The Artof Film Star Wars 4 TH Ed

THE A RT OF
FEATURING
FILM
ARTWORK
FROM
Terryl Whitlatch
Aaron McBride
Dave Seeley
Feng Zhu
Edition
Digital
STA R WA RS
A RT INSPIR ED BY A GA L A XY FA R , FA R AWAY…
FOURTH
EDITION
Featured artists
Star Wars Identities Christian Waggoner Dave Seeley

ILM Art Dept/ Doug Cowan Pavel Goloviy
ArtStation Challenge Hugh Fleming Andrew March
Mario Alberti Matt Busch Cat Staggs
Morgan Yon Matt Rhodes Simon Goinard
Fred Palacio Tony Foti Randy Martinez
Jon Foster Aaron McBride Andrew
Izzy Medrano Sean Marino Theophilopoulos
Cecilia G.F. Stephen Hayford Karen Hallion
Andy Fairhurst Terese Nielsen Josh Viers
Kai Carpenter Terryl Whitlatch Michael Pedro
Malcolm Tween Paul Dainton Feng Zhu
Grant Gould Ansel Hsiao Bobby Pontillas
Fan Gao Brandon Kenney
[ 4 ] The art of film : star wars
The art of film : star wars [ 5 ]
Welcome to another celebration of incredible

art inspired by a galaxy far, far away…
In this reissue of our first volume of Star Wars:
The Art of Film, you’ll find a catalogue of artists’ work,
dedicated to the varying locations, space-travelling
transport and friendly (and not-so friendly) faces from
George Lucas’ most renowned creation. You’ll also be
given an insight into the artistic world of Star Wars,
including some exclusive art that was created for the
digital art magazine ImagineFX (an essential source of
pro art tips and advice). The mighty Feng Zhu created
a wonderful, wintry scene set on the ice planet Hoth,
which you can check out on page 156, and you can
enjoy the traditional portrait art skills of Hugh Fleming
over on page 60. So what are you waiting for?
Delve into the fantastic world of art of one of
the greatest sci-fi universes of all time!
Artist: Malcolm Tween. All images TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC./Disney. All rights reserved.
[ 6 ] The art of film: star wars
The art of film: star wars [ 7 ]
The image of the

talkative C-3PO is
made up of his own
words meticulously
rendered in Aurebesh.
Darth Maul is made
up mainly of lots of
tiny Darth Mauls!
Star Wars
Identities
Discover the true characters, and find the secrets,
in these unique works in the touring exhibition
hen the original that is how we ended up exploring Let me tell you, the
Star Wars movie the notion of identity,” explains
W burst onto cinema

screens almost 40
years ago, nobody
communications director and
museum liaison at X3 Productions
Sophie Desbiens. “The exhibition
entire agency’s staff
fought over who was
could have realised basically asks: what makes you,
just what an impact it and its you? We use – in parallel – the going to get to work
sequels would have on the lives evolution of Luke Skywalker and
of so many people. At the heart Anakin (Darth Vader), who started on this project!
of the story are characters we off with similar origins and ended
all fell in love with – but who are up quite differently.”
they really? This is the question The exhibition examines the Star Wars and identity. The
the touring exhibition Star Wars evolution of the personalities creators of these stunning pieces,
Identities aims to discover – and of famous Star Wars characters Jean-François LeBlanc, Sébastien
along the way you can discover through their stories. With the help Maheux and Louis Hébert, all
your own true self. of a scientific committee made up work for the organisers’ ad
The exhibition, that concludes its of specialists from neuro-sciences, agency Bleublancrouge. “Let me
journey in the Netherlands in 2018, psychology and genetics, the tell you,” confides Sophie, “the
brings together unique art and show organisers defined ten entire agency’s staff fought over
media from the Star Wars archives. elements that compose someone’s who was going to get to work on
Some of it is commissioned for the identity and applied this to the that project!”
There are show, some of it original narrative characters of Star Wars. If you The idea of the exhibition is to
secrets in all art from the Lucasfilm archives. visit, you get the same treatment explore what makes people who
the illustrations. There are over 200 original props, and have the opportunity to not they are. The challenge for the
The Millennium costumes and artworks from all only look at what makes you who artists was to render that concept
Falcon is hidden six Star Wars films. you are but also to create your visually. Each illustration explores
somewhere in “Lucasfilm wanted it to be own Star Wars identity. what makes the character who he/
this Darth Vader educational and so after a lot of The centrepiece of the show she/it is, in a manner reminiscent
portrait. Can thinking we came up with the idea is a set of unique illustrations of Arcimboldo’s famous portraits
you see it? of exploring the characters, and commissioned on the theme of composed of fruit and vegetables.
In the Yoda
portrait, can you
find Luke, R2-D2
and Obi-Wan
Kenobi? There
are also a few
levitating rocks!
Stormtroopers
have meaning
and identity
only in a mass of
Stormtroopers –
with their sinister
leader literally at
the centre
Take the Darth Vader illustration. Stormtrooper is represented here

The ultimate master of evil, Vader by the multitude,” says Sophie.
became a powerful Sith Lord “It’s all for one,” she explains, “and
when he chose the Dark Side of their leader, Darth Vader, is at the
the Force. At the service of the centre of it all. Literally. Try to find
Emperor, he became an agent Vader among the multitude in this
of war intent on ruling the entire portrait. And as a bonus, try to
galaxy. “His portrait illustrates this find the intruder, namely a little
by making him a literal black hole droid called R2-D2.”
of space in the galaxy, and his In fact, all the illustrations
likeness is made up of spaceships created for Star Wars Identities
with his ultimate weapon of feature hidden secrets. “The
destruction – the Death Star – C-3PO illustration is one of my
as his brain,” explains Sophie. favourites because of its intense
In the Yoda portrait, we can see geekness,” shares Sophie. “Built
how the character’s story plays in by Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO is an
the illustration: on Dagobah, his etiquette and protocol droid who
All images © 2012 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
planet of exile, the Jedi master is also fluent in six million forms
has become one with the Force of communication. Throughout
after his physical existence ends. the saga, C-3PO has exhibited a
“His absence is now a spiritual fairly nervous and worry-prone
presence in the environment. personality and is also known to
This translates in the fact that talk incessantly. He is represented
his portrait is made up of empty here by his own quotations, taken
space,” shares Sophie. from the first six movies and
The Stormtroopers are an translated into Aurebesh. Yes,
interesting subject, considering all these symbols are a fictional
that they are not distinct, singular alphabet of basic language in the
characters. “They have strength in Star Wars universe. How crazy is
numbers, and so the power of one that? The designers took the time
You not only

recognise the
characters but
also recall the
themes and
incidents
represented by
the component
elements
The exhibition is
in three sections,
which follow
the progression
of identity from
childhood to
adulthood: first
Origins, then
Influences, and
finally Choices
to take famous C-3PO quotations A love of Star Wars

from the first six films, translated
them into Aurebesh, and created gets transmitted from
his portrait out of that. Nuts!”
It’s a testament to the strength one generation to the
of the characters created by
George Lucas that these heroes next. It’s very powerful,
and villains still inspire artists
today. Sophie believes it’s because just like mythology
they are just like us. Star Wars is
about archetypes and (in Jungian
terms) the collective unconscious. “Basically, Star Wars is modern
The story George Lucas set out to mythology. And that is why
tell is the story human beings have these characters are loved the
been telling for ages. As Joseph world over and are still relevant
Campbell (who is known to have today, almost 40 years after their
influenced Lucas) explained in his creation. It is amazing to see
book The Hero with a Thousand that the love of Star Wars gets
Faces, this story is based on a transmitted from one generation
fundamental structure, called the to the next – it is very powerful,
monomyth of the hero: something just like mythology. What I like
happens to a young ordinary the most is that you can see in
person which means he then has people’s eyes the happiness it
to go on a quest. Along the way brings them,” concludes Sophie,
he will meet friends, mentors before adding: “That always
and obstacles, and he ends up impresses me. I really love it and
in a final fight with his nemesis feel really lucky to work on such
(representing Good vs Evil). an amazing project.”
Through that adventure, he will
come of age and find himself. www.starwarsidentities.com
The ILM &

ArtStation
challenge
ILM and ArtStation teamed up to give entrants experience
of what it’s like working on concept art for Star Wars
A scene rich in Star Wars

lore, from third-placed
Fred Palacio, who got the
biggest prize of all...
All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd.
ast year ArtStation made the online art help shape the look of future Star Wars films.”
competition exciting again, working Italian-based artist Mario Alberti predominantly
L with one of the most influential and

popular film-art studios in the world,
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). Their
works in comics. But the appeal of taking part in this
competition was the same thing that got him into art
in the first place: a sense of awe, and a desire to soak
joint competition gave entrants an up anything that might make him a better artist.
inside view of how pro concept artists work. “I’m always hungry for new stuff to see and learn
It all started with a meeting at the FMX conference from,” he says. “I saw this as a chance to learn
in 2015, when chat turned to a question: how could something new, maybe get to know a bit about
an art competition help recruit a new generation of working in films. Plus it’s Star Wars!”
concept artists to work on the upcoming Star Wars That sense of awe had kicked in. “It felt a bit like
films? David Nakabayashi, creative director of the ILM a fish diving in a new sea, with all different kinds of
art department, came up with the idea of a challenge colourful and beautiful creatures swimming around
that would simulate a real production experience. For it,” says Mario. “I was confident I wouldn’t drown,
ArtStation’s soon-to-be challenge manager, Daniel and that I’d get as much fun as I could out of it.”
Wade, the chance was too good to miss, and the The artist did more than that – he won first place.
2016 ILM Art Department Challenge was born. The competition consisted of three major challenges:
“When we realised we would be running a Star a keyframe challenge, a vehicle design challenge, and
Wars concept art challenge,” says Daniel, “it had to a boot-camp style challenge, with many deadlines
be fit for purpose. Planning began on a platform that and changing design briefs and requirements.
would bring art challenges into the 21st century – and “For each challenge stage, the ILM art department
withstand a record number of entrants.” created a design brief which all artists had to follow,
ArtStation co-founder Leo Teo had already along with deadlines and limited guidance,” says
pioneered art challenges in the mid-2000s with CG Daniel. Gone were the days of regular positive crits
Challenges. “However, the aim with the new platform on friendly forums. “Sometimes the art directors
was to leave behind forum-based systems in favour gave us general advice after they viewed an overall
of a purpose-built platform with a greater community panel of submissions,” says runner-up Morgan Yon.
emphasis,” says Daniel. “The most exciting aspect was “That motivates you a lot. We also had something
that it was also a recruitment challenge. Those artists special: a ‘Like’ button on the bottom of our images.
who gave this opportunity everything would likely Those small things gave me a lot of confidence.
Italian artist I remember when I had the first ‘Like’ from David Next, The Ride challenge asked entrants to design
Mario Alberti Nakabayashi – that was intense.” two new Star Wars vehicles within the aesthetic of
triumphed out of Accompanying David on the judging panel for Episodes IV to VI. Vehicles could be Rebel, Imperial
3,888 artists who the challenges was a who’s-who of industry legends, or utilitarian – anything from a giant starship to a land
entered the first including Aaron McBride, Alex Jaeger, Doug Chiang, speeder. Just under 300 artists completed The Ride
stage of the art Jason Horley, Christian Alzmann, James Clyne, Amy challenge, and the judging phase reduced the number
challenge. Beth Christenson, Bianca Draghici, Erik Tiemens, who went through to the final stage to 224.
Kev Jenkins, Kilian Plunkett, Ryan Church, Stephen The Job challenge consisted of six mini-challenges
Tappin, Thang Le and Yanick Dusseault. When each designed to push artists to their limits. Deadlines were
challenge was completed, these art behemoths the same as they would be in a film production, but
judged the entries and decided who would go creative briefs were changed in mid-stream to show
through to the next round. how directors can change their minds. And the story
“To be honest, I had just two Likes on my work-in- could evolve based on key frames from artists.
progress post,” says the comp’s third-place artist Everyone was kept on their toes.
Fred Palacio. “No comment. Just two thumbs up. So “The ILM art directors asked for the best that artists
I felt I was on my own and kept going.” Fred did have could produce within tough time restrictions, and 210
some help from a little friend, though: “I remember artists met that challenge,” says Daniel. “Although the
one night my nine-year-old son Matis came over deadlines were almost impossible and the workloads
and told me a vehicle looked Avatar-ish. I took one extreme, 90 percent of the artists who undertook The
element away and, done, it worked! Everyone’s opinion Job challenge completed the six mini challenges, and
counts, but self-criticism is very important,” he says. were awarded the title Survivor.”
Kicking things off, The Moment keyframe challenge So what’s the legacy of this exciting online
invited artists to create two emotive images that challenge? For the five artists who gained honourable
told a cinematic story within the world of Episodes mentions (and eight more labelled “ILM Favourites”),
IV to VI. Keyframes could use only existing Star Wars it’s getting kudos from their peers and with luck some
worlds, vehicles, creatures and characters to create commissions from companies. For the three winners,
a story moment. A total of 3,888 artists began the there’s more kudos and some very desirable prizes
challenge, with 1,010 completing this first phase. The from Wacom and ArtStation.
first round of judging reduced the number of artists For Fred Palacio it was a surprise enough to be
going through to the next round to 330. named in the top three. “When the result came out,
Morgan Yon dramatically reimagines

