“Join Sarah McCulloch as we explore the earliest processes involved in creating concept ships: shape language. Also, she made the Mercury Star Runner. You wanna watch it.”
In this episode of Star Citizen Live, the focus is on ship development. The host introduces the guest, Sarah McCullough, a concept artist for ship designs in the game. Sarah shares her experience working on various ships, including the Mercury and SRV. The episode explores the ship design process through the creation of new ship concepts.
Sarah begins by presenting a selection of thumbnail sketches, which serve as initial ideas for ship designs. These thumbnails help artists establish the shape and style of the ships. They are a starting point from which they can experiment with different shapes and explore new design possibilities. Sarah explains the importance of shape language in ship design as it helps create a recognizable and readable silhouette, especially from a distance.
The episode also discusses the collaboration between concept artists and the design team. Sarah mentions that while the design team provides a brief outlining the ship’s role and purpose, there is flexibility to explore new design avenues. The concept artist’s role is to bring the technical design to a visual representation while considering the established design language of the ship’s manufacturer. The episode emphasizes the significance of collaboration in the ship design process.
Throughout the episode, viewers are invited to participate in the ship design by voting on certain aspects. They get to choose the cockpit style, body design, wing attachments, and weapon configuration of the ship. This interactive approach allows viewers to be engaged and have a say in the final ship design. The episode concludes with the creation of a ship concept called the Anvil Overkill, featuring retractable gull-like wings, multiple turrets, missiles, and even a cargo bay.
Overall, this episode of Star Citizen Live provides insights into ship design in the game. It highlights the importance of shape language, collaboration between concept artists and designers, and the interactive nature of ship design in involving the community. The creation of the Anvil Overkill ship concept showcases the creative process and the possibilities that exist within ship design in the game.