One of the things that always bothers me with books (sci-fi especially) is when the cover doesn’t match what is inside the story!
To avoid this, I decided the best thing for me to do for my new novel was to custom design the feature ship. In Shadows of Arcturus, the UVS Valiant plays a significant role, and I wanted to ensure it was accurate to what is represented within the story.
I have prior experience with 3D modeling software and Photoshop; although those skills had become very rusty over the years! Deciding Blender was the right tool to use, I went about relearning old skills in new software.
The first thing I did was do a rough sketch of what was in my head. Growing up on sci-fi, I knew what sort of style I wanted the ship to be early on in the process. Instead of the gleaming curves of Star Trek or the battered eclecticness of Star Wars, I wanted the Valiant to really feel like the aging, low-level warship it’s supposed to be – a realistic representation of a near-future military that had seen its fair share of destructive void war.
Once I had my ideas down on paper, it was time to start building out the model in Blender. Blender’s interface took some time to get used to, but soon enough my basic 3D modeling skills started to come back to me!
Now happy with the basic structure, I started adding all kinds of details. Sci-fi model makers know this process as greebling – adding small details that make an object seem more detailed and realistic.
With the ship itself ready, my focus then moved to the texture. This is the first step to take a plastic-looking model and making it look like something that exists in the real world.
The process involves ‘unwrapping’ the 3D features of the model and turning them into a 2D image that can then be painted over in Photoshop.
Using a mixture of stock textures and custom images, adding all the detail, dirt, and grime that makes a vehicle seem as though it’s had a long, hard life in deep space took longer than modeling it in the first place!
Lighting effects were added through the build process, including things like engine illumination, windows, and navigation lights.
Now that it’s finished, the Valiant will take pride of place on the front cover for Shadows of Arcturus.
Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or Instagram and check back soon for the cover reveal!