the boarding of the Rebel blockade
runner from the opening of Episode
IV. Morgan describes getting a Like
from David Nakabayashi during the
art challenge as “intense.”
I overlooked my name,” he says. “I looked at the Insight from Jennifer Coronado

winners announcement video and that’s when I ILM’s art department manager on being wrong...
realised I was one of the three winners. I never
promoted myself, but as soon as the result came out What does it take to become a pro concept artist?
I got so many work offers.” And an interview at ILM. Concept artists are designing for films, games or their preferred
“The interview with Nak (David Nakabayashi) and medium. They’re interested in them because they’re better
Jennifer Coronado was filled with positive energy.” He versions of their own realities or places they can only dream of
obviously impressed, because Fred was subsequently being. When creating concepts, don’t get too caught up in what’s
appointed art director at ILM Vancouver. “right”. Focus on what’s right for the project. Maybe the right thing
“The art director role is the most difficult position for a project is to go down a path you don’t necessarily like, just
to fill,” said David. “We’d been keeping our eye out to know you have gone the wrong direction – that might be what
for over a year.” your director needs. Concept art is about being a collaborator.
Fred is understandably absolutely thrilled with the Sometimes you’ll be thrilled, sometimes dismayed. It’s how you
development. “Right now, I’m exploring a new world. deal with those situations that will make you a true pro.
I’m stepping into an arena filled with the biggest
gladiators – and it seems they’re quite nice! This huge Which software and tools should be prioritised?
community is making a director’s vision happen and Most of the ILM art department’s concept artists work in 3D
I’m happy and grateful to be in the middle of it.” in some form. While you don’t want the tools to bog down your
How did the competition work out for ILM overall? design, what you’re creating will likely be built by someone else
David gives his final thoughts: “We were thrilled about in production. Everyone at ILM has a core speciality, but can also
this competition because it helped us find new talent. branch out into different areas. Being flexible is very beneficial.
Most importantly, it gave us the opportunity to
remotely mentor people (whether they knew it or Do you have any good tips for finding inspiration?
not) and help them evolve their craft. There’s nothing Talk to people about your ideas, get feedback. Sometimes
more exciting than being able to participate in this walking away from what you’re doing, giving yourself a moment,
important, creative community.” can get ideas flowing again. I’m impressed every day by the
To see the full brief for each challenge and explore amazing things people do under tight deadlines. Many of our
all the great art it prompted, visit the site below. team do personal work. A great teacher once said, “If you don’t
live a life, after a while you’re just an empty shell repeating the
https://ilmchallenge.artstation.com same thing over and over again.”
All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney
Mario
Alberti
First place in the Challenge went to the
Italian comics artist, illustrator and writer
ario Alberti loves Star Wars. “I saw Star The Battle of

Wars when I was 11, and it stuck with Hoth as depicted
M me ever since,” he says. “It’s embedded

in my DNA. Then again, that’s because
of the emotions, wonder and feelings
by Mario Alberti,
overall winner
of the ILM Art
that it brought with it. I have always Department
tried to replicate that in my work. The thought that Challenge.
I can somehow reach other people with that kind of
strength, or at least try to, is what drives me always.”
When it came to the challenge, he explains, “What I
did my best to meet was the briefs’ request to always
put a story behind what I was illustrating, even if it was
just designing new vehicles or characters. I am first
and foremost a storyteller, whatever my skills are at
providing a nice piece of art. Every detail, even the
smallest scratch on a speeder, can have a story behind
it, and what I enjoy doing most is just that: to come up
with stories that can bring depth and emotion to an
illustration. To know that I managed to do that was
the greatest compliment I could hope for from ILM.”
www.marioalberti.com
“He can draw like nobody’s

business,” the judges said.
“There’s so much story and
meaning to every frame.
And he framed every board
like a cinematographer.”
Mario is a comics author

and illustrator, working
for both DC and Marvel,
Sergio Bonelli Editore
and other publishers.
Morgan was awarded second

place in the ILM/ArtStation
challenge. “He probably
drew the largest Wampa
ever!” said the judges.
Morgan
Yon
The French games concept artist brings
experience and emotion to the Challenge
organ Yon knows first-hand how hard

the job can be. He’s a full-time concept
M artist at Ubisoft Montpellier in the

south of France, working on the
Assassin’s Creed franchise among
other games and films. “It’s tough,”
he says, “having to switch from one idea to another,
to be quick at rendering and painting. I consider my
job a constant battle. But when you achieve your goal
by creating an image that is well welcomed by the
community, it’s a great feeling!”
So how did he approach the Challenge? “I really
focused on storytelling,” he explains. “I tried to stick
to simple shapes and strong moods. I truly love the
colour palette of ’80s movies and tried to keep this in
mind while working on pictures. Star Wars is an epic
adventure, but I tried to depict scenes with emotion –
for example, one with a giant four-legged machine
comes from an old memory of mine: the first time I
saw Jurassic Park and the brachiosaurus scene!”
www.morgan-yon.com
The judges said Morgan’s image

of Leia and Wicket looking at the
sunset (above) is “a great mood
piece, a great piece for defining
a story. ... And who would think
of Han Solo hugging C-3PO?
That’s a good idea!”
Fred
Palacio
A passion for exploring leads to delving
into unanswered questions in Star Wars...
Fred developed his own Star

Wars story based on Luke’s
severed hand. The artist received
a key critique from his nine-year-
old son for his vehicle art.
red’s life story is almost an adventure

movie in itself: born in Paris, he moved
F to Germany to become an engineer at

18 but after two years he switched to
an artistic career. After six years as a
3D artist, he returned to France, where
he freelanced in the advertising and film industries.
After one big project, he decided to backpack around
the world, painting and drawing from South America
to Indonesia, Japan and India. When he entered the
challenge he had settled and started a family in Brazil;
he has since “started a new adventure” in Canada.
The Challenge judges praised Fred’s great colour,
lighting and sense of design. “Some of his vehicle work
felt evolutionary from Star Wars,” they added: “it could
have been early Ralph McQuarrie. At some points he
was clearly channelling McQuarrie, in terms of the
simplicity of some of the frames, and he knows how
to compose to camera.” Even in his looser sketches,
they said, you could feel the emotion and mood.
www.artstation.com/artist/calypso
I imagined Ralph McQuarrie at

my side telling me to explore this
or that... And that’s what I did

Fred was
surprised to be
named in the top
three. Initially he
didn’t even notice
his name among
the winners.
The Star Wars

Darkside covers
are popular
with fans of
the Star Wars:
Darkness series,
celebrating all
that’s evil in
the Star Wars
universe
Jon
Foster
The Dark Horse cover artist with a taste
for the Dark Side sheds a little light
reating cover “I enjoyed them because the

All images copyright © Dark Horse Comics and Lucas Licensing
art for the Star art direction went through pretty
C Wars books came

easily to an artist
with Jon’s eye
painlessly. I had done some
paperback book covers for Star
Wars before and they seemed
for the dark side. to be much more difficult than
The majority of Jon’s comic cover the comic books. At the time,
work has been for a number of the people I was working with
Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars made it very enjoyable. I felt like
series. The darker elements and I could do what felt right and
muted colour palette of his early was important, and they were
years seem to have suited books okay with that.”
that tended towards the dark
side of the Force. www.jonfoster.com
Jon’s cover for issue

3 of The Hunt for
Aurra Sing, from a
four-issue special set
The
The art
art of film:: star wars [ 29 ]
of film
The front cover Jon painted

for the first issue of The
Hunt for Aurra Sing, a mini-
series which was part of the
Star Wars: Republic series
Izzy
Medrano
In a universe of archetypal characters,
Izzy finds room for one more psycho…
oncept artist and illustrator Izzy

Medrano is a story-first kind of guy,
C which goes some way towards

explaining his love of Star Wars. “I
love a good narrative,” he says. This
is something that he clearly applied
to his show-stopping illustration The Tyranny of
Lady Vex (right). “Lady Vex was born of a need
to create a good villain for my other character,
Granny Claymore, an old alcoholic hermit that had
lost her connection with the Force,” Izzy explains.
“She made up for it with a huge claymore-esque
lightsaber. I figured that with a strong punkish
personality like hers she’d need a decent foe.
Enter Lady Vex.”
Izzy came up with the idea for his villainous
character during an impromptu sketching session.
“I imagined Vex as being completely insane,” he
explains. “She is driven by a sense of psychotic
justice, dealing in absolutes.” While he was thinking
Izzy’s character Granny

Claymore is an old alcoholic
hermit who has lost her
connection with the Force
[The Star Wars

universe has] strong
archetypal characters.
Iconic design makes
them work
“Your number one

tool in all things art is
contrast,” insists Izzy
through his creation, he had iconic Star Wars design

at the forefront of his mind. “The original Star Wars
concept artists and model makers are, of course, huge
influences,” he comments. “In the new films, the work
of illustrator and conceptual designer Iain McCaig
blew my mind.”
But just what is it about Star Wars that keeps
driving artists to create new work? “It’s the universe
and strong archetypal characters,” Izzy argues.
“Iconic design makes them work. From acting to
costume, story to voices, they are complete and
clear characters, who aren’t muddied in ambiguity.”
www.cannibalcandy.com
alaga, on Spain’s Costa Del Sol,
Cecilia
is renowned for its year-round
M sunshine. It’s ironic, then, that

Malaga resident Cecilia Garcia,
a self-taught artist with a degree
in art history, is drawn to the Dark
Side and loves the rain.
G.F.
Cecilia GF, as she signs herself, is a freelance
artist who aims to work in the video games or
film industries. Inspired by the Dark Side of the
Force, she sought to capture the impact of a
character within a brooding scene set in the
Expanded Universe’s Dromund Kaas, capital
of the Sith Empire.
“Given the fact that I’m a lover of the Dark Side
of the Force and I love the rain,” Cecilia explains,
Living in sunny Spain, the artist is drawn “Dromund Kaas came to my mind. I thought of
Korriban too but I wanted to see how the light of
to a jungle world of permanent storms the lightsaber looks in the rain, so this planet would
be perfect. Besides, Dromund Kaas seems to me a
special place that contains all of that power of the
Dark Side, with ruins and fascinating creatures.”
Cecilia loves to explore the Star Wars universe in
her personal paintings. Its sheer immensity means
Cecilia GF takes it leaves itself open to the imaginations of artists
advantage of the to add their personal visions, says Cecilia: “It’s an
scope of the Star exceptional sci-fi universe where George Lucas
Wars universe to created a base, and from that, anyone can make
find the perfect it grow without the need to be ‘canonical’.
setting for her “There are other universes that are not free for
brooding Sith interpretation, but Star Wars is not like that,” she
warrior: the elucidates. “The fan has total freedom because
Dark Temple on there are no restrictions – you can create cute
Dromund Kaas illustrations or a painting with a dark theme.
War scenes and everything is okay, because
Star Wars contains all of them.”
http://bit.ly/Cecilia-GF

Korriban (right)
reflects Cecilia’s
hope that there
are more people
sensitive to the
Force in the
galaxy, not just
the Skywalker
family, the
Emperor, Yoda
and Obi-Wan...
Andy’s painting of
Jango Fett is one of a
series of profile views of
key Star Wars characters
– Boba Fett is another
Andy
Fairhurst
Unusual compositions and symmetries make the
Welsh artist’s work stand out from the crowd
fter being way a lot,” says Andy, who has know what it is but it has a strong
commissioned been painting digitally for over hold over a lot of people and is
A to create a
poster series for
Acme Archives
10 years. Recently he’s ventured
into alternative posters and movie
art prints.
responsible for the start of many
an artist’s career. It’s just magical.”
And why does Andy enjoy
and Bottleneck As for his love of Star Wars, he painting Boba Fett so much? “It is
Gallery to coincide with Star Wars says: “For me personally, it was the as simple as: he just looks so cool.
Celebration, Welsh freelance start of everything regarding art. I He is Clint Eastwood in space. He’s
artist Andy Fairhurst struck on was five when I saw it and, when always been my favourite – well,
the idea of painting three pivotal I returned home from the cinema, since Empire, anyway – and was
characters from the original trilogy I drew a space battle scene. That is the inspiration behind countless
in moments of reflection. “I like the my earliest memory of drawing. It badass characters since.”
central symmetrical positioning still inspires me now after all these
of them, and I tend to work that years – decades later! I don’t quite www.andyfairhurstart.com
Posters © Lucasfilm Ltd & Acme Archives/Bottleneck. All Rights Reserved.

