Space Art by Christopher Doll

Category: Art

  • Planets Project Update – First Color

    Planets Project Update – First Color

    The scale model of the solar is coming together and here’s the first color on each of the planets. I’ve also test-painted the rings for Saturn, which is fun to see in 3D. More below, and please pardon the dust – these shots were taken in my art studio and there’s a lot going on.

    Planet Hemispheres, all with base colors

    Each of the planets has their base color tones as of this writing. Some of the planets are painted inside the clear acrylic hemisphere, which will give them a bit more depth. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Venus will make use of this effect. Except for Uranus, clouds will be painted on the outside, but some light will scatter through the acrylic and bounce off of the inside layer.

    Process for painting the inside of the planets

    After the base color is applied, I went over them with white primer. This provides enough light blockage to prevent them from glowing too much. There was still too much of a glow, so I covered the white layer with a deep black. I don’t have a photo showing the effect, but it’s very similar to Uranus above (which is pretty much ready to be sealed as-is.

    Jupiter

    Jupiter North Pole

    The cloud bands were mapped out using an airbrush and several colors. Additional cloud details are needed, some to cover up that unfortunate splatter from my airbrush. Or, I just call that part a storm.

    Jupiter – South Pole

    The recent images from the NASA/JPL Juno mission have provided high resolution detail of Jupiter’s south polar region. I’ve started here by getting the colors more into a gray-purple realm. A good base for many whirling clouds.

    Saturn

    And finally my favorite of the bunch, Saturn. I’m thrilled with how the rings turned out, courtesy of my friend and colleague Joe “Faust” Graziano. Shown here are one of the prototype rings we cut to my original design.

    Base Color for Saturn and Rings

    While there’s still a lot to finish on each of these, it’s fun to see them come alive.

    Let me know what you think! And if you like this, please share at your leisure. Thank you!

  • Latest Project – The Planets

    Latest Project – The Planets

    Recently, I was approached by someone who saw my painted planets from a few years back. They wanted a new set of planets, in a larger scale, for an installation at their home. I am happy to announce that this project is now underway.

    My previous planet set – each 2 1/2″ across

    Previously I offered Jupiter, Mars, Earth and its Moon. Each was approximately 2 1/2″ across, and far more round than the actual planets they were depicting.

    I’ve always wanted to upscale the planets that I made before, and render them in a more accurate fashion. This is a perfect opportunity to do so, and to perhaps offer these updated planets to others. Especially Saturn, which is by nature a difficult planet to depict in 3D due to its beautiful rings. I’ve had my own ideas on how to make a scale model of Saturn, but they required tools that I did not have easy access to at the time. And frankly with the bakery business that we were running, I didn’t really have the capacity to make any progress on them. But I did manage to knock together a concept model using smaller wood hemispheres and a shape I cut on our Cricut Maker.

    Original Prototype – 3.5″ across – wood and chipboard

    I’m pretty fond of this size Saturn, but the details would be quite hard to see. And the thickness of the rings is a bit distracting. This design was a test of the rings that are suspended from a single ledge behind the planet (not shown in the photo). It’s effective when viewed from multiple angles.

    As luck would have it, a good friend and colleague of mine started collecting some clever machinery that would help make this project a reality. And this week, after some back and forth about the details, we have our first Saturn prototype ready to go:

    Full Size Saturn Prototype

    The main body of Saturn will be two acrylic hemispheres, 4 1/2″ across. The rings were laser etched and cut by my friend Joe Graziano. We will be working together on these and I am thrilled with the results so far. Overall Saturn will be just over 10″ across with the rings.

    Outer Planets (L to R) Jupiter 6″, Saturn 4.5″, Uranus & Neptune 4″
    6″ Hemispheres for Jupiter – clear acrylic

    The largest single planet will of course be Jupiter, at 6″ diameter. Uranus and Neptune will each be 4″. As much as I’d like to scale these with 100% accuracy, I am at the mercy of available hemispheres. At least until I can manufacture my own at a later date. Each of the hemispheres will need to be reduced in height to match the proper profile of the planets.

    Inner Planets (L to R) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter (for scale)

    The inner planets will be mostly at scale with each other, but for the sake of the display, they will each be larger than they should be compared to the outer planets. As of this writing, I am considering bumping up their scale a bit as they may be a bit small when viewed in person.

