AoT aesthetic

[CELS]

I know, I know, this is a can of worms. None the less, I'm just going to put this out there. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, I don't even expect anyone to have anything to say about it, because the subject of aesthetics isn't something that we talk a lot about in the ASP.

Anyway, as I begun drawing different vehicles for 40k, I quickly realised that there was a certain style or aesthetic in the way GW designed their vehicles. When I didn't follow this style, people didn't really respond to the images and some pointed out that they didn't really look like they belonged in 40k. They just looked like generic sci-fi stuff. I'll spare you the whole story, but I am now of the opinion that there is a certain style for Imperial technology in 40k (clunky, yes, but it's a bit more complex than that) and within that style, there are different sub-styles.

When we're working on the Venturer, I find that it would be cool to recreate certain themes seen in other 40k human designs. I'm not saying we should be completely restricted by them, but as soon as we start to borrow certain design features and imitate the Imperial style, it makes the Venturer more recognisable as something from 40k, I think.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because I hope that at some point, we will have artists making illustrations for the Venturer. Specifically, it would be cool to have portraits of some crew members to go with their background and RPG stats, but it would also be cool to have some interior shots, because a good artist can show the interior of the ship in much greater detail and with much more atmosphere than I can do in my simple Sketch-Up. For one thing, it doesn't even allow different light sources.

Below are a couple of pictures of how I see the interior design style for the Venturer. If you take a look at Space Marine vehicles (both interior and exterior images), I think you'll see the resemblance. The layered walls, the doors and windows with cut corners, the sharp angles, etc. My goal is to design the Venturer and all affiliated vehicles with a certain theme. So basically, if anyone else is contributing with other 3d models or artwork, it would be ideal if we all followed the same style. Of course, I'm open for discussion about how this style should be. After all, it's an old ship in a big civilisation, so there should be lots of options.



This is the interior shot of the Venturer. I did this quite a while ago, when I first started redesigning it.



This is the interior of the Osiris class aircraft / shuttle. It's not finished yet, but there are already some similarities.

I'm also looking to create some models for statue-like columns, which I think would fit the style I had in mind. Basically columns shaped like statues of naked, muscular humans, modelled like they're literally holding the roof up with their hands. Very ominous and a precursor to the extremely humanocentric philosophies of the human civilisation, I guess. If any of you have played the Star Wars computer games, you might recall the Sith temples that included some such Atlas-style statues. There are also similar style statue-columns in Bladerunner, if I recall correctly.
The trouble is, it's damned hard to model humanoid models, so it might take a while for me to model those.

Erm, alright, so this is a bit of a ramble, but maybe this thread will come in handy in the future when people start painting the interior of the Venturer. Hopefully

[horizon]

I approve. I like it. I really do.

I like the style which your after in the shuttle.

[Dragon Lord]

I do quite like the style of the example interior shot of the Venturer, and the interior of the Osiris class shuttle, they do have that 40k feel to them, but without the full facade of Imperial-gothic (e.g. no gargoyles and flying buttresses), so from that point of view I think you've been quite successful in your aim and I agree that it wouldn't fit if say we gave it smooth curved lines like Tau vessels for example.

[Kage2020]

Just a quick question: Are we seeing the "ornate" designs of the Imperium (people-as-columns, gargoyles everywhere) as distinct from the more "functional" designs of the GDAoT? 

Do we see the replacement of rectilinear doorways with gothic arches, etc.?

That kind of thing?

Kage

[CELS]

I approve. I like it. I really do.
I like the style which your after in the shuttle.

Many thanks

I do quite like the style of the example interior shot of the Venturer, and the interior of the Osiris class shuttle, they do have that 40k feel to them, but without the full facade of Imperial-gothic (e.g. no gargoyles and flying buttresses), so from that point of view I think you've been quite successful in your aim and I agree that it wouldn't fit if say we gave it smooth curved lines like Tau vessels for example.

Thank you. And indeed, I would steer away from an organic look here. Although there's nothing wrong with having certain rooms, such as the captain's quarters, being more ornate and having a more classical design (Be that greek, victorian or roman). But I think the "AoT aesthetic" would be underneath that, so that almost any room in the Venturer would be instantly recognisable as Imperial. In the same way that any room onboard the Death Star is recognisable as [Star Wars] Imperial. So I'm hoping we're able to identify a theme and stick with that, but still manage to be creative within that framework, if you will.

Just a quick question: Are we seeing the "ornate" designs of the Imperium (people-as-columns, gargoyles everywhere) as distinct from the more "functional" designs of the GDAoT? 
Do we see the replacement of rectilinear doorways with gothic arches, etc.?

Well, yes. The idea builds on an earlier post of mine, where I tried to identify different ideologies within the Imperium, corresponding to different sets of technology, philosophy, culture and aesthetics. We don't have to take it too far down that route (in this case, anyway), but I've just gone with the STC look created by GW and copied that, because it comes from the Age of Technology. The Horus Heresy artwork features a mix of the STC look with a more ornate 'High Gothic / High Imperial' design, which I interpret as evidence that the ornate style was introduced by the Imperium.

So basically, my idea was to imitate the STC look from GW as a foundation for the AoT aesthetic, and then build on that. If we do produce different sketches and paintings of the Venturer, I guess we'll want to create our own style, to show one of the many styles of architecture, decoration and construction from the Age of Technology. So take the STC look and build on that, throwing in extra stuff like... a large amount of statues and sculptures, or have walls and floors made from glass, or try to incorporate perfect circles into the design (as opposed to all kinds of organic curves) or whatever else, just to create a new 40k look, rather than just copying GW's look.

It's something I hope artists will have a go at, if we ever get far enough to where artists will want to draw the ship's interiors.

[ripperjack]

Cels,

this may be answered elsewhere, but, what graphic editor are you using for these renderings? I would like to take a shot at some drawings, but dont know what works best for this style of design.

Thanks!

[CELS]

I would love to see that, Ripperjack. But do you mean actual drawings (as in, pencil on paper, or graphic tablet) or do you intend to do renderings in 3D? I use Sketch Up, which is Google's free and easy-to-use 3D program. It's really not ideal for creating atmospheric renderings of interior shots, because it doesn't allow you to have multiple light sources. Just sunlight.

Anyway, really looking forward to seeing your work.

[ripperjack]

I would love to see that, Ripperjack. But do you mean actual drawings (as in, pencil on paper, or graphic tablet) or do you intend to do renderings in 3D? I use Sketch Up, which is Google's free and easy-to-use 3D program. It's really not ideal for creating atmospheric renderings of interior shots, because it doesn't allow you to have multiple light sources. Just sunlight.

Anyway, really looking forward to seeing your work.

I was thinking more along the line of the 3d renderings.. Ill have to check out the Sketchup program. Never had a reason until now to use it!

[Kage2020]

If you want to go crazy with free programs for 3D rendering, then check out TruSpace.

Kage