Sketches From A Geek

A decade long collection of drawings from Star Ships to Hotels

Keith Foster












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Dedications:
Charlotte Wachtel, The love of my life
Phillip Barnett, Still my brother
Chris Huff & Family, May the laughter never end
Marcus Hammers, MOTORCYCLE!!!
Haze, My little girl














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Contents:
Introduction 5
Weapons and Devices 6
Planetary Vehicles 10
Methods of Transportation 20
Space Vehicles 26
Bases 36
Buildings 43
3D Models 53









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Introduction

How do I begin?

I think we all have a vivid imagination (some more than others). As a race we create or improve on what we see
in our daily lives. Thats what sets us apart from all other life forms weve encountered. Chances are that will
also cause our eventual downfall, or possibly, our rise from the ashes afterwards.

Throughout high school my own imagination ran rampant. There was no chain or teacher that could curb it, and
my grades suffered because of it. The young man that started out as an honor student his freshman year ended
up graduated with Cs and a D+.

During my sophomore year I found others with the same talents (Albeit much better at dividing their time
between work and play), and they were my introduction into Role Playing. Every morning wed meet in the
cafeteria and play a quick round of either Shadowrun or Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Although most
thought us nerds and called us worse it was more or less a reason to get together and goof off before the turmoil
of class began.

The designated leader of that group is still a great friend to this day. Weve been through a lot of thick, a lot of
thin, and hes helped me immensely despite the crap Ive dragged him through. In school we used to design new
RPGs, ships, adventures, characters All while attending class mind you (sorry Mr. Nett). We even went as
far as turning certain board games into role-playing games during sleepovers just to play them out. I can
honestly say that most of my innovative moments were with him. He influenced the majority of my high school
art during those gaming years.

After graduation, college didnt last long. I could say it was hard but it truly wasnt, I guess I just wasnt really
cut out for it. In the end I just didnt want to give those cruel, underpaid community college teachers any more
of my time so I quit. I dont want to give young readers any bad ideas, but it was the best thing for me at the
time and when I look back I still dont regret it. During this whole period I began programming and 3D editing
more and more, all the while drawing less and less.

Its 13 years since my drawing abilities Bloomed (more or less) and I still sketch when I can. I find, these
days, that my preference is the computer. Im hoping that the ideas represented in this book can spark the
imagination in its readers. Maybe seeing what a young man with no professional art education could do might
prove that you can do it as well.

Near each sketch Ive given a short description of it, the year it was created, and/or why I drew it.

So enjoy. I hope that the things that sprung from my head can help you, dear reader. Whether it is with a role-
playing game, story, or if you just need something to read in the tub.

Keith M Foster


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Chapter 1
Weapons and Devices






I think everyones dreamt up a weapon here and there, from
stunning that annoying guy on the subway to blowing up the local
bullys house from space. Im sure you know where Im coming
from.

Most of this chapter consists of things Ive created for RPGs or
short stories. Most of my team liked to create a special item or
two for our characters, something that wasnt in the books to
make us unique.

The knife to the right was made for my biggest Shadowrun
character, a Were-Leopard named Rex. Looking back I cant
figure out why I made it, because most of his opponents carried
guns. Besides, by where the blades are located it looks like itd
hurt to try and hold it.

I think I named this The Leopard (at least thats the name at the
base of the blade. I drew it sometime in 93.









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Jeez, this one gives me flashbacks. This is another weapon I had created for my favorite character. Its
a collapsible bow staff that contained a grappling line with two attachments (can anyone say
Batman), three tube-shaped grenades at one end, and a medium-sized blade in the other end. As you
can tell it also has a wide assortment of buttons in the center to control everything.

I drew this sometime in 92, probably in the spring during school by looking at the kind of paper its
on.

Man, it would suck to accidentally push the wrong button at a critical moment. Luckily Rex never
used this in any campaign.




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This bow staff actually made it into a few of my short stories. Unlike its predecessor it used magic to
alter shape. It didnt have all the bells and whistles, but it didnt need batteries either. As an added
bonus it was silent plus small enough not to get in the way during tight situations.

If you look VERY closely you can barely make out Rex holding the various parts. I drew him lightly
so it wouldnt take away from the focus of the picture. Unfortunately he didnt scan in well.

I dont have a date on this sketch, but Im guessing it was sometime between 95-96. I think I drew it
at home because it was in my very first sketchbook (which I rarely took to school).




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Heres the L-37 Destroyer (I dont remember
what the L-37 stands for). I made this for a
role-playing game I had created. I liked the
design back then even though it seems as
though the battery pack would get in the way a
lot.

I got the idea for this from the original NES
Zapper light gun, and a friend encouraged me
to add a laser sight a few months after the
initial design in 92.





Every star ship needs torpedoes, right? This
was my answer to that question. As any star
trek watcher can tell I modified Paramounts
design to one more feasible for my universe.
This warhead has thrusters on the bottom, top,
and sides (they look like indented vents) and a
small sensor array on the right side.

