What If? Metropolis, Production artist

What If Metropolis, Art Of

What If Metropolis, Crit Day Presentation

What If Metropolis, Maya Pipeline

What If Metropolis, Matte Painting and Maya Scene Layout

What If Metropolis, Matte Painting and Concept Art GIF Build Up

What If Metropolis, Final Composition (Revision No.1)

What If Metropolis, OGR Part 2

What If Metropolis, Travelogue (Revision No.1)

Travelogue-Veteris (artist: Peter Voulkos)

Those not local to Veteris would be given a single indication that they were within bounds of the city. A lone arch stood at least 10 metres tall made of stone. Oddly shaped it give a small insight into Veteris’ more ‘obscure’ architecture. Beside this gate there were no walls, it simply stood as a reminder for any passer-by of the city’s unique mind set on design.

Never static, ever building, ever changing and never afraid to stray from what has already been accepted; Veteris was a different kind of place. The biggest influence that the people have held in their hearts was their collective living space.

After the joining of two families both groups would follow the tradition of constructing a new home. This was done by taking apart their own homes and bringing in the combined materials forming a new structure. Over time the living space would grow larger, stretching towards the sky.

Upon closer inspection the tall buildings appear to be formed from multiple shapes. Intricate layers folding into each other, curved walls revolving around the base and sporadic shapes sprouting out from the ground, each part carefully balanced contributing to the building.

It was over time the people forgot how their skyscrapers, their houses and their homes looked like. Eventually the conventional, conforming buildings began to fade away with time. The architecture changed yet no one noticed. Families took great pride in the formation of their new homes pushing the design in both function and aesthetics. With the households living within close proximity of each other one can only admire at their neighbour’s construct. Each rebuilding led to a revised structure, improving from the previous one, improving the city as a whole.

Resulting in the culmination of the years gone by and reshaping of the city, no home was the same. This was not taking into account of the individual changes made by those who lived inside. With the buildings being made from the same material throughout the entire width it makes it difficult to differentiate between the functional and atheistic layers. It was the small differences that would describe the family who lived inside. Despite this one rule always stood true in Veteris’ society, the larger the building the bigger the family and thus the more power they held.  

Connecting all the buildings were bridges carrying flowing water. Bound to every building, these aqueducts act as the main source of income with goods being imported and exported between the surrounding cities. Goods come from outside to the largest of the buildings before having a portion sent to next biggest buildings. This would continue until the smallest of families received what was need. As the littlest of families are unable to take part in the trade they contribute through other means preparing food, crafting clothes, providing medical care and so on. Without each other both the largest and smallest of the families would suffer. Not only did these aqueducts bring in necessities for living but also connected the collective families.   

It was for this reason the tall structures not only acted as a home for families but also as a way of living, providing the much need food, water and essentials. Each ‘house’ connected to another through one form or another, rely upon another. The flowing water moving goods also serving as a form of transportation between houses with as many boats carrying people as there were commodities.

Even with the designs forming wild and constructive shapes advancing the form there were still limitations. One such limitation was the material that was available from the previous houses. As a result the new age designs juxtaposed the material that was used in conjunction.  The varying angles that the layers draw from are crafted from reconstituted materials that have been adhered to each other using different techniques. All structures are of the same worn, dense sturdy and bone like material. Never the less the walls have stood the ages always proving its worth when needed withstanding the rain, wind and storms.

Alongside the buildings, tall structures protruded from the ground. Often found in the same style as that of the building they stood by, chains of lamps would be hung. Others would draw themselves higher in order to hold up the aqueducts. Laced around the angular paths of the city one’s eye would be easily drawn up to meet the man-made objects above them. Much like the inhabited structures the material appeared to be of a solid material, worn away by the time. Sturdy enough to be held in the patterned brick pavements yet well balanced, these lamps lit the city for all to see at night. 

What If Metropolis, thumbnails 110-153 (20/11/16)

no. 110-115 building

no. 116-121 building

no. 122-127

no. 128-129 framing shot

no. 130-131 framing shot

no. 132-133 framing shot

no.134-153 lamp post design

What If Metropolis, thumbnails 79-109 (16/11/16)

While continuing to create thumbnails in "cooperation" with Peter Voulkos I decided to re-examine the core features in his work. I found that the more important elements of his work was that they were a mix of functional yet aesthetically pleasing, formed through layers and based upon traditional pottery before being changed into his own image. At first the use of layers was explored before having a mix of both organic and rigid shapes. For the last image a more typical skyscraper template was used before being changed to push the line between function and appearance.

no. 79-88

no. 89-97

no. 98-109

What If Metropolis OGR

What If Metropolis: Influence Map

The influence map consists of concepts that will help build the surrounding city. While my city is not based in prehistoric times, or in a fiction world for that matter the society itself is going to be using technology on a more primitive level. For inspiration I looked towards aboriginal cultures and buildings. Of these there tended to be a use of more natural shapes alongside materials that were naturally available to them. It was also useful to take into account of their painting style as they would be part of the decoration of the structures.

