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Published: 2011-05-14 14:58:25 +0000 UTC; Views: 59364; Favourites: 2833; Downloads: 2104
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Description This image is a personal project, so doesn't belong to anyone else, i.e. a client. The full license for this image is £1000 ($1650). Why so much? Because I sell prints of this image regularly at conventions. By selling the full license I would not be able to sell any more prints.

I had to let this go as i was fine tuning endlessly.
It has been completely painted in Photoshop CS5 using a Wacom Intuos 4 large tablet. It took me about 3 months (on and off) mainly during evenings.
I used 1 point perspective techniques with a little help from the new CS5 vanishing point tool for a 2nd (very slight) vanishing point. I just aint got the time to learn a 3D package...yet.
I created the main central area first and the added more structures as I went on, making the composition spread further horizontally.
I masked area's and painted in the details using the vanishing point grids as guides. On occasion I used a textured brush or city textures which were manipulated over and over and reduced in size dramatically until I could piece them together to make new textures.
I wanted to add a more detailed space craft but my inexperience in art has limited me this time round.
The lighting was draining - I used lots of lens flares, shrunk down to small points!

To create a similar image would now take me about 5 to 7 days. The cost would be £500 to £700 ($800 to $1120).
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Comments: 623

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to ??? [2011-07-10 12:10:19 +0000 UTC]

Cheers Mard!

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Salvetro In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 21:39:23 +0000 UTC]

Reminds me of Star Wars!

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Salvetro [2011-07-10 12:09:58 +0000 UTC]

My greatest childhood influence. I am glad. Thanks for commenting!

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HIGHWAYchan In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 21:06:19 +0000 UTC]

I love the way my eyes are led towards that towering light. And I like the movement added with the air car (not sure what to call it).

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to HIGHWAYchan [2011-07-10 12:09:20 +0000 UTC]

Air car sounds good to me - that will do nicely! Thanks.

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bigmack61 In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 21:02:16 +0000 UTC]

Great depth, light and subject. Very well done.

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to bigmack61 [2011-07-09 17:05:49 +0000 UTC]

Appreciated comment Mac!

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vadess40 In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 20:52:40 +0000 UTC]

Very nice

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to vadess40 [2011-07-09 17:05:29 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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Ionosphere-Negate In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 20:32:36 +0000 UTC]

Two questions:
How much time did this take you?
and how often did you work on it?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Ionosphere-Negate [2011-07-09 17:05:14 +0000 UTC]

I spent a lot of hours on it. I used the polygon lasso tool to cut and sharpen edges, which slowed down the whole process considerably. I couldn't just paint and paint. I had to fill blocks here and there, add details and shrink them down for sharpness, scale and re-scale objects, alter perspective to correct distortion, duplicate lens flare after lens flare, layer after layer. The process was spread out over about 3 months - however, I mainly did the work in the evenings, and didn't touch the composition for at least 3 weeks during the period. I just kept adding and adding stuff, deleting even more stuff. Total number of layers was around 500. I used color dodge for the lens flare layers, which has a brilliant lighting effect. Then, I began to get lost with all those layers but didn't want to merge them in case of any changes. Finally my imac started to slow down and I knew I had to let it go.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Ionosphere-Negate In reply to JamesLedgerConcepts [2011-07-09 18:12:09 +0000 UTC]

@_@

Why do you use so many layers?

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Ionosphere-Negate [2011-07-10 22:59:48 +0000 UTC]

It was ridiculous. I used lens flares for each of the lights, meaning that each one was on a layer set to color dodge - if I merged them, I wouldn't be able to remove any individual lights. Chaos.

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Ionosphere-Negate In reply to JamesLedgerConcepts [2011-07-11 00:57:48 +0000 UTC]

Oh joy. I can't wait to get into digiart @_@.

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Count-Author In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 20:29:22 +0000 UTC]

The Grid?

👍: 0 ⏩: 2

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Count-Author [2011-07-09 16:50:34 +0000 UTC]

Must be I guess.

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Astonov In reply to Count-Author [2011-07-07 20:43:34 +0000 UTC]

The first thing I thought

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Astonov [2011-07-09 16:51:22 +0000 UTC]

I am the only one who hasn't seen Tron yet - I've ordered a copy though.

