You can design the future! In a post-apocalyptic alien landscape, starfighters crash land in desert terrain, dino riders rear up, rusted crab walkers litter the horizon and men work with--or fight against--giant iron robots. You control it all and Academy Award-winning sci-fi film production designer Doug Chiang tells you how. In this revised and updated version of his best-selling book, Mechanika, Chiang uses his 25 years in the film industry working on such films as the Star Wars franchise, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and War of the Worlds to teach you the techniques, tools and tips to draw and think like a master sci-fi artist. Inside you'll find: * The six keys to good design and how to build an expert toolkit.* Basic sketching techniques and the rules of perspective--even in imaginary worlds.*25+ step-by-step demonstrations showing how to draw everything from monopods and labor beasts to aliens and steam-powered robots by mixing traditional drawing and marker techniques with digital painting technology.* How to create compelling science fiction scenes inspired by movies, books, comics and games from conceptualization to completion.*
Tips and details on how to use Adobe Photoshop to design, draw and enhance your creations--including author secrets!Learn design secrets from one of the sci-fi artists behind Star Wars, War of the Worlds and Terminator 2: Judgment Day!
Author Biography
Currently hard at work on STAR WARS, Episode 7, Chiang started with stop-motion animation for Pee Wee's Playhouse, then became a Clio award-winning commercial director/designer for various companies, eventually joining Industrial Light and Magic in 1989, becoming creative director in 1993 working as visual effects art director for films including Ghost, The Doors, Terminator 2, Death Becomes Her, Forrest Gump, Jumanji and The Mask. He has an Academy Award and a British Academy Award for Death Becomes Her and a British Academy Award for Forrest Gump. He served as design director for Lucasfilm LTD on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Episode II: Attack of the Clones. In 2002, he was production designer for Robert Zemeckis' Polar Express and is production designer for Zemeckis' 2007 film, Beowulf. He was also art director for Monster House and concept designer for Spielberg's War of the Worlds. Chronicle published his book Robota: Reign of Machines in 2003. In 2004, Chiang formed Ice Blink Studios, comprised of 18 artists/designers. As independent filmmaker and director, Chiang's won numerous awards, including a FOCUS Award for his film Mental Block. His short teaser for Robota won the 'Prix Du Rendu' award at the Imagina 2003 Film Festival and 'Best Advertising/Promotional Film' in the 2003 Annecy Animation Festival. His work's been in major exhibitions including those at the Brooklyn Museum, Houston Museum of Fine Art, San Diego Museum of Fine Art, Field Museum and Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums, among others. In 2003, Chiang received an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He lives in Northern California with his wife and three children. Chiang has authored, and his art has appeared in, several books, while he is also mentioned in several other filmmaking, game design and science fiction art books as an expert in his field.
