AstroDivers
This artwork is a result of two things. The first is an effort to create without overthinking. The second is my crippling addiction to Helldivers 2.
On Helldivers
My theory is that this game was made for me and others who grew up watching the Clone Wars on TV. You and your squad dropping in, fighting back to back, destroyers raining death from above. The gameplay is endlessly satisfying and the community is one of the best I’ve encountered in a game. This is a game I don’t mind playing with auto-matched randoms because I can count on them being a wholesome, dedicated brother in arms.
The galactic war mechanic is also a huge highlight for me as a Star Wars: Empire at War fan. For years I’ve dreamt of a game that combined the third person gameplay of Battlefront with the galaxy spanning conflict of EAW. Though we’re missing space combat for now (fingers crossed!) it’s the closest any game has come to that dream game. I can’t help but feel that each mission has real stakes, and that I’m contributing to something greater with my comrades, even if it’s just a fake space war.
Oh yeah, the art
I created this artwork using Blender and Photoshop. You can watch the timelapse below!
Though this is a newer Lex model, it’s pulling heavily from earlier versions of the character. This goes back to my desire to go with the flow and not overthink every single thing. I always thought this design was cool, and that’s really all the reason I need moving forward. I’ll save the deeper reasonings for whenever I have a writer and artist come on board.
The Automoton enemies are straight from Helldivers 2, so all credit for them goes to the amazing artists at Arrowhead.
Last thing I’ll mention is the sky background. I’ve always loved these dramatic skies from classical paintings, so I scoured the Met collection’s public domain offerings for something to collage in. Maybe one day I’ll learn how to paint them myself.
On my mind
Reading more comics recently has inspired me to think about my work differently (namely Absolute Batman and Star Wars: Bounty Hunters.) As simple as it sounds, it’s showing me that I can tell visual stories without the workload that animation demands. Funnily enough, it’s something an old Art Director of mine recommended to me years ago. Seems like it takes a while for advice to sink into my noggin.
I’m curious how one might format their comic panels for social media, or if that’s even a good idea. There plenty of examples of comic strips but not much for “action comics,” if that’s the proper term.
That’s something I’ll be exploring moving forward.
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Till next time.