Category: Art Post

Enterprise Predator Concept in Minecraft!

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Previously, I had posted a Star Trek Enterprise ship concept painting titled the Predator. Well, just recently, someone by the name of Alex Steel emailed me and told me that he has started building my Predator concept in Minecraft!

Up until then, I have never even heard of Minecraft. Okay, I might be outdated in that respect, but when you have 3 kids like I do, you are busy enough with the real world to know much about virtual worlds out there. Alex was nice enough to explain to me what Minecraft was. What I’ve learn blew me away. Not just the fact that people are doing this but at the level of dedication they have in doing it at. Alex is into building Star Trek related things in Minecraft. So he decided to build my Predator ship concept in Mincraft. Here’s my painting below along with some of his builds in Minecraft.

Star Trek Enterprise NCC-1791 Predator Concept

building the enterprise predator in minecraftbuilding the enterprise predator in minecraft exteriorbuilding the enterprise predator in minecraft - interiorbuilding the enterprise predator in minecraft saucer

It’s quite incredible to see this being build by someone. There are more shots of this bulding process in Alex’s blog. You can find the post here: Building the Enterprise Predator in Minecraft.

Or check out his forum, Shipyards: Building Star Trek Ships in Minecraft.

Now if this fascinates you, you have to check out what other Star Trek ships have been built in Minecraft. Check out these links, courtesy of Alex. It’s mine-blowing. Enjoy! -Wei

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax_cTSCuif0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCIcAKl040s
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Minetrek

Sci-fi Concept Painting – Retro Style

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sci-fi concept painting - martian lookoutThis painting started out as another soldier sketch but ended up as some kind of futuristic robotic soldier with a retro sci-fi look.

Something about the retro sci-fi works that sparks my imagination. The current generation of sci-fi concept artist, mostly digital, have some amazing imagery. But somehow, I don’t see the same level of creativity as in the old sci-fi works. The newer concepts have spectacular shapes, dynamic composition, and awesome renderings. It’s fun to look at, but doesn’t spark the imagination. It just doesn’t do it for me as much as the older works. Oh whatever, it could be that I’m just getting older=).

Another Soldier Sketch on Galaxy Note 10.1

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Sketching on the Galaxy Note 10.01Here’s another sketch on the Galaxy Note 10.1 over the Memorial Day weekend. I’m getting more comfortable working with the S-Pen on the Galaxy Note. I’m also feeling the sensitivity more. It appears that you need to push down quite a bit to get the variations. Not nearly as good as Cintiq but it is feeling better the more I work with it.

I’m really loving the convenience of sketching with the Galaxy Note. Fun!!!

Sketching with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

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Sketch of Soldier with the Galaxy Note

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 SketchFinally had a chance to play around sketching on my new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. There are quite a few of free drawing and painting softwares for the Galaxy Note but I decided to purchase Autodesk’s Sketchbook Pro 6 for $5. The thing with free programs is that there’s usually a catch, either a trial version or some kind of ad placement. Anyhow, Sketchbook Pro has been around for awhile so it’s the natural choice in my opinion. Here’s a sketch on the Galaxy Note 10.1. Since it’s Memorial Day weekend, a soldier sketch seems appropriate.

Limited Range of Sensitivity with the Pen on the Galaxy Note 10.1


After getting some playtime, I’ve come to realize that Sketchbook Pro for tablets is a really simple program. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Simplicity works well for mobile devices. First impressions is that the pen is just mildly sensitive on the tablet. I am use to the sensitivity levels offered by the Wacom Intous tablets and the Cintiqs. The pen on the Galaxy Note 10.1 is well below those. I find it difficult to achieve a wide range of pressures with the pen. In order to make lighter lines, I have to change the opacity levels. Just applying a softer touch on the tablet offers only a tiny range of difference. It stills works, just not impressive like the Cintiq. Then again, this is a $400 tablet computer compared to a Cintiq monitor for $2000. So comparing the Galaxy Note to the Cintiq is probably not a valid comparison.

Sketching is Fun on the Galaxy Note

Once I got over the limited pen sensitivity, I really enjoyed sketching on it. You find ways to adjust your workflow according to the hardware and software. I ended up just using the pen tool for solid lines and started sketching. It’s really fun. The lag is noticeable, but not a deal breaker. Screen size is small but workable. The screen resolution for sketching is sufficient. The fact that it is portable and you can have it up and running in a few seconds is incredibly convenient. I’m afraid that I might not pick up a pencil anymore for sketching.

I’ll have more reviews on the sketching and drawing on the Galaxy Note later as I play with it more. But these are just my initial thoughts.