Space Art by Christopher Doll

Category: Space Art

  • Introducing the Space Art Academy

    Introducing the Space Art Academy

    I am thrilled and terrified to announce my Space Art Academy. Thrilled because I enjoy teaching art and design. We are going to have a great time drawing starships, or painting a galaxy. The terror is only in my own mind, as any new venture risks failure.

    The Space Art Academy is where I will offer a range of courses on all aspects what I like to call Space Art. I’m relaxed with the term Space Art. To me it encompasses both astronomical space of the real variety, for there is great beauty in space both near and far. It also includes the wild fantasy side, science fiction, and realms of the unbelievable. All require the same skills – drawing, light and shadow, color, composition, and that extra magic that only a human can bring to a great painting.

    Why Now?

    I want to teach everything I have learned about drawing, design, illustration, color, and fine art. This is the culmination of decades of personal and professional experience based on a core foundation of Industrial Design illustration. My confidence is high when it comes to discussing the principles and practices of drawing and illustration. I might even go so far as to say I have an angle on fine art as well. I’ll leave it to you to decide if I can be so bold.

    As much as these courses are for you, or anyone who wishes to learn Space Art, they will be a watershed for myself. It’s making me analyze my own work with great scrutiny.

    Who Could Use These Courses?

    Anyone with the skill to find this blog post and read it will be more than qualified for the material in these classes. Complete novices will get years of practical knowledge, and they can keep all the material for reference later. Seasoned artists will also find gems.

    How Will This Work?

    Each course will be broken into individual video chapters. Some of these chapters will have reference material or worksheets (varies depending on the course). The materials can be downloaded upon purchase (and subsequent release). I will be available for questions via a dedicated Discord channel, the link will be provided with the course materials.

    PREVIEW CLASSES ON PATREON

    Patreon members have already seen some of the materials I’ve prepared for the first course, How to Draw Starships 101. With their input, I’ve adjusted the scope of these courses and I’m very happy with the final direction. If you want in on developing future courses, or if you’d like to see them early, consider signing up over on my Patreon. You’ll also receive additional discounts on all courses as a Patreon member.

    How to Draw Starships 101

    Starships are the human conveyances in our favorite science fiction stories. They have a soul, like sailing ships in our own past. In our debut course I will start with a foundation of drawing skills, which we will use to explore different types of starships.

    HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101 - Image 1
    HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101 - Image 2
    HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101 - Image 3
    • HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101
    • HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101
    • HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101
    Product on sale
    HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101 - Image 1HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101 - Image 2HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101 - Image 3

    HOW TO DRAW STARSHIPS 101

    Original price was: $80.00.Current price is: $69.00.
    Category: ,

    What is next?

    How to Draw Starships 101 will release in early July. I will then turn my attention on the next course, an exploration of color theory. Our first semester will end with a course on constructing a complete Space Art scene.

    These courses will never cover all aspects their respective subjects. I will expand each line, and add more as necessary. Personally I can’t wait until I can start sharing the work of all of our Space Art Academy students.

  • 10 Years of Space Art

    10 Years of Space Art

    Back in December 2012, Stephanie used a Groupon Coupon for a new paint and sip shop nearby. We were the only couple to show up that evening, but the owners Justin and Janelle were happy to have us hang out and paint. They showed us a wall of paintings they were prepared to walk us through. Stephanie picked one while we both enjoyed a few libations. Being the science fiction and space enthusiast, I decided I’d take advantage of the paint and canvas in front of me and go rogue with my own painting.

    Me at The Drunken Easel, putting down some lines

    I had learned to paint during my time at Kendall College of Art & Design, back in Michigan. Even though I went through their Industrial Design program (and got the degree), we had many core Fine Art classes. Sixteen years had passed since the last time I picked up a paint brush, I wasn’t sure if I’d forgotten everything. But there was no pressure, and I had the confidence of a couple of good stouts so I just started moving the brush.

    “It looks like this could be a nebula”

    I felt comfortable with the paint and brush, and a blank canvas. A picture started forming as I painted, and I forced myself to just keep going. Don’t stop, don’t deliberate, just go with the flow. It was liberating. No art direction, no internal dialog. Just the canvas, paint, some good music, a chill atmosphere, and decent beer.

