Vintage Space-Opera Illustration

I’m commissioning a full-bleed, retro space-opera painting that channels the sweeping grandeur of late-70s and early-80s science-fiction book covers. The scene must centre on heroic human protagonists, framed against a dark, ominous backdrop that hints at a vast dystopian galaxy. Around them, I want a looming starship, ranks of infantry droids and a jagged alien horizon, all composed so the eye flows naturally upward to a clear band of negative space in the top third where the book title will sit.

Stylistically, think classic airbrush spectacle mixed with lively, expressive brushwork and subtle halftone texture. A limited, highly saturated palette should keep the piece feeling mythic and cinematic while staying unmistakably vintage. Please ensure the illustration reads powerfully at both poster scale and in a small thumbnail.

Tools and workflow are up to you, but the final artwork must arrive fully layered for easy tweaking.

Deliverables
• Print-ready layered artwork (full poster size)
• 6 × 9-inch front cover crop
• CMYK TIFF for print & RGB JPEG for online use
• One round of post-delivery revisions

If you love classic Chris Foss or Frank Frazetta covers and can evoke that epic nostalgia while keeping the composition tight and purposeful, I’d love to collaborate.