The Art and Graphics of Nick Stevens. Available for hire.I specialise in unbuilt space projects, and the spacecraft of the Soviet Union.
Some finished renders of the flying wing design. See previous posts for the work in progress, and sample reference images.
The sky was the most difficult part here. I was compositing onto panoramic photos, and had to make my own sky. I really liked the dark greyish green, but it’s not very realistic.
Continue reading “NASA PRANDTL Flying Wing – finished renders”
I have been growing more and more frustrated with my current image editor, Photoshop Elements. Not least because of it’s incessant update demands – and I have yet to notice a single benefit, despite the exclamation marks on every announcement.
I built my first web site with Serif WebPlus, and was interested when I heard they were going to try and take on the full fat Photoshop, and no nasty support rental charges.
Well, it was on offer, and I have a Christmas break coming up, (with a chance to spend time learning it), so the timing seemed good. Incidentally, apart from taking them up on the £10 off deal, open to everyone, no money changed hands for this review.
I’m also aware that other members of the International Association of Astronomical Artists are more than a bit resentul of the rental approach too…
Continue reading “Affinity Photo – first impressions review”
This concept is a flying wing, or bodyless plane, currently being tested for a possible flight to prove the concept. It is intended to work well in the thin atmosphere of the planet Mars, and would be tested at very high altitude on Earth, where the pressure is similar.
You can find out more about the project here:
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/features/mars_airplane.html
Here’s the current state of my quickie project, I’m still very unsure on what to do on the bottom of the craft.
Right! The space cruiser is now done. I struggled a bit with the nose until I decided to make it a dome, and then added the spike, and the scallopped textures around it.
These renders are deliberately not done in a very realistic style. To be specific:
It occured to me that I really don’t remember ever seeing one of those really old pulp SF cover space cruisers done in a modern CGI style. You know, the ones that look like a cross between a Zepellin and an express steam train:
I’ve just finished up “The Satellite”, the original 1930’s design for the Buck Rogers Rocket. References were a bit contradictory, so I would not be surprised if you find some that look a bit different.
Here are some of the more unusual features:
Now added a video. complete with soundtrack, to showcase the mesh and the concept!
Continue reading “Video for the Krafft Erhike Space Station concept.”
This is a design by Kraft Ehrike, which appeared in “Life” magazine in 1958. From what I understand, the idea was to use the kind of cylindrical hulls and spherical ended tanks from upper rocket stages as basic units of contruction.
Ehrike worked with Wernher von Braun at Peenemunde on the V2 rocket program, and continued to work with WvB after they had moved to the USA.
Continue reading “Krafft Ehrike – 1958 Space Station design”
Right, I may twiddle and tweak a bit, but I am calling this one done.
I’ve done various configurations, but (at least so far), I am only doing one fully textured version. And that’s the Mars Pathfinder version above!
The others use generic textures, rather than depict one specific mission.
Here are a couple of perspective free sets:
Today I received my copy of Ron Miller’s new book, Spaceships! And I provided quite a few images for it.