    The spaceship started taking form with dark shapes. I blocked in the overall silhouette and added highlights, details, windows. I put on a few “hero stars” with a brush then spattered a bunch of smaller stars to finish it off. By the end of the evening, this was staring back at me:

    Spaceship And Nebula #1

    I surprised myself. Painting tapped into a part of my brain that was dormant for many years. I left feeling like I had ignored a base instinct my entire life. It was different than the 3D work I had done as a game designer, or even on my own as a digital artist. And as much as I enjoyed building and painting models of spaceships, this offered something more – an energy and context that was missing from my other hobbies.

    I Went Back to Work on Monday

    The next week I went back to my dismal job as a User Experience Designer. I loved being a User Experience Designer, don’t get me wrong. But I was working in the middle of a series of garbage corporations, many that you’d know by name, in an industry that still to this day remains stagnant and miserable for designers. I decided that if I were to remain sane and not die sitting in a cubicle or standing desk, I needed to sort out how to make a living as an artist on my own terms.

    This was an insane idea. I’ve known many artists, and even in my circle of friends I knew people with Fine Art Degrees that shoved them aside to work in the more practical technology and business fields. My peers would laugh at me, and with good reason. I wouldn’t make nearly the money I was making in tech. Artists my age already had 20 years on me. I was just a guy who had a few beers and threw a spaceship on a canvas.

    I was already beginning to realize my career was killing me. That isn’t hyperbole. I was beginning to hit the wall with several health issues related to stress and anxiety. And maybe I would’ve hit that wall anyway, but I knew after sixteen years I wasn’t built for the industry. Even with my comfortable salary I hadn’t accumulated enough money to just walk away and start painting. We’d lose the house within months, and I knew it.

    One of my last work badges (company name modified to protect the jerks)

    So, Get On With It

    It took me a few weeks to build a plan, and I started slowly. I dusted off my Wacom tablet and began working with my digital tools. With a recently purchased iPad, I put a lot of miles on an early version of Procreate. And I began buying paint, brushes, and canvases to work on painting at home. The only way I could pull this off was if I put myself on the equivalent of a Master’s Degree program for Fine Art, while working as a UX Designer. This meant more than just painting nebulae and spaceships, I wanted to tackle it all – landscapes, abstracts, figurative art. I had to get good at many levels if I ever wanted to step up and call myself an Artist.

    I still feel I’m an Imposter as an Artist, ten years later. But in that time a lot of good things happened. I left my career as a UX Designer and joined my wife Stephanie with her baking business Doll House Baked Goods. This helped us keep the house and I was still able to learn new painting techniques, new media, and I started landing commissions. I also learned how to make a mean batch of chocolate chip cookies, sourdough, pies, and other baked goods. More importantly, we got a crash course in running a small business and this was a tremendous advantage for my own art business.

    For an imposter, I’ve had a few successes – I’ve painted the covers for many science fiction novels, including a series that won the Hugo Award for “Best Science Fiction Series” in 2019. My work has been on album covers, model kits, and is now in the homes of many collectors. This year I completed a HUGE commission for a Science Museum (more on that when I can reveal the project). And I’ve been running a weekly livestream on Twitch.TV where I paint a new science fiction or space painting every week, Bob Ross style. I remain hopeful that I can grow this business and career for the rest of my remaining days.

    There are many artists who, like me, left their careers to become successful space and science fiction artists – and in less time than it’s taken me. But I wouldn’t trade my own experience as it’s been both frustrating and incredibly rewarding.

    I am Grateful

    I am thankful to Stephanie for arranging this event, and for being such an amazing supporter of my art for the last ten years. I had no idea going into this evening that it would switch my brain onto a completely different course. And my thanks also go out to Justin and Janelle for being so great to their lone patrons that evening, and letting me paint something that was quite literally “off the wall”. I am also grateful for the many followers that have found me on social media, and more recently through my livestream. You’ve all helped make this possible.