A striking image of
X-Wing fighters based on
the Episode VII trailer
Andy’s three official

posters for Acme Archives
and Bottleneck Gallery
feature distinctive
symmetrical compositions
Kai
Carpenter
Crafting a dramatic scene in ai created this story to a mythological model, and
striking image as his work paid off! The story is pure
the Clone Wars continuity…
K part of a Clone
Wars competition.
“I wanted to do
mythology, and that’s a powerful
draw on people all over the world.”
Kai is hugely inspired by a man
a truly dramatic many other artists admire: “Ralph
image – not just compositionally McQuarrie breathed such life into
but thematically dramatic. In the Lucas’s concept, and his designs
first portion of the show, Ahsoka’s were worthy of such a grand
skill puts her in danger constantly.” vision. The first, and the best!”
For Kai, “the thing that pops Though he prefers traditional
about Star Wars is the operatic, techniques, Kai turned to his PC
grand scale of the drama. Lucas for this piece. “I don’t actually
went to such lengths to fit the work digitally anymore and, even

“Ahsoka’s Trial”
abounds with telling
details that point the
viewer towards a
compelling story
then, this was a little unusual in my gradually all over, I tend to prefer the idea of getting the cold, misty
choice to do it on the computer,” to establish different parts of environment involved by having
he says. “But my techniques are the composition and link them the lightsabers issuing steam as
much the same in both mediums. together to form the finish – I think they move through the air.”
I start with a coloured ground, probably because I’m impatient to Kai is excited about the new
generally either a sienna or ochre. get to what I saw during that two film. “It really looks like it’s got
Then I usually sit and look at hours at the beginning! something that the original
the blank canvas for an hour or “It’s got to start with a story. three had,” he says, “particularly
two, envisioning the whole piece That’s really what pulls me the physicality of the effects,
and making notes. When I start through the whole thing. And simplicity of design and grandness
to paint, I paint thinly at first as I go from there, the details of vision. I can’t wait to see more
and thicken the brush strokes fill in – Ahsoka having snatched of that ruined post-war universe!”
as I go. Rather than creating an Anakin’s lightsaber from him to
underpainting and working up defend them, for instance. I liked www.kaicarpenter.deviantart.com
All images TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC. All rights reserved.
Malcolm deftly
captures the essence
of the characters,
the tech and the
atmosphere of the
landmark film
Malcolm
Tween
From an illustration studio on the (relatively) sunny
south coast of England to a galaxy far, far away…
ournemouth, on Well, there’s a lot of fantastic Even if someone’s

the south coast Star Wars stuff but I always liked
B of the British
Isles, is a seaside
resort best known
Noriyoshi Ohrai, John Berkey and
of course Ralph McQuarrie. Phil
Noto’s work is always brilliant.
never seen the films,
they are still aware
for its proximity
to the Jurassic Coast. It is also Can you tell us a little of how you of the characters and
home to Digital Progression, an work? What is your process?
independent UK production studio Usually it will start with a quick what they represent
specialising in 3D/CGI, creative Photoshop visual. For the final
retouching and post production, image I’ll usually model a simple
where Malcolm Tween has created version of any of the ships/ over the years has elevated
artwork for Lucasfilm among a hardware in 3DS Max and use everything into something much
diverse group of other clients. this for the basic perspective more iconic. Even if someone’s
and lighting, then the rest is never seen the films, they are still
What inspired your paintings? painted in Photoshop. aware of the characters and what
Usually trying to come up with they represent.
something that’s not been done Do you approach your personal
before, also something that’s not Star Wars work differently to Are you a Star Wars fan?
seen directly in the films. commissioned art? Absolutely! As a child in the
Even on the work for Lucasfilm ’70s it was by far and away my
Why does Star Wars keep driving there’s quite a lot of freedom, but most important pop culture
artists to create new work? with some of the Star Wars work influence! Don’t ask me about
There’s a huge amount of source it’s largely the only time I get the prequels, though…
material. It also helps that there’s completely free rein.
some of the greatest, most iconic So, how excited are you about
production design ever created. What makes a great character like the next films?
Darth Vader or Luke work? Cautiously optimistic…
Do you have a favourite Star Wars Great design and characterisation,
artist who has inspired you? but also the legacy of Star Wars www.digitalprogression.co.uk
Malcolm’s deep
affection for the
original trilogy
shines through
in his evocative
AT-AT and Hoth
Evacuation
Celebration prints
Desert Sands
was offered as
an exclusive
print at Star Wars
Celebration 2015
Anaheim through
Dark Ink Art and
Acme Archives
Grant
Gould
The prolific artist of “many thousands” of
cards for Topps is still as big a fan as ever
hree years old on the Clone Wars web-comics

when the first for StarWars.com a few years
T movie came
out, Grant still
remembers his
back, and I loved working on the
kids’ books Draw Clone Wars and
Draw Rebels for Klutz. I’ve been
dad taking him to so lucky in that I’ve worked on
see each movie on opening day, several amazing Star Wars related
and his parents would buy him the projects. Luckily, the Star Wars
action figures. “It was a massive universe has such a huge cast of
part of my childhood,” he recalls, characters, it’s almost impossible
“and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve to run out of things to draw!”
been doing freelance Star Wars Grant’s latest Celebration poster
work for both Topps and Lucasfilm features some core characters.
now for over ten years, everything “I’ve always been a huge fan of
from cards to kids’ books to Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy,”
comics, and I still to this day have the artist reveals. “When those
to occasionally pinch myself. I’m books came out in the early ’90s,
living my childhood dream! Star it marked the end of a Star Wars
Wars still stirs something inside of dry spell. All my childhood heroes
me. It’s my childhood mythology. were back – Luke and R2-D2 and
It’s a huge part of who I am.” everyone else! It was momentous,
Star Wars has also been a large and of course Thrawn himself is
part of Grant’s working life. “My just the coolest villain. He was so
very first professional illustration calm and intelligent and thoughtful
job was a sketch card gig in 2005,” – very much the opposite of Vader.
he explains, “drawing 1,000 sketch So I thought it’d be cool to pay
cards for the Topps Star Wars: tribute to those books, as well as
Revenge of the Sith set. I was the graphic novel adaptations of
probably in way over my head, those books, which I also loved.
but it ended up being a crazy, It’s essentially my love letter to
great jumpstart for my freelance that series. The title The Legend of
illustration career. It led to other, Thrawn,” he concludes, “is sort of
bigger jobs, so the sleepless nights a wink at the fact that now those
The Legend of were worth it. books are called ‘Legends’ – that
Thrawn was “In the years following, I did is, no longer canon.”
Grant’s limited- many more card sets, and many, Grant is eloquent about his own
edition print for many more sketch cards,” Grant emotional attachment to all the
Celebration 2015 continues. “I had a blast working original characters. “I think for a lot
© Topps & Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Grant drew 50 of kids, Han Solo was the first true & Dragons RPG. His own standard I would colour those by hand
full-colour sketch rebel or scoundrel that they got process for the past ten years, he using Prismacolor or Faber-Castell
cards for the Star to know, the bad boy who lived by reveals, has been to draw each colour markers.”
Wars Masterwork his own rules. Me, I was always a piece by hand using pencil and Unsurprisingly for such a
set for Topps Luke Skywalker kid. I loved Luke. I marker (“Faber-Castell PITT brush fan, Grant is looking forward to
felt a connection to Luke. He was pens are my favourites”), then more films in the acclaimed film
sorta the dorky farm boy in the scan the drawing in and colour it series from the great mind of
beginning, dreaming of bigger digitally in Photoshop. George Lucas. Actually, he says
things, and I was a nerd in school “I’m actually kind of a dinosaur,” “I’m beyond excited. The idea of
who dreamt of bigger things. Grant laughs, “because up until another new film that continues
And then I grew with Luke over January of this year I still coloured the stories – man, that’s just
the course of the movies. We saw everything with a mouse. I finally amazing. I’m just excited about
real change and development in joined the 21st century and got a the whole thing. And, yes,” he
those characters, and that’s what Cintiq a few months ago, so I’ve concludes, he’s thrilled to see all
really gives you that emotional been teaching myself how to use of the new characters that will
connection and investment.” it. It’s still tricky for me getting be introduced. “I have no doubt
As an artist, Grant was inspired used to actually drawing digitally that they will be awesome and
by some of the X-Men artists of instead of using pencil and pen, grab our imaginations and inspire
the ’80s, such as Arthur Adams but I’m enjoying it quite a bit. As artists new and old. It’s a fantastic
and Marc Silvestri, plus Wendy and for sketch cards, which I used to time to be a Star Wars fan!”
Richard Pini’s ElfQuest series, and draw a lot of earlier in my career
also the artwork of the Dungeons but not so much in recent years, www.grantgould.blogspot.com
oncept artist and
Fan Gao
illustrator Fan Gao
C was born and

raised in China,
then moved to
the US for school
in 2010. He graduated from Art
Center College of Design with
honours in April. His work received
Honourable Mention in the 2016
The Chinese-born concept artist was a ILM Art Department Challenge
(see page 12), so we spoke to him
hit in the ILM Art Department Challenge to find out more about his entry.
What do you do as a day job,

and where are you based?
I am currently based in Los
Angeles and working as a
concept artist at One Pixel Brush.
I specialise in environment design,
architectural design, vehicle design
and many other kinds of hard-

Shortlisted entrants received a task
reflecting the real job of a concept
artist, with short deadlines,
changing briefs and surprise
Director changes. Fan Gao’s
experience of doing that job clearly
shows in these two submissions
surface design. In the past two

years I’ve worked on some triple-A
game projects including Destiny
and the Call of Duty series. I also
freelance for film projects and
collaborate with production
designer Alex McDowell.
When did you first hear about the

ILM Art Department Challenge on
ArtStation? Were you confident
when you entered it?
I heard about it two weeks before
the end of the registration. And
yes, I was confident I’d be among
the winners!
You produced quite a lot of art

for the Challenge... How did you
choose what art to submit?
Composition and storytelling are
the key elements I consider the
The first of the challenges

was to create a new story
moment set within the worlds
of the original trilogy and
using only existing vehicles,
creatures and characters
I have always wanted to capture the epic

moments between Star Wars characters and the
iconic vehicles and props, adding my own take
most during my selection process. brief. He also mentioned that
My goal is to balance those two he loved my vehicle design work
aspects but also clearly depict and felt that any of the things
the characters, the functionality I designed could have been in
of the vehicles, or the architecture Star Wars Episodes 4, 5 and 6.
that may be in the painting. For
example, in my hoverbike chase What is it about the Star Wars
scene [below left], I created a universe that you have tried to
narrow space that was easy for capture in your art?
the hoverbike to glide through I have always wanted to capture
but difficult for the AT-ST walkers. the epic moments between Star
The hoverbike and character are Wars characters and the iconic
easily turning around the building vehicles and props, or when they
as the shooting scene is depicted, are in the architectural spaces,
but note that in this space, the while adding my own take to
building is intentionally designed make it unique and energetic in
with cylindrical features to a different way.
emphasise the ease of turning.
What do you learn from this style
What feedback did you get, if of competition? Is it as if you’re
any, from the ArtStation team and doing the job of a concept artist?
from the ILM panel of judges? I learned that storytelling probably
It was a privilege to have received is the most important thing in
feedback from the ILM Creative concept art. Sometimes a concept
Director, David Nakabayashi, artist needs to sacrifice tight
during the winner announcement renderings, perfect compositions
video. He noted that my work was or minute details in order to tell a
simplistic with great composition, better story due to limited time.
not over-crowded, easy to read,
and that I had understood the http://bit.ly/fan-gao
This image is another of

Fan Gao’s Moments. Far left:
the second challenge was to
design new vehicles within
the aesthetic of Episodes 4-6
“Vader was the first painting I did for

Lucasfilm. I didn’t know it was going
to change the rest of my life”
Christian
Waggoner
The artist talks about his unique perspective on
character portraits that reflect memorable scenes
hristian Waggoner has earned a Christian’s relationship with Lucasfilm began in

reputation for his incredible portraits of 2007 at the New York Art Expo, where he was named
C the most famous Star Wars characters

in unique compositions, but how do
they come about? “The way I decide
one of the emerging trend-setting artists of the show.
“People from Lucasfilm approached me and asked me
if I would like to do a 30th anniversary piece of Darth
on composition and concept for a Star Vader,” explains the artist. “I was more than excited, as
Wars painting is by the character,” he explains. “What it came on my 36th birthday. When I did the first piece
kind of features do they have? How big are the eyes? I thought it was a one-shot deal, but the Vader piece
Do I need to zoom in or zoom out on the piece?” went over so well they asked me to do another one,
Christian’s process begins with a concept, which is then another one and another one.”
then submitted to Lucasfilm for approval. “The most Christian says he believes the Star Wars universe is
challenging Star Wars piece I’ve painted is Greedo,” he still so popular because “all ages can relate: good and
adds, “just for all the scales and the intricacies of his bad… Good overcomes evil…”
face. But the funnest painting would be R2-D2 – it just With Episode VII proving a hit, Christian is prepping
came together so fast, so easy… effortless!” to create new Star Wars paintings. “J.J. Abrams made
So what does Christian believe makes a good all the characters better and even brought new ones
character design? “What I think makes a good in,” says Christian. “I love seeing how the helmets will
space character design is movement in the mask, evolve through time, so I can basically redo all my
the intricate play of light and darkness,” he says. “Or characters and have a second calendar come out.
sometimes it’s the ruggedness of someone like the Old meets new.”
Boba Fett character – sometimes it’s how cool the
character is that makes your design even better.” www.christianwaggonerartist.com
“Boba is a piece that

basically put me on
the map. This was my
second piece and I
couldn’t have picked a
better character”
All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney. All Rights Reserved.