The launcher looks like something youd see on
a submarine. It uses magnetic propulsion to
fling the torpedo out before it can arm and
guide itself.

I drew these back in 01 although it doesnt feel
that long ago.





Heres the L-38 Destroyer. I made it quite a few
years later in 04. Its the same basic design, but I
improved on the battery pack and looks.

Im writing a story to envelop most of my Sci-Fi art
on my web site called New Empire, and Ive
made this weapon standard for the good guys.










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Heres the Big Daddy in terms of planetary defense. I originally made it to destroy asteroids,
comets, and the like. But this gun could easily blast through the biggest of my ships, shielded or not
(and youll see that they get quite big).

The lower half of this cannon is underground. All thats visible is the control building, the dome
(emitter), and the four arms that focus the blast. The aim is only about 7 degrees in any direction,
which means thered have to be a lot of them to protect a planet, or even a continent for that matter. It
also takes 10 minutes to power up for 1 shot, so whatever its hitting had better be moving slowly or in
a straight line.

I drew this in 99 with no specific place to put it; I just thought it was an awesome idea. Ive even
posted it on my site as one of my better ideas.









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I barely draw anything thats mundane (like
basic objects), but heres a couple that were
good enough for me to share.

This is just a computer memory chip that I
designed for an RPG I created. It was right
before USB drives came out and this was
supposed to be the equivalent.

I believe this was drawn around 95.
























I call this a portable CAT scan, although it
doesnt look very portable and current CAT
scans today are probably smaller. Thats a bed
at the lower right that slides into the main
scanner.

I honestly think I just started doodling this one
day without knowing what I wanted it to be. It
just turned into a CAT scan towards the end.

I created this in 02.












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Chapter 2
Planetary Vehicles






Heres a Hover Drone I created while
goofing off. I never used it for anything.
It was just an experiment to see if I could
put together a bunch of normal parts to
make something neat.

This was made sometime in 95.





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This Chapter consists of mobile vehicles (manned or
unmanned) that are restricted to an atmosphere. I never
really sketch such things anymore (dont know why), but I
have plenty from long ago.

This is a drone I made for Shadowrun. I call it a Drone
Tank, although its more of a mobile gun. Its about the
size of a large dog and the treads can reconfigure
themselves independently in relation to the main body.
This enables it to rise up a few feet and handle rough
terrain.

The Mobile Tank was perfect for patrolling courtyards or
forest areas.

It was drawn in 92.














Heres the W-40 Walker (I dont know
why I named it that). Its the first (and
weirdest) walking robot Ive ever drawn.
I didnt make it for any reason either.

Theres two guns mounted behind the
cockpit, one in the rear, and, of course, the
set of claws in the front

I drew it back in 92.




Heres a cute little hover car I designed
for shadowrun (kinda). I put it in as an
option through a fence, but no one ever
bought one.

Its a sportster with no weapons or
mounting points. I drew it in 95.





I drew this hover tank in class one day. I
never had a real place to put it, I guess it
was just boredom.

Its equipped with 2 main barrels and
three hover units (two in the rear, one in
front).

I drew this in 92.






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Ah, another robot. This one is less for fighting and more for working. Its used to assist in cryogenic
thawing. I never put this in any game or campaign, because I drew it just for kicks while watching
Demolition Man on TV.

I made it in 94.


Heres a bomber I drew in 94. I dont see it as
being very maneuverable, but Im sure itd fill
a need somewhere.

The only problem I see in the design today is
the lack of a tail wing(s).





Heres a giant hover carrier. Its about 9 stories
tall and hovers around 20 feet off the ground.

I originally started drawing this as a building,
but got the urge to change it half way through.

I drew it around 96.








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Heres an experimental version of what I called a Wave Flyer. It had no wings or hover-type
engines; it just stayed aloft by speed alone, took off/landed like a normal airplane, and steered by
vectoring its thrust. The two guns in the nose shot small, distorted crescent-shaped blades for slicing
through other craft.

I drew this before getting into RPGs in 92. Theres no date or signature and it was outside of my
normal sketchpads (It mustve been drawn in class).













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I really like this Hydrofoil. I was going to put
it in Shadowrun and might still. It has a few
missile launchers in the rear but thats it. It can
also fit about 6 people comfortably.

I drew this in 02.



What better way to segway from boats to submarines
than to include one thats both.

This is the S-307 (once again I have no idea why I
named it that). Its a sub that can convert to a
hydrofoil on demand. This sub cant dive nearly as
deep as others, but its speed helps it get away from
danger. It can also fire up to 10 torpedoes at once or
up to 4 missiles while on the surface.

I drew this one in 92.



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Heres a steam-powered sub (I guess nuclear
subs kind of fall under that category). I quite
doubt this idea would work, but it was a neat
concept. I never mention in the schematic what
heats the water so let your imagination flow
with that.

This is only a small two-seater sub with limited
depth range. I drew it sometime in 95.










