can someone tell me what art style was used here?

Yeah it's too small. It's a science fiction style, but I can't even tell if it's a 3d render or a 2d image. List the name of the game, at least, so I can google more images?

Using Google's reverse image search, it came from Michael Doig's art blog. He doesn't seem to ever mention the name of the game (even in later posts). Here's a title screen shot:


It looks like a 3D render, but at the same time it looks like a 2D drawing (that is, the ship looks like a 3D render, but the effects (the rocket booster and green electric stuff) look 2D)...

A big part about art and the look 'n' feel of it is the color palette used. Using kuler to create a palette from an image, I get the following color palette (selecting "colorful," which seems to be accurate), which may be of some help:
[attachment=10266:Screen shot 2012-07-25 at 7.37.20 PM.png]

Ah, in that close-up it looks like a 3D model with hand-drawn cartoony texturing. However, you wouldn't have to use that method to get art that looked like that. You could go more 3D and use a cell-shading rendering method, or you could go more 2d and use vector cartoons, or you could do the same thing with a raster art program. This kind of colorscheme could be called neon or bold (see the crayola marker sets labeled with these two terms.)

As far as art books, you could try one of these for science fiction style:
http://www.amazon.com/Mechanika-Creating-Science-Fiction-Chiang/dp/1600610234/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343267805&sr=8-2&keywords=science+fiction+art
http://www.amazon.com/Masters-Science-Fiction-Fantasy-Art/dp/1592536751/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343267805&sr=8-1&keywords=science+fiction+art

Art style is hard to tell.. too small. But are you interested in the style of design too? (not that I can help, but I'm curious)

You could go more 3D and use a cell-shading rendering method, or you could go more 2d and use vector cartoons, or you could do the same thing with a raster art program.

I think the close-up one was more of a background type rather than the actual sprite used for the game. Either way, I'm not really aiming for cartoony but I like the color scheme. At least of the actual ship.
I want a more serious look since its not suppose to be the casual space invaders shoot em up type of game. I'm picturing white or greys, and black for the hull of the ships with possibly purples, reds and blues for any external outlining or special designs (colors varying by type of ship of course). As for interface more of a high tech neon blue. The type you would see in most sci-fi spaceship related movies. Something like


that would also be the type of propellant coloring for most space ships. One side of the game is the type that is more depicted of the future, the whole shiny crispy and clean type of feel. Yet on the other side think of a mechanic's work area.

I think the close-up one was more of a background type rather than the actual sprite used for the game. Either way, I'm not really aiming for cartoony but I like the color scheme. At least of the actual ship.
I want a more serious look since its not suppose to be the casual space invaders shoot em up type of game. I'm picturing white or greys, and black for the hull of the ships with possibly purples, reds and blues for any external outlining or special designs (colors varying by type of ship of course). As for interface more of a high tech neon blue. The type you would see in most sci-fi spaceship related movies. Something like


that would also be the type of propellant coloring for most space ships. One side of the game is the type that is more depicted of the future, the whole shiny crispy and clean type of feel. Yet on the other side think of a mechanic's work area.

Well, that's the info you give to your artist then, all the stuff you've written right here.

Well, that's the info you give to your artist then, all the stuff you've written right here.

Right, well thank you for the assistance!

Here is an example of a Sci-Fi ship I made a while back. It uses the Sci-Fi blue theme. Don't mind the intense contrast, I made it for a game i made in a week for a competition.

Here is an example of a Sci-Fi ship I made a while back. It uses the Sci-Fi blue theme. Don't mind the intense contrast, I made it for a game i made in a week for a competition.

Wow, that's pretty cool. Whats the engineering on this though? are the four legs meant to be engines? Where are the engines? Is the center circle some sort of reactor? I tend to like to design spacecraft that makes sense in a engineering perspective as much as possible so I'm just curious. Other then that, love the detail and style .

I was in a hurry to finish the project which I created in just 10 days for a competition, so practicality wasn't one of my first objectives. If it was a larger or longer project then I would have been a lot more practical with my design. but sometimes time is not a friendly mistress.