The Art of Jupiter Ascending

The Wachowski's latest major sci-fi epic Jupiter Ascending releases this friday, and the lackluster promotional campaign leading through this last week is worrisome to say the least. The film's premise was already a gamble to begin with; A galaxy-hopping-DNA-wolf-elf-assassin-princess-space-opera starring Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum? Hell, stranger things have found success. Though it also doesn't help that Warner Bros.' final trailer for Jupiter commits the cardinal sin of revealing that your movie can be adequately condensed into the space of three-minutes.

Original production schematics of the "Abrasax Clipper"

No matter how you feel (or don't feel) about the film's premise or promotion, one thing that  is unquestionably awesome about it is it's superbly audacious art direction (sort of like Syd Mead meets Final Fantasy) speared by a team of the Wachowski's long-time collaborators and a host of other industry professionals (many of whom have worked previously on such films as Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Man of Steel).

Warner Bros. knows the selling point of the film's release is going to be visuals; that's why they've launched this miniature online gallery showcasing some of the film's production art and costume designs. Check below the break for some of the choicest images from the selection and drop by the site itself to see the rest!

Brainstorm Breathes New Life Into The Dark Lord of the Sith

Klaus Wittmann

Darth Vader. Savior-turned-slaughterer of the Jedi Order. The Dragon of Darth Sidious. A name synonymous with the labored exhale of a respirator and the silhouette of a hooded executioner marching through the smoking chasm of a laser-blasted airlock door. From the moment he premiered on-screen in 1977, Darth Vader had captured the collective imagination of popular culture at large with his unpacifiable ruthlessness and impenetrable aura of unwavering stoicism.

Vader has been re-imagined so many times it almost seems like a rite of passage for any fledgling Cintiq art-padawan. So when the Brainstorm page announced that they were hosting a month-long community challenge to re-interpret the fallen Jedi Knight and the Imperial Storm troopers, I knew we were in for something special.

And I wasn't wrong; Out of the hundreds of illustrations submitted, these are but a few of the most jaw-dropping entries to be submitted this month. The Force is strong with this post.

Kepler's "Exoplanet Travel Bureau" Beckons Us To Vacation Among The Stars

A New Life Awaits You in The Off-World Colonies! Or at least, that's what these posters would lead you to believe. Nasa's been going through something of a boon lately, what with the announcement that the number of discovered exoplanets orbiting the habitable zone of neighboring stars now number in the thousands! That means there are just over 1,000 possible Earths out there...if we could only reach them.

To commerate the occasion, a group of artists at the Kepler astronomical labortory have released three stunning vintage-styled travel posters inspired by the "Visit America" Tourist campaign. Just looking at these makes me want to hop a ride on an orbital elevator and take a connecting flight from Olympus Mons straight on for the stars. Check out the rest of the posters after the break! 

Meder Taab's 'Legend Of Korra' Art Is Drop-Dead Gorgeous

(via)

The Legend of Korra is hands-down one of the most thoroughly satisfying animes I've watched in recent memory. Korra, much like its predecessor Avatar: The Last Airbender, is one of those few miraculous animated shows manages to deftly tackle emotionally difficult and complex ideas in a way that feels both nuanced and easily-accessible.

Institutionalized prejudice? Egalitarian fascism? Depression and the struggle to define a self-identity? If Korra was only meant to be a cartoon show, its creators sure haven't been acting like it. That's why fan-art for the series, like Meder Taab's amazing countdown posters for the final season, get me so excited. Pieces like these make me appreciate Legend of Korra so much more, not just for what it is for but also for what it's capable of being.

A fun-loving, sci-fi fantasy martial arts romp with endearing characters, brilliantly choreographed fight scenes, thought-provoking villains, and revelatory meditations on life, identity, and self-acceptance if you'd only look beneath the surface. I'll be sad to see it end.

Check out the rest of Taab's series after the break, and if you haven't already, go give A:TLAB and TLOK a watch-through! You won't be disappointed.

The Art of Amin Faramarizian

(Via) 

Amin Faramarizian is a digital artist hailing from Dubai. What immediately leaped to my attention about Amin's work was his emphasis on sharp, contrasting color saturation highlighted by his abstract cartoonish caricatures.

His digital paintings resemble whimsical still-shots of beautiful hypothetical animated shorts that I'm just dying to see realized. Truly a testament to his prowess as a storyboard artist. Check out more of his work after the break, it's like cotton candy for the eyes!

Fortune Elephant Dream

Sometimes when you have no direction in your life, putting all your eggs in one basket is the most adventurous thing you can do. Fortune Elephant Dream is a short animation about a man with seemingly nothing to look forward to, in order to fill a hole in his life he bets it away. Trust me though, it's really not a s horribly depressing as it sounds, in fact it's a pretty damn fun animation. Directors Oliver Lourry, the folks from Noidentities, and their entire animation team have an incredible knack for character animation, giving both a realistic yet slapstick approach to the character's movements. 

The visual quality is topnotch, approaching some of the top animation studios with it's own identity. Mixed with an entertaining set of 2D art by Frederic Mace and Yue Wu, Fortune Elephant Dream gets an A+ in my book of animations for both sheer quality and entertainment. 

The Pixel Art Of Waneela

The process of pixel art is an art form on it's own, but when it all comes together it ends up being that much more genuine. Pixel artist Waneela has a incredible talent for creating detailed scenes in a limited amount of space, where each piece seems to extend past the image boundaries. Waneela's style is very reminiscent of the artwork from Capybara Games' Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP while still maintaining a distinct identity of it's own.

After the break I've posted 3 more pieces, but due to their animated nature I highly suggest heading over to Waneela's Tumblr and checking them out in their ful animated glory after you take a quick peak!

Megaman Light Capsule Is A Thing Of Beauty

Andrew Butterworth is putting on quite an awesome show in San Francisco at The Gauntlet Gallery. The Megaman Boss Battle Tribute features 136 artists, each with their own unique spin on 1 of the 136 bosses. Andrew Butterworth might take the cake with this piece though. This holographic installation features 2D sprites from the game, projected in between two pieces of glass to give the look of a light capsule hologram. It's pretty awesome stuff, and definitely something I wouldn't mind putting on display in my living room.

To check out more of the feature artists head over to the show's official website.

Worth Checking Out: Death Inc. Kickstarter + Prototype Demo

It's been increasingly difficult to find games worth funding on Kickstarter. It's not that there's necessarily bad games, but the sheer amount of worthwhile projects would destroy your wallet in a moments notice. Even with the large quantity of quality Kickstarter projects, every so often a title popups that deserves a little more exposure; this is where Death Inc. comes in.

Developed by the small UK based studio, Ambient Studios, Death Inc. holds some interesting concepts that is definitely worth checking out. With a tight blend of RTS style gameplay, a business management style overworld, and an incredibly charming art style, Death Inc. is at the top of my must haves for Kickstarter initiatives. After spending a little bit of time with the Prototype it becomes increasingly obvious how dedicated the team is to putting out a quality title that won't disappoint. If you're on the fence for supporting the game I can't suggest more that you give the demo a try, while an early build, it definitely shows a lot of promise.

As it currently stands the Kickstarter has 12 days left with about £70,000 of it's required £300,000. Go take a look at the Kickstarter over here and if throw a few dollars at it if you please.