Heres a giant sub I created in high school. It was a big deal at the time, although I dont remember
why, and I cant recall using this for any game or story. This submarine doubles as an aircraft carrier,
but only has six torpedo launchers of its own.

I look back now and realize that this is the predecessor of the Torpedo class cruisers (in the Space
Vehicles Chapter). The next two pages are dedicated to this sub (I never named it or its class).

I drew this in 92.
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Chapter 3
Methods of Transportation






Back in school whenever I designed a ship I ripped off the warp travel method from Star Trek. It
wasnt really as much lack of imagination as it was lack of interest in trivial details. Now a days I
use a version of slipstream travel I made up myself so I have something to call my own. Ive also used
wormholes, space-folding, dimensional travel All of which Ive seen somewhere else.

This section also has a few modes of personal travel (gateways and the like). Sometimes characters in
my games cant afford to get on a ship to make it where they want to go (or cant afford it). Once I
even made finding a porthole generator the object of one adventure for a few extra points before the
actual adventure even began.

Heres a basic thruster that I designed for a
cargo ship (its animated in 3D on the Cargo
Carrier too, p. 58).

The intake in front is used for atmospheric
travel, but closes off when theres no oxygen
available and the engine switches to ion-type
propulsion.

This isnt that old, I drew it in 04.


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This is a wormhole generator that I never
really used in any one game or story.
Although I still think it was a good idea.

To the right (with four satellites instead of
three) is how it would appear bringing another
ship through. The generator is placed in one
spot near a planet or station and is too big to
be moved frequently.

I never gave it a set range, so theoretically it
could open a wormhole to the other side of the
universe.

I cant find the date I made this, but it was
around 93-94.







The three control satellites perform various functions. I
used an energy source that I called Liquid Energy. It
was just something I created on the spur of the moment
that would never work in real life.

The generator can only be controlled from its end, but
can be set with a timer to open again to pull in another
ship.



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This is the slipstream drive I created for my newest story. Heres the explanation of it from the story
itself:

In order for a ship to create and utilize a Slipstream it must have two specific systems:

A Mass Dampener and a Graviton Generator/Emitter

Both of these systems together make up the Slipstream Drive.

The first step before generating a slipstream is for a ship to reduce its mass. The Mass Dampener generates a field around the ship that lowers its mass in
relation to the surrounding universe. The result is a 700-ton vessel only weighing 1 or 2 lbs outside of the field it's generating.

The second step is to actually generate the Slipstream. The Graviton Generator/Emitter does exactly what it says. It creates a vast amount of gravitons
and projects them in front of the ship in a "converging pattern". The graviton particles are spun at a tremendous speed when emitted from the ship and are
technically Tachyons. This allows them to travel much faster than light (the amount of spin determines the extra speed the particles can achieve). The
amount of spin is timed by the systems computer to slow in conjunction with the gravitons convergence with the other gravitons in its area. This mass of
bundled gravitons form a ring it front of the ship (the distance ahead depends on the current speed, the ring forms closer when accelerating).

This ring is the strongest source of gravity affecting the ship and surrounding space. It's so strong that it affects light and Aether around it (thinning both
inside of the ring); this gives the added bonus of reducing drag for the approaching ship.

By the time the ship enters the graviton ring it is already dispersing (as the gravitons continue on their original path) and the ship has already projected
more "rings" ahead of it. As it disperses the gravity that a graviton ring creates quickly dissipates as well. Shortly after the ship passes through a fading
ring it disappears completely.

These rings that the ship travels through go by so fast that the observer sees it as a tube (which is called a Slipstream). What little light that a graviton ring
gathers at its strongest point is released as it begins to disperse. The color depends on the surrounding area but is usually light blue (the color of the
surrounding star light). This gives the Slipstream a wavy, light blue, appearance unless it's near a larger source of light.



In order to exit from Slipstream a ship just has to disengage the graviton emitter. With it's mass still lowered spatial drag will immediately slow it to sub
light speed.
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Ive always loved this device. Its a portal generator for planet hopping. Think of it as a Stargate
thats one-sided (just like the wormhole generator). It doesnt have a maximum range, but it is affected
by gravity so the user has to plot a course. That course will change because of the movement of
planets so the portal cant be held stable for more than a few minutes.

I got the idea for this from both Stargate and Timecop. I liked the way that the characters in Timecop
appeared out of thin air, and it also wouldve sucked if I had to place one of these on every planet.

I drew this in 00 and never had a chance to use it, although Id love to.





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Heres an earlier porthole generator (its not compact at all). This one was designed to conform to the
shape of a pyramid so it could be concealed inside. The actual portal appeared in thin air at the tip and
a large set of stairs led up to it.

While drawing this I didnt have a clue what I wanted it to do (transport through space, time,
dimensions), but I later used it in an adventure to get a group off a planet they were stranded on. I
made finding it the objective and getting home the reward.

I created this in 98, but I believe the picture on the opposite page was created a few years later.







