Yggdrasil: Generation Starship
Editorial Science / Sci-Fi Illustration • Symmetry Magazine • 2024
FOR
Symmetry Magazine / Sandbox Studio, 2024
Thanks to AD Michael Branigan
WORK
Concept design & illustration
TOOLS
C4D, CSP, Procreate
INFO
A stylized generation starship flies away from an asteroid field and into a colorful molecular cloud. The ship, named "Yggdrasil", is shaped like a maple seed and intersected by two large wheels that would generate artificial gravity along their rims.
For a Symmetry Magazine article by Aspen Stuart-Cunningham: Science fiction inspires a new astrophysics university class.
Rough concept thumbnails
Given its name, "Yggdrasil", I designed this spaceship with an organic form in mind. The main body was inspired by maple seeds. The dual wheels are based on the Stanford Torus and similar "rotating wheel" designs.
3D Model
Maquettes can speed up the illustration process. Although it takes time to create, the model can then be tested in a variety of lighting and camera setups before committing to a final scene — much faster than redrawing.
Color Comps
Quick paintovers to test the scene. Initially I planned a subdued color scheme like those above. But in the end we went for a more colorful approach, informed by hues in the Orion Nebula, Rho Ophiuchi, and similar molecular clouds and nebulae.