    For my client, these planets will be suspended from the ceiling with a dedicated light fixture. I will be working on stand-alone sets as well, either wall-mounted or tabletop. Either way, I am excited to share this with all of you and I will be updating as things progress.

    Let me know what you think!

  • Art Prints from Becky Chambers’ Novels in the Store

    Art Prints from Becky Chambers’ Novels in the Store

    For those of you who enjoyed Becky Chambers’ science fiction novels, I have made prints of the cover art that I made for her and Harper Collins US. They are available in my store, and will be on hand at my upcoming local events.

    And my congratulations to Becky Chambers for winning the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Series. I am thrilled to have met her and I wish her the best.

    Science Fiction Art Prints in my Space Art Store
    Cover Art Prints for Becky Chambers’ Novels

    If you haven’t read her books yet, I highly recommend them – especially if you enjoy science fiction books. She’s done a great job and I am honored to have participated in a small way.

    Head on over to my store, or click on the image for a direct link. Thank you!

  • Recurring Dreams #32 – Folksbier Brauerei (with time Lapse Video)

    Recurring Dreams #32 – Folksbier Brauerei (with time Lapse Video)

    I’ve made a video!

    Over on my Youtube Channel I have posted a time-lapse video of me painting Recurring Dreams #32. I’m working on a longer, narrated version that will be available on my soon-to-be-active PATREON page. I will be posting more about my Patreon page soon, but in the meantime here is the timelapse painting:

    About the painting

    Folksbier Braueri from Brooklyn, NY commissioned this piece for their Recurring Dreams #32 IPA. They wanted a retro science fiction inspiration, in the style of artist Paul Lehr. I was thrilled to paint this scene for them.

    They identified a color scheme, a gradient from mauve to deep blue tones with a few stops in between, and several of their favorite Paul Lehr images to get a feel for the style they were looking for. I made a small color sketch and proceeded to paint their scene.

    Small color sketch

    I used Richeson Casein Paint, which is a water-based paint used by illustrators and artists for many years. It’s fast, like acrylic, and can be painted opaque like guache or thinned for washes like watercolor. It’s very versatile and the colors are bright. Casein was used by many of my favorite artists, and James Gurney (Dinotopia) has some wonderful videos on how to use casein.

    Richeson Casein Paint – Titanium White, Permasol Blue, Rose Red, Naples Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue

    Recurring Dreams #32 is out, as of this writing. So if you’re near Brooklyn, NY drop on by and try out Folksbier Braueri.

    Recurring Dreams #32 in the wild

    Prints on the way

    I am now taking pre-orders for prints of Recurring Dreams #32 in my store. This will be a limited run and I expect to have them by September 10th.

  • My First Art-Only Show at the Edmonds Farmer’s Market

    My First Art-Only Show at the Edmonds Farmer’s Market

    On Saturday, August 24th from 9:00am to 3:00pm I will be setting up a booth at the Edmonds Farmer’s Market. I’ve been there every weekend this year with baked goods from Doll House Baked Goods, but on August 24th I will be setting up a booth to showcase my own art.

    EDMONDS FARMERS MARKET
    Bell St. & 5th Ave NE
    Edmonds, Washington 98020

    I’ve been working on a number of new pieces that will be appearing for the first time in public, and I will have prints of my older work as well.

    I’ll be flying my Space Art By Christopher Doll sign, instead of baked goods. But I might have a few cookies on hand, just in case.

    I would love to see you at the show, and there is no obligation whatsoever. Stop by and say hello and enjoy the afternoon. There are a lot of great vendors at the Edmonds Farmer’s Market and downtown Edmond is a great place to spend the day.

    August 24th 9:00am to 3:00pm
  • Original Art on Sale, Country Village Prints Now in Store

    Original Art on Sale, Country Village Prints Now in Store

    I have marked down a selection of my original artwork in the store. This sale will be up for the next week. I would love to find a permanent home for some of these pieces.

    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store

    New pieces will be added soon, stay tuned!

    Country Village Art Prints Now in the store!

    We offered these art prints from my Country Village series in our shop. They are now available to order in my store. There are two sizes, 9″ x 12″ and 5″ x 7″. Options for print-only or framed are available.

    Country Village Art Prints Now in the Store

    These were originally painted with casein on illustration board, and depict the Country Village in Bothell where we had our bakery for three years.