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Chapter 4
Space Vehicles



Space vehicles and buildings are what I spend the majority of my talent on these days so this chapter
will be by far the largest. In my earlier high school years I used Star Trek as a blueprint for most of my
designs. Over time I shifted between other shows or role-playing games so youll notice varying
themes in design over time.



The S.P.R.inter will be the only robot youll see in this chapter. I created it specifically for a ship in an
RPG from high school. It functioned as both a lifeboat and exploratory vehicle (I dont remember ever
using the weapons).

This robot launched from a small bay at the rear of a run-about. Its thrusters assisted in a jump if the
ship was landed, or it floated straight out if in space. The run-about that accompanied it is later in this
chapter.

I drew the S.P.R.inter sometime in 94.

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I actually believe this is my first starship design
ever. The U.S.S. Starboard evolved into the
Starboard class run-about over time. There are
currently three versions, but the 2
nd
incarnation was
lost or destroyed a long time ago.

This ship had very rudimentary weapons and cloak.
It also couldnt provide the power to cloak or travel
faster than light at the same time.

I drew this back in 92






This is the 3
rd
version of the Starboard class run-about. I drew it for a comic strip that I never even
started so theres no stats or specifications for it. The crew was a collection of aliens and such (almost
an exact mirror of SciFi channels Tripping the Rift, although I came up with this in 98).

This version was a little larger than the first 2 and only had one tail wing. I dont know what that the
tank under the wing was for. I just added it in the brain storming stage, and probably wouldve done
something with it later.

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This is one of my favorite run-about designs. Im not going to lie and say I created it from scratch,
because I copied the exterior from a Battletech lead figure and redesigned the size and interior for my
purposes. I added a bay in the rear for the S.P.R.inter, an airlock, and the larger cockpit/living area.
The ship was originally called the Javelin, but it later evolved into the Jackrabbit class of run-about.

This ship was used by two of my characters in an RPG from high school. Our GM (Game Master)
required specifics for it; thats why theres a layout of the inside.

To the right is a view of the Javelin cockpit while
passing a moon and approaching a planet (as you
can tell I was really taken by this design).

Either side can control the ship, but normally my
pilot sat on the left.

The Javelin was created in 94 and picture to the
right was drawn in 99.



Heres a single pilot bomber that I created out
of boredom one afternoon. The pilot sits in the
left compartment and the payload is stored in
the right. The engine (basic thruster-type)
shifts left and right to compensate for the
weight of the payload.

This vehicles trans-atmospheric and lands like
a normal plane.

I drew this in 99.
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I created this ship after watching an episode of Star Trek Voyager. In the episode they used the warp
core as an anchor in subspace to hold the ship during a large ionic storm that lasted for days. I
wondered if I could make an engine on that premise, one that couldnt slip. A ship like that would be
slow, but great for moving large objects (if it had a way to hold them).

So, the towing ship was born. I dont have specifics for it nor have I ever used it in any games, but it
does have a few decks and a bridge so it would be independent. It also as a separate warp drive in the
rear so its faster by itself than when its towing something.

I drew the Tow Ship in 01.


This is my primary fighter in a story Ive been working on.
Its called the Hammerhead class fighter and there are two
types, Alpha and Beta. Alpha types have faster than light
ability; Beta types can carry 4 high yield bombs.

I got the name and base design for this from an old sci-fi
show call Space, Above and Beyond, but I changed it
drastically to meet my needs.

I came up with my design in 99.

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Heres the Alpha class fighter and its what I consider my second favorite fighter. All it really consists
of is two large engines, a cockpit, two missiles (concealed under and behind the cockpit), and six rapid-
fire guns (next to the cockpit). This ship was designed to fight as support craft for larger ships in broad
battles and is NOT trans-atmospheric.

As a side note, each little squiggly line you see (behind the cockpit, under and above the engine) is a
maneuvering thruster.

Like it says on the sketch, I drew it in 99.






Heres a generic cargo ship I
drew out of boredom. I didnt
really have anything special in
mind when I created it. The
cargo bay is the entire front of
the ship; the crew area is behind
that, then engineering, and
finally, the engines themselves.

I drew this back in 97 or 98. I
neglected to date the sketch so
Im not sure.

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I call this the Carrier class cruiser. Its relatively small
compared to my main fighting ships, but packs quite a punch.
This ship was designed to support larger craft in battle and can
carry up to 20 small fighters. In one of my homemade RPGs
from high school I used the carrier class as an escort twice.

I got the idea for this ship from a video game cover, but I cant
remember which one for the life of me. It has no date, but I
think it was drawn in 95.




This is the Carrier class II. As you can tell its dramatically different than the original. I never used
this ship in any game or story (yet), but I think it would be more self-reliant than its predecessor. It
has two large bays extended from either side, a small bay in the front (with a door on either side), and
much more room for crew, weapons, and instruments.

The forward-most part of the ship is a large sensor array and its only accessible by space walk.

I dont have a date on this one either, but it was drawn around 96 or 97.


