Artstation ILM Challenge Round 2b

Round 1

For the Second vehicle I wanted to add to the roster of Imperial ships. Their hulking grey, angular forms are descended from the mass produced military vehicles of WWII.

American trains throw up some great shapes. They also frequently adhere to that 'Star Wars aesthetic' of being well used and feel like they've lived for generations. 

I liked the idea of developing a troop carrier, or at least an engine that would transport several 'carriages' with troops in. There are some great images of the optimistic WWII soldiers leaving for war, hanging out of windows and waving goodbye to loved ones.

With young people like Luke desperate to join the Imperial Academy, I imagine there must have been a similar romanticised moment as they embarked on their career as Imperial Storm Troopers.

As I mentioned before, perspective and lighting are something that's always scared me away from this hard surface stuff in the past so to help, I turned my hand to some rudimentary 3D in order to help.

I wanted to capture the hope, enthusiasm and excitement of people leaving home for the first time on the promise of adventure and a vast new world to be explored... before they are butchered in a brutal war, duped by Imperial Propaganda and the lies of their superiors.

And that was that.

The quality of the work on Art station is genuinely phenomenal, so I didn't expect to make it even this far... and these aren't tears... and I'm not gnashing my teeth in frustrated disappointment... I just need a mug of strong tea. NOW.

Regardless, you can see the results of the competition here.

Artstation ILM Challenge Round 2a

See Round 1 here

With my botched second image in round 1, I was genuinely amazed, but delighted, to make it through to round two, (roughly the top 10%!), but with round two titled 'The Ride', I knew I wasn't going any further. Vehicle design is something I've kept away from.

Round 2 - Vehicle Challenge: Brief

Design two new Star Wars vehicles within the aesthetic of Episodes IV - VI. They can be Rebel, Imperial, or utilitarian — your choice; anything from a giant starship to a land speeder. Be sure to finish your images by placing the vehicles within the context of an environment. We want to see the story — not the blueprints.

After initially focusing on Imperial hardware, I started to think about vehicles from the other end of the spectrum. To me, Star Wars was at its strongest, delivering alien cultures, specifically the criminal underworld. We know the Hutts have Sail Barges on Tattooine, so I figured they must have other places to visit than the Sarlacc.

Taking inspiration from Cloud city I came up with the concept of a floating Atoll with enough room to dock several Sail Barges, allowing the esteemed guests of the Hutts to disembark and spend a night gambling in this luxurious, and most importantly, safe, casino above the cooling sands of Tatooine.

To compliment the Atoll designed I added a few more sail ships inspired by the colours and decor of other Tatooine institutions. I also looked at the sails of middle eastern and North African boats to deliver a Sail Yacht, and a Skiff with a daring pilot 'hiking' over the side of his craft.

I loved the idea of designing an up market version of Jabba's Palace hanging above the desert. Safe from Tusken raiders and only accessible via flight. this ensures a certain level of gambler and with a tight security force you'd have to be a fool to risk being thrown overboard... Unless you have a skiff drifting nearby to make a fast getaway.

Round 2b

Artstation ILM Challenge Round 1

Artstation recently hosted a 3 part challenge to produce art for Star Wars, to be judged by a selection of the finest artists from Industrial Light and Magic.

Round 1 - The Moment—Creating Keyframes Challenge: Brief
Create two keyframes  – an emotive still image that tells a cinematic story – within the world of Star Wars Episodes IV – VI. Use only existing Star Wars worlds, vehicles, creatures and characters to create a new story moment.

One place that was mentioned but barely shown (only in some deleted scenes) was the Tosche Station where Luke wanted to acquire some power converters.

Lucas famously took inspiration from American diners, Rock and Roll, and drag racing. I wanted to create a sort of youth-club version of Jabbas palace, somewhere the 'kids' would go to hang out, mod their rides and race them across the scorching deserts of Tatooine.

On reflection, I spent too long focusing on delivering a McQuarrie-esque style and building up the location rather than focusing on the narrative that was outlined in the brief... cursed by my flustering excitement at the job in hand.

In order to test me further, my graphics card decided to go 'on a break' half way through the first challenge. As a result, the second image was crafted last minute from elements of the final image, and my kids learned some exciting new words that week.

Round 2a