Why This?:

I've been pushing myself lately to develop some more interesting and substantial artwork/designs and my latest endeavor has dealt with taking a different approach to "redesiging" various tribal cultures. I love the science fiction genre and my goal by the end of this project will be to develop an environment that is both narrative driven and visually captivating. 

Project Bio:

I decided to go with a "Sci-fi Colonialism" approach for this project. I've been studying Papua New Guinea lately, and with my more organic style for technology I figured having this clash of emerging technology in a primative culture could lead to some interesting narrative and visual forms.

Reference Images/Textures:

Images 01 - A few tribal shots, some examples of native architecture, and of course the gorgeous landscapes that are literally everywhere you look. So much eye candy.

Images 02 - Even more goodies. I think the headresses are my favorites, but then again its all fantastic visually so choosing is a toughy.

Textures - For the textures I knew I wanted to use several different; yet, similar kinds. I decided to go with various tropical tree trunks that would work on both a large and small scale of detail.

Character Thumbs:

Im aware that this is a landscape class. But I find that it's much easier to develop an environment when you have decent idea of the kinds characters that would inhabit it.

Environment Thumbs:

I had quite a bit of fun at this stage! I always love thumbsnails because its all about getting loose and letting the gestures take over. My only concern is that I need to push the "tribal vs tech" motif a bit more. Out of the six, I'd definitely have to say numero two is my favorite and the one that I'm going to flesh out. 

Environment Colors/Value:

Once I had the painting valued out, I just jumped into throwing some colors around and getting my atmospheric lighting started. At this point I have a majority of my color palette figured out, but I still have quite a few things to tighten up. 

Environment Final Pass:

After a much needed critique, I made several changes and incorporated some better lighting. I also layed down some photos for more interesting silhouettes and designs.