The next illustration in my “Orbital” series. I have always wanted to create a spacecraft that uses sails to catch the solar pressure from the sun. The dichotomy of space-age technology and a seemingly low-tech propulsion system make for great artistic inspiration. I wanted to create an illustration that borders on science fiction, but ultimately I grounded this image in more contemporary technology so that it would match my other orbital illustrations. This illustration depicts the sails unfolding into position high above the earth. In the lower right of the unfolding sails there is a subtle reflection of the moon.
Like many of my images, I used a number of tools to create this illustration. The background is painted or drawn in Sketchbook Pro for iPad. The spacecraft is modeled and composited in LightWave 3D. Sculpris was used to create the creases and folds in the sails. Lensflare HD for iPad and Photoshop provide some of the finishing touches.