Soviet Lunar Racer: Vehicle and Character Design

What if the space race was more literal--an actual lunar rally? As the final project for Charles Lin's Entertainment Design class, I created two opposing teams, each with a driver and a vehicle. I aimed to give each team its own distinct design language, while making sure they still looked like they belonged in the same world.

The Soviets are the more heavy-duty, rough-and-tumble faction. For the cosmonaut himself, I referenced the baggy spacesuits of the time period, but as the CCCP never built a manned roving vehicle, I gave myself more freedom to design something fun. The round, chunky look reflects the bulbous form language of the Soyuz line of spacecraft, while the wheels and chassis bring to mind the heavy, powerful trucks commonly associated with Soviet engineering.

A simple Daz Studio figure provided an underlay for the cosmonaut, and a rough Maya mockup was likewise used for the vehicle's line drawing.