3D illustrations...

[handrawn]

it's good to have the imagination... mine works in a very different way [that isn't always appreciated on TG ]

[Gamerprinter]

So it turns out, I'm using that "shrimp drone" from the previous thread, and creating a variety of crustacean based ship designs, and calling them Crustacea. Here's a crab ship version, and a pair of wood louse/pill bug configured repairs drones whose articulated antenna are 3D printer heads, essentially, using refined disassembled materials as print media...

[Gamerprinter]

Here we go, seems to have some wahoo factor, but oh well, living crab construct ships, what do expect? This is the next Crustacea, a Hermit Crab Scrap Hauler ship, medium in size - so bigger than the land crab ship (I should have included one for scale). The land crab makes itself a ramp allowing the shrimp disassemblers to carry their materials into the hauler bin, then shuts the door, allowing the hermit hauler to lift the salvage material and return it to the carrier mother lobster ship in orbit. The colossal lobster carrier/processor ship is next and last in this series... enjoy!

[wizard509]

Here we go, seems to have some wahoo factor, but oh well, living crab construct ships, what do expect? This is the next Crustacea, a Hermit Crab Scrap Hauler ship, medium in size - so bigger than the land crab ship (I should have included one for scale). The land crab makes itself a ramp allowing the shrimp disassemblers to carry their materials into the hauler bin, then shuts the door, allowing the hermit hauler to lift the salvage material and return it to the carrier mother lobster ship in orbit. The colossal lobster carrier/processor ship is next and last in this series... enjoy!

Comes off like a real crab in my opinion.

[Gamerprinter]

Comes off like a real crab in my opinion.

Well in the past, I've tried to design ships that emulate lifeforms, but is still technology. Whereas, these hava a more fantasy-esque quality being fit for a science fantasy game, where magic coexists with technology. These are living constructs manufactured by some ancient race, now long dead, that used powerful magics to program and animate these into "lifeforms" they cannot replicate nor reproduce, but they are immortal until destroyed. So if they look real, I put extra care into their modeling so they resemble closely to their organic counterparts.

This is two views of the construct Crustacea Lobster Carrier-Salvage Processor Mothership, that is 15.000 ft long, houses all other Crustacea along it's hull, with the bulk of interior space dedicated to processing salvage materials. The front view shows the flight bay entrance under it's nose.

All modeled using Wings 3D, a subdivisional surface modeller and Vue Creator to light, texure and render the scenes.

[Gamerprinter]

Calling this Towing Hazard: a one-shot module for four players of 6th level for use with the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. This will be both the cover art and an interior illustration. With the players working as a towing service for a salvage yard station, where they tow a huge derelict with a salvage beacon. Unknown to them Crustacea have claimed the ship for themselves not recognizing a salvage beacon claim. So enroute to towing the vessel in, prawn constructs are seen crawling out from inside, and a medium crab vessel is joining the fray. This is where I'll introduce the Crustacea living construct starships. I haven't even written the module yet!

[Gamerprinter]

After creating last night's illustration, I realized that I need a portrait oriented image and not a landscape one (duh); been using square-ish formats previously then cropping down. But I decided to redo the cover illustration version at least in portrait. I used a different atmosphere, maybe a planetary nebula, where the derelict destroyer sat adrift. The salvage towing service has securely connected to the destroyer and now pulling it the two days flight back to the salvage yard station. A prawn is crawling across the hull of the towed destroyer, a crab is about to land, and from behind the colossal lobster mothership is in hot pursuit. I thought with the dust clouds, asteroids and the menagerie of Crustacea, this was a more epic and dynamic image than the previous - and it fits space! Now I need to write the dang thing!