Encampment
Story: After months on the run and on search of a new home, this ragtag fleet of survivors was suddenly launching alert fighters when they stumbled upon the Monga - a mythical spaceship said to once terrorize the skies. This painting was very much inspired by Battlestar Galactica (2004), when Galactica met with Pegasus.
Step 1 - using mostly basic Photoshop brushes, I started by painting in rough layouts of the ships and structures. The Monga at this point was only a little more than a distant mound, covered in clouds (I used a custom brush for the foggy clouds).
Step 2 - I started employing some custom brushes to break up the outlines - thus adding details - to my basic strokes and shapes.
Step 3 - at this stage, I darkened the image, then laid down paint stroke in "color dodge" mode to brighten the fog and alert fighter's thrusters.
Step 4 - details are added to Monga's hulls. Further lighting and fog details are also added. The turret on the lower left begun to be added with minute details to add interest.
To finalize the image, minute lighting details are added to the Monga, alert figures and the turret to the left.