Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art

Friday, May 18th, 2012 11:49AM CDT

Category: People News
Posted by: El Duque Views: 33,723

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Ken Christiansen has updated his Bad Flip Production blog with Prima, one of the thirteen Primes. Technically not new, as noted by Ken this image was featured in last year's Transformers: Vault, but he's now been given permission to post the image. According to Ken he's also drawn eleven of the other Primes, hopefully we will get to see those as well.

I know Aaron and Rik (the Hasbro boys) have shown others I had worked on, like Leige Maximo, Vector Prime, etc. at conventions, but as far as I know, this is the only one out there.

Again, working with Eric Siebenaler, I began a bunch of pencil sketches, but one clearly stood out, and it's basically a rough pencil version of what's above. I themed him in a loose Samurai style, and reversed engineered details from Optimus Prime, to make that visual connection, as a descendant in the Prime Line. He was nicknamed the Warrior of Light, so we went with a really ornate style, with the piped lighting over a quasi-mother of pearl armor. The similar cues from Optimus only number a few, but are pretty overt - the facemask, helmet spikes, split chest 'windows', and I managed to put a G1 cue in there, the two bands over a triangle on the forearm. The sword was a joint design effort, Eric had sketched out the two-bladed idea, with the Matrix in the hilt, so I basically redesigned it to fit the look of the character/armor.

Credit(s): Ken Christiansen

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Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380937)
Posted by Anonymous on May 18th, 2012 @ 12:05pm CDT

It does look cool otherwise, but I can't get past that no-nose design. Instantly ruins the look IMO.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380940)
Posted by RAcast on May 18th, 2012 @ 12:18pm CDT

orangeitis wrote:It does look cool otherwise, but I can't get past that no-nose design. Instantly ruins the look IMO.

Just looks like an expanded faceplate to me.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380953)
Posted by Sabrblade on May 18th, 2012 @ 1:09pm CDT

Only 11 of the rest, huh? I guess that's why we don't see all 13 in "One Shall Rise - Part 1".

orangeitis wrote:It does look cool otherwise, but I can't get past that no-nose design. Instantly ruins the look IMO.

Compare to his actual TF: Prime design:

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380957)
Posted by MarkNL on May 18th, 2012 @ 1:20pm CDT

I love how there's a matrix shape in his sword.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380959)
Posted by RogueDeathangel on May 18th, 2012 @ 1:23pm CDT

I never noticed the two lines and triangle on the forearms! That is supremely AWESOME.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380960)
Posted by SlyTF1 on May 18th, 2012 @ 1:26pm CDT

I really wish they'd hurry up and make a toyline of the first 13!!!

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380961)
Posted by Sabrblade on May 18th, 2012 @ 1:26pm CDT

Mark(NL) wrote:I love how there's a matrix shape in his sword.

It is the Matrix. The Matrix used to be the hilt jewel of his sword, the Star Saber.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380964)
Posted by Sabrblade on May 18th, 2012 @ 1:31pm CDT

SlyTF1 wrote:I really wish they'd hurry up and make a toyline of the first 13!!!

They said at either BotCon 2010 or 2011 that there aren't any plans for toys of the Thirteen in these designs, as these designs were made without toys of them in mind.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380965)
Posted by RAcast on May 18th, 2012 @ 1:36pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:
SlyTF1 wrote:I really wish they'd hurry up and make a toyline of the first 13!!!
They said at either BotCon 2010 or 2011 that there aren't any plans for toys of the Thirteen in these designs, as these designs were made without toys of them in mind.

Indeed...I mean. What does it do? Prima looks like he transforms into a while lotta nothing.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380980)
Posted by freetouch on May 18th, 2012 @ 2:16pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:
SlyTF1 wrote:I really wish they'd hurry up and make a toyline of the first 13!!!
They said at either BotCon 2010 or 2011 that there aren't any plans for toys of the Thirteen in these designs, as these designs were made without toys of them in mind.

Well, that and if hasbro did decide to make a toyline, the first 13 would turn into the first 3 and a shit ton of bumblebee because of their terrible distribution and amazing willingness to cancel a line because they can't figure out why no one is buying the toys that they can't get to the store anyway.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1380990)
Posted by crazyjeffy on May 18th, 2012 @ 2:32pm CDT

When I first saw it the first thing that came to mind was the draenei concept art from before world of warcraft: the burning crusade.