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I dont remember what possessed me to
draw this behemoth. I think I was
goofing off with a ruler because this
method isnt really my style.

I call this ship the Bulldog and I assume
it is much like the Carrier class II. I drew
it back in 98.



This is the fastest ship in my arsenal. The Meteor was drawn
back when I was using Star Trek as a basis for my designs,
because I gave it a maximum speed of warp 23 (I know a lot of
Trekkies are probably upset to hear that, but Paramount has bent
that warp barrier rule also).

The Meteor is 50% engine, has no weapons, and very little
shields. Its primary defense is to outrun any threat. It was
created as a personnel transport ship (for dignitaries and the
like).

I made this one in 98.


I remember this ship well. It is one of my very few
drawings that I ever filled in with color. The U.S.S.
Grendal was unique for me at the time because I
created the engine system myself (I was basing a lot
of my designs on the Star Trek universe at the time).

The Grendal uses solar sails to exit a solar system so
that it can jump to a new system once safely outside.
The jump system I designed for it was dangerous to
anything within half a light-hour so it needed a lot of
room to do its thing. The up side was that I gave it
infinite range.

I drew it back in 95.

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I created this in 95 and consider this ship to be the beginning of a legacy. This is the first Torpedo
class battle cruiser and the text in the picture is as follows:
A garbage scow that was decommissioned and assigned to a shipyard in planetary orbit, but was bought by a solitary
owner (name unknown). It left the shipyard with temporary thrusters and life support only. Not to be seen for years to
come.
Every now and then reports of the Torpedos visits to outer stations are received. Its rumored to have warp speed up to
warp 13.5 and weapons of superior origin.

The Torpedos claim to fame is its namesake.
The exterior is refitted with dozens of torpedo
launchers that lift up from the hull and can aim
in any direction. Each is armed with 4
torpedoes and can lower, reload, and raise back
into position in about 20 seconds. This allows
for multiple small targets surrounding the ship
to be hit at once (fighters), or one large target to
hit with up to a hundred torpedoes in a matter
of seconds (ouch).

This is the Torpedo II class battle cruiser. Im
not really proud of it, but couldnt publish the
series without it. Its slightly larger than its
predecessor and much longer (ridiculously
longer).

I drew it in 98.

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This is my favorite incarnation of the Torpedo class. The Torpedo III has two added Weapon
Platforms to either side, which boosts its firepower considerably. Its slightly larger than the original
and built for heavier battles and longer patrols. I drew this one in 99.


If you look closely youll see in
the picture above that a few of
the torpedo launchers are
deployed and ready. That gives
you the idea of how they work.

In the sketch to the left youll
see two small specks next to the
Torpedo III. Those are
Hammerhead fighters flying
escort for a size comparison.


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This is latest version of the Torpedo. The Torpedo IV is equipped with the same Torpedo platform as
the Torpedo I, but was built for another reason. Between the two forward decks is a device capable of
disrupting space-time. I designed this ship because I thought there was no place else I could go with
the Torpedo classes, so I figured other dimensions or time travel was the next option.

The sketch to the right is of the generator
that cuts though space-time. The forklift in
the background gives you an idea of its size.
The forward most of that deck is protected
by glass that slides down when the generator
activates. A force field then protects the
deck from depressurization.

This version has a few launch bays, but a
very small complement of fighters.

I cant find the date I drew it, but think it
was in 99 00.






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Chapter 5
Bases



I use the term Base broadly in this chapter. Not only have I included the standard military base or
moon base, but I also including anything that could be considered a large base of operations or
permanent home.



Take this for example. The U.S.S. Trust began life as a station. It was then converted into a slow ship.
I was going to say that it has a jump drive for system hoping, but its pretty much restricted to its home
system.

The sensor array above it has its own navigation system and propulsion so it can follow the Trust
wherever it goes. I never used this ship for anything, just thought it looked good.

I drew it in 99.



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This is an actual space station that stayed a station. I created the Bachelor as a base station for an
actual planet I use in my stories. Its large enough for a few Torpedo class battle cruisers to dock at the
pylons on its sides. The lower bays are big enough to hold carriers in dry dock for repairs. This type
of station can easily hold up to 63,000 personnel on a normal day, much more if called for. It takes a
minimum of 200 to operate it in an emergency.

I created it in 95.



Below is what I call a multi-generational ship. Its about twice as long as a space station like the
Bachelor and is completely self-reliant, stopping for fuel maybe once every 100 years. It made it
capable of slipstream travel (which makes it the largest ship I have with that ability).

This ship carries about 200,000 people normally,
can hold 5 times that, but can operate for a short
time with only one. This is due to a computer
that oversees everything, but checks with the
commander in charge with the big decisions.





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The Comet is my biggest ship to date. The patch on its back is actually a city half the size of
Manhattan. The extension on the front left of it is another domed city. This, although bigger than the
multi-generational ship, is not one. I never gave it a purpose, but it could easily carry an entire
civilization.

