This was a very fun project. We had the task of creating The Vulcan high Command Bldg. and these sketches show the process of setting a standard for the aesthetics of their artistic culture. The skyscrapers are representative of sword blades fashioned into buildings. Sketch one was approved for the look of the buildings but for an establishing shot the angle ws to high. Sketch two shows a lower version so the planets horizon is a part of the grand view. Once approved the illustration went to color which seen here is a combination of traditional marker and ink and accented with photoshop. A lens flare was added to complete the image. from here the piece went to Foundation to have a CG model made for the episodes FX shots and Doug took the on the task of creating the Translight for the live action and to add a level of detail that to would be copied and modeled over at Foundation.
Eavesdropping with Johnny 
People have mentioned that the Vulcan building look a bit Star Wars-ish. I don’t think so.
Thank for sharing.
ironically there are a lot of similarities between the two. Carol Bauman and I were sharing a slide presentation at Wonderfest long ago and she put up pictures of the models she was working on for the Curascant sky line. It was almost shocking how very much the look of her Star Wars work and the Vulcan city was. The saving grace between the two was color and the amount of buildings in the two different yet similar worlds,,, Might have to concoct a side story that the Vulcans captured all the architects from Star Wars and had them design their city!!! HAA!
I was very glad we got to see modern Vulcan skyscrapers, as opposed to some rustic huts and temples. Quite cool.
Very cool John, thanks. 🙂
Ya know, we are all so entrenched in and influenced by sci-fi in general, be it conscious or unconscious that, IMO it’s impractical to think things won’t show up now-and-then in other things, as far as design goes.
To me, looking at the art, I can see one of the SW ships (can’t recall which one) turned up end. But that didn’t occur to me when I saw the eps. I just saw a view of Vulcan I never got to see before, and was thrilled. But heck, I can look at the patterns in my file tile or the clouds in the sky and see almost anything I want to see if I look long enough. And I do it all the time BTW. 🙂
Shapes are shapes, and really, there are only so many primitive shapes. Seeing SW design in Vulcan is like seeing a train-car when one looks at a bus. Same basic shape sure, but not the same thing and association.
What’s the old saying: There’s nothing new under the sun. Or: There is no right or wrong, it’s only one’s thinking that makes it so.
Great stuff dude, thanks for sharin’ it. 😀
PLL,
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That’s FLOOR tile BTW (typo-demon). And I can easily see the swords, and dig it, as I love swords and have a few myself. Not to mention it’s a kind of dichotomy of representation of Vulcan ancestry, laid over from the past.
LLP,
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We have established pre-First Contact visits by Vulcans via “Carbon Creek”. Maybe someone with an architectural bent from Shi’Kahr or Shanai’Kahr very quietly dropped into Skywalker Ranch one day and tricordered everything of interest? 🙂