    Our Paintings from the Drunken Easel

    Post Script

    I’m approaching the third anniversary of my livestream on Twitch and two weeks ago I wanted to try painting my “spaceship and nebula” again, just like I did at The Drunken Easel ten years ago. This was a two-hour live painting, with no initial preparation. Just me, the paint, the camera, a fine audience of viewers (thank you to all of my subscribers, followers, and Patreon supporters). I still enjoy the visceral throwing of paint that happens with a spontaneous painting session:

    Stellar Explorer V

    And now, on to the next ten years. Ad Astra!

    Where you Can Find Me

  • Livestreams Going Up on YouTube

    Livestreams Going Up on YouTube

    I now have a pretty big backlog of Twitch Livestream videos, and since Twitch only saves them for 30 days I’ve wanted to upload them to YouTube. And now the first is available on my channel:

    Painting a Spaceship in a Purple Nebula

    Most of my livestreams run from 2 to 3 hours, and to be honest it’s quite a task to cut them down for YouTube. It’s not difficult, I’m am familiar with video editing, but it is time consuming. As part of my shift going into 2021, I’m scheduling time to get these up on YouTube. If all goes well, it will be one per week.

    The video above is a shortened version, and I have a longer one with more details on the painting. I am reserving the longer version for my Patreons, so if you are so inclined, and wish to support Space Art by Christopher Doll, consider subscribing there:

    Follow me on Patreon
  • Classes Now Available

    Classes Now Available

    I am thrilled to announce that I am now offering classes. Many of you have asked if I teach painting and space art during my livestreams, and I have put a lot of thought into how I can go about teaching art.

    About the Class

    Starting this January I am offering my introductory course, Painting Space Art. This is a four-class series where we will be painting a scene each session via ZOOM. This will be similar to the kinds of painting classes you may have seen in a paint-and-sip shop locally. Classes will last roughly 2 hours, or maybe a bit longer depending on how things are going.

    You don’t have to have any real experience painting, but it will definitely help. This is intended to be a fun introduction to painting and at the end I believe you’ll have something fun to begin working on your own.

    You can purchase all four courses, or select individual classes. For this particular series, each class is a stand-alone offering however we will likely be discussing concepts as we go.

    Supplies are available via Blick.com, and I’ve created a list of items necessary for the classes (roughly $60 USD). In addition, you will need a Zoom-capable computer with camera.

    Seating is limited, so sign up soon!

    Upcoming Courses

    I am preparing several follow-up courses as well. These will continue to build on the basic concepts necessary to paint your own space art.

    • Drawing Spaceships, Vehicles and Scenes
    • Advanced Painting (4-part series to create one higher quality painting)
    • Painting with Oils
    • Illustrations with Casein

    If these classes are popular, I will offer them again based on attendance.

  • Fine Art Prints & Weekly Livestream Giveaways

    Fine Art Prints & Weekly Livestream Giveaways

    Hello everyone, and I hope you are all doing well during our ongoing pandemic battle wherever you are. We have been making the most of our time in isolation, making improvements in the art studio so we can offer you more SPACE ART!

    The Latest Addition to the Space Art by Christopher Doll Studios

    Last October we found a great commercial-grade printer for the studio. We are now offering our own line of archival prints in-house. This is a capability I have wanted for a long time, and I am excited to now have the ability to run large prints on multiple mediums.

    It’s also a fantastic tool to help me with my own artwork and illustrations.

    The New Printer in the studio (please pardon the mess)

    The printer is very large and it took us a bit more effort to physically move it into our studio space than we’d expected. Once in place, and after the expected fiddling with network settings and color profiles I manged to run the first test print.

    Test Print – John Berkey’s The Visitors

    Some of you may recognize the John Berkey painting, The Visitors. It’s long been one of my favorite paintings by John Berkey and I chose this one as the first test run. A while back I happened to find an excellent image of it and while it required a bit of careful up-sizing to match the original size, the print is phenomenal. I once saw the original on display at Paul Allen’s Science Fiction Museum in Seattle (around 2002 or so) and I always wanted to see it up close and at its original scale – for my own study only.

    NOTE: Just to be clear, this is a test print for studio use only. I will not be printing or selling any other artists’ work, just my own.