The only defenses that this ship has are its complements of smaller ships. A fleet of Torpedo class
battle cruisers could easily dock within its primary defense unseen. That primary defense is the
Comets namesake. The entire ship projects a hologram of a comet over itself and masks its energy
signature with natural radiation from the surrounding area.

The Comet has no faster than light capability and its engine leaves a long trail of white energy behind.
This adds to the visual effect of a comet when its disguised. The only way its cover could be blown is
if the people observing it realized that the tail wasnt facing away from the nearest sun.





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This is an island base I made to fill sort of a void. Its placed in shallow waters and is connected to the
ocean floor by four hydraulic stands. The island can submerge by using those stands just below the
surface if needed.

I designed this as a launch platform for short-
range fighters in a story I never finished. There
were a few of these bases setup around a normal
island as outposts. They were mainly a line of
defense.

This doesnt have a date, but Id guess I drew it in
98.

Below is an underwater base I made for the heck of it. Its nuclear powered and has a self-sustained
atrium and greenhouse. I never had an intention for what this could be used for, maybe scientific work
or research.

There are no defenses, just a docking platform for large subs. I also never determined the capacity that
a base like this could hold. The answer to that is possibly a thousand or more people including
equipment.

I drew this in 98.



39





This is a basic moon base. Its the same
design you see in old cartoons and
movies. I think this design is flawed
because so much depends on the
integrity of one large dome. Thats a big
target that doesnt appear structurally
sound.

I didnt make any specifications for this
base. I just thought it would look neat.
The ship in the distance above it is a
Torpedo class cruiser. A shuttle is to the
right.

I drew it in 95.

Below is another moon base. This one I believe is designed better because the majority is
underground. The small dome is just the entry point to the main facility. Looking back I cant
remember why I put landing strips and such nearby. The gravity on a moon would be low enough to
allow any ship vertical takeoff/landing capability.

I think I drew this around 98.




40





This is the home world of a
collective empire in one of my
stories. Its not a conquering
nation, but a collection of
colonies that banded together for
protection and trading. To the
right is an image of the Planets
capital, Draconis City. Its
snuggled up next to a mountain
and surrounded by farmland on
the other sides. What looks like
an airport to the North West is
really a spaceport.

The planet sketch was done in
97, but the city map was drawn
in 01.


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Heres the ultimate in hidden bases. This is actually a Pocket Universe that I used in an RPG from
high school. The universe itself is only 2 miles in diameter and has a complete atmosphere. A shield
between realities holds in the atmosphere in.

The entrance is right outside of a star so its hard to see or detect electronically. The entrance can also
be closed and reopened from the inside. I never really used this in the game, but each of our characters
needed a history and current base of operations.

I drew this in 95.



42






Chapter 6
Buildings




After learning about perspectives in art class I began a lifelong love of designing buildings and
compounds. Castles were my main theme for quite some time, and I even have basic castle designs
intermixed with average things (warehouses, factories, and futuristic settings).

This first sketch is of an Alter I drew a few years ago. Its nothing special, just something doodled in
my downtime. I had South American Pyramids in my mind while drawing this, and that was back in
01.









43








Heres the capital building on the
Draconis Planet (p. 41) that I modeled
after both Moscow and Washington DC.
I havent used this anywhere, but the
stories are still in the works. Ive always
liked the way The Washington
Monument and the Reflecting Pool are
oriented so used a variation of that. The
Kremlins design has also intrigued me in
the past so thats where I got the
multiple-dome setup for the capitals
roof.

I drew this one in 98 (before the Planet,
itself).

Below is a factory I drew for Shadowrun. I think I used this in a game, but for the life of me I cant
remember the objective or reason. I liked the little details I put into this one. The gate opening, the
antenna array, and the power lines are all something that gave it a little life. I used to put power lines
on all my buildings up to a point and then stopped. I guess I began forgetting for some reason.

I drew this factory in 95.







44







Heres a little something from my Castle Faze. Its a factory, but created in a castle design (walls,
moat, front gate). I think I just created this for the heck of it (probably just bored in front of the TV
one night).

The building in the rear has a glass ceiling (Its hard to tell after scanning it in). I didnt draw anything
to stand on at the walls apex, so I figure the walls are just there to discourage any would-be thieves.

I made this one it 99.

Heres a Personal Castle. I
think this would make an
awesome home for some
eccentric millionaire out there.
It has everything a rich guy
needs, a garage, hanger, towers,
front gate, and a wall to keep
the charities out.

All joking aside, I have
absolutely no idea what was
going through my mind while
drawing this. I did it sometime
in 96-97.





