Models based on book covers

Richard Bartrop · Post by **Richard Bartrop** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 9:56 am

Detailed recreations of science fiction art from the 1970s. He calls them sculptures, but the techniques are familiar to modelers.

http://www.grantlouden.com/shipyard.htm

Maybe there's a group build or a contest in this idea? Pick a favourite SF book cover, and try to recreate it.

Johnnycrash · Post by **Johnnycrash** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 11:02 am

Beautiful work. WOW!! And all I have had time to look at is "The Star Dwellers".

Umi_Ryuzuki · Post by **Umi_Ryuzuki** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:07 pm

Sounds like a competition.

Nice work.

Rogviler · Post by **Rogviler** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 1:26 pm

It's interested how he goes through testing the shapes versus the 2D picture taken at the same angle. I've definitely had that problem where I'm trying to make something in 3D that I only have an off-axis 2D picture of. I wouldn't have thought of doing it in paper and then taking a picture of it from the same angle.

-Rog

ajmadison · Post by **ajmadison** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 11:45 pm

All of this takes me back to when I was a tweener, and I'd take my Aurora model of a subject and hold it relative to a picture of, as some like to say, 'the prototype'. I would pose the model until I could dart my eyes between it and the picture and see where there were differences. Admittedly, most of the time, all I had was box art from the kit, but even there I could see huge changes between the model and the box art and that's even allowing for parallax.

Still, its a very useful double check for verifying the model (or in my case, the scratchbuild in question) and the references. I have used a variety of rapid prototyping methods to verify a build before committing to lengthy builds in plastic. Some are as nice as building the paper model (when available), others are cardboard profiles, and when necessary, doing some quick and dirty construction with sheet styrene. I can churn a plastic box in a few minutes. Couple more minutes, and I can cut off an edge and apply a bevel.

In short, I spend most of my 'build' time, not building. I spend it figuring out how a sub-assembly is shaped. And any trick that is useful in translating a bunch of reference pictures to model construction is welcomed.

steelrose · Post by **steelrose** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:38 pm

Personally, I'd start with Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon The Deep, the chrome tropical fish ship (Out Of Band II).

tonyG2 · Post by **tonyG2** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 1:39 pm

I like the Welcome to Mars design by Peter Ellison. Its been years since I saw it in an art book and thought then that it deserved being built - even a kit released although I was certain that would never happen.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 4:37 pm

steelrose wrote:Personally, I'd start with Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon The Deep, the chrome tropical fish ship (Out Of Band II).

I never cared for that painting. It doesn't match the description of the Out Of Band II from the story. I don't know if Boris never read the book, or just decided to go his own direction with the painting. Still, it might make a pretty cool model.

eeun · Post by **eeun** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:57 pm

Johnnycrash wrote: Beautiful work. WOW!! And all I have had time to look at is "The Star Dwellers".

Likewise. Going to have to put on another pot of coffee for the rest.
That's an amazing inspiration.

(edit:) There really is just the one build article. The other projects are still ongoing (or abandoned?).