hen the opportunity came to do a
Doug
new Star Wars painting, Doug Cowan
w reveals, “I knew immediately that I

wanted to do an image that was new
but still familiar. I recalled Frank Tenney
Johnson’s nocturnal paintings of the
American West, and I felt that his depiction of life on
Cowan
the frontier shared a mood that I was searching for.
Those paintings, along with Remington’s later works,
portrayed many qualities that could be transposed
successfully into the world of Star Wars. I depicted my
own version of a rider on horseback, but this time as a
Stormtrooper deployed on the edge of the universe.”
What is it about Star Wars that inspires artists to

keep creating new work?
A painter of landscapes and Star Wars is a captivating story, and the world it
takes place in is varied and elaborate. There are many
cards brings the two together characters, stories, and settings to explore in what
seems like an infinite number of ways. Each artist
is able to approach these things from their unique
perspective. Behind all of this is a lot of great artwork
and design done during the creation of it that also I depicted my own version of a
captures your imagination.
frontier rider on horseback with
Do you have a favourite Star Wars artist or poster
artist who has inspired you? the mood of the American West
It’s difficult to select an individual because there
have been so many good artists who have worked
on Star Wars. They come from diverse backgrounds the time came to do the larger, final artwork, I blocked
too – comics, illustration, preproduction, fine art, in the main elements of the composition with loose
among many others. Kazuhiko Sano’s poster artwork brushwork. When I felt everything was in place, I
for Return of the Jedi has appealed to me since I was began painting in a very direct manner. I like to start
very young and may be the earliest memory I have with a portrait or critical area to guide me and give me
of Star Wars art. confidence throughout the rest of the painting.
Can you tell us a little about how you work? What is Do you approach your personal Star Wars work
your process? differently to commissioned art?
I paint oil on linen or panel, depending on the needs I approach all my paintings the same now, be it Star
of each picture. I often do a small series of sketches Wars or not, because I feel that this will allow me to do
in ink or watercolour until I have a refined idea of what my best work and to employ the traits unique to me.
I want to pursue. For my Outpost painting, I also did If there is a difference between my Star Wars art and
a scaled-down study in oil to address the colour and my other work, it will be during the sketching phase.
work out any details that I was still debating. When I begin many of my other paintings without many or
© Topps & Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

“Topps asked
me to reimagine
the classic
film poster art
for Star Wars
Illustrated:
The Empire
Strikes Back”
Bounty Hunter
was created in
oils on panel for
Acme Archives
any sketches, but because most of my Star Wars art The more understanding I can
will be used by a client it is often necessary to convey
an idea beforehand. acquire of a subject or setting will
What makes great characters like Darth Vader or the help me make better choices
Stormtroopers work?
I think it begins with how they are portrayed and fit
into the story. These characters have lasted so long used. The more knowledge or understanding that I
probably due to them being fascinating on several can acquire of the subject or setting will help me to
different levels. Darth Vader holds your attention make better choices. With Star Wars, I don’t really
and curiosity as a character, but also his appearance, have access to models or props, so the most difficult
sound, and even his musical themes contribute to his part is usually piecing all these elements from different
lasting legacy. Visually, he is a bold character to put sources together in what seems like a seamless image.
into your artwork and has been the focus of many
great works. This is true for many of the characters What was your latest Star Wars related project?
in Star Wars. In 2015, I was hand-picked by Lucasfilm to be among
a small group of artists selected to work on Topps’
Are you a Star Wars fan? Star Wars: The Force Awakens trading card set. I
I am a Star Wars fan and there has never been a contributed character sketches and did over 20
time without it, having grown up after Return of the character paintings in oils.
Jedi. I think being a fan has benefited me in that I
can approach Star Wars subjects from an informed Do you have any future projects you can reveal?
perspective, aware of the history and many subtleties There are several upcoming trading card projects
found in the characters and locales. that I will likely contribute new artwork to, as well as
an opportunity to create some limited-edition prints
Is it difficult painting imagined characters and for both Star Wars and other properties. There is also
scenes? How to you give them believability? another Star Wars Celebration on the horizon. I am
Every painting will have its own challenges whether busy continually painting on my own as well.
you’re working from life or imagination. I like to gather
reference for as much as I can, even if it is not directly www.dougcowan.net
Hugh
Fleming
Inspired by the work of classic film poster artists,
Hugh paints Rey and BB-8 from The Force Awakens
ugh is an Australian that montage affords. Elements

artist whose Star can be juxtaposed in a figurative
H Wars credits include

covers for Dark
Horse Comics and
manner to convey a relationship
between characters or get a
sense of a world. You can have
illustrations for Star fun with a design without having
Wars Insider magazine, where his to reconcile disparate lighting
popular Star Wars Rock Band art conditions of reference shots,
first appeared. This painting is a or manage tricky perspective.
commission piece illustrating Rey “A challenge here was to fashion
and BB-8 from Episode VII. a relatively singular composition
“As a great movie buff and long- from limited reference materials,
time fan of the great poster artists while also trying to preempt
Drew Struzan and the late Richard choices likely to be made by
other eager fan artists keen to
express their enthusiasm for the
Movie characters are the thing I new movie. My painting needs to
stand out from the crowd.
love to paint the most. And of course “I also find it’s useful to combine
reference into new combinations
I’m mad keen on Star Wars to keep things fresh. Rey’s head,
for example, will be swapped out
with another of superior resolution
Amsel,” Hugh enthuses, “this is an to create a unique pose.
ideal assignment for me. Like those “I’m essentially self-taught and
two illustrators I’m a portrait artist have had only minimal formal
at heart, and movie characters are training as an illustrator,” reveals
the thing I love to paint the most. Hugh. “Consequently, I’ve lent
And, of course, I’m mad keen on on my intuition far more than I
Star Wars!” probably should have, and my
At the time of this commission, technique has now settled into
The Force Awakens had yet to be a perpetual argument between
released, so Hugh knew very little pencil and acrylics – each medium
about how Rey and BB-8 are contradicting and correcting the
related within the narrative of the mistakes of the other until a
movie, but he was confident that balance is achieved.”
pairing them in a montage was
appropriate. “I like the flexibility http://ifxm.ag/hugh-fleming
Matt’s favourite
Star Wars art is
his poster for the
20th anniversary
of Dark Empire
from Dark Horse
Matt
All images © Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Busch
The talented artist shares his love of Star
Wars and passion for unique illustration
att Busch is famed it would be fun to take an iconic In my opinion, it’s the imagination
for his Star Wars scene from that and bring it to life, of it all. It’s so vast in its worlds,
M art, including the

cover of NY Times
bestseller Tales
the way it might have looked if it
was filmed live-action.
It was only a cartoon, which
from incredible locations, all kinds
of characters and alien creatures,
to the tech, vehicles, starships and
from the Empire presented many challenges. weapons, there truly is nothing like
and nearly 400 pieces for the You There was no photo reference it. Star Wars has inspired so many
Can Draw Star Wars book from of a Panna Dragon whatsoever, artists working today. I think part
Lucasfilm and DK Publishing. His let alone Fett riding one, or a of the inspiration comes from how
most recent Star Wars related big the universe, or “playground”
work is an art print created for as I call it, is. There are no limits to
the 2016 Star Wars Celebration Star Wars has the fantastical visuals.
Europe titled Rey’s Vision, inspired
by the awesome dream sequence inspired so many artists Who has inspired you?
when Rey first touches the For a long time it was Drew
Skywalker lightsaber in Star Wars because its universe is Struzan, who is most famous for
Episode VII: The Force Awakens. the iconic movie posters. But that
It captures Rey’s visions of past, so vast, there are no inspiration was mostly due to his
present and future, all collected textured technique, which still
into an evocative montage. limits to the visuals inspires me today. However, as I
get older, and moving into more
What inspired Encounter on concept art with my own creative
Panna Prime? Y-Wing Fighter floating in the endeavours, I’m finding so much
It’s based on the first appearance water. This meant working with inspiration in Ralph McQuarrie
of Boba Fett, in the Star Wars models and even sculpting my and Joe Johnston, who were the
Holiday Special on TV in 1978. It’s own Panna Dragon to get the primary illustrators who designed
all pretty hard to watch (and was lighting just right. the look of Star Wars and all of
then), but the cartoon portion that the characters, vehicles, and
included him was pretty cool, even What is it about Star Wars that tech. They are the ones who really
by today’s standards. So I thought drives artists to create new work? made Star Wars what it was and
the visual candy we all draw give it a textured look that stays
from today. through the entire process. I prefer
to draw with a lead holder (2B
Tell us a bit about how you work… leads) so that the pencil never
I usually begin with an idea, and whittles down to a stump when
sometimes it’s not even my own sharpening. Basically I’m drawing
if Lucasfilm or one of the licensed exactly what I had in my chosen
companies has something specific thumbnail sketch, but now am
in mind. I take that idea and begin using the reference to make it
to doodle it out visually, usually in more accurate and detailed.
a sketchbook. I like doing all of my Once it’s completed, this step
prelim sketches and scribbles in a usually goes to the editors for
sketchbook to collect them all, approval. The approval process
otherwise on random scraps of can take anywhere from days to
paper they often get thrown away.
A sketchbook keeps it all together,
and it’s fun to flip through and I find it difficult to
revisit the idea process later. I’ll do
several thumbnails trying to work produce art digitally
out the best composition I can to
make it dynamic and tell the story from scratch but I love
I want the image to convey.
From there, it’s a hunt for running things through
photographic reference. My art
Matt recreates is stylised and not completely the digital mill
some classic photo-realistic, but it’s realistic
scenes, including enough that any photos I can use
these for the Star for reference will help me with weeks, so once I get the green
Wars Illustrated likeness, lighting, continuity, and light I’m pretty excited to finally
card series just making it all look real – or at move in to paint and bring the
the very least, believable. This vision to life. My technique would
usually means digging through my appear to be traditional acrylics,
collection of Star Wars books and but more and more the final result
reference files, but also searching ends up being nearly half digital.
online for something I might not I begin the painting process with
already have. In some cases I’ll use actual paint. I start with acrylic
spaceship models and take my washes – just acrylics watered
own reference to get the angles I down to a watercolour-like
need, and have friends come over consistency. Sometimes I’ll break
to dress them up as characters out an airbrush if I have large soft
and model certain poses for me. gradations in the sky or a glowing
Once I have the reference I need, lightsaber. I then use opaque
I can finally begin on the actual acrylics, which are the same
art. I usually begin with pencil on ones only not watered down, for
illustration board. I often paint highlights or any edges that need
white acrylic gesso on it first to to sharpen back up. Lastly, I’ll use
Matt brings the

notorious 1978 Star
Wars Holiday Special
to life in Encounter
on Panna Prime
with and steer to the place I want Vader, Boba Fett or even R2-D2.
it to be. Here I can fix mistakes There’s an intriguing mystery there
pretty easily, but also test overall that keeps the audience on their
colour and contrast to really get toes. It’s one of the reasons why I
the painting into the aesthetic believe the prequels weren’t as
atmosphere I originally intended. strong: they revealed who’s behind
If the client demands any changes, these masks. That immediately
these are done digitally as well. takes the mystery away.
That said, the polar opposite of
Do you approach personal work that would be Luke, who you also
differently to commissioned art? mentioned. Visually, especially in
I do! Anything I do for Lucasfilm the first film, he appears to be the
or one of the licensees, I’m always boy next door. He lives a bland life,
trying to work with what exactly but he’s a dreamer. He’s someone
the client has in mind. They are the we all can relate to, and that’s key.
ones paying my bills, so I need to You want the audience to identify
deliver. I may not always agree with your protagonist.
with the angle they’re taking, but I
let the ego go and try to give Are you a Star Wars fan?
them the best I can. I’m a huge Star Wars fan! The first
In situations like the Star Wars movie came out when I was four,
Celebration Limited Edition Art the perfect age for it to really
Prints, I not only get to show my explode my imagination, and the
artsy side, but get to dive deep saga has evolved through the rest
colour pencils to refine any details into the Star Wars lore and show of my lifetime. One of the reasons I
I wasn’t able to get with the paint. an interpretation that the licensees enjoy working on Star Wars
When the physical painting is might not have wanted to risk. I material so much is because it
complete, it’s time to bring out enjoy these opportunities because, really brings me back to that
the digital guns. To get it there, I for the most part, I get to run free. magical place of being a kid. That
either scan the painting in (usually sense of wonderment is often lost
in pieces and stitch together) or What makes a great character like with adults. Pablo Picasso once
take a high-res photo. Adobe Darth Vader or Luke work? said that “The child is the true
Photoshop is my weapon of There are so many reasons why artist. The difficulty is figuring out
choice. While I find it difficult to the characters work, but since this how to stay an artist when
produce art from scratch digitally, is a visual magazine (not a writing growing up.” I firmly believe that.
I absolutely love taking something or philosophy one) I’ll stick with
I’ve done by hand and running it that. Many of the iconic Star Wars Do you have a favourite Star Wars
through the digital mill to play characters are faceless, like Darth painting you’ve done, and why?
One reason I enjoy

