Dan Voltz Art & Illustration

Diplodocus Train Yard

May 14, 2021 by danvoltzart

When I was younger, I’d draw dinosaurs all the time. But I mainly focused on carnivores. I didn’t draw a lot of sauropods. So this diplodocus painting was certainly a challenge! But I was inspired by the diplodocus fossil skeleton on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Every time I visited that exhibit, I’d be impressed by the size and scope of that animal. Here, I decided to paint the diplodocus wandering a lonely and mostly unused train yard. […]

Categories: Original Art, Science FIction

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USS Discovery – At Warp

April 30, 2021 by danvoltzart

The USS Discovery is an experimental Crossfield-class starship, equipped with a displacement activated spore hub drive. In other words, it can use mushrooms to fly. It’s pretty awesome. In this painting, however, the Discovery is traveling at warp speeds. I always really liked the warp effect seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation era series. But I also appreciate the way that warp effects have always changed–and the effect used on Star Trek: Discovery is freaking beautiful, too. I […]

Categories: Fan Art, Star Trek

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Spinosaurus – “Sunrise Fishing”

April 17, 2021 by danvoltzart

Recent paleontological evidence seems to indicate that the Spinosaurus was pretty comfortable in around water. Turns out this *huge* predator was interested more in fish than anything. With all the boats in the news lately, I started thinking about the Salties–the giant cargo ships that move through Lake Superior. And somehow, in my brain, both of these thoughts got mixed in my head. I imagined a Spinosaurus on one of these cargo vessels, just using the big ship as a […]

Categories: Fantasy, Original Art, Science FIction

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Prometheus Class USCSS Athena

April 9, 2021 by danvoltzart

The first we saw of a Prometheus class or Prometheus-type starship was in the film Prometheus. And it was fascinating. The Prometheus has the same design aesthetic as any other Alien-universe type vessel. But this starship was new. It was high-tech. It was everything the Nostromo wasn’t. Which makes sense, once you realize it was funded by a billionaire. Peter Weyland wanted to meet his maker, and he spared no expense in building the starship to do it. Of course, […]

Categories: Aliens, Fan Art

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Alien Fan Art – Xenomorph “Perfect Organism”

March 26, 2021 by danvoltzart

To Ash, science office of the Nostromo, the xenomorph was a “perfect organism.” It’s hard to shake that description, and just how much it has shaped the entire Alien universe. It certainly presents a narrative challenge, after all–how can a xenomorph be a perfect organism if your heroes defeat the creature in every film? Somehow, the xenomorph has never lost its edge. And it has this combination of elegance, beauty, and ferocity. You would not want to come across one. […]

Categories: Aliens, Fan Art

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Vor’cha Class – “Ambush Predator”

March 19, 2021 by danvoltzart

The Vor’cha Class cruiser was the backbone of the Klingon Defense Force during the later half of the 24th Century. It played a prominent role in the Klingon Civil War, The Federation-Klingon War, and the Dominion War. In other words, this warship was involved in its share of combat. During the Klingon Civil War, High Chancellor Gowron kept his flag aboard the IKS Bortas. And that’s why I decided to paint the Vor’cha class cruiser as my first Klingon hero […]

Categories: Fan Art, Star Trek

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Alien Art – “Neomorph Behind You”

March 6, 2021 by danvoltzart

You know one thing you don’t want to sneak up behind you? A neomorph. These variations on xenomorphs, introduced in Alien: Covenant, are fast and mean. And, somehow, I feel like they’re even creepier than the original Alien creature. They aren’t as elegant–they don’t straddle that line between beauty and horror the way HR Giger’s original design does. But they are freakin’ creepy. So I decided to paint them! Because… of course I did? (Sometimes when things get in my […]

Categories: Aliens, Fan Art

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Megatron – “Victorious”

February 14, 2021 by danvoltzart

When someone commissions you to paint Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, you don’t say “no!” That would be… heroic nonsense. Anyway, this was a thrill to paint–Transformers usually are! Megatron wasn’t necessarily my favorite Transformer, but he was never anything less than compelling (and Megatron in Transformers: The Movie finally felt like a real villain and a threat). This piece was designed as a companion to an earlier Optimus Prime piece. I like the way the two complement each other […]

Categories: Fan Art

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USS Voyager – “Borg Escape”

January 28, 2021 by danvoltzart

Is there a better Star Trek villain than the Borg? Growing up, I loved every Borg episode. And you know what? That’s still mostly true. And that’s definitely what inspired this Star Trek: Voyager painting! I had two ideas in my head when I painted the starship Voyager last: one was Voyager in front of a debris field. And the other was Voyager facing off against the Borg. I couldn’t choose between the ideas, so I decided to go with […]

Categories: Fan Art, Star Trek

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USS Voyager – “Salvage”

January 26, 2021 by danvoltzart

The starship USS Voyager stops near a debris field to salvage necessary materials and supplies. That was the idea behind this painting, anyway. I thought it would be a good opportunity to play with some Vaadwaur ships–I always thought “Dragon’s Teeth” was a fantastic episode, and the Vaadwaur could have been an interesting opponent for Voyager. I wanted to create a kind of “day-in-the-life” piece for the starship Voyager. We probably didn’t see all the mundane maintenance and upkeep they […]

Categories: Fan Art, Star Trek

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