  • Celebrate the Country Village with Art

    Celebrate the Country Village with Art

    Thursday, October 25th from 6pm to 9pm we are hosting a pop-up art gallery at The Country Village Shops! If you happen to be in the Seattle area, come on by. This will be the debut of the first of my Country Village paintings.

    There will be beverages and snacks at the event, and prints will be available. After the show, prints can be ordered here in my shop or at Doll House Baked Goods in the Country Village.

    In addition to my Country Village series, I will also be showing some of my recent science fiction artwork.

    Artist Dennis Brown will be co-hosting this show. Dennis Brown is a fantastic artist. He sculpts magical creations at his studio in the Country Village. It’s been an absolute pleasure to see Dennis work, and to see his sculpts in person.

    Link to Event on Facebook

    Location

    The gallery show will be in The Country Village, Bothell Washington:

    The Country Village Shops
    817 238th St SE
    Suite C
    Bothell, Wa. 98021

    Link to the Country Village via Google Maps

    We are set up in the building just across from Doll House Baked Goods, and next to Keepsake Cottage fabrics. Contact me if you have trouble finding the spot.

  • Oil Painting, The Enterprise, and Cabooses

    Oil Painting, The Enterprise, and Cabooses

    We’re getting ready for a busy Fall and Holiday season at the shop, and things are heating up in the home studio too. I’ve been painting a lot more than I have in the last two years and I’m enjoying the results so far. Here’s a peek at some of the latest projects, and some of them fall completely outside the realm of SPACE ART.

    The Enterprise (In Progress)

    I’ve been wanting to paint this scene for years, and in my last post I showed you the preliminary stages. The Enterprise itself is still little more than the under painting but it’s coming along nicely. This is a big piece for me, 3 feet wide and 18 inches tall. I had to step away from it a bit due to the Country Village series that I’ve started but I plan on finishing this up shortly.

    Once finished, this will go on sale in my store, and I plan on making a limited number of prints available.

    The Country Village

    Next Spring we have to leave our shop at the Country Village and it’s a shame to see all of these wonderful buildings and places go away. I’ve started painting some of our favorites, and I’d like to capture many more throughout the season. These are small paintings, about 9″ by 12″, painted with casein on illustration board. I was inspired to try this medium by James Gurney, artist and author of the Dinotopia books. He is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to learn how to paint. I highly recommend checking out his site and his YouTube channel. Thank you for all of your help so far, James!

    Artist Dennis Brown Studio in Winter
    Fae’s Caboose
    Keepsake Cottage
    Scout 829 Caboose
    The Chicken

    These are the first few paintings and I have more lined up. It’s a different subject for me, but I’ve enjoyed them. These will be on display in our shop at the Country Village this Fall and we will be having prints available in several sizes.

    Oil Painting

    A couple of years ago a good friend of mine from our local Science Fiction Model Club sold me his oil paints, tools, and a pile of canvases. He was getting out of it altogether and I was thrilled he came by. It’s taken me this long to break them out, but I’ve been wanting to paint with oils for a long time. First I picked up an unfinished acrylic piece I’d started last year, and decided to use the acrylic base as my under painting – a technique often used by artists.

    This piece is about 12″ x 20″ on wrapped canvas. It was a lot of fun, and I just had to paint something from scratch so I found a small 8′ x 10′ canvas board and tried out a moonlight scene with a lighthouse.

    I’m pretty happy with the results and it was a great way to get my hands back into oils again. It’ll be a couple of weeks before I can varnish these and have them on display in the shop, but both are available.

    Inquiries are welcome on these, or any other piece. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

  • From the Shop

    From the Shop

    It’s been two years since we opened Doll House Baked Goods, our small bakery, and in that time we have learned a lot about running our own business. We had no illusions that this would be easy, the hours are long and we don’t have nearly the same amount of free time or freedom to travel like we used to.� But it’s been rewarding and I make a mean batch of chocolate chip cookies.

    One of the bonuses of having our own shop is that we have room to display and sell my original art and prints. In the last two years a number of my pieces have found good homes and I am working hard to make more.

    A corner of our shop with space and science fiction art

    Current Art Projects

    I’ve updated several areas on the site, adding new artwork that has recently made its way to the shop. Some of them are also available in my store here, and at Doll House Baked Goods. If you happen to be in the area please stop on by and say hello!