Star Wars material so
much is that it brings
me back to the magical
place of being a kid
Matt shared his vision of
© Topps & Lucasfilm Ltd

the Mos Eisley Cantina in
this trading card from Topps’
Star Wars Galaxy 5 series
At the moment, I’d say the poster I In addition to writing and

illustrated for the 20th Anniversary directing, I’m putting all of my
of the Dark Empire graphic novel skills to the test, so all of the
is my favourite. For one, I really concept art is mine, and I’m
enjoyed that series as a fan, and storyboarding each and every
it was really what kicked my butt shot in the film. I’m designing
into gear when I was trying to everything about it, so for better
break in as a professional artist. or worse, the final product will be
My goal was never But I’m also really proud of the a look into my head! To be able to
composition and the colours. I begin with concept paintings of
just to work for George feel it represents the tone of that how I want things to look and then
comic series well. see them come to life on camera,
Lucas, it was to become it’s been such a thrill.
Do you have any future projects It’s funny, working freelance
George Lucas, to make you can reveal? for Lucasfilm, many people have
The big project I immerse myself suggested over the years why
my own Star Wars in whenever I get the chance is don’t I just work at Lucasfilm for
my magnum opus: Aladdin 3477. George Lucas? While working on
It’s a live action film based on the Star Wars has been a dream come
story of Aladdin but set 1,500 true, my overall goal was never
years in the future. I wrote the just to work for George Lucas, it
screenplay and I’m directing it was to become George Lucas! I
currently. It’s been a passion wanted to make my own Star
project of mine in the works for Wars, so to speak. So the ability to
over 20 years, but it’s really been work with friends and collaborate
moving forward in production in with other professionals to bring
the last couple of years. It’s this vision to the screen... I’m
coming out fantastic, but we have having the time of my life!
another year’s worth of shooting,
with a hopeful 2018 release. www.mattbusch.com
StarWars.com asked
Matt to reimagine Star
Wars with zombies. He
did it six times over…
An unseen moment depicted

by Matt Rhodes. The judges
said “He has the uncanny
ability to put himself into his
images. And he looks like
he’s having so much fun. He
brings that to every image”
Matt
Rhodes
The games concept artist captures all the
fun and adventure of the classic trilogy
ne of the five I was sitting at my tablet at home

entrants to receive thinking “what should I draw
O Honourable
Mention in the
2016 ILM Art
next?”, decided to take a break
on ArtStation, and there it was! I
was not confident when I entered.
Department I visit ArtStation regularly – I
Challenge (see page 12), Matt know what kind of artistic alpha-
Rhodes is a lead concept artist at predators swim in those waters.
the game developer Bioware in It was hauntingly silent during
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. the competition. Once or twice I
got a “like” on one of my posts,
When did you first hear about the but without context I didn’t know
Challenge on ArtStation? Were if I should be thrilled or if hundreds
you confident when you entered? of people were getting them too.
Another moment conceived

by Matt: “Boba Fett is sent to
Yavin to kill Mon Mothma but
ultimately fails his mission
when he underestimates her
diplomatic prowess”
The Turtle: “I wanted to design a

vehicle whose primary job was to
showcase my favourite aspects of
Star Wars: swashbuckling, peril, co-
operation, and a dirty, lived-in world”
What is it about the Star Wars for a couple years were correct:
universe that you have tried to storytelling is the most important
capture in your art? element of what we do as artists.
I tried to capture what I love It’s a good thing to work on the
about Star Wars: the adventure, grammar of art – things like
the fun, the storytelling. It’s a anatomy, drapery, perspective,
wish-fulfilment IP, full of perils rendering, all of that – but they’re
that heroes are always equipped just a tool, a means of telling a
to oppose if they believe in story. People have a tendency
themselves and don’t give up. to confuse them as an end in
themselves. An illustration without
What did you learn from this style a story is a pretty boring thing.
of competition?
I learned that the instincts I’ve had http://ifxm.ag/matt-rhodes
Tony
Foti
Taking influence from the
old to create the new...
rtist Tony Foti has a longstanding

working relationship with Star Wars,
A including designing some of the

figures for Fantasy Flight’s top-rated
board game Star Wars: Imperial
Assault. But it’s the design of the
original trilogy that has influenced his painting more
generally. “I often wonder how much of the inspiration
for Hoth (and making everything fairly white in and
around Echo Base) in Empire Strikes Back was just
so they could have Vader tear through it in that black
All images © Fantasy Flight Games & Lucasfilm Ltd
armour,” he says, referencing his own art (above).

In contrast to Vader, Luke Skywalker is surrounded
by life in Tony’s painting (top). “It wasn’t until the
colour study that I realised just how much green was
going to be in this illustration,” Tony notes, “at which
point it sort of became the theme.”
In Jedi Shadow (left) Tony’s love of designing
lightsabers shines: “I like to make sure every Jedi
has a unique and interesting one!”
www.tonyfotiart.com
Aaron
McBride
The visual effects director and prequel concept
artist reveals his abiding affection for Star Wars
rt director Aaron The only thing that was out there Star Wars Sentry Droid
McBride has was the Art of Star Wars stuff. was commissioned
A worked on many
blockbuster films
of recent years,
That really got me going, but I
was wondering how to do that. It
seemed so far away from where I
work for ImagineFX
magazine. “I designed
a droid that serves
including Iron Man, was growing up and the academic as a large sentry –
The Avengers, and Pirates of the subjects I was doing.” somewhere between
Caribbean. He also created art for But Aaron was nothing if not a Stormtrooper and
the Star Wars prequels. tenacious, and while still studying an AT-ST walker. It’s a
That was just one of the many at school he made it his mission mobile heavy artillery
stages on the journey of a lad who to discover as much about this platform that would
grew up in Mystic, Connecticut – tantalising world as possible. “I support the Empire’s
despite the astonishing name, a would try to find out where the equivalent of the Navy
pretty remote place that couldn’t artists that I liked went to school, Seals or an Imperial
really fulfil young Aaron’s thirst for or where the directors that I liked ‘black ops’ team on
movie magic. “There wasn’t much studied. And so I applied to go military incursions”
access there,” he recalls. “There to a lot of those schools, but they
was maybe just one comic book were mostly film schools and I
store you had to drive quite a realised what I liked most was
ways to. I grew up pre-internet, drawing and painting, so I ended
pre-Facebook, so you didn’t really up going to Rhode Island School
see a lot of concept art for movies. of Design.”
Cover art for the

book Lords of the
Sith by Paul S.
Kemp, one of the
first entries in the
new canon begun
by Disney
Aaron painted the cover art for Twilight

Company, a novel by Alexander Freed,
inspired by EA’s hugely anticipated Star
Wars Battlefront game. “I think a lot of
being prolific is being a good editor and
knowing where to put your detail and
where the audience is not going to look”
Dooku and Asajj Ventress:

“I tried to make her body
language very flirtatious
toward Dooku, as if she’s
trying to get on his radar.
Dooku in response is
indifferent, as he simply
sees her as a means to
goad Anakin”
Old Wounds:

Aaron wrote and
illustrated this story for
Star Wars Visionaries,
a collection of concept
artists’ work
His parents were supportive

but not in an indulgent way. Aaron
remembers: “My dad always said,
‘If you want to be an artist, you’re
going to work at it as hard as your
sister works in medical school
studying to be a doctor’.”
Once in the design industry, his
big leap, from production assistant
to concept artist, came on the film
that everyone in the industry
wanted to work on: Star Wars
Episode 1. “I was working a lot for
David Nakabayashi,” Aaron says,
“and on Episode I he would throw
me little artistic assignments to do
after hours. ‘Here’s a storyboard
for Episode I. Here’s a matte
painting. Do a concept for this.’
“So it was funny: because I
was a production assistant, the
pressure wasn’t on. The pressure
Growing up, I’d

heard stories about
how Vader had fallen
into a volcano... This
is that scene they’ve
been talking about!
was on me to impress him, but
he’d give me lower priority stuff
in case it didn’t work out.”
Of course it did work out, and
since then, Aaron has worked on a
mightily impressive range of films:
Minority Report, Rango, the Pirates
of the Caribbean franchise... many
more. “The Avengers was a lot of
fun – I got to design the Leviathan
that the Hulk punches,” he beams.
“I was always a huge fan of the “Growing up, I’d heard all these the battle on Mustafar, which was
Hulk. When I was young my mom stories of what people thought the lava planet in Revenge of the
would only allow me to watch an of the way Obi-Wan Kenobi and Sith. So I was really excited to
hour of TV a week, so I used that Darth Vader had fought. It was work on that: ‘Oh, this is the scene
hour every week to watch the explained in interviews about how everyone has been talking about!’
Lou Ferrigno Hulk TV show.” Vader had fallen into a volcano It was a thrill. I got to work with a
Star Wars, of course, remains a or he had been burnt somehow. lot of the guys in the model shop
favourite for Aaron. He worked on That’s why he looked as he did who had worked on the original
Episodes I to III, and while he’s under the black armour. When trilogy, including Steve Gawley
reluctant to talk about the critical you’re kids that’s almost like and Lorne Peterson. He sculpted
reaction they received at the time, heresy. You kind of theorise with the asteroid that the Millennium
he’s in no doubt about how much your friends and you’re not quite Falcon hides on in Empire!”
he learnt working on the prequels sure what’s canon and what’s not.
and what enormous fun it was. “I was one of the art directors on www.aaronmcbridestudio.com
Sean’s expertise in
rendering weaponry for
games certainly shows in
this Scout Speeder from
Return of the Jedi
Sean
Marino
In the hands of a specialist artist, the
unforgettable speeder bike leaps to life
ean is a 3D artist “This was the first time in a long

at Riot Games and time I had created anything in the
S served as Vehicle
& Weapon Artist
on Sledgehammer
Star Wars universe, and that made
me very happy all by itself,” Sean
says. “I had immersed myself in
Games’ Call of Star Wars (books, shows, films,
Duty: Advanced Warfare. He games, etc) during the creation
worked on this amazingly realistic of this asset, and it just brought
render for two hours each day for back so many good memories,
about two months using Maya and especially any time I’d watch
ZBrush for modelling, Substance the scene in Return of the Jedi
Painter to texture, Marmoset to featuring these speeder bikes.”
render and Photoshop for
compositing and post work. www.marino.artstation.com
Stephen
Hayford
Why simply paint or draw a scene when
you can genuinely re-create it… to scale?
Labor Day, Endor

depicts Stormtroopers
as you’ve probably
never seen them
any artists enjoyed In my journalism career I covered In journalism I covered

