During the end of 2008 I was introduced to a project of a friend of mine. Daniel Kingdom, an talented game designer and writer showed me some personal projects of his. No matter what discipline, as one creative mind to another it can be incredibly refreshing and exciting to get a glimpse into different work methods and project structures. Needless to say, reading some of Daniel's work left me stunned. So much so that a collaboration was formed on the spot. If I ever do get involved in personal projects of others, for me to really invest my spare time, I need to believe in it and feel that I can contribute something to it.
The project Daniel presented to me was the outlines for a space opera he had written some years ago. I saw potential in it and was also motivated by my lack of experience in this genre. It is not my place to say much more about the content of this project as it is Daniel's creation and I don't want to ruin any plans he might have for it in the future. If you are interested in knowing more about it you should contact Daniel yourself.However, I would like to show the artwork I did for it and reflect briefly on my involvement. Call it a post-mortem or call it closure, I felt it called for some final thoughts.
With Daniel being such a formidable writer he had put a lot of research into the project so I could hit the ground running. I love doing fundamental project research myself but with all this already done I could jump into visual research and exploration immediately. Daniel's material was great to work with because it was specific yet suggestive at the same time which enabled me to inject a lot of my own ideas.
The way I usually operates is 70% research and 30% creation. Curiosity drives everything. From the books next to the bed, to the sound-books in the iPod, to the lines and shapes by the pen. Every project has its own path. A first gentle nudge in the general direction that seems and feels right is all that it takes. The initial intent can let go of the controls as the journey begins. This way I enjoy the unpredictable nature of where the inspiration comes from. Like in a travelers diary, every note, every sketch, thereof has a sense of discovery and excitement. While the finished artwork is the culmination of the project as a whole and comes with the joy and satisfaction that any completions brings , the journey leading up to the apex is still the real treasure.
2009 proved to be an eventful year. I dropped in and out of this project during week nights and weekends on a semi-monthly basis. 2010 is looking good so far, I just finished my part of this project. It has been an absolute labor of love.
Here is the flickr set.