    I will be adding print options to many of my pieces in the Space Art Store. And if you are interested in a print of my work that isn’t posted, drop me a line!

    Livestream Giveaways!

    To celebrate the new printer I will be giving away a free full-size print of some of my artwork on my Twitch Livestream. To enter the giveaway, just join me this coming Wednesday 6pm PST. One of the lucky viewers will win a print of my painting, Approaching a Derelict.

    Approaching a Derelict – 16″ x 20″

    This painting was done live on my Twitch stream and was well received as one of the fan favorites. Click on the link below to go to my Livestream. Hit the Follow button for notification on when I go live.

    Join me Live on Twitch, Wednesdays 6pm PST

    No purchase is necessary, just join me on the stream.

    It is free to sign up on Twitch, and once you have a Twitch account you can follow my channel there.

    The print is roughly a $50 value and will be shipped in a tube.

    Thank you all for your support and I hope to see you online!

  • Streaming Space Art

    Streaming Space Art

    I bought a nice Logitech webcam last summer with the intention of live-streaming space art, Bob Ross style. We were on a post-bakery closing trajectory and I wanted to add some fun elements to my full-time art schedule. Our farmer’s markets continued to keep us busy so I didn’t get around to setting up my live-stream until last month – just in time for everybody to be stuck at home avoiding the spread of COVID19.

    My first stream was on a Tuesday evening, two weeks prior to this writing, and I’ve since had two more. Was I nervous? Yes, I was very nervous, which surprised me because I don’t typically have an issue talking in front of strangers. I’ve had plenty of experience in the software world, and later in the three years that we had our bakery nearby. For some reason, once you know there’s a camera pointed at your face and the entire world has access to you, it becames a bit nerve-wracking. Added to the stress, a second camera pointed straight at a blank canvas awaiting either a masterpiece or a dreadful failure.

    I am happy to report that everyone has been wonderful and it’s great to see so many familiar faces. Thank you to all who have joined so far, and I look forward to many more streams.

    Typical View Live on Twitch – This is from my second stream

    The Setup

    I spent a good weekend setting up the cameras, the lights, my drawing table and OBS software to handle the stream. There’s no way to get everything 100% right on your first attempt, but I didn’t want to spend my entire first stream wrestling with lights, cameras, and switching scenes.

    Art Table Under Lights – Purple Tape Marks my Video Boundaries

    With my one webcam I was able to do a simple setup showing me, and my computer desktop for the times that I show digital art (drawing in Photoshop, Clip Studio etc.). But I wanted a second camera focused on my drawing surface for traditional painting. For now I’m using my iPhone6 connected to OBS and it’s worked out very well. I now have a two camera setup. It’s not so much that I wanted a camera on me to feed my ego. I’ve watched a lot of streams before I started this and art streams that show both the art and the artist to be a bit more interesting to watch. Even if it is just my goofy face wearing headphones.

    Finished with my First Stream – Final painting with sketches and camera mount

    My studio’s overhead lights are fantastic for painting. They’re powerful floodlights with daylight LED bulbs. But they cast terrible shadows on my art table when all the cameras were set up, so I ended up using tasklamps. I’ve made a few adjustments for each stream but for the most part this setup has worked well.

    Making it a Fun Stream

    I could have just fired off the camera as I bumble my way through a long painting, and add my own commentary along the way. And to be honest that’s when I’m doing anyway, but sometimes the business of making a painting can be filled with U-turns and experiments which aren’t always the most exciting.

    For each session I’ve taken the time to do some practice sketches, and even practice paintings. This helps me isolate the colors and techniques I want to use live. My sketches and sketch paintings are always smaller than the finals that I paint live, and there’s more fun details that I add live during the stream that never showed up in my initial sketches.

    Paint Sketches

    It surprised me how distracting it can be to run a live-stream and paint at the same time. There’s a lot of multi-tasking going on, and after three streams (as of this writing) I have a newfound respect for everyone who runs a livestream, whether it’s art, or games, or anything else. There’s just a lot to manage. This isn’t a complaint really, and I’m sure it’s going to get easier with practice. But to those who’ve been doing this successfully for a while – kudos to you!