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Count-Author In reply to Astonov [2011-07-07 21:10:18 +0000 UTC]

I liked that movie!

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Count-Author [2011-07-09 16:51:41 +0000 UTC]

I hope I do too.

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half-dragon In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 20:26:08 +0000 UTC]

The glass floor with the glowing 22 looks kinda like Tron.

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to half-dragon [2011-07-09 16:49:20 +0000 UTC]

Not seen Tron yet, but will soon. Thanks for looking!

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half-dragon In reply to JamesLedgerConcepts [2011-07-10 06:41:52 +0000 UTC]

Your welcome. I think you might enjoy the movie for its amazing environments alone. Artistically speaking of course.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

dailybread5 In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 20:09:47 +0000 UTC]

SO SICK!!

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to dailybread5 [2011-07-09 16:48:17 +0000 UTC]

Thanks a bundle Mr Bread!

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Nocte-Vagus In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 19:36:45 +0000 UTC]

I just found my new background...
Amazing job James.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Nocte-Vagus [2011-07-09 16:47:26 +0000 UTC]

Mega thanks John!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

WilloftheWarrior In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 19:35:37 +0000 UTC]

When I first saw this I thought I was looking at a still from Tron Legacy, this is amazing work

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to WilloftheWarrior [2011-07-09 16:47:03 +0000 UTC]

Tron is on my list of must-see films, so I can see for myself. Great compliment, thank you!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

WilloftheWarrior In reply to JamesLedgerConcepts [2011-07-09 18:42:04 +0000 UTC]

Thank you after seeing this I will ask for a commission when I have some money! only prob I don't have a job right now lol

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to WilloftheWarrior [2011-07-10 23:01:50 +0000 UTC]

Bummer - let me know when you do warrior.

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WilloftheWarrior In reply to JamesLedgerConcepts [2011-07-11 18:37:53 +0000 UTC]

I definitely will!

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ShadowsOfAVorlon In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 19:01:47 +0000 UTC]

Looks quite amazing

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to ShadowsOfAVorlon [2011-07-09 16:46:06 +0000 UTC]

Cheers Avorlon.

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Ezio-Auditore-di-Fir In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 18:51:28 +0000 UTC]

star wars and tron. the most i saw of tron was the glass walk with the 22.
But damn, all in photoshop? dude...you are an inspireation

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Ezio-Auditore-di-Fir [2011-07-09 16:45:29 +0000 UTC]

Great to hear it - to inspire is the ultimate achievement I think!

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SleepingGuru13 In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 18:44:08 +0000 UTC]

great job!

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to SleepingGuru13 [2011-07-09 16:44:34 +0000 UTC]

Thanks - very pleased with that!

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Angie-Pictures In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 18:40:37 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful work. Congratulations to the DD.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Angie-Pictures [2011-07-09 16:44:00 +0000 UTC]

Cheers Angie!

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Angie-Pictures In reply to JamesLedgerConcepts [2011-07-09 16:46:58 +0000 UTC]

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GlassyBird In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 18:40:12 +0000 UTC]

TRON!
That's what came to mind when I first saw it.
It's beautiful, especially all the lights. My favorite part, though, is the little details on the circuits and pipes on the bridge.
Amazing job

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to GlassyBird [2011-07-09 16:43:42 +0000 UTC]

Many Many Thanks!

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black-ronin1228 In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 18:27:58 +0000 UTC]

I'd love to create a ship you could simply layer into that. Create a .png and let you run with it!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to black-ronin1228 [2011-07-09 16:43:20 +0000 UTC]

Maybe next time eh!

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black-ronin1228 In reply to JamesLedgerConcepts [2011-07-10 00:12:10 +0000 UTC]

Sure!

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Zee63 In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 17:35:28 +0000 UTC]

this is what Tron should have looked like!

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JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to Zee63 [2011-07-09 16:43:00 +0000 UTC]

Awesome - don't tell Dylan Cole that though!

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EragonJediGirl357 In reply to ??? [2011-07-07 17:25:51 +0000 UTC]

Wow, this looks like something out of Star Wars or Tron Legacy. I love it!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

JamesLedgerConcepts In reply to EragonJediGirl357 [2011-07-09 16:42:25 +0000 UTC]

That's great - I grew up with star wars, so it's a massive compliment.

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