Star Wars figures many dark stories, from murder
M in their youth, and

some still use them
for reference. But
to horrible accidents to parents
losing their children to illness. I
turned back to my childhood love
many dark stories. I turned
back to action figures as an
not many use them of Star Wars action figures as
in their artwork in quite the way an escape at the end of the day. escape and catharsis
that Stephen Hayford does… Creating new figures, customising
existing figures into characters
Is your art based on a childhood that hadn’t been made, was my
love of Star Wars figures? catharsis. That quickly evolved into
Yes, without a doubt. In 1978, creating dioramas of full scenes
when I first had Star Wars figures (starting with the cantina).
in my grubby little mitts, I was With my experience in
inspired to re-create the scenes I photojournalism, it made sense
had seen on the big screen. This for me to photograph my
hadn’t happened with me with creations. I posted them online
other toys. And it soon turned through www.rebelscum.com, and
into creating stories based on it suddenly found a following.
those characters, based on So, my art is not just an
their personalities, grounded in extension of my childhood love
environments that were plausible of Star Wars figures, it’s a direct
in their galaxy. So, at six years full-circle swing to my visual
old, I was unwittingly creating storytelling roots.
fan fiction in my playtime.
That fascination with visual Where do you get the figures you
storytelling stuck with me. And use? Are they handmade or actual
in my teens, when it ran into old toys?
my sense of idealism, my love It all depends on what I’m working
of photojournalism was born. on. Generally, when I work on
Stephen loves using

faceless figures – pose
and body language
have to say it all

licensed properties, I use the environment I’m creating. It could

action figures that exist for that involve plaster, wood shavings,
movie. I usually use Star Wars baking soda, sand, etc.
figures right out of the package. Painting is always the last step
If it’s a property that doesn’t have of the physical creations. But there
action figures in my preferred are many applications of paint:
scale of 3.75-inches (for example, primer, base coat, tone, detail
The Big Lebowski), I will customise and weathering. Many colours
figures like I do for my personal and techniques are involved. I love working with
work. When I create personal Then the actual staging of
work, like my Florida-themed characters and set pieces takes Stormtroopers because
satire, I mix parts of several action place for the photography.
figures, re-sculpt clothing and Photography generally lasts a of the challenge of
facial features, and re-paint them few hours, with many different
to look more like everyday people. light treatments at different focal expressing feelings
points. Then finally, those images
What’s your general process? Is it come together in post-production. with body language
always the same for every work?
My process always starts with Which characters lend themselves
visual reference material. I best to these scenes?
examine lots of film stills or I love finding ways to work with
behind-the-scenes photos. I all characters. But I will admit
take lots of photos of objects I that I find the most humour in
want to re-create. Then it’s on to the expressionless sculpts of
design of props and structures. characters with masks or helmets.
That happens both in sketches For example, I love working with
and on computer. My final Stormtroopers because of the
compositions are largely worked challenge of expressing their
out in this design stage. My ideas feelings with body language
for the composition usually guide instead of facial gestures.
the design.
Design leads to the cutting of Have you experimented with
pieces, by hand or by laser cutter. 3D printing at all?
Then comes construction, followed I have used 3D printing and prefer
by shaping to make the parts other methods. Even good quality
come together seamlessly. There 3D printers leave striations in the
are also lots of other applications sculpt because of the layering
that take place based on the of the medium. That requires me
Model work demands

careful lighting and close
attention to every detail
to do a tremendous amount of at a small scale, movement of a

finishing work (sanding, filling, light five millimeters can make a
and so on), which costs me more gigantic difference.
time. It’s much easier for me to But it’s a frustration I wouldn’t
assemble the pieces I want or trade for anything in the world.
sculpt from scratch. You can’t beat making a living
playing with toys!
How long would one scene take
to set up, light and photograph? Do you have a favourite Star Wars What I do can’t be
What I do can’t be done without artwork you’ve created and why?
a truckload of patience. From That’s always a difficult question done without a load of
the fragility of construction to to answer. I almost always love
the painstaking task of setup, the last piece I created. But then I patience but you can’t
patience is required most of all. also have images that I’m fond of
Setting up the figures and props forever. And there are others that beat making a living
on the scene takes more than hour I love most because of the story
in most cases. It’s not as simple behind the image. For example, playing with toys!
as setting up the items so they my recent Hoth image for a
look good together, you have to Hasbro / Toys R Us poster utilised
constantly get behind the camera a large 8-foot by 8-foot diorama
to see how the lens sees the with 70 pounds of baking soda. I
items. Everything looks different also used a fog machine to create
through the compression of a background atmospherics while
lens. So, all characters have to be using a fan to blow baking soda
arranged to look good through into snow flurries. I photographed
the lens without competition from this monstrous set in my mother’s
background elements or oddly garage. At the end of several
placed lines, etc. takes, there was a huge cloud of
And then when you have fog and baking soda in the air.
everything set perfectly, one of I opened the garage door and
your actors (the action figure) this cloud billowed out into the
decides to fall over. Or worse, he driveway. It looked like a Cheech
decides to fall over and take out and Chong movie. I couldn’t help
everyone else at the same time. but wonder what the neighbours
(The Domino Effect.) It can be were thinking of the grandmother
very frustrating. next door!
Lighting a set takes just as much
patience because when you shoot www.lifeinplastics.com
“I’m not up on all of the Extended

Universe characters, Asajj Ventress
included, but it didn’t take long to
figure out she’s a powerful, sinister
character. A menacing female with
two lightsabers gave me something
a little different to play with”
Terese
Nielsen
Star Wars remains a favourite for the
renowned trading card and cover artist
erese Nielsen is a brother, now fellow fantasy artist

name immediately Ron Spencer, felt supported and
T recognisable in
fantasy art. She’s a
painter and mixed-
encouraged. Studying art at
college in Idaho, and then
Pasadena, where she graduated
media artist known with distinction, set her on the
for trading card artwork for the right track. “Once qualified, you
likes of Magic: The Gathering and have the basics to springboard
Padme Amidala: Celebration IV Harry Potter, and of course Star into any direction you want, with
limited print. “A hats-off, deep Wars art. She hails from Aurora, a solid grounding in all the core
bow to my greatest inspiration Nebraska, which she describes as principles that matter,” she says.
and influence, Alphonse Mucha. “a teeny-tiny farming town”, so it’s Terese was, above all, inspired
His elegant draftsmanship, reasons tempting to draw comparisons by the artists whose work she
for making art, and rich, symbolic between Terese and another hungrily consumed from the early
layers will always be part of me” ambitious young farmhand on days. “My first art crush was totally
a planet far, far away... Boris Vallejo,” she reveals. “I just
“We didn’t have computers or loved the way he painted, and
cell phones, and video games still do – the musculature and the
were barely beginning to happen, vibrant colour, his skin tones – I
so there wasn’t anything to do! I just couldn’t imagine that was
would stay home and draw.” She, possible to do with a paintbrush.
her twin brother and their older I like Frank Frazetta, but some
Leia Solo Jedi Knight:

an unusual take on Leia,
done as packaging art for
Star Wars Miniatures
of the ways he depicted women

stuck in my craw. I remember even
as a young girl feeling Boris’ work
was much more empowering with
the type of women he painted. I
wanted to relate to those women.”
Her break came with trading
cards, then other art for Marvel,
including the dystopian Ruins
working alongside her then-
husband Cliff Nielsen. But it was
Magic: The Gathering that really
put Terese on another level, giving
far more scope for her passions:
mixed media painting, hiding
myriad symbols and odd effects.
Trying out different effects in her
painting – throwing in leaves or
arcane symbols – is one of Terese’s
trademarks. “I’m not really sure I
could explain it,” she admits: “I just
love it, like old books and symbols
and sacred geometries. Somehow
it all wants to be in there…”
And what about Star Wars?
“My very first Star Wars job was
early on, like 20 years ago. For
Star Wars Galaxy magazine, I
was contacted to do a painting of
Lando Calrissian. Then Dark Horse
Comics asked me to do comic and
book covers for them.
“Several years later, I did some
packaging illustrations for the Star
Wars miniatures, which was like 24
different paintings just for those.
That was my favourite, because
you could just focus on a single
character for each design, and get
into the mind of that character.
That’s the fun part to me.”
Her all-time favourite? She
laughs: “My favourite fantasy
world is probably my life.”
www.tnielsen.com
Leia Boushh: Imperial

Entanglements. “I
was grateful this Leia
commission didn’t require
the doughnut-buns
hairstyle. I was going for
an ‘I got this’ look”
Taking a year-and-a-
half to develop, Jar Jar
Binks is the highest-
profile character Terryl
Whitlatch created for
The Phantom Menace.
His anatomy was based
on elements from
duck-billed dinosaurs,
emu and parrot fish
Terryl
Whitlatch
The character artist on Star Wars Episode I gives us
an insight into what goes into creature design
erryl Whitlatch trained as a scientific the Star Wars films and universe – including the
illustrator before a lucky meeting led famous and lovable Jar Jar Binks – was a unique and
T her to work on George Lucas’s game

The Dig, and one thing led to another.
“As a paleo-reconstructionist, which is
rewarding experience. Working directly with George
Lucas in the pre-production art department for the
prequels was a true roller-coaster in terms of the
my training and speciality, working on excitement and pure creative energy generated.
the Star Wars prequels was a perfect fit because I had “We were running as fast as we could, artistically
to design imaginary creatures that were biologically speaking,” Terryl reveals. “We had deadlines when we
believable,” she explains. “Designing creatures for met with George every week, usually on a Friday, but
Designing creatures
for the Star Wars films
– including the
famous and lovable
Jar Jar Binks – was a
unique and rewarding
experience, and a true
roller-coaster
All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney. All Rights Reserved.
“The more realistic

the skeleton and
muscular system,
the more easily the
rigger will be able to
design the vectoral
rig skeleton and
muscles underlying
the CG model”
sometimes more than that. He gave us an awful lot

of freedom and blue sky, which was wise, I think,
because he got a lot out of us and ended up with
more designs than he would have if we’d just stuck
to a rigid description of creatures and vehicles.
“I had to design creatures that had never been
seen anywhere before, yet had a familiar connection
with the look and feel already established in the
original trilogy. My approach was to take what’s
familiar to us on Earth and tweak it a little. This
methodology is characteristic of George’s outlook
and direction for the invention of Star Wars critters.”
For the pod racers in Episode I, however, there
were some specific requirements. “There should be
a lot of physical variety, the racers needed to be
realistic, and they had to be small enough to drive
the pods, just like lightweight jockeys for racehorses.
And they needed to provide comic relief.
“With the pod racers, I was able to draw from
my memory bank and visual references, and take
inspiration from actual animals. In the case of the
pod racer Teemto Pagalies – whose personality
I had to design
creatures that had
never been seen before
yet fitted with the look
and feel of the original
trilogy. My approach
was to take what’s
familiar to us on Earth
and tweak it a little
Initially George
Lucas tends to work
with personality
rather than what the
creature eventually
looks like
is somewhat similar to Bullwinkle the Moose – I was

inspired by hoofed mammals (ungulates), specifically
hartebeests, moose for their sloping eye-to-horn profile
and camels for their hind limbs. I also sifted in some
Celebes macaque monkey into the face, and of course
there’s a bit of human anatomy adapted into the upper
torso, specifically arms with hands – all the better to
steer with! The whole animal needed to be functional a nice spot of tea together after a successful race The orthographic
for its film role, rather than either a human in an animal (successful meaning they all survived).” sketches for pod
costume or a chimera, which is the stitching together Sometimes more practical considerations come into racer character
of recognisable animal species, such as in a mermaid, play, too. “The interesting thing about Jabba,” Terryl Sebulba, ready to
griffin or centaur.” says, “is that although at that time he was described be sculpted in 3D
Initially, however, Terryl adds, “George tends to as a slug, which is an invertebrate animal, I went on
work with personality rather than what the creature to create a vertebrate skeleton for him. This was
eventually looks like.” This can mean starting from important to design both for the reality of the film and
character rather than anatomy. In the case of Sebulba, for the benefit of the production riggers. Since he also
his nasty character was based on a camel: “I saw him has non-scaly skin, albeit lumpy and bumpy, Jabba is
as a very aloof, irritable dromedary. much closer to an amphibian and I suppose his closest
“For this narrative illustration [left] I drew a scene Earthly relative would be the hellbender or Japanese
where three of the pod racers – the antelope-like Clegg giant salamander – a large and magnificently ugly beast.”
Holdfast, the Pipefish-seahorse-inspired Adar Beedo
and moose-macaque-like Teemto Pagalies – are having www.talesofamalthea.com
Paul
Dainton
A studio artist for Games Workshop, Paul
seized the chance to play in this universe
his year’s ILM Hopefully I have managed to convey

Art Department
T Challenge (see
page 12) attracted
more than 3,800
a sense of the drama, adventure and
emotion of the Star Wars universe
entrants from 101
countries, who together created
an astounding total of 23,500 with pencil and paper. I now work quirkier side of fantasy embodied
images. In this context it’s some mostly in Photoshop but I think in Warhammer and Moorcock.
achievement to finish as one of this background is still probably “I’m currently fulfilling one of my
the five artists with Honourable apparent in my work. I’ve been childhood ambitions working as an
Mentions, as did Paul Dainton. heavily influenced by many of the in-house studio artist for Games
Paul, originally from Bath in usual-suspect traditional painters Workshop.
the UK, studied Graphics and and illustrators – Howard Pyle, “I learnt about the Challenge
Illustration in Hull. He originally Joseph Clement Coll, Sargent, somewhat last minute, but it
worked solely in traditional media Velázquez, Ben Nicholson and the seemed like a unique opportunity
– oils, pen and ink, and the like – like. As a young child I grew up in to have some fun in the Star Wars
and he says “I still really enjoy the era of Star Wars, ET, Jaws and universe. I’m not sure I had any
just sketching or life drawing Indiana Jones, with a love for the particular expectations with
The ILM Art Department

