the correct tense to use when talking about a fictional universe, by the way?) the choice to keep some of their enhancements after serving for a certain period.
User avatar
Magister Militum
Posts: 921
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 8:01 pm
Location: California

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Magister Militum »

NoXion wrote:For the cost of a minimal loss of volume, I suppose one could have resupply corridors running through the fuel tanks to the turrets?
I guess you could do that if you really wanted to, though it seems rather convoluted to me.
The Great Solar War was a conflict occurring no earlier than the 23rd century. The unit presented on the infographic represents a typical example of what most parties to the conflict would have considered a good-quality unit. The general design aims for a seamless synthesis of wetware and hardware, whereby the various subsystems (biological, mechanical, electrical/electronic, nanotech etc) enhance each others strengths and cancel out each others weaknesses. The resulting unit is able to function as a matter of course in the wide array of combat environments presented in a conflict spanning an entire planetary system. Which I suppose is a long-winded way of saying it's a synthetic killbot, but see below.
Nice. My currently embryonic setting features massive amounts of transhumanism, and that methodology you described is the one I went with, with some variations depending on the purpose of the soldier. I ask because transhumanism tends to feature many branching and sometimes intersecting pathways in regards to improving the human form, and it's always interesting for me to see how people play around with the concept.
what is the correct tense to use when talking about a fictional universe, by the way?
No clue - I had this problem a lot when I was world building in the past as well. I generally went with the assumption that the present tense is appropriate for a fictional universe, with past tense being used when talking about past events of said universe.
Democratic Socialist | Atheist | Transhumanist | Bright Green Environmentalist | Worldbuilder | IT Professional |


Germania your game is through, now you're gonna answer to... The Freestates! Fuck Yeah! Now lick my balls and suck on my cock! Freestates, Fuck Yeah! Coming in to save the motherfuckin' day! Rock and roll, fuck yeah! Television, fuck yeah! DVDs, fuck yeah! Militums, fuck yeah! - Shroomy
User avatar
Ford Prefect
Posts: 957
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Ford Prefect »

A deeply subtle design, Nox. ;)
FEEL THESE GUNS ARCHWIND THESE ARE THE GUNS OF THE FLESHY MESSIAH THE TOOLS OF CREATION AND DESTRUCTION THAT WILL ENACT THE LAW OF MAN ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
Mobius 1
Global Mod
Posts: 1099
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 11:40 pm
Location: Orlando, FL

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by Mobius 1 »

Yeah, I think it looking insectoid is the least of your problems.
SHADOW TEMPEST BLACK || STB2: MIDNIGHT PARADOX
The day our skys fe||, the heavens split to create new skies.
User avatar
NoXion
Posts: 556
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:51 pm
Location: Nova Mundi

Re: Art Thread (Concerns)

Post by NoXion »

Ford Prefect wrote:A deeply subtle design, Nox. ;)
Mobius 1 wrote:Yeah, I think it looking insectoid is the least of your problems.
Yeah, I only realised what it also looked like when the drawing was about three quarters into its current state. That was completely unintentional, believe me. :|

I think a redesign is in order. Any tips?
Post Reply