    The Streams So Far

    Each stream is inspired by an artist or technique that I’ve been fond of over the years and I feel this is a good place to start. For my first, I wanted to capture the look and feel of one of my favorite artists John Berkey, who painted beautiful, colorful science fiction scenes in casein and acrylic.

    First Stream Painting – Berkey Style

    Casein is a wonderful paint medium – it’s water soluble and it dries fast meaning you can work fast on camera. So I continued using casein for my second painting, which also had a bit of the John Berkey feel but I wanted this one to be more of a moody space scene inspired by artist John Harris.

    Stream Two – John Harris Style

    My latest stream (again, as of this writing) was a throwback to the 1950’s era of science fiction – chrome moon rockets lit by a solar eclipse from the Earth. To this day no spacecraft has yet capture a view of a solar eclipse from the moon (eclipsed by the Earth) so to a certain degree this remains a science fiction subject. For this painting I went with acrylic paint and I started with a black canvas.

    Retro Science Fiction Moon Rocket – Stream 3

    Things I’ve learned So Far

    For starters, I would really like to upgrade my microphone setup. I have an excellent pair of Razer Headphones with a microphone and it does pretty well overall. But I’m starting to shop for a dedicated microphone and that Shure SM7B is looking very attractive (and expensive). I’m putting that one on the “buy later when I’m a wealthy artist” list.

    The lights are just okay so far. They look decent on the stream, but I’m looking at a couple of solutions which will give me better control and avoid shadows and hotspots.

    I’ve originally scheduled four hour livestream sessions, but the paintings are somewhat small and it’s going a lot faster than I’d anticipated. In my latest stream I added a section of just drawing, which seems to have helped with the time. Down the road I may make the paintings a bit more complicated so that they take longer, we’ll see. But the last thing I want to have people see is a lot of fiddling about and navel gazing without much art taking place.

    Drop In For Live Space Art!

    I’ll keep my schedule posted on my Twitch.TV page, which you can find by clicking on the image below or by visiting BlackBirdCD’s Twitch.TV channel.

    BlackBirdCD on Twitch.TVhttps://www.twitch.tv/blackbirdcd

    I am getting close to reaching Affiliate status, which means people can then subscribe to my streams and I might start bringing in a bit of income. Any little bit helps, so if you have a Twitch Account and would like to support my channel, please add me as a Follower (following is free!).

    If You Missed a Stream

    Past streams are archived on Twitch.TV so you can watch them. They run a couple of hours each, but if you’re so inclined you can find them on my page at this link.

    Image Links to my Video Archive on Twitch.TV

    Now in the Store!

    If you would like to own one of these paintings, I have added the originals to the shop! Of course this goes a long way to help support me and my family, so thank you for visiting and I’ll see you on the next stream!

  • Streaming on Twitch.TV

    Streaming on Twitch.TV

    TUESDAY MARCH 10th, 6pm to 10pm PST

    I’ve been threatening to try live streaming art and the time is finally here. For the last week I’ve been putting together the webcams, lights and getting the software ready to go.

    I’m 1000% terrified about it all, not going to lie. But it’s going to be a fun time.

    BlackBirdCD on Twitch.TV (click on image for link)

    Bookmark my channel on Twitch.TV – BlackBirdCD

    I’m going to be painting some spaceships and scenes. Four hours is a long time but I suspect it’ll go by quickly. Small paintings can take as much as four hours.

    For future streams I am set up to broadcast work in Photoshop, and I have enough room to pull out my big easel for more of a Bob Ross effect.

    Intro Video

    I had to put together a number of graphics for my Twitch.TV channel – banners, cover images, background images for the stream starting/ending/on break, etc. What better than to make a rolling intro video?

    BlackBirdCD Starting Soon Intro Video

    Music by Andrew Allen. This is the finished version that I’ll be running as a pre-roll to my stream. 

    The Nebula and Galaxy is an image I painted in 2014 in Procreate on an iPad. It was ported to Photoshop, then After Effects, which preserved the layers. This made it relatively easy to animate them in After Effects. I added the text, logo and two starfields in After Effects.

