Alien Biology Art Project

[SquareHiccup]

Hi All! This is my first post and I am already asking for your help. I'm in the very early stages of an illustration project that I intend on developing over the course of the summer and I am looking for input. Here is my idea:

 

I am going to do a series of about 25 illustrations depicting the evolution of an alien race from 'single celled' organisims all the way up to an incredably advanced 'Super Race'. For each stage in the evolution, i want to have a fairly detailed cross section diagram lableing parts of their insides. I also want each diagram to be accompanied with one or two paragraph synopsis explaining how the oganisim lives, what has changed from the last mutation etc. My hope is make enough art to fill a gallery and also create a small textbook style book of all the content.

 

I don't want to get into much more detail on this forum but if you are at all interested in helping me I'd love to chat on msn about it sometime: james underscore gauvreau at hotmail dot com

 

 

 

If this is in the wrong forum Im sorry! I didnt know where to put it. Also

I appologise if this is considered spam, I am just intersted in making the biology as real as possible and would like the advice of bio-experts!

[ydoaPs]

are the labels in english or a made up alien language?

[SquareHiccup]

The lables and paragraphs will be in engilsh and if they are labling what resembles something on this planet I would like to use the proper scientific name. I suppose that makes the names latin. The organs and parts that i make up would have to follow the same nameing system so I suppose will need the help of a latin expert as well!

 

And to clarify exactly the kind of help I am looking for, Its more of an advisor type of role. I will have many questions over the summer like 'is this possible or logical or likely' and I am going to need different opinions. Also, I am not compleatly oblivious or nieve about what is and isnt possible. A being that can shoot lazors out of its eyes, while hillarious, is NOT what im going for. A being that can create an electric chage IS in however because its done all the time on earth. But i'd like things that are more exotic if possible.

[Mokele]

Two books I'd recommend that would help immensely with this are:

 

1) Stephen Jay Gould's "Wonderful Life", a book about the burgess shale fauna. It has numerous illustrations of all the bizarre and wonderful animals that showed up when multicellular life evolved, and seeing just how weird life on earth can get might give inspiration for your art.

 

2) Barlow's Guide to Extraterrestrials, which has depictions of many of the most famous aliens from science fiction. The artist is utterly incredible, and the pictures not only show a good grasp of the author's creatures, but also a good grasp of anatomy and physiology (where applicable).

 

Hope this helps!

 

Mokele

[SquareHiccup]

Thanks for the book suggestions! I wonder if they are at my library...

[ecoli]

For inspiration check out the artwork of H.R. Giger, the creator of the art for the original alien movies. His work is simply superb, and beautiful. (He also did the cover for the ELP's Brain Salad Surgery album).

 

edit: http://images.google.com/images?q=giger&hl=en&hs=Lin&lr=&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=wi

[RICHARDBATTY]

Tuesday 28 June on the discovery channel. A program is being broadcast which will depict ideas of the types of ET life that may exist on other planets. May give you some inspiration.

[SquareHiccup]

Wow excellent! Thanks!