    Stellar Explorer VII

    Some of the most popular paintings in the shop were scenes from Washington State. I had a number of lighthouses from the Pacific Coast and beach scenery. I love visiting that area and have a lot of fond memories from family trips over the years. In fact, all of my original lighthouse paintings have been sold and I plan on making more soon.

    Shores of Long Beach, Washington

    Speaking of art, it’s been a bit quiet on the art front for me lately. The long hours we spend each day baking cookies, pies, breads, and other treats has been draining and I have not kept up the pace with my art as much as I would’ve liked. But I am turning a corner on this and there will be many more new pieces coming up soon, so stay tuned. Here’s a sneak peak at a large piece on the easel right now:

    In Other News

    Be sure to check out Becky Chambers’ new novel, Record of a Spaceborn Few published by Harper Collins. It’s out in the stores now and it features my artwork on the cover. Becky’s books are great, and well worth your time if you enjoy good science fiction.

    Record of a Spaceborn Few

  • Latest Cover Art – Becky Chambers’ Record of a Spaceborn Few

    Latest Cover Art – Becky Chambers’ Record of a Spaceborn Few

    It’s set to be released this coming July but you can pre-order it now.

    Record of a Spaceborn Few

    This piece was made digitally. The spaceship, an Exodan Homesteader, was entirely hand-drawn in Photoshop with my Wacom Intuos tablet. These are old colony ships, and have spent hundreds of years in space and have gone through generations of renovations and improvements.

    When I was first given the assignment, I had no description of the spacecraft but my art director definitely wanted a spacecraft in a nebula. My first sketches had a totally different spaceship but I was happy with the color scheme. After the first drafts were complete, I received a book excerpt with descriptions of these vast spacecraft, and her own sketches. Becky had even cobbled together a paper model of the ship as she envisioned it.

    With all the new information at hand, I went back and re-drew the Exodan Homesteader in similar colors to work with the background.

    I highly recommend Becky Chambers’ books. She’s doing fantastic work and I am thrilled to have been a small part of her commercial publications.

    Closed and Common Orbit – Becky Chambers

    A Closed and Common Orbit

    And her debut novel, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

    A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

    I have previously written about my work on the covers for Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. It has had several iterations before the final US release by HarperCollins.

  • Imagined Futures at Pivot Art + Culture

    Imagined Futures at Pivot Art + Culture

    Last week I dropped by the new Space Art exhibit, Imagined futures hosted by Pivot Art + Culture, part of the Paul Allen Institute in downtown Seattle. Located near the shores of Lake Union, this new gallery is well worth the visit. I am thrilled that such an exhibit opened up in my area and it does not disappoint. It was a sunny day in Seattle, and there was enough daylight to make it somewhat difficult to get good straight-on photos of the pieces on display due to glare, but in person they are spectacular.

    Space and Science Fiction Art

    This amazing display features examples of space and science fiction art, classic and contemporary. As a professional space and science fiction artist myself, I was humbled to be in the presence of these original pieces. Many of them were inspirations to me from as far back as I can remember. My thanks to Pivot Art + Culture for hosting them.

    Let’s take a look at the gallery

    Imagined Futures Gallery Looking Left
    Imagined Futures at Pivot Art + Culture
    Artist Robert Longo’s brilliant Saturn in Charcoal
    Imagined Futures at Pivot Art + Culture

    Legendary Space Art

    Chesley Bonnestell
    Chesley Bonnestell – Detail
    Chesley Bonnestell – Destination Moon
    Concept Art from Forbidden Planet – Mentor Huebner
    Fred Gambino
    Ron Miller reproduction of a Chesley Bonnestell Moon Rocket
    Matte Painting of Earth used in Destination Moon – Chesley Bonnestell
    Chesley Bonnestell
    Jim Burns – The Neutronium Alchemist

    Close Up Shots

    I loved being able to get right up close to these original pieces and see the paint and material in detail. Again, I had difficulty with daylight glare in the photos. In person it’s very easy to see the art.

    Up close with Bob Eggleton’s Anvil of Stars
    Bob Eggleton’s Anvil of Stars
    2010: Odyssey Two Cover Art – Michael Whelan
    2010: Odyssey Two Cover Art (detail) – Michael Whelan
    Don Dixon – The Clouds of Saturn
    Don Dixon – The Clouds of Saturn (Detail)
    Don Dixon – The Clouds of Saturn (Detail)
    Descending Toward the Moon – Chesley Bonnestell
    Descending Toward the Moon (Detail) – Chesley Bonnestell
    Chesley Bonnestell
    Chesley Bonnestell
    Chesley Bonnestell
    Chesley Bonnestell
    Chris Foss – Asteroid Collision
    Chris Foss – Asteroid Collision (Detail)

    John Berkey Space Settlement

    John Berkey is one of my all time favorite artists, and here I was able to see his Space Settlement up close.