Artist research, Peter Voulkos

Peter Voulkos, an American artist was born on the 29^th of January 1924 is known for creating more expressive abstract work from ceramic material. Born to a Greek family Voulkos began his studies in art at the Montana State University in Bozeman. In his university Voulkos studied in both painting and ceramics gaining experience in both fields.

Voulkos’ later career would have him involved with creating functional dinnerware; he would continue to create ceramics in the traditional sense until 1953. This would be creating smoother, more carefully crafted, and conventional ceramics. During a summer session Voulkos while teaching at the Black Mountain College and approached his craft in a different way.  It was here that he started to take up a more expressive view putting aside what he had been taught. As a result Voulkos has been recognised as one of America’s most significant sculptors of the 20^th century.

On February 15^th, 2002 Voulkos died from a heart attack. During his life time Voulkos has created a number of works which he has been recognised. Alongside representing his work in major museums and winning multiple awards he has also exhibited around 100 solo shows.

The work that has been recognised has often been created from ceramic material. Looking at the work it can be seen that each piece is individual having a varied weight, shape and form. Common features that appear across voulkos’ work are that the surface of his work is uneven and full of raw emotion. As a result it does not take up the form of traditional pottery but instead a number of different shapes that are both tall and wide. Often or not the forms have a lot of weight and dwarfing traditional ceramics in size. With this the clay has been both shaped by hand and worked with using tools to give gaps and holes. The reddish, brown material is sometimes accommodated by a brighter more vibrate stroke of colour.

What If Metropolis: Travelogue

Travelogue: Veteris

Looking back now it seems rather strange. Veteris was not a city that aspired towards the future but was one that was content with its self. As the world around it began to take steps forward in technology Veteris stayed behind. It was not that the city or its people were backwards or refused to make contact with that of the outside world. Rather it was due to the large distance between the civilizations. Any new comers from a foreign land are welcome to stay, or leave, however it is rare they ever return to home.  

Following a path across the barren lands, avoiding near death from thirst, eventually one would be able to spot the vague silhouette of Veteris. Long ago the citizens of Veteris purposely moved away. The journey towards the new resting place was open for anyone to uptake; the cost of completing the journey was always higher. At first glance from afar the city would appear as a varied collection of upright shapes all huddled together.

Before entering Veteris one had to go through a large arch that stood at least 10 metres tall made of stone that had been oddly shaped. Despite there being a lack of physical barriers people still entered through the gate. It is unsure if this was due to tradition or superstition. Never the less the worn stone path led on towards the outskirts of the city.  

Stories of how the city originated would be told to every generation, from a young age children would be informed of a tribe that travelled using large creatures. Soon the nomads settled down and with that the creatures all but perished, leaving only their petrified husks. Even in death the beings served their owners sheltering them with their bodies.

The material used was not modern; it did not have to be. The surface of the houses appeared to be that of stone; occasionally there would be a bone like component that would stick out. Observing the walls cracks can be seen with the weathered pattern showing the age of the structure. When the walls broke the people repaired it, sometimes with clay, mud or hay. When the time came they would expand their homes using the very same materials that were available to them combining severed fragments from structures that were yet to be occupied. The extension of the home would vary sometimes building upwards others sideways. With this increased amount of living space the growing family would be satisfied.

After the joining of two families both groups would follow the tradition of constructing a new home. This was done by taking apart their own homes and bringing in the combined materials to from a new structure. Over time the buildings would get larger showing a distinct pattern. At the centre of Veteris where it all began the largest buildings stood tall housing the bigger families. When it was necessary new families would move towards the outskirts occupying empty structures. Their homes would start small but it would not be long before they grew.

No home was the same, even the original structure varied in both size and shape. This was not taking in account of the individual changes made by those who lived inside. It was these little differences that could tell another about those who lived inside. Those with large conical chimneys would often belong to a baker or in the rare instance a blacksmith. Every now and then you would come across a house that had stripes of black or white painted across them, signifying the number of generations the house held. Upon carefully inspection around the outside you would eventually find a small clay plaque that would hold the names of the collective families, a piece of history that was carried on from the previous house.

Alongside the buildings, spiked structures protruded from the ground. Often found together in pairs chains of lamps would be hung lighting the streets. Much like the inhabited structures the material appeared to be of a solid stone material worn away by the time. Following the pattern of the buildings the extended structures also consisted of coloured stripes of paint.

While the inner houses were larger than those on the outskirts it would never be larger than the central structure of the city. Its true purpose is only known to a small portion of the population. Most believe that the centre is used to govern the necessary resources for the city to run; others believe that the tower holds a dark secret. Despite the floating rumours what is known is that 2 guards always stand by the entrance, never moving wearing their ceremonial clothing, spears and shields.

It was not that the city or its people were backwards or refused to make contact with that of the outside world but perhaps the opposite. Maybe seeing other’s way of life they were content with their own.