Wednesday 29 May 2013

More on the new Deep Space 9

Simon and Schuster have now released a higher quality version of the cover for Revelation and Dust, giving us a clearer view of the shiny new Deep Space 9. Click the image to enjoy at full resolution:


Meanwhile StarTrek.com posted interviews with Doug Drexler, who designed the cover, Andy Probert, who designed the new station, and Douglas E. Graves, who built the new model. Drexler described the first steps towards the design:
The basic configuration of the station had been predetermined by David R. George, the writer. There wasn't much wiggle room there. Andy, Deg (Douglas E Graves) and I are creative guys with our own ideas. I'm sure if left to our own devices there would have been three different and unique ideas. But we are also commercial artists. Our job is often to take a non-visual person's idea, sweeten, focus, massage... and then, hopefully, (provide) the proverbial happy ending.

I love Federation and Starfleet design, so I liked the idea of a Starfleet-ized DS9. I also love Andy Probert and think that his visual sense for Starfleet is second to none. I had been given the option of styling David R. George's station design myself, but frankly, given the choice I'd much rather see what Andy would do. That's the fan in me.
Graves went on to describe how he built upon Probert's design:
Andrew did the lion's share of lifting in regard to the styling of the design, no doubt about it. He drew up his sketches and even created a basic blocked-out Sketch-Up model of his design. With these in hand, I then created the high-resolution finished station configuration. The next phase entailed fleshing out the station detailing, which was based on Andrew's design sketches, combined with my own detailing choices drawn from my own Federation-based design sensibilities, which have become instilled in me over the many decades of watching Star Trek. I shared work-in-progress renders along the way with Doug to garner his always-valued input, and then his final approval of my build and paint-job.

Graves noted his highlights from the new design:
I love the whole station, top-to-bottom. At the core, I just love the Federation neo-flow take on such well-known classic lines. Just to see Andrew's sketches was a fan-rush. To see it fully constructed; wow! I love the magnetic rings, the new promenade, the huge environmental recreational dome, all the bays, portholes, landing pads, detailing, all of it. I loved rendering her out and then just looking at her as a fanboy. The design conveys one sleek and busy Federation space station, as it should be.
Some of which Probert also identified as interesting new features:
The magnetically-suspended defense rings (top and bottom), the overall size, and the very open-to-space glassed-in promenade.
The articles also included what appears to be arrangements for other cover designs:


See StarTrek.com, for the full interview with Doug Drexler, and Andy Probert and Douglas E. Graves.




5 comments:

Scarecrow said...

So is the cover to Revelation and Dust actually final?
I ask, because that is a HORRIBLE render. The models and the backdrop are top notch but there's absolutely no effort at lighting at all. It looks like they just slapped a white directional light in there with solid black ray-traced shadows and called it done. Everything is flat. all the greys just merge together and it looks like an amateurish, beginners attempt at 3D. I'm frankly, very surprised.

8of5 said...

I imagine so, now it's been used on the public listings, they don't normally change them after that.

Lonewriter said...

I hate the new DS9.

Unknown said...

I like it. :)

Dwight Williams said...

I'm okay with it. But I'd like to learn more about it...

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