45





This sketch was the beginning of an era. I created this castle as a retirement home for my Shadowrun
character (Rex Mitchell), which had succeeded in the business world with a company called Darkhold
Inc.. It became his base of operations in my Shadowrun Stories (on my website). I slowly began to
add to this castle over a few years and did more to it than most of my artwork. Ill include the
description that I found with the drawings (It was printed on a Dot Matrix. God, that brings back
memories):

Castle Darkhold was originally Castle McNorwik up until 2030 when Darkhold Inc bought it. Soon
after CEO Rex Mitchell decided to make it the companys center of operations. Although the company
has bases all over Europe and the UCAS all information is routed through the castle and its limited
staff.
There is only a staff of about six at any one time at the castle, but it is far from defenseless. Castle
Darkhold has an extremely intense security system. Nothing can enter the grounds without being
identified or possibly destroyed (A mine-field occupies the rear end of the castle). Two wildcats also
prowl the grounds. They have access inside and out of the castle and are friendly to common staff.
NOTE: (In a later story I named the wildcats Ginger and Snap.)



Here are the ground plans
that I created on my first
Computer (Bitmap Paint
on Windows 3.1). It just
shows the minefield and
castle layout.

The key to the right of it
just names the different
buildings.
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If anything, this should prove
the level of dedication to this
castle. I began this on my first
computer as just an interior
layout, but my good friend at
the time started added
furniture as a goof off. By the
end of the night we had put in
everything (including
bathrooms and security
measure placements).

Below is a diagram of the
castles security measures
(laser beams and pressure
stones) plus a sketch of Rexs
office.


At the bottom of the page is a map of the tunnels below Castle
Darkhold. They crisscross through many caverns only to exit under
the pond outside of the castle walls. Rex had an airlock built plus
pumps to quickly drain and refill the pond. That way a helicopter
could be stored and launched from there if ever needed. I made
discovering the caverns and exploring them an adventure in itself. I
even created a race of large spiders to be exterminated down there.

All of these sketches were created between 94-96 respectively.


















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Heres something else I had no reason to draw. This is a small lakeside resort with courtyard, pool,
and tennis courts, and was probably just another doodle that slowly turned into something else. I drew
it in 01.





This tower was also the beginning of a series.
This was Darkhold Inc.s first downtown
Seattle headquarters in the Shadowrun
campaign. Frankly, I believe I like this one the
best even though its not the largest.

Right above the pillars in the front youll notice
a wide door. It opens up to reveal a
helicopter/VTOL hanger. That way important
people can land and enter the building without
being open to the elements or possible attack.

The buildings on either side are just there for
show and not really part of the tower.

I drew this first version in 95.


48







Heres the second Darkhold Tower. Its designed on the same premise as the first, but I made it a little
flashier. The Helicopter/VTOL hanger is a little higher now, theres a spare pad on the top of the
building, and there are two spires (whos purpose has changed over the years).

The twin spires were originally designed to be giant shield emitters. Since in my campaign this tower
was the tallest in the city (sad, huh?) it was going to generate a flat shield over the downtown area in
times of crisis/war. Then I decided that was too Sci-Fi for my campaign and scrapped the idea.

Right now Im debating on putting this tower into my current campaign and using the spires as giant
antennas for over-riding certain radio signals from rival companies. It sounds silly written here, but
itll serve a purpose with my current plotline.

I drew this tower in 96.






49





Heres the final incarnation of Darkhold
Tower (to date). This was created to
represent more than just a corporation, but
a major world power. The tower itself was
only a fraction of what the facility could
hold. Below ground level about 200
basement floors, including factories and
warehouses.

The lowest level was the CEOs office and
opened up into a small, stable fault line
with about a mile drop to the bottom.
From there anyone could overlook a small
lava stream that flowed under the building.


This is just a sketch of the CEOs
office (looking in from the lava
cavern. I kind of got the idea for
this from the Emperors throne
room in Return of the Jedi. The
office is dramatically climate
controlled because of the heat
outside and is constructed from
extremely temperature resistant
materials.

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This was a research facility I made for a
Shadowrun adventure after graduation. It
was a basic hit-and-run type deal.

The entire roof of the building consists of
glass paneling, and its located on the west
coast. I figured any company that would
have scientists doing research would want
them to work in the nicest place possible (a
happy scientist is a hard working scientist).

I made this in 96.


I drew this airport for the heck of it and never used it for any reason. It looks more like a small airbase
instead of a public airport and kind of disproportioned at that, the tower appears shorter than the other
buildings. I didnt bother drawing a background for this even though I intended on placing it in the
city outskirts.

I drew this in 97 and its one of my least favorites.








51






Darkhold Hospital, I really dont know why I drew this. Im sure I couldve used a sketch of a hospital
in any of my past games or stories, but I still dont remember why I named it after my characters
company. I do love the design though. I tried to make it symmetrical and give it a futuristic look.
Like the airport on the previous page there is no background although it would probably be placed in
the city. I put an elevated helicopter pad in the rear, but I notice now that I forgot an emergency drop
off for ambulances.

I drew the hospital in 98.



I drew this prison for an adventure that I never got to play out. Its located in the middle of a desert
(never determined which) and is completely dependant on solar and battery power. I put double gates
in the front as the only ground entry, and a helicopter/VTOL pad on top. The drainage ditch was an
after thought in case my campaigns characters had trouble getting out.
52





Chapter 7
3D Models



I could go on all day about modeling in 3D but Im going to try to keep it all on one page. I wanted to
create models on my computer and animate them throughout high school, but the cost of those kinds of
programs were outrageous for the longest time. There were free programs on-line that were quite
complicated and I could never get the jest of them.

