SPECIMENS

Engineer studies

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Bone bits

Bone study

Brain skull study

View this post on Instagram

Detail of early version of the foetus piece. As I was saying in the beauchene one, David is exploring on his way to creating the 'perfect' xeno. And after extending the brainpan laterally (it only needs to turn its head to widen the scan), the dome might form a long sensory array or use different bandwidths for its vision. I thought it might be cool and logical if the xeno 'sees' thermally like a snake. So beyond the obvious dragon metaphors and beasts being afraid of fire, that a flamethrower will temporarily blind it. So both things are true. As shown here with radiating waves and so on. I know fans are astoundingly literal these days (and to be fair the way the films have gone does encourage that) but it doesn't matter if no-one notices – the backstory I make is primarily to lend a consistency in approach. Which is different to the drawings contradicting each other intentionally. I wanted to continue David's unreliable narrator idea into the work. Are these actually his works or his unhinged thoughts? Anyway like I say it leads to imagery that might not have happened otherwise. I hope. 😝. Pencil on Japanese paper. #aliencovenant #conceptartist #xenomorph #matthatton

A post shared by matt hatton (@matthatt0n) on

Engineer Muscle

Engineer skin

Face Peel

Face study

Hands

Hand study

Head dissection

Ladies

Leg study

Male Female side view

Male study

Mutant engineer

Mutant skulls

Pelvis

Pose Study

Ritualistic beheading

Skeleton

Skeleton body

Skeleton study

Skulls

View this post on Instagram

Back to Alien: Covenant! I thought David would investigate congenital and extreme abnormalities maybe in pursuit of finding more elastic/hardy qualities for the xeno (although that skull middle bottom is a normal baby skull – those critters are weird!). For instance looking at existing conditions like hydrocephalus in babies/foetuses in terms of rapid structural growth/expansion maybe to allow for a bigger brainpan for example or an 'ideal' shape etc. Also as in the old days using the beauchene process where the skull was filled with rice and then saturated so it swelled and split the bone along the natural faultlines. Attributed to the French but may have actually come from Leonardo. Of course the inference is that it the Gigerish horror could have happened in a very unnatural way… Sorry dunno where the proper scan is right now! Pencil, nibs/Indian ink, watercolour. #conceptartist #aliencovenant #beauchene

A post shared by matt hatton (@matthatt0n) on

Spinal cord study

Unfinished

Weeping fruit

Youth study

Miscellaneous