    Space Settlement – John Berkey
    Space Settlement – John Berkey
    Space Settlement (detail) – John Berkey
    Space Settlement (detail) – John Berkey
    Space Settlement (detail) – John Berkey
    Space Settlement (detail) – John Berkey

    Robert T. McCall – A Settlement on Mars

    Another classic, Robert T. McCall’s Settlement on Mars. This is a� much larger painting than what I’d imagined and it’s quite impressive in person.

    A Settlement on Mars – Robert T. McCall
    A Settlement on Mars – Robert T. McCall
    A Settlement on Mars (Detail) – Robert T. McCall
    A Settlement on Mars (Detail) – Robert T. McCall
    A Settlement on Mars (Detail) – Robert T. McCall
    A Settlement on Mars (Detail) – Robert T. McCall
    A Settlement on Mars (Detail) – Robert T. McCall
    A Settlement on Mars (Detail) – Robert T. McCall

    Models

    A number of fine scale models were on display as well.

    Models on display
    The Angriest Rocket Model Ever Made (constructed by David Merriman)
    Moon Ferry – David Merriman
    Spaceship Luna Miniature from Destination Moon
    Forest Dome – Silent Running
    Forest Dome – Silent Running
    Forest Dome – Silent Running
    Voyager Concept Model – Chesley Bonnestell
    Lunar Lander (Wernher von Braun concept) by Steven Gallacci

    I’m giving David Merriman a tough time for calling his Moon Ship “The Angriest Model Ever Made”. David Merriman is a master model builder who doesn’t suffer fools lightly. It was great to see his work in this show.

    Want to see more?

    If you’re interested in seeing these wonderful paintings and displays in person, Imagined Futures runs until July 10, 2016 at Pivot Art + Culture.

    Imagined Futures Poster
    Imagined Futures Poster

    And if you can’t make the trip to Seattle yourself, I’d highly recommend Ron Miller’s book The Art of Space – available now. It features many of the paintings in Imagined Futures, plus many more (including one of my own, see page 116).

    ArtOfSpaceBook

    Visit the Space Art By Christopher Doll Store

    Thank you for dropping by, and if you like space art like this please drop by my space art store. I’m offering original artwork and a number of smaller gifts, including my adult coloring book, Coloring Space 1.

    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store
    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store

  • Speed Sketches In Photoshop

    Speed Sketches In Photoshop

    Speed sketching with your tools is a great way to get your pen moving, and your drawing mind working. You can speed sketch in traditional media or digital, both are�a great way to warm up, or to shake things out in between projects. Speed sketches�force you to make decisions quickly and with less deliberation than a full-blown piece.

    Three Versions of Ambush In Orbit
    Three Versions of Ambush In Orbit

    For those of you following my recent posts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, you’ve noticed that I’ve been adding more of these speed sketches recently using Photoshop and my Wacom Intuos Pro tablet. I’ve learned some new brushes that I don’t normally use, like some of the built-in paint brush emulators in Photoshop. Some are okay for my needs, while others better than I’d anticipated. Their angle and flat brushes are great for laying in quick areas of color as I draw these scenes.

    While some speed sketches have turned out better than I’d anticipated, and are themselves almost complete pieces, others haven’t turned out as well as I’d hoped. In this case, I started with the phrase “Ambush In Orbit” and began thinking of some John Berkey-like scenes in my mind.

    The planet and background were drawn first, and I spent almost an entire 45 minute session on these alone. I don’t always render the background first, but it helps set the tone of the main subjects. When it came time for the spacecraft, none of them matched what I originally had in my mind so I ended up with three different styles of spacecraft. I stopped near my standard 45 minutes on each of these, and while they are each a bit off from my planned vision,�I’m somewhat happy with them.

    Ambush In Orbit 1
    Ambush In Orbit 1

    This first version fell away from�the colors I wanted, with the ship being warmer than I’d intended. If I were to take this on to a finished piece I’d adjust the hue across the layers of the ship.