Then, around 97-98 a program came out called Spatch. It was a Spline Editor and proved quite easy
to use, but was restrictive at the same time. The models you made couldnt be exported easily, and you
had few options for rendering. This meant that your models looked kind of Cheesy and were hard, if
not impossible, to animate. I never really worked much with it because of these drawbacks.

In 2000 the creator of Spatch made a new free program called HamaPatch. Its still offered today and
updates come out periodically. This has become my favorite 3D Editor and no matter what program I
use to animate my models chances are they where created in HamaPatch. This program took Spatch
and allowed you to apply textures, create multiple layers, export to a variety of other common
programs, and test render with some of the best free rendering programs.

I normally just stick to modeling. Ive textured a few models in the past, but am not good at it by any
means. Im getting better at animation, but still have a way to go there as well. In the following pages
are 13 of my favorite models from all angles not rendered and one good view of them rendered.

If youre interested in learning how to create models on your PC, whether for animation or still
pictures, just look up HamaPatch on your favorite search engine and itll take you to its homepage.









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Heres a modeled version of the L-38 Destroyer (p. 9). I revised the laser-sight design into something
a little simpler and also created the battery/magazine separately so that if I ever animated it I could
reload it.

I modeled this in 05.

54





I love this ship because its so simple in design, but versatile. I call it the Cock Fighter (because its
50% cockpit, 50% everything else), and originally restricted it to atmospheric travel. I later expanded
its abilities to space as well. It has 2 gatlin guns, each one mounted on the wing tips. A small auxiliary
engine is located behind both guns. The main engine is directly behind the cockpit.

This fighter is definitely a short-range vessel. I cant remember when I made it.
55





I just made this for an animation test. I was goofing off with animating the cannons on the sides.
Other than that Ive never used this fighter for anything else.

I made this one sometime in 01.

56





I created this run-about especially for my New Empire story on my website. Its supposed to be one
of the first privately owned slipstream capable ships. The slipstream drive is in the Pod on its back
and it has no weapons. The ship itself is quite small (just the cockpit, a small galley, and 2 bedrooms
with baths).

This one is fairly new; I made it in early 05.
57





This is one of my favorite models, and I call it simply The Cargo Carrier. I got the idea for it from
the movie Final Fantasy. All of the engines switch position so that the ship can hover. I also
animated the cargo bay door in front and the landing gear. This ship comes with optional weapons;
just 2 small cannons, one for the dorsal area and one under the cockpit; but I didnt include them here.

I made this in late 04.
58





This is kind of the Yacht of star ships. I created it as a live-in, exploratory vessel for families or
private firms. It has no weapons, but Im sure it could be equipped with some. The engines on the
wingtips function as ion thrusters for space travel and the rear cowling flips up to reveal fuel thrusters
for atmospheric flight. The slipstream drive is located the nose of the ship.

I made this ship in late 03.
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I call this the Guardian class cruiser. I created it for New Empire as one of the first ships to leave
Earth during the Mass Exodus. It has a few weapons (mainly for defense) and the very first slipstream
drive created and used practically. Its main purpose was to get people off of Earth and to explore
habitable planets for colonies.

I made first Guardian class cruiser in 01.
60





This is a bigger, faster, long-range version of the Guardian class cruiser. It was created after the Mass
Exodus from Earth and designed to explore further out for the colonies. The two large tanks on either
side are for the main engines and can hold over 3 weeks of fuel at constant use. The slipstream drive is
a 2
nd
generation model and slightly faster and more dependable.

I created this 2
nd
version in 03.
61





Heres a 3D version of the Torpedo class battle cruiser (p. 33). I recreated it in the hopes that Id use it
in an animation sometime in the future. Not much on it is movable, if it ever appeared in one of my
movies itd just be background filler.



62





This is a basic Battle cruiser I had created for a small Visual Basic computer game called Origins. I
think its on my site, but I might have deleted it some time ago. Theres nothing really special about
this model; it was just developed to be a generic ship.

I think I made this in 98-99.

63




I liked the thought of this station. Its quite small and functions as a dry-dock for cargo ships and small
starships. The habitable portion is only three decks tall and it only carries a crew of about 7.

A station like this is defenseless and would need to be located in a safe place.

I think I made this Dry-Dock in 04.
64





I made this castle just for kicks. I pasted it over the Chateau background in Windows 2000 just to
confuse my coworkers. This is also one of my few successful texturing attempts. None of it is
movable so theres nothing to animate.

I made this in early 04.

65






This sailboat was created just for framing and hanging in my office. I call it the Sun Wake and
modeled it off of an actual Jolly Roger Model I bought at a local hobby store. The few differences
include the position of the lifeboats and anchors.

I made this in early 04 and its also one of my favorites.

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