concept in progress

To break up my standard process of design (wit the hopes that i might be able to come up with some design that i would be happier with) i got out some Sculpey and wire, to throw together some quick maquettes. These are really just sketches in clay that i have made to see how my concepts work in 3d space. this is a great way to work, particularly when turning a concept into a digital 3d model later.

I took inspiration for these from my earlier sketches. i liked certain aspects of this first sculpt, the antenna break up the shape and make it less upright, providing lines that sweepback away from the face area. i had started to favor using the single eye in my designs to get away from the established expectations of "humanoid" aliens, but i think the design is too synonymous with robotics (it often looks more like a lens than an eye) and this isn't what i wanted for the character. i think i is harder to create an emotive character if you stray too far from a human (or at least recognisable) template, the head is also just a little to phallic.

With this second maquette i went with a more recognisable humanoid shape for the head and built it up with plates of clay i didnt want to spend a long time smoothing, so as with the previous sculpt i just defined the muscle structure, as i would do to create a shilouette. The design just felt like it would be better suited to more of a "fantasy" setting rather than sci-fi.

I liked this concept enough to finish the sculpt to a slightly higher quality, the face is human enough not to be a jarring design, but twisted enough be off putting in the intended sense. i took away features that are defining of the human face (nose and mouth) and duplicated the eyes, simple changes but effective. 

The photo does not show it too well, but the scupt has a collection of tubes coming from the bottom of the throat and back of the head. the ones at the back actually form the shillouete of a more human character with long hair, this should make the viewer subconsciously more aware of the more human attributes.

Taking the body from one of my sketches and the head from the last bust i sculpted i sketched out my first full concept for the character "The hunter". The overall body shape, i made very human, but in the details i aadded more "alien" attributes. my style of creature design id influenced by H.R Giger. I like Gigers biomechanical take on the human body, and use of smooth rounded forms. his work has influenced allot of my design of organics in the past, as well as in this project. 

Much of Gigers art uses a human shape as a basic form, adding pipes or tubes over that to create alien looking designs. I wanted my own designs to be less humanoid than this, i am trying to create work that does not strictly follow the Hollywood school of design when it comes to alien creatures and characters. 

Progression of my character: Here i show the steps i took in creating this piece from, sketch to line art, to black and white tone work followed by building up colour.