This took place over about a week of back and forth. If I was dedicated just to this one concept I'd say 2-3 days to go from description to sketch to final concept.
Are the research buildings that you are working on designed with the area of study in mind? (Currently studying biology would love to see a lab based on genetic engineering ahahah)
Are you going to show designs from other worlds and moons and their respectivo architectures? (would be really cool)
Keep up the good work I am really enjoying everything you show!!!!
1) Specific fields of study in the research buildings: I have no idea, but I'm excited to find out. Now that I've thrown the concept out there we'll see what becomes of them.
2) Yes. I hope to do process posts like this for everything I design and there are whole worlds to make.
This is gorgeous and inspires a lot of curiosity. Reading your notes on process and seeing the progression fills me with anticipation in a way that a blurb in Previews never has or will. You've got me probing the image for answers. Questions like: There's vegetation on the meteor but not on the shoreline. Why not? Are there specialized fungi on the meteor which break down the minerals into more accessible nutrients for the plants which are absent from the native terrain? Why build at the base of the meteor? Why build on top of it also? Is there some advantage to being up there that makes it worth the hassle? It doesn't matter if these questions have actual answers or even if those questions EVER have answers. What makes this special is that it's a piece that gives me the space and desire to wonder about these things. I cannot wait to see more.
Would this be a compound/ research lab of a corporation or a wealthy playboy/ mad scientist- or a diy family man with a strange hobby? So many questions. Like, is this a normal thing for this region of the planet or alien to this world? I picture myself in the research pod just playing with the controls and probably just annoying the person who built it. Can’t wait to learn more.
this rules! do you have other eras or genres that you are most often drawn to for reference when designing settings/characters as you were with mid-century modern / Bond villain lairs here?
It really depends on the script/material and what associations I make when reading it. On a different recent project I referred to a lot of 70's science fiction book covers. I love the different aesthetics of 50s- 80's sci fi so those references show up often.
Mike, amazing stuff. Question- do you find it challenging to create alien worlds given the mental anchoring of our own people, places, houses, machinery, etc…? In other words, is it better or worse for a reader that we think of a house as something that visually seems consistent with its main attributes here on Earth? When I think about the question, is there life beyond Earth, I often wonder if there is but it just looks , acts, and feels so different that we might struggle to recognize it. Thank you again for all of this- absolutely phenomenal stuff and can’t wait to start the books!!!
I think you can use people's familiarity with certain types of architecture/ vehicles/ clothes/ etc. as a starting point when you're designing. If you are wanting the place you're creating to feel safe or welcoming you probably want to lean in to those familiar things, and if you want it to feel exotic or alien.. threatening, then you steer away.
And I agree about the potential "unrecognizability" of alien life. There are undersea and fungal life forms right here on earth that are so alien we have trouble understanding them.
Thank you for the reply! Over the years, that has definitely been an area I was always curious about; even for my own writing and illustrating. Appreciate your insight!
It’d be really cool if someone or something was already living in the meteorite before it crash landed (maybe something similar to the concept of colonization of asteroids)
Love this idea. Or maybe the composition of the meteor affects the trees growing from it, twisting them into some alien version of the region’s native flora. Giving the researcher another reason to occupy, harvest, or mine the asteroid for its unique properties.
What a nice house....on the lake
It's just possible you may be missing some of the nuances here my friend 🤣
Really good job on the alien Venture Compound vibes. The mid-century modern scifi look also reminds me of Incredibles. Both great places to start.
I'm hankering to learn what goes on inside this setting.
Very Hank
The Venture Compound is EXACTLY what this reminds me of. Good observation!
curious to know usually how much time is needed for the mentioned progress to be made
This took place over about a week of back and forth. If I was dedicated just to this one concept I'd say 2-3 days to go from description to sketch to final concept.
Awesome work 👍
Love it - just set the last render as my phone background
Excellent idea 💡, thank you!
Haha me too
Two questions
Are the research buildings that you are working on designed with the area of study in mind? (Currently studying biology would love to see a lab based on genetic engineering ahahah)
Are you going to show designs from other worlds and moons and their respectivo architectures? (would be really cool)
Keep up the good work I am really enjoying everything you show!!!!
1) Specific fields of study in the research buildings: I have no idea, but I'm excited to find out. Now that I've thrown the concept out there we'll see what becomes of them.
2) Yes. I hope to do process posts like this for everything I design and there are whole worlds to make.
Thanks! And really apreciate how active you are on the comments it really makes this feel like a shared experience
This is gorgeous and inspires a lot of curiosity. Reading your notes on process and seeing the progression fills me with anticipation in a way that a blurb in Previews never has or will. You've got me probing the image for answers. Questions like: There's vegetation on the meteor but not on the shoreline. Why not? Are there specialized fungi on the meteor which break down the minerals into more accessible nutrients for the plants which are absent from the native terrain? Why build at the base of the meteor? Why build on top of it also? Is there some advantage to being up there that makes it worth the hassle? It doesn't matter if these questions have actual answers or even if those questions EVER have answers. What makes this special is that it's a piece that gives me the space and desire to wonder about these things. I cannot wait to see more.
Did you develop any floor plans for the home? Is that typically part of your process when designing buildings or is it more about he look and feel?
At this stage the design was just about look and feel. As we start to tell stories here we'll get more specific with floor plans etc.
Would this be a compound/ research lab of a corporation or a wealthy playboy/ mad scientist- or a diy family man with a strange hobby? So many questions. Like, is this a normal thing for this region of the planet or alien to this world? I picture myself in the research pod just playing with the controls and probably just annoying the person who built it. Can’t wait to learn more.
Seeing the picture of the compound when the substack launched was what convinced me to sign up. It's beautiful.
But what's on the inside...👀
Stunning. Love this window into the process. Really excited about this project!
this rules! do you have other eras or genres that you are most often drawn to for reference when designing settings/characters as you were with mid-century modern / Bond villain lairs here?
It really depends on the script/material and what associations I make when reading it. On a different recent project I referred to a lot of 70's science fiction book covers. I love the different aesthetics of 50s- 80's sci fi so those references show up often.
Really awesome to see the process!
Mike, amazing stuff. Question- do you find it challenging to create alien worlds given the mental anchoring of our own people, places, houses, machinery, etc…? In other words, is it better or worse for a reader that we think of a house as something that visually seems consistent with its main attributes here on Earth? When I think about the question, is there life beyond Earth, I often wonder if there is but it just looks , acts, and feels so different that we might struggle to recognize it. Thank you again for all of this- absolutely phenomenal stuff and can’t wait to start the books!!!
-Mike M.
I think you can use people's familiarity with certain types of architecture/ vehicles/ clothes/ etc. as a starting point when you're designing. If you are wanting the place you're creating to feel safe or welcoming you probably want to lean in to those familiar things, and if you want it to feel exotic or alien.. threatening, then you steer away.
And I agree about the potential "unrecognizability" of alien life. There are undersea and fungal life forms right here on earth that are so alien we have trouble understanding them.
Thank you for the reply! Over the years, that has definitely been an area I was always curious about; even for my own writing and illustrating. Appreciate your insight!
This is great stuff
It’d be really cool if someone or something was already living in the meteorite before it crash landed (maybe something similar to the concept of colonization of asteroids)
Yes, that would be cool!
Love this idea. Or maybe the composition of the meteor affects the trees growing from it, twisting them into some alien version of the region’s native flora. Giving the researcher another reason to occupy, harvest, or mine the asteroid for its unique properties.