Challenge judges praised
Paul’s “beautiful, beautiful
work,” observing that
“even his digital paintings
look like oil paintings”
regard to the result, though, so it’s

turned out to be a rather pleasant
surprise, particularly given the
amazing work produced by so
many of the entrants.
“Hopefully I have managed to
convey a sense of the drama,
adventure and emotion of the Star
Wars universe. For me, character,
emotion and story are the most
compelling, so I tried to capture
that in my images and designs.
“Working through the concept
art process was really informative
and has helped me to look at my
illustrative work in a fresh way,
which will I hope just keep me
improving as an artist.
“Altogether,” Paul concludes, “it
was a really great experience!”
http://bit.ly/piddy
The judges noted Paul’s great

compositions and the subtlety
in his colour work, creating
an other-worldly feel
There’s nothing
more daunting than a
giant empty starship
that needs to be
covered with detail
Ansel’s incredible
collection of
spaceship models
are inspired by his
love of Star Wars
he spaceship models of Ansel Hsiao
Ansel
are epic, detailed and enthralling.
T Your eye can’t fail to be drawn to

every angle and detail. And likely
you’ll recognise the major influence
on Ansel’s creations.
“Not surprisingly, it was from Star Wars,” he says
Hsiao
without a trace of hesitation when asked what was
the first spaceship that inspired him. “When the
Star Destroyer flew overhead for the first time, I was
hooked on making cool spaceships. I don’t see that
going away in the near future.”
It’s a long, slow-building shot that caused a stir
in 1977 and still does. It really needs to be seen on
a cinema screen to appreciate the impact, as your
entire view is slowly blocked by a sweeping majestic
How the vehicles of Star Wars Star Destroyer designed by Ralph McQuarrie. No
wonder Ansel has been so inspired to create his
have been reimagined collection of grand models.
“I had some grand ambitions when starting out:
Darth Vader’s Executor from The Empire Strikes Back.
Looking back on it I barely had a non-primitive object
in that model, but I learned tons by doing it,” explains
Ansel, who reveals that his current models use more
“real” details to evoke scale, such as pipes, fixtures,
and “things that are based off of things that work,
rather than just being boxes to break up outlines of
basic shapes.”
Ansel’s core method for assembling his models –
keeping assets modular and available for other uses
It’s not just about

variations of iconic
shapes, but capturing
an entire design ethos
– dates back to that first attempt to create the

Executor model. Explaining the process, Ansel says
his first step begins with visualisation, “collecting lots
of reference material and deciding what elements
from existing ships to use in the design of the new
one. This involves a lot of simple modelling to get
the feel of the project. The vast majority of the models
I’ve abandoned get shelved at this stage, because
something just doesn’t feel right.”
The next step is to search through his old models
for detail elements to repurpose. Once they’re chosen,
Ansel clears zones on his model to detail: “There’s
nothing more daunting than a giant empty starship
that needs to be covered with detail, and it helps to
be able to focus on a series of small areas,” he says.
When the ship is detailed, Ansel will then clone or
reference symmetrical areas of the ship, collapse
modifier stacks and generally clean up the files. “I try
to build fairly clean as I go – vertex clean-up at the end
can be a nightmare for a multi-million-polygon ship.”
When working, Ansel draws inspiration from real-life
machinery and vehicles. As his models have developed
he’s sought to ensure that the detailing is as realistic Even classic ideas can
as possible; to sell the idea of a grand starship you first be given a facelift.
need to convince viewers it can work. Merging curved
“I’ve caught myself staring at things while travelling base shapes into an
and thinking ‘that would make for a great piece of otherwise angular
‘greeble’,” Ansel says when considering his influences. design or vice versa is a
Of course, the big influence is Star Wars itself: “A lot simple trick for adding
of ideas come from the original sources. That means some spice to a model
Modelling a starship
Ansel Hsiao takes us through the process of piecing
together an epic Star Wars inspired spaceship
Getting it ship shape

Define the basic shapes of the ship.
Here there’s a lot of playing with basic
primitives and getting a feel for the
scale and style of the project. It’s helpful
to model some basic cues for size in
some detail, so you have a good idea
of what it’ll look like at the end.
Managing the model
Move on to discrete regions of the ship,
one at a time so the project is broken
down into manageable parts. Try to keep
individual pieces of detail separate, so
they can be re-purposed throughout the
rest of the project. Always work in layers
to keep viewport performance high.
Setting out the details
Inset details are a great way to fill space
and add scale and complexity. They don’t
always need to be unique. Also, ships
don’t need to be evenly detailed to the
highest level: the camera and the eye
will focus naturally on certain areas, and
these are the ones to work more on.
Use industrial detailing
Certain kinds of detail – like pipe and
cable runs, rivets and small cut-outs –
are disproportionately good at adding
complexity given their poly count. Such
detail is also useful for either breaking
up or enhancing the outline of the basic
masses that form the core of the model.
Plan for the camera
Figure out where the camera might
linger on your model, and don’t be
afraid to spend polys heavily to make it
extra interesting to the eye. These are
I think internal consistency good places to layer greebles on top
of each other in order to create more
within a setting is more important interesting details.
than believability in a design Mix and match details

Mix up the types of detail as you go.
Mechanical detail can help a swoopy
either the studio models themselves, or the model kits ship seem functional. Remember, real
that the original models were scratch-built from. vehicles aren’t carved from a single
“Partially it’s my first love in sci-fi, and partially I piece of material, so adding individual
really like the ‘used’ aesthetic of the designs. It looks elements like plates or bits of machinery
like it could all work, but offers literally a galaxy’s can make a design look realistic.
scope to come up with cool new variations. Plus,
being able to see how my models can tie together Detail large surfaces
thematically is really cool.” Break up surfaces with shallow details
Ansel has a clear idea of what makes a good (or do this in texturing). Discontinuity in
starship design: “I think internal consistency within level of detail is grating – a well detailed
a setting is more important than believability when it ship can be let down by empty areas.
comes to design,” he explains. “Everything else can Add some access ports, panel lines and
be based on the universe that’s built around the story, surface cable runs. The surface of a ship
and it’s up to the exposition to make things obvious. doesn’t have to look like a tile floor!
“But beyond that, the design should follow some
basic physical principles that are intuitive: something The right perspective
that is supposed to be a battleship should not look When everything has been set up,
flimsy, and rocket engines should look like they would remember to do some large renders
be able to push a ship forward, rather than just into to check for major mistakes. It can be
an endless spin. If you place elements within your frustrating to render over and over, but
design that are familiar to, yet different from, things this is the best way to make sure all the
in real life, that can make for some compelling sci-fi obvious issues are ironed out. Plus, you
design,” he continues. get to enjoy the result!
What makes a
great ship design?
Firstly, how well defined is it? Are the

key elements of the design memorable
but clear enough that someone would
really remember it?
Secondly, the detail complexity. Are
there enough elements and enough
layers of elements to make it interesting
at different scales? This really sells the
intended size of a ship and gives you
the chance to make impressive areas of
deep detail.
Thirdly, how relatable is it? Are there
parts that are instinctively familiar even
though they may look fantastical in
actual form? That’s where how well you
integrate your references into the design
comes into play. Combine all of that, and
I think you’ll have a spaceship design
that’s going to stand the test of time.
I spend tons of time on the basic

shapes and proportions. Detailing
is easy once that’s done
A single ship model can take Ansel anywhere from
a week to a month to create. A more simple ship or
vehicle that doesn’t require a lot of editing can be
completed in a matter of days, however, and Ansel
points to his now extensive collection of pre-modelled
assets that can be used to quickly detail any given
ship or vehicle.
“The limiting step really is setting the basic shape
and style of a project,” says Ansel, explaining that time
invested in the planning stages can avoid problems
later: “I spend tons of time early on making sure the
basic shapes and proportions are where I want them.
Detailing is easy once that’s done.”
With a growing collection of Star Wars models in
his portfolio, the promise of another new movie in
December means Ansel won’t be short of inspiration.
“Any foray into my favourite fictional universe is
great to see,” he enthuses. “From a visual standpoint,
I’m really interested in seeing how they accommodate
the older design cues in whatever new designs they
come up with.”
www.fractalsponge.net
Adding only a few layers can make a

large ship seem enormous. The trick is to have a
smaller detail section present when a viewer’s eye
focuses on one part of the model, making the whole
thing seem extremely richly detailed. A few extra
greebles can make a huge difference in perception
Ansel enjoys taking

old designs from
old games and
refreshing them
with an unlimited
polygon budget
“A few of the 50 oil painted cards I

did for the Star Wars Galaxy 7 set
from Topps. This was one of the last
sets I worked on before I decided to
change the direction of my art. Each
card is oil painted 2.5x3.5 inches”
Brandon
Kenney B randon Kenney grew up surrounded
by art. He describes his mother as
an incredible wildlife artist, and his
grandmother used to tour the country
creating pastel portraits for a living.
Both of his parents encouraged him
and his sisters to express themselves through art,
and he never felt that pursuing art as a career was
The artist takes us from a love of a negative thing in any way. He says he knew what
he wanted to do for a living at the age of five.
sketch cards to full-scale paintings Brandon enrolled in the Art Institute of California,
where he studied traditional hand-drawn animation.
After graduation he was uncertain what direction
to follow. Knowing that the animation industry was
geared toward CGI, he tried his hand at 3D animation
I have found so much joy and

excitement from conceptualising
scenes in the Star Wars universe
and Flash but couldn’t find the same inspiration and
joy he got from putting pencil to paper.
Shortly after graduation he was introduced to
sketch cards – small pieces of original artwork that are
often placed randomly into official sets of cards. Their
size and collectability drew his interest and he began
to try his hand at a few of them, “mostly just to keep
from getting rusty as I figured out what to do next with
my career,” he laughs. After a few months he started
to work on official sketch card sets from licences like
Marvel, DC Comics and Star Wars. “These cards proved
to be a great way to experiment with mediums I was
previously unfamiliar with,” he says. “I tried markers,
coloured pencils, acrylics, watercolours, and eventually
I began painting them in oil. The size allowed me to try
new ideas or techniques and quickly see the results.
“In 2014,” he continues, “I started painting larger in
an effort to move from simply recreating scenes to
re‑imagining them and concepting new ideas.
“Currently I’m pushing my comfort limits and
continuing to experiment with techniques both digital
and traditional,” Brandon concludes. “I have found so
“One of my first pieces larger than

a sketch card – 11x14 inches in
charcoal and acrylic on bristol board.
I was so happy that I was able to
accurately bring my original vision
to life, and it fed my confidence to
continue to paint larger”
“I was terrified to paint a large

oil painting like this for a long
time because of the time and
commitment. I remember struggling
a lot with Padme’s face and losing
the likeness several times before I
was able to get it back”
much joy and excitement from conceptualising scenes

based in the Star Wars universe recently and I have so
many ideas I want to bring to life!”
When did you do your first Star Wars painting?

I drew so much Star Wars as a child, it would be
difficult to remember the first painting, but the first
licensed artwork I created was for the Topps trading
card set Star Wars Galaxies 5. I remember choosing
to airbrush acrylic on those cards because I wanted to
try something new and memorable. Working on that
set was like a dream to me, and I had so much fun.
Do you have a favourite character to sketch and why?

I have a few personal favourites, but if I had to choose
one character it would be Darth Maul. His makeup
and grimy teeth, the texture in his horns and just the
general badass feel of the character – I love it.
Which is the hardest character to get right?

For me there are certain actors with a likeness that
is very difficult to capture. Harrison Ford is one of
them. He’s so easy to get wrong that whenever I do
a Han Solo piece I take into account the extra time it
will take to make sure the likeness is accurate. Mark
Hamill is another one. All it takes is a small shift in the
All images © Topps & Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

placement of the eye, or for the nose to be a bit too
large or small and suddenly he no longer looks like
Luke Skywalker.
Can you tell us a little about your process?

My process usually changes for each piece I do. There
is never a precise formula that I can follow, I just have
to be open to do whatever the piece needs to make it
stronger. Generally, I start on paper with several very
rough thumbnails. From there I’ll choose one or two,
enlarge them, and refine digitally or on paper. It’s at
For me Harrison Ford’s likeness

is very difficult to capture. I always
add extra time when I paint him
this point that I try to establish a colour palette that I
can easily refer to as the work progresses.
The steps that follow vary greatly depending on the
medium I’m using and what I’m trying to achieve. If I’m
working in acrylics I’ll try to refine the underdrawing
because I want it to show through to the final piece. If
I’m doing oil or digital painting then I’ll focus more on
gradually building shapes and forms through colour
because I know that the final details won’t be realised
until the very end.
More oil painted
Who inspires you? sketch cards from
I find inspiration everywhere! There is so much the Galaxy 7 set
amazing talent out there that I am constantly finding
new art that really drives me to try something
different. Names that have made a significant impact
in my career growing up would include the classical
work of Michelangelo and Da Vinci – as a child I
thought I would one day have the same understanding
of the human form. In school I was introduced to “An acrylic card I
animators that made me realise how much I didn’t airbrushed for the
know – Milt Kahl’s work and knowledge of movement Return of the Jedi
was a huge inspiration to me as I studied. Once I Widevision set
started doing illustrative work I found the work of released by Topps”
Drew Struzan and N.C. Wyeth would constantly

influence some of my own tastes and aspirations.
Do you have a favourite film or scene in the series?