    Ambush In Orbit 2
    Ambush In Orbit 2

    The second spacecraft here just gave up on the whole notion of an orbital ambush, but those engines were just too fun to draw. And the Monty Python style helmet was cracking me up. I am still digging the indication of lit rooms, although it looks like a raging forest fire in there.

    Ambush In Orbit 3
    Ambush In Orbit 3

    None of the shapes in my third attenpt were working out so I started blocking out detail cuts from the form and throwing in the energetic engine colors. The engine flame layers were set to Color Dodge and duplicated to enhance the effect. Now it looks like a piece of wreckage, in my eyes, and a more fun direction than where I started. Again this would be taken a lot further as far as detailing is concerned.

    That’s a bit of a view on the process, and while sometimes they don’t come out the way you’d like, they’re still fun and good practice.

    About Christopher DolL

    CDoll_Sept2014Christopher Doll is an artist and designer from the greater Seattle area.� He specializes in astronomy, space travel, and science fiction themes. His work has been featured in a number of books, articles, and on the cover of several novels.

    Recently Christopher Doll published Coloring Space 1, the first in a new line of adult coloring books featuring spaceships. Check out the Space Art By Christopher Doll Store for this and other space-related artwork and gifts.

    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store
    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store

  • Imagined Futures Now Showing in Seattle

    Imagined Futures Now Showing in Seattle

    To my great surprise and delight, Pivot Art + Culture in Seattle is exhibiting Imagined Futures – a collection of original, classic Space Art through July.

    Imagined Futures Poster
    Imagined Futures Poster

    Many of the pieces are reportedly from the Paul Allen Collection, some of which were previously shown in the early days of the Science Fiction Museum, also in Seattle. From the site, the exhibit is to feature:

    Imagined Futures features works by including Chesley Bonestell, Fred Freeman, John Berkey, Jim Burns, Don Dixon, Bob Eggleton, Chris Foss, Fred Gambino, Ron Miller, Ludek Pesek, Richard Powers, Alex Schomburg, and Tim White, alongside, for the first time works from other artists inspired by the visualization of the unknown; Ansel Adams, Max Ernst, Robert Longo, Rene Magritte, Simon Norfolk, Thomas Ruff, and Thomas Struth. In partnership with the Flying Heritage Collection and Living Computer Museum, Imagined Futures will also include artifacts from the history of rocketry and computing.

    During one of those early visits to the EMP, I almost walked right into one of Chesley Bonnestell’s original paintings. At first I thought to myself “that’s a wonderful print, so nice to see one so large”. Then I noticed something on the surface of the painting. Paint strokes. I wasn’t looking at a print, this was an ORIGINAL.

    Shocked, I turned to a painting behind me in the exhibition hall, and it was this John Berkey painting, Alien Arrival:

    Alien Arrival - John Berkey
    Alien Arrival – John Berkey

    Even back then John Berkey was one of my favorite science fiction artists, and Alien Arrival one of my favorite of his paintings. And here I was looking right at the original. At the time they didn’t allow photography inside the exhibit so I have only my memories of the visit.

    I’m looking forward to seeing this exhibition, and judging by the description it’s going to be impressive. So if you’re in the Seattle area this Spring, and would like to see fantastic original space and science fiction art, check out Imagined Futures at Pivot Art + Culture.

    CBonnestall_ImaginedFutures

    Full Disclosure, I am not affiliated with Pivot Art + Culture in any way other than my enthusiasm for this exhibit.

    About Christopher DolL

    CDoll_Sept2014Christopher Doll is an artist and designer from the greater Seattle area.� He specializes in astronomy, space travel, and science fiction themes. His work has been featured in a number of books, articles, and on the cover of several novels.

    Recently Christopher Doll published Coloring Space 1, the first in a new line of adult coloring books featuring spaceships. Check out the Space Art By Christopher Doll Store for this and other space-related artwork and gifts.

    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store
    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store

     

  • Watercolor Paintings

    Watercolor Paintings

    Milky Way At Night
    Milky Way At Night

    You may have noticed a number of new watercolor paintings lately. Why all of a sudden have I moved to a new medium? Partly, it’s from the portability. Last summer I picked up a great little travel watercolor kit from Windsor Newton’s Cotman line. The kit fit nicely into my travel bag and I brought it with me regularly to the Doll House Baked Goods’ Farmers Markets.