I don't play anymore, but that's what it looked like to me.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381025)
Posted by Stormrider on May 18th, 2012 @ 4:57pm CDT

Is this project based on the movie because it seems to draw heavily from it. Aside from that; I don't understand the coloring (it seems too bland); I don't understand how the astetics relates to other designs; and I feel the subtle cues he mentioned are too subtle (except for the Matrix hilt, which I feel is over the top). It doesn't make me think of Transformers when I look at it. Sorry, perhaps I am not understanding the project fully.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381039)
Posted by kriksix on May 18th, 2012 @ 5:47pm CDT

beautiful design!

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381043)
Posted by Mindmaster on May 18th, 2012 @ 5:52pm CDT

That sword.... I hope that sword makes an appearance in Prime.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381063)
Posted by Sabrblade on May 18th, 2012 @ 6:46pm CDT

Stormrider wrote:Is this project based on the movie because it seems to draw heavily from it. Aside from that; I don't understand the coloring (it seems too bland); I don't understand how the astetics relates to other designs; and I feel the subtle cues he mentioned are too subtle (except for the Matrix hilt, which I feel is over the top). It doesn't make me think of Transformers when I look at it. Sorry, perhaps I am not understanding the project fully.

This is Aligned Continuity Prima.

Those who were at BotCon 2010 got to see images of the Aligned Continuity versions of Prima, Alpha Trion, Liege Maximo, Vector Prime, Megatronus Prime, The Fallen, and all again at Botcon 2011, this time along with Nexus Prime and Solus Prime.

Mindmaster wrote:That sword.... I hope that sword makes an appearance in Prime.

'Twould be the Star Saber, with the Matrix in its hilt. Currently, the novels are telling the sword's story, so the cartoon may not instead.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381068)
Posted by Mindmaster on May 18th, 2012 @ 6:58pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:
Mindmaster wrote:That sword.... I hope that sword makes an appearance in Prime.
'Twould be the Star Saber, with the Matrix in its hilt. Currently, the novels are telling the sword's story, so the cartoon may not instead.

That just killed me... :HEADHURTS:

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381097)
Posted by Sodan-1 on May 18th, 2012 @ 9:23pm CDT

Oh wow! Those bands and triangles are a serious nod to the old school. I still think his legs are too short.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381228)
Posted by Mkall on May 19th, 2012 @ 10:47am CDT

Now I want to see the other 12 (13 if The Fallen is a separate design)

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381374)
Posted by Sabrblade on May 19th, 2012 @ 5:57pm CDT

Mkall wrote:Now I want to see the other 12 (13 if The Fallen is a separate design)

Those who were at BotCon 2010 and 2011 got to see Alpha Trion, Liege Maximo, Prima, Vector Prime, Megatronus, The Fallen, Nexus Prime (2011 only), and Solus Prime (2011).

I think I recall running into you at BotCon 2011, so there's a chance you've seen those listed above.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381378)
Posted by Mindmaster on May 19th, 2012 @ 6:06pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:
Mkall wrote:Now I want to see the other 12 (13 if The Fallen is a separate design)
Those who were at BotCon 2010 and 2011 got to see Alpha Trion, Liege Maximo, Prima, Vector Prime, Megatronus, The Fallen, Nexus Prime (2011 only), and Solus Prime (2011).

I think I recall running into you at BotCon 2011, so there's a chance you've seen those listed above.

I didn't get to see the rest of the art because I wasn't at BotCon... :-(

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381417)
Posted by King Kuuga on May 19th, 2012 @ 9:24pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:Those who were at BotCon 2010 got to see images of the Aligned Continuity versions of Prima, Alpha Trion, Liege Maximo, Vector Prime, Megatronus Prime, The Fallen, and all again at Botcon 2011, this time along with Nexus Prime and Solus Prime.

Megatronus Prime IS The Fallen. Did they give him different designs pre- and post-betrayal?

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381420)
Posted by Sabrblade on May 19th, 2012 @ 9:36pm CDT

That Bot wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Those who were at BotCon 2010 got to see images of the Aligned Continuity versions of Prima, Alpha Trion, Liege Maximo, Vector Prime, Megatronus Prime, The Fallen, and all again at Botcon 2011, this time along with Nexus Prime and Solus Prime.

Megatronus Prime IS The Fallen. Did they give him different designs pre- and post-betrayal?

Yes. He got two similar but still quite different designs.

Re: Ken Christiansen Shares His Prima Art (1381483)
Posted by King Kuuga on May 20th, 2012 @ 2:20am CDT

Man, now I REALLY want to see the others in full, and not just silhouetted or shadowed for brief scenes.