Website powered by
Oscar Pinchen
Concept Artist, 3D Artist, and Illustrator
Home
Resume

Sormovich Soviet Hovercraft

A client in Germany got in touch with me after seeing one of my older paintings of a hovercraft and asked that I recreate for him this late 1960's/early 70's Soviet hovercraft for him as a poster. This subject is a Sormovich hovercraft, that was trialled as a passenger craft on the Volga River very briefly between 1971 and 72 after having undergone extensive testing beforehand. The craft is rumoured to have transported about 6000 people in its very fleeting service, but it ultimately suffered a mechanical failure and was decommissioned and dismantled in 1974.
As for the painting, it's an interesting variety of 'hand-painting' (albeit in Photoshop), photo-bashing and 3D modelling. The hovercraft itself was first modelled in Maya using the original plan drawings as reference. The sufficiently completed base model was then rendered in Arnold before being imported in Photoshop where the rest of the painting process took place.

The finished painting, which I have printed and sent to my client as an A2-sized poster.

The finished painting, which I have printed and sent to my client as an A2-sized poster.

These were the original concept drawings that I sent to my client as a rough guide to establish what he wanted from the painting. He ultimately chose concept 3 for the final painting, with some minor alterations.

These were the original concept drawings that I sent to my client as a rough guide to establish what he wanted from the painting. He ultimately chose concept 3 for the final painting, with some minor alterations.

Before settling on concept 3 from the first series of concepts, my client requested that I whip up an additional set of concepts to explore further possibilities for the painting.

Before settling on concept 3 from the first series of concepts, my client requested that I whip up an additional set of concepts to explore further possibilities for the painting.

This is one of the renders of the hovercraft that was used in the final painting. Multiple passes were used under different lighting conditions, and these were then combined as separate layers for the final painting.

This is one of the renders of the hovercraft that was used in the final painting. Multiple passes were used under different lighting conditions, and these were then combined as separate layers for the final painting.

I did this as a bit of an experiment to see how the Maya model would look with different materials applied.

I did this as a bit of an experiment to see how the Maya model would look with different materials applied.

One step-by-step image to show the painting process.

One step-by-step image to show the painting process.

And one final value version of the drawing for good measure. Much of the source material that I was able to find of this very obscure hovercraft was in black and white, so it felt fitting to try a black and white version of the painting too.

And one final value version of the drawing for good measure. Much of the source material that I was able to find of this very obscure hovercraft was in black and white, so it felt fitting to try a black and white version of the painting too.

Report