    I started painting some of my #spaceshipaday drawings while hanging out at the markets. One of the images was used for the cover of my Coloring Book, Coloring Space 1. I liked the simplicity and speed. And the Windsor Newton Cotman Watercolors were a lot better than I expected.

     

    I have to credit James Gurney’s blog with a great series on Plein Air Painting techniques. He’s got� great tips on making your own portable art setup. Definitely worth the time to go through if you have any interest in Plein Air Painting – plus he has great dinosaur paintings.

    Photo Aug 07, 5 17 16 PM
    Photo Mar 16, 2 00 09 AM
    Photo Aug 28, 3 54 48 PM
    Friends in Fantastic Worlds
    Friends in Fantastic Worlds

    Once I got the hang of the basics, as with any paint media, I started trying out a few other subjects including some of my favorite lighthouses and scenes. Not only is watercolor a fast media to use, it’s quite unforgiving. That forces you to commit to your painting faster than usual. It’s a good exercise and with the right touch they can look fantastic.

    Cape Disappointment and Starry Sky
    Night Sky – Original Watercolor 4″ x 6″
    North Head Lighthouse
    HMS Surprise Ambushed By The Acheron
    Pioneer Building, Seattle, Washington

    I am by no means a master at this, and I don’t claim to be. This is merely another chance for me to explore color in my artwork. As much as I enjoy the digital experience with my iPad, Procreate, and a stylus, there’s something more visceral and rewarding about working with traditional tools.

    Artist Travel Kit

    These sketches were fun but I was finding that I wanted a few more options during some of the longer market sessions. Then we packed for a long RV trip to Michigan and I wanted to bring some of my paint supplies with me.� I was limited to a few pens, pencils and smaller 4″ x 6″ cut sheets of watercolor paper – my basic drawing package that I bring with me almost everywhere. But back home I had a lot more tools and supplies that I often used in my studio. To get things a bit more portable I started gathering my essentials into a larger kit.

    Wine Box To The Rescue
    Wine Box To The Rescue

    I started with a fine wooden box from Chateau Ste. Michelle, a perfect size for my kit. It would be a bit larger than a sling-bag but it gave me a few more options while on location.

    Now I have a bigger container of pens, including my ink-well style pens from ages ago when I drew my cartoons by hand. They still work very well. I also have a small Prismacolor Colored Pencil set, a new box of Pentel watercolors that I’m just starting to try out, my old design pastels, Golden liquid acrylic paints, a jar for water, erasers, and several pencil sharpeners. It all fits nicely in the box and it even leaves enough room for a wider variety of watercolor paper sizes.

    My Travel Art Kit
    The Kit
    Portability Achievement Unlocked

    Sure it’s a bit more to carry than my sling bag, but it also acts as its own tabletop when I don’t have a lot of flat surfaces. Later I’ll figure out an option for mounting a tripod and maybe re-work the lid into a drawing table with optional angles, who knows. The existing hinges are more decorative and won’t hold up well� with repeated heavy usage.

    I’m looking forward to doing a lot more of these, especially once we open our new shop. There I’ll have the room to work on paintings in the public full-time.

    Now Available In My Store

    A number of these are already available for sale in my store. I’m offering the originals right now and will be offering prints once I decide on a proper avenue for producing them. As much as I hate to turn this into a giant sales pitch, the purchases do help me continue making these. Thank you all

    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store
    Space Art By Christopher Doll Store

     

  • Trekyards’ Review of Coloring Space 1

    Trekyards’ Review of Coloring Space 1

    I’m thrilled to share with you this great review of my new coloring book, Coloring Space 1, by Stuart Foley and his site, Trekyards. Take a look!

    Autographed copies of Coloring Space 1 are available here:

    Coloring Space 1
    Coloring Space 1
    A Coloring Book wi…
    By Christopher Doll
    Photo book
  • Book Cover Art Exercises

    Book Cover Art Exercises

    Winding into Fall of 2015, I have been taking my design sketches into more finished pieces. As fun as it’s been creating my #spaceshipaday entries, it’s clear that I also need to demonstrate more finished work like the ones I’m showing here. I set out with several goals for these drawings:

    • Draw something that would make me want to read this book (clearly from a science fiction aspect)
    • Tighten up details from my original sketches, while embracing my somewhat chaotic style
    • Practice more subtle use of color tones (often my color work stays a bit too saturated).
    • Most important – keep sharing work with the world and show people what I can do even though I already have several book covers out in print already.