    I will definitely look at doing more of these after this exercise. It showed me the ropes a bit in After Effects, which I do not use regularly but I understand the base concepts of animation.

    Why BlackBirdCD?

    BlackBirdCD was a name I picked ages ago when I worked at Microsoft. The employees were encouraged to make new email accounts under their new HOTMAIL service, to try it out. That’s a long time ago, please don’t look up the years.

    I tried to grab just “BlackBird”, but it was already taken. So I went for BlackBird with the CD and it was available.

    To keep matters simple, I started using BLACKBIRDCD for every account that needed a name. So there it is. Not too much more than that.

    I did however have a black Pontiac Firebird and BlackBird was a bit of a callout to that. Regrettably the car is no longer driveable.

  • Planets Installation Update

    Planets Installation Update

    I received these wonderful photos from my client who ordered the scale model planets from me last Fall. They are installed and are awaiting a light fixture to represent the Sun. It’s great to see these in their new home!

    Planets in the Foyer

    Each of the planets included a small hook so they could be hung from a ceiling display. I’m happy to see that they made the journey to Australia in good shape.

    Planets with Temporary Lighting
    View from Below (planets distorted by camera lens)

    If you would like a set of planet models, they are still available in my shop! They can be ordered individually or as a set.

  • New Prints and Market Recap

    New Prints and Market Recap

    The holiday market at Lake Forest Park last Sunday was a huge success, and I want to thank everyone who was able to visit in person. It was great to see familiar faces and so many new ones! Looking to 2020, I’m adding more to the schedule and I’ll be updating these as I go.

    One of the biggest requests I’ve been getting recently are more prints. As much as people love owning original artwork, I am going to be adding more print options for a number of paintings, starting with these three that I had at my booth last weekend:

    These will all be signed archival prints and are going to the printers this week. Unfortunately I cannot guarantee that these will be ready for the holidays, but they will remain available in my store as long as supplies last.

    These will be a limited run, and I will be adding more as I go in 2020.

    Thank you again for your continued support. Here are some photos from the last events at Lake Forest Park:

    Ornaments were the big hit this year! I’ll be working on some more fun things for 2020!

  • New Saturn Models

    New Saturn Models

    I am thrilled to announce my new line of scale model planets, starting with Saturn!

    Each Saturn is 11″ in diameter, and the planet’s body is 4.5″. They are made from clear acrylic, and each is hand-painted.

    Pre-Order Now!

    Both the standard sized Saturn and the smaller ornament are now up for pre-order in my store. These are all made by hand, and can take up to two weeks for delivery in the Continental US.

    COMING SOON

    The rest of the Solar System planets (including Pluto, regardless of its classification on the day you are reading this), are going to be available soon as well.

  • Cover Art Reveal – Random Walk by Rachel Lulich

    Cover Art Reveal – Random Walk by Rachel Lulich

    I’ve been working with author Rachel Lulich on this piece for her first book, Random Walk – Book One of the Fractured Galaxy Series. It’s a 30″ x 20″ painting, casein on illustration board with some digital touch-ups in Photoshop.

    Random Walk – Full Artwork

    This was a fun project that included a fiery red nebula and a near-future NASA-style spacecraft. I wanted to capture a classic, retro-science fiction look with this image.

    Here’s the back cover description:

    Three Astronauts. One Impossible Journey.

    Derek Williams, Jacob Mendez, and Vicky Abrams have trained for years to helm the first manned spaceflight launched by US Air Force Space Command. The Pioneer�s mission is simple � test the experimental new Hawking Engine, designed to take them to Mars faster than any manned craft has travelled before. But when the engine reaches full capacity, the craft unexpectedly hurtles into the unknown.

    With power levels falling and communications offline, the crew must face the unbelievable truth � The Pioneer is lightyears from Earth in uncharted space.

    Far from the safety of their simulators and support from Ground Control, Derek, Jacob, and Vicky are challenged to the end of their abilities to keep the ship safe � and survive long enough to find a way home.

    For more about Fractured Galaxy, follow Fractured Galaxy and Rachel Lulich on Twitter. Rachel also has an Indiegogo Campaign where details on the book will be available soon.

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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