How would you paint a storm in space?
Mena Fiore, Canada
Paul replies
One of the major challenges you face when painting a space image is deciding how sci-fi you want to go. Space itself is pretty empty and dark, and the crazy visual effects that you see in today’s blockbuster films tend to be a little less scientific and more fictional. The entertainment industry is all about spectacle, so for this particular article I’m going to focus on a storm that could work in a game or film.
Whenever you come to paint something that doesn’t exist, it’s important to bring in elements that the audience can relate to. In this case, when I’m thinking about how to portray a space storm I’m imagining tornadoes, clouds and lightning – perhaps a swirling vortex that would suck in spaceships like a black hole.
Next, I save some photos of storms for use as textures. I want the painting to have the feel of concept art – something you