    The first two pieces started out as #spaceshipaday line and marker drawings that garnered a lot of compliments and attention through Twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. My thanks to you all who’ve been following along. I appreciate the comments and compliments I’ve received so far.

    Original Sketch for the John Berkey styled ship
    Original Sketch for the John Berkey styled ship

    Color pass and extra detail using Photoshop and a Wacom Intuos Stylus
    Color pass and extra detail using Photoshop and a Wacom Intuos Stylus

    Clearly influenced by my love of John Berkey’s artwork, I wanted to draw something that had the same amount of crazy and wonderful details as his work. Since I’ve time-boxed my initial sketches (45 minutes or less), it’s actually tricky to get in a lot of detail especially if you’re trying to make it fit in some fashion with the rest of the ship. Overall I was happy with the concept, although some pointed out that it’s starting to look like the spaceship from the Coneheads movie, or maybe even Colonial One from Battlestar Galactica (the new show). Influences aside, my focus was more on the process.

    The sketch was photographed and taken into Photoshop where I gave it a quick color pass (above). As of this writing, it is still unfinished, I’ll post the final in my Gallery.

    Heavy Transport in a deep atmosphere. Rendered with Procreate on an iPad
    Heavy Transport in a deep atmosphere. Rendered with Procreate on an iPad

    This next image was also quite popular as a sketch, this time I stepped more into Chris Foss territory. I tried to leave the atmosphere fairly bland compared to the ship itself, although looking at it now I think it could be even more diffused. I realize I’ve left in many of the lines from my original sketch. To me this is still one stage away from being a final cover art piece and my focus has been on trying to achieve an emotional impact with the design and rendering.

    Speed Chase - no sketch, entirely drawn with Procreate on an iPad
    Speed Chase – no sketch, entirely drawn with Procreate on an iPad

    Finally there’s this fun piece that was created entirely in Procreate on my iPad. There was no sketch. Sometimes everything comes together all at once and it all becomes a joy to witness. This is one of those moments where I just let my hand run free with only my artistic lizard brain at the controls. I don’t know of any other way to describe it but everything from the color, composition, and the frenzied style seemed to fit together nicely without a lot of effort. I would be inclined to read this book if I saw it in the store.

  • Speed Painting – Stellar Explorer

    Speed Painting – Stellar Explorer

    One of the benefits of using a great app like Procreate is that it kicks out a video of your entire process. As part of my own skill-building exercise, this particular piece was an exploration in creating form and mood using the light and color from the environment.

    Here’s a compressed 2 minute video showing the drawing from start to finish. Enjoy!

    And here is the final image:

    StellarExplorer_CDoll

  • Announcing My First Book – Coloring Space 1

    Announcing My First Book – Coloring Space 1

    I’m happy to announce my first book, Coloring Space 1. This is a coloring book for adults and children, featuring 24 of my own spaceship designs and scenes. Each one is drawn and formatted for an 8″ x 10″ trade paperback. The paper is a bit heavier than standard trade publications, and each image is presented on its own page so bleed-through will be less of an issue for those using markers or watercolors.

    Front cover to Coloring Space 1
    Front cover to Coloring Space 1

    Back Cover to Coloring Space 1
    Back Cover to Coloring Space 1

    Inside I have placed the artwork on the right-facing pages, leaving most of the left-facing pages blank so that any bleed from markers or watercolors will not destroy the next page behind it. A couple of the first pages include helpful text as seen in the sample below.

    Sample page from Coloring Space 1
    Sample page from Coloring Space 1

    Ordering

    Autographed copies of the first printing of Coloring Space – 1 are available in� my store right now! They are expected to arrive the first week of October, orders will be sent out immediately afterwards.

    Coloring Space 1
    Coloring Space 1
    A Coloring Book wi…
    By Christopher Doll

     

    Coloring Space 1 is also available at Blurb.com using the link below, and will soon be available through a number of online retailers. I will have Coloring Space 1 distributed to a number of retail stores as well.

    If you live in the area, I will have a number of signed copies available at several appearances in October, so keep an eye out here and on my Facebook and Twitter pages for details.

    What’s next? Coming Soon…

    Work is underway on two more books in the Coloring Space series -� Coloring Space 2: Stars, Planets, and Galaxies, and Coloring Space 3: Alien Worlds. Details will be posted shortly.