Helicarrier concept art

Concept artist Phil Saunders explains the ideas that came about when drawing up the designs for the Iron Man suit and different visions he had for the Helicarrier.

The Iron Man armor has gone through many iterations, but it was important that, for The Avengers, Tony Stark sport something really special. Likewise, if S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to have a helicarrier, it had better be the most boss helicarrier in the history of helicarriers.

“Below are the initial 3 sketches I did early on before we knew what the Mk 7 should be. The first was actually a revision of a design I had been thinking of initially for Iron Man 2 before ultimately choosing another project. It was a lighter, more streamlined version of what had come before, trying to integrate a flowing theme wrapping around the “RT” on the chest and mirroring that fast line through the body. This was more of the evolutionary design, and ultimately was approved pretty much immediately as a starting point for the Mk 7.”

The first was actually a revision of a design I had been thinking of initially for Iron Man 2 before ultimately choosing another project. It was a lighter, more streamlined version of what had come before, trying to integrate a flowing theme wrapping around the “RT” on the chest and mirroring that fast line through the body. This was more of the evolutionary design, and ultimately was approved pretty much immediately as a starting point for the Mk 7.”

“The next design was playing around with the stance of the suit toward more of a brawler attitude, somewhat beefier and less aircraft-like.”

“Lastly was a more extreme departure, trying to create a very different silhouette, sort of the Stark Industries answer to a more heavily militarized suit like War Machine, but drawing from Air Force form language instead of Army.”

“Before working on the Mk 7 suit with the Visual Development team, I was initially brought into the Art Department to work on the Helicarrier.”

” While ultimately the Production Designer James Chinlund’s direction was pursued by Nathan Schroeder to the version you see on screen, I was tasked with providing some alternative approaches.”

“In a more radical departure from the concept of ‘Heli-‘ carrier I was exploring some form of vertical jet engine clusters to lift the massive hull rather than the traditional ducted fans.”

via Blastr.