Recycling Concepts + Fifth Element (!?)

Sinking

Info

The idea of this thread is to recycle some of my old concepts and see what I would make from them today. I will try to go into detail about every step I take from the original sketch to making modular meshes, fit for UDK and other realtime engines. I'd apreciate your feedback and thoughts/suggestions and hope we can have a lively discussion about the topic of Sci-Fi environments.

I'm also open for Cooperation on this scene, so if anyone wants to make a "reinvented" Corben Dallas Style Taxicab (isn't it either taxi or cab?), feel free to get in touch. We might get an entire scene going here with mechanics running around and *gasp* animations.


The Reasons


While sitting down to make yet another concept, I realized I have so many old ones that went unused. They are not as good from a technical standpoint like the drawings I'd make today, however, there are some ideas in my old sketches that I thought are worth revisiting.

A1) So I scrolled through my sketchbook(s) and came across this drawing:

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As you can see it is a one-vanishing point drawing with the VP slightly off the center to make it less static.

I recently re-watched "The Fifth Element" and realized just how much I love this movie and its original style. While this concept was not supposed to be related to the movie it did evoke in me some kind of feeling of "older" Sci- Fi, so I decided this one was the one to go with.

A1.1) I stretched it to fit better into a 16:9 dimension and also, because I felt it would improve the proportions of the image. I made three separate layers (Foreground, Midground, background) and started laying in some greyscale for depth:

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A1.2) I then proceeded to detail the concept a bit more, beginning to think about materials and how the bay is situated within the bigger structure of the building and city environment.

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A1.3) Then I began selecting materials/photos from my texture library and searched the Net for what I couldn't find in my own library. The three spheres on top represent the materials I will use for the most part in this scene.

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I also began to concept individual artwork for the meshes that require additional concepting. Most notably these are the signal lights overhead and on the side of the bay and the door.

***When I'm done with the individual sketches, I will post these in my next update. I might also sketch in Corben's Taxi in the middle of the landing bay. Any suggestions and feedback you may have, post below or PM me. I'm always grateful for people taking the time to help me make better art. I try to do the same for others, too.***

"Leelou Dallas - Multipass, Multipass"... I can't get that out of my mind.

mark williams

Nice work so far.
I'm a fan of The Fifth Element too, I liked the way it had a real European comics feel to it, rather than the standard Hollywood Sci Fi stylings.
A far as the sketch goes, I think it could be tightened up a bit. Depending on whether it's just a working reference for yourself or if you want to put it into a portfolio. I'm working off reference from Ben Procter at the moment
http://www.benprocter.com/prometheus/prometheus-interior/
and his sketches are tight. I think mainly because he's painting over 3d sketch models that he's pre made.
It'd be great to have something in this bay, a vehicle a robot or whatever. Plus some atmospheric lighting outside to contrast against the interior lighting...
Have you started blocking it out yet?

Sinking

Yeah I started the blockout yesterday and will post it when I have all assets in there. Later today. The blockout already made clear that, e.g. the exit door on the left is far too tall for a human, so the window in it doesn't make sense. And since I am putting everything into 256x256x256 dimensions, I was forced to redesign the corridor shape a little bit.

I also thought that I'd need some sci-fi conventions, like heavy cable strands and hanging cables + pipes that separate the fore- and background. At the moment the image has a foreground and a background, it is really lacking some other reference for perspective. A lot more interest can come from the floor pieces and wall panels, too. They are kind of bland now. I plan to do a paintover of the ambient occlusion render when the blockout is done. It's a good workflow for me.


I googled for Korben's Cab and found lots of images. I'll probably make my own version of it, because otherwise it wouldn't fit my scene.

I'm gonna look at the image reference ASAP, thanks for commenting! Update is inbound.

Sinking

So, I took some screenshots of the blockout. I definitely have to add detail like cables and pipes. I'll probably start drawing them in. I also made the thing slightly non-symmetrical, because I think it looks more interesting than the usual mirror copies of sci-fi corridors. It's still pretty modular.

I'm also not suggesting this looks like anything out of Fith Element. I just want to add my version of the Korben Dalls Cab as a point of interest. Yet, the idea of this thread was/is to first deal with my concepts and improve the environment. However, ever image needs a story and this one is missing an actor; or several.

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Oh yeah, one more thing - the holes in the floor are going to be covered by grids. They just indicate places where I want to have cable strands show below the grids. I'm also thinking of making hanging cables along the ceiling, which is why there is room.

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The material/lighting is ugly, but it helps me see shading errors best. The cylinder in the first image is my human reference (90Unreal Units).

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mark williams

Cool stuff. Maybe have lights as well as cables under the 2 gutters either side of the hanger, it could make for an interesting lighting set up. but then I'm fond of 'lighting from below'.
Painting over block outs I something I do too.
Looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

Sinking

I just added some cables and pipes and the "OXY-Gen" (Oxy-gen is for liquid oxygen propellant/refueling) and blocked out some gas pipes. I'm gonna look at some welding equipment so I can get them look right; maybe modify them for a slight sci-fi look.

I feel like the few pipes already do a lot to liven things up, and I'm not nearly done on this side. Only problem is I don't want pipes on the other side too, so I need to figure out what to dress the right side with. Maybe just (more) control panels and future pin-boards? Post your suggestions below. I'm going to bed ^^





I worked some more on it. The crates in the background are... experimental. Generally the answer to my questions about what to place on the other walls is - airducts!.

So here is an AO render of the scene:

Sinking

I started concepting and modeling to get away from the blockout and into some design, finally. All I managed to make today is the computer (which was supposed to replace the screen in the background/left).

I had so much fun with it that I "accidentially" made a desktop version. I will modify the model to work as a hanging one. I actually have an idea for a multi-monitor setup that will replace the blockout screen.






Also, I'm just starting to realize the amount of work I have gotten myself into. And I'm enjoying every minute of it! I'm not going for the ultra stylish Sci-Fi look of current sci-fi movies. I'm going for a retro, cartoonish style with lots of bells and whistles