Digital Space Art created in 2014
The illustrations below represent the space artwork that I completed in 2014.
Coronal Rain
Coronal Rain is a phenomenon in which an arc of plasma following along the magnetic fields of the sun, cools and falls back to the surface. Such a display was captured in a time-lapse from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory in 2012. The video of this phenomenon which was the inspiration for this artwork can be viewed here. This piece was created on the iPad using the Sketchbook Pro app. Below is the time-lapse video of the artwork from start to completion. Prints can be purchased here.
Cygnus Cargo Delivery Spacecraft
The Cygnus is another commercial spacecraft that has been making regular deliveries of cargo to the International Space Station. Created by Orbital Sciences Corporation and it’s partners, the Cygnus can deliver 2000 kilograms of cargo in it’s pressurized cargo module. The Cygnus is launched into orbit by Orbital Science’s Antaries medium-class space launch vehicle.
This illustration is another in my series of works depicting contemporary spacecraft in Earth’s orbit. The background is drawn or painted on the Apple iPad using the Sketchbook Pro app. The foreground is modeled and rendered in Lightwave 3d. Photoshop was used to create some texture maps.
Deploying Solar Sails
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.
X-37b Robotic Space Plane
Boeing’s X-37b space plane is essentially a drone in the form of a rocket-launched miniature shuttle. This twenty nine foot long spacecraft is one of two Orbital Test Vehicles (OTV) built by Boeing for the Air Force. Capable of maneuvering in high Earth orbit with a seven foot by four foot payload bay, this space plane can carry out multiple missions. Launched on December 11th, 2012 which is over 400 days in orbit. There is much speculation regarding it’s mission and payload. And is considered one of the most expensive drones flying today.
This was a fun illustration project. I modeled the craft in Lightwave 3D by Newtek using photo references. The background images are created in Sketchbook Pro for the iPad. Texture maps were created in Photoshop.
First Year on Mars
On June 24th NASA’s Curiosity rover completed its first Martian year on Mars (nearly two Earth years). According to NASA’s press release, the rover has driven nearly 8 kilometers in that year and beamed back some amazing images. To celebrate Curiosity’s new year, I took inspiration from a 2005 image taken by the Spirit rover of the sun setting. This image shows how the sun light looks filtered through the mostly carbon dioxide atmosphere creating a characteristic blue glow. The sun going down on it’s first year and dawning on the new year for the rover.
This illustration was painted on the iPad using the Sketchbook Pro app and the Connect Bluetooth pressure sensitive stylus by Ten One Design. This Illustration also won the Ten One Design iPad Drawing contest in the category of Current Events. Below is the time-lapse video of this illustration. Prints’ can be purchased by clicking here.