I think the one thing Episode 1 did to near perfection
was the final confrontation between Darth Maul
and the two Jedi. The tempo of the action and the
incredible Duel of the Fates score really resonated
with me. There are a ton of scenes from Star Wars that
I absolutely adore, but that scene is my favourite.
Have you been inspired by the few glimpses we’ve

had so far of Episode 8?
Absolutely! The difficulty is that I don’t know the
context of the scenes. It’s hard to figure out what
to paint and get a feel for the characters when you
don’t know the story behind the images. I’m excited
for what’s to come, not only as an artist but as a fan
because we’re on the cusp of a whole new series of
movies, stories and ideas! It’s an electric feeling!
www.brandonkenney.com
SUITING UP
How the Celebration print evolved
From my very first rough sketch I knew

I wanted to do Luke getting ready for
his first flight as a member of the Rebel
Alliance. Most of the details were clear
in my head from the beginning, so I
didn’t need to thumbnail a lot of ideas.
Once I’m happy with the idea I scan

the sketch and redraw it in Photoshop
roughly so I can move things around or
redraw elements on different layers. This
is my first thoughts on a colour palette.
After I’m happy with the general layout

and have some thoughts on colour I
need to shoot some reference for the
pose. I’ll use anything I have available
to shoot a reference shot. It doesn’t
have to be perfect, it’s just a source to
figure out lighting and the way certain
materials cast shadows, bend and fold.
At this point I use all the elements I’ve

been working on to create a tight pencil
drawing. I knew I wanted the hand-
drawn elements to show through the
final piece.
Once I started digitally painting the

sketch I realised I needed a lot more
drawings, and I needed things changed.
Rather than trying to mimic a pencil line
on my Wacom tablet, I find it easier just
to draw the elements on paper and scan
them into the computer.
All the elements scanned and painted.

The final artwork changed quite
dramatically from the original sketch
but I hope it stayed true to my original
vision. It’s important that I don’t lose
that initial feeling I wanted when the
idea was first conceived.
“A recent painting that was

experimental from the first
steps. I wanted this to be
the first in a series of Jedi
portraits but really didn’t
know if the techniques I was
using would translate. It’s
16x24 inches, charcoal and
acrylic on MDF board”
© Del Rey & Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Rogue Leader – given a

blank canvas and the entire
Star Wars universe, Dave
chose to capture a Luke
Skywalker moment of glory
Dave
Seeley
The favourite book cover illustrator talks
about his love of the Star Wars universe
ifelong Star Wars that was the start of my work on

fan Dave Seeley Star Wars.”
L can still vividly

remember the
moment that
Dave’s first book jacket was for
the novel Rebel Dream by Aaron
Allston, featuring Wedge Antilles
the film series in the cockpit of his X-wing fighter.
impacted on his life. “I can still The artist began researching the
feel that guttural rumble from characters and vehicles but, at the
back in 1977, when that glorious time, neither had a clearly defined,
Star Destroyer cruised into view, consistent look (with few images
leaving a profound impression of actor Denis Lawson, who
on my teenage brain,” he tells played eventual cult-hero Wedge).
us. “I’d never seen anything to “The character appeared in
compare, and I was instantly relatively few frames in the film
hooked. The worlds, the pace, and was usually helmeted. The
the characters, the drama – all X-wing exterior was featured
seared into my psyche. Star Wars heavily in the film, but views
was the first time I’d been able to within the cockpit were most
immerse myself in a science fiction always front-on. So what did it
paradigm and take it entirely look like off to one side? I was
© Del Rey & Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
seriously. No nod and a wink, no able to invent some aspects of

farce, no suspension of disbelief. the control panels, and I also used
Star Wars shaped my interest and Department of Defense photos
defined an aesthetic direction for of real fighter plane cockpits for
my work.” ideas of what to show. It seemed
It’s fitting that Dave has built a important to expand on what we
career creating immaculate book already knew about Wedge and
covers for the Star Wars extended his X-wing, and I was eager to add
universe, commissioned by Dave to the Star Wars canon.
Stevenson at Del Rey Books. Dave “When I was commissioned to
Seeley cold-called the art director, create the cover for the second
who as it happened was a fan, and book in Aaron’s duology, titled
the work followed. As Dave Seeley Rebel Stand, I chose to create a Star Wars: Jedi
tells it: “I picked up the phone and view from inside the Falcon that Healer – most of
left Dave a message about coming we hadn’t seen in the films. At Dave’s work for the
in to see him. A short while later this time, 3D software was still in Star Wars franchise
he phoned back: ‘Sure, come on in, a fledgling state and not yet the has been for the
I’ve got a job for you.’ Wow. And tool that I’d choose for this kind Expanded Universe
Dave’s stunning of thing. Instead, I worked with a it, given that he was the reason science fiction,” he says, adding:
piece called plastic model kit of the Falcon and I was working in the Star Wars “What’s more, the prequel trilogy
Galactic Conquest invented my own crazy interior universe in the first place. Dave was neatly aimed at my son’s
captures the epic perspective, with a view out to the immediately emailed me back generation, so I was able to live
scale of the films ship’s nose. That was a view that saying he thought he might have those movies and relive the
we hadn’t ever seen in the films.” the perfect book for it, which original movies through his eyes
Moving forward, Dave has turned out to be Luke Skywalker during the creation of my Star
become a regular artist for Star and the Shadows of Mindor. Wars illustrations. While I’m very
Wars and its conventions. When “When Lucasfilm announced it glad I’ve been able to enjoy a wide
he was invited to Celebration IV as the cover image, fans on the variety of projects in my career,
in Los Angeles, to mark the 30th message boards seemed pretty I’m thrilled to have been a part of
anniversary of Star Wars Episode stoked, except for those who were creating the Star Wars universe.”
disappointed that the villain of the This universe, says Dave, tapped
book, Lord Shadowspawn, wasn’t into a common interest in sci-fi
So much of the genre owes on the cover. I picked up the and fantasy, representing the
phone and gave Dave another call. genre in away anyone can access.
so much to Star Wars. It still has a What if we flipped our point of “Lucasfilm then assembled a
view 180 degrees when we flipped raft of talent that expanded the
freshness almost 40 years later the book over, and saw what universe in a truly compelling
Luke saw: Lord Shadowspawn, visual way. So much of the genre
an instant before their sabers owes so much to Star Wars. The
IV: A New Hope, he knew which collided? Dave loved the idea and design work was original rather
character he would paint for the commissioned the painting… than referential, so it still has a
show: Luke Skywalker. “I found it particularly satisfying freshness almost 40 years later.”
“For me, the coolest aspect to flesh out this spectacular villain. A 200-page book titled The
of Luke in the movies was his Shadowspawn was a character Art of Dave Seeley was released
incarnation as an ace fighter pilot. who had not yet been seen in in September 2015 and features
I decided to show Luke in the any detail, so I was able to design a chapter on his Star Wars work.
period following the conclusion him with some degree of latitude. Dave is busy with a variety of
of Return of the Jedi, when he I went for a Revolutionary War work, including book covers and
and his Rogue Squadron of general/pirate/ninja combination, – wait for it – rollercoaster images
X-wing fighters take on the job of but the finishing touch was Dave for Sea World Texas, but he looks
rooting out the entrenched Empire Stevenson’s suggestion to add his forward to new Star Wars projects.
from the galaxy. Prior to the white facial tattoo.” “It’s been a kick to contribute to
convention, I emailed the finished The Star Wars universe has the world-building,” he says, “and
image, called Rogue Leader, to continued to be a source of to design new aspects of it.”
Dave Stevenson, thinking that he inspiration to Dave. “It defined
should have first crack at using my early aesthetic vision for www.daveseeley.com
Pavel
Goloviy
The classically-trained painter enjoyed being able to
focus on the essence instead of fussing over details...
The judges commented

that “Pavel is not afraid
of colour, and didn’t
play it safe in this
Challenge” but “the
guy is great with light”
ne of the five
artists to receive
O Honourable
Mention in the
2016 ILM Art
Department
Challenge on ArtStation, Pavel was
born in Saint Petersburg, Russia,
and graduated from the Academy
of Fine Arts as a painter in 2004.
Almost immediately he started
working as a CG artist in the game
industry, which he is still doing. He
mentions that his hobbies are art
and scuba-diving, and his favourite
places (consequently?) are his
home city and coral reefs.
What do you do as a day job?

I have a part-time job in a small
game development studio in Saint
Petersburg where I do most of the
graphic content for a given game
project, excluding UI design. The
studio is located in the magnificent
historical centre of the city, and I
love the team I work with. I also
work as a freelancer, trying to
keep to the type of work I like the
most: illustrations, character and
environment concepts.
When did you first hear about the

Challenge? Were you confident
about entering?
I’ve been a member of ArtStation
for quite a long time and I knew
about the Challenge right after
it was announced. I rarely take
part in competitions but this one
was special. The fact that ILM
was directing and judging the
competition was a strong
motivation and I entered. I had
little confidence, though, and I
hesitated over whether I could
afford to spend that amount of
time on a non-profit activity. I
entered thinking “Okay, I should
plague them with my works as
long as I can.” I didn’t even read
the descriptions of the prizes at
that time.
You had to produce quite a lot

of art for the Challenge. How did
you yourself feel about the works
you submitted?
There were some images that I
didn’t like at all even though one
of them was in the “ILM favourites”
list. I was quite unhappy about

what I did for the final task of “The
Job” part, and I published only one
The judges noted that Pavel’s earlier

submissions were “much tighter, but even
his looser paintings had a lot of power
and really interesting colour and light”
Pavel’s art, the

judges said, is
“very cinematic,
very powerful in
defining moments
in the story”
of the two keyframes on my own

ArtStation page. I skipped the
storyboard and main keyframe.
I also wasn’t happy with the
Swana character design I did,
but after a while I thought it
may be an interesting addition
if published together with some
stronger images. Also I added
some work-in-progress images.
I always like to look “behind the
scenes” of other artists’ work
and I thought my WIPs could be
of interest for some viewers.
What feedback did you get, if

any, from the ArtStation team and
from the ILM panel of judges?
There was a generalised feedback
broadcast to all the participants.
It was probably the best they
could do with hundreds of artists
engaged in the challenge! Still it
was very helpful, especially in
those areas that were new to me
and somewhat off my main areas
of proficiency (such as vehicle
design).
The idea of taking common
objects and using them as a basis
for vehicle design made me spend
a good day in a toolshed taking
photos of vises, airbrushes, chain
saws and swimfins. Phrases like
“Tell a story!” or “Show us
something that we haven’t seen
before!” are now etched in my
It was important for me

to convey universal human
emotions wrapped in a
Star Wars setting
mind forever. And almost always I was a child, and the Star Wars
there was something like “Some of universe has some nostalgia
you are nailing it!” and you start flavour for me. I am definitely a
reviewing your work again and fan. But, truth be told, I am not
again, trying to understand if you the kind of person who knows
are among those lucky ones who every aspect of the Star Wars
nailed it. world and would spend his free
The task descriptions were time on doing fan art. I often used
often supplied using classical art sources like Wookieepedia to learn
references like a Louis David more about various aspects of the
painting or a Kurosawa movie, and universe.
that is what I have a soft spot for. I was very surprised that every
Overall the feedback was very single character or creature has its
professional and inspiring, and name and story. In my works I was
even its vagueness I perceived more focused on secondary
as a kind of an artistic freedom, characters and almost never used
which I enjoyed very much! key figures like Leia or Han Solo.
Imagining the story featuring
What was it about the Star Wars Tusken Raiders or Jawas seemed
universe that you tried to capture to me more engaging.
in your art?
I watched the classic trilogy when www.pgoloviy.com
Andrew
March
You don’t suppose his surname explains
Andrew’s aptitude for walkers, do you?
ndrew March is had its challenges: “I guess it’s

a professional creating a sense that you are
A artist who works

in both 3D and
2D software,
looking at a lumbering metal giant
– portraying that sense of scale
and weight can be difficult.”
and although he Andrew’s image began as 2D
describes himself as a hobbyist, sketches, then he took these ideas
he has freelanced for some into Lightwave 3D for surfacing,
lighting and animation projects lighting, landscaping, and setting
– experience that came the fore up the models… “and it’s at this
when he was creating his inspired point that the original sketch goes
scene of AT-AT Walkers. out the window and the 3D scene
“I remember seeing them in takes on a life of its own,” he
the cinema when Empire Strikes laughs. “Then it’s rendering, and
Back was first released and just finally it’s Photoshop for a little
thinking how intimidating they post work. Ha, sounds easy when
were. I wanted to try and recreate I say it like that!”
that feeling,” says Andrew, who
goes on to reveal that the image www.andrewmarch.artstation.com

Cat
Staggs
The comics artist talks about her Above: the prelim for the
third in Cat’s propaganda
series of propaganda posters poster series (opposite)
robably best illustrators from the ’30s-’40s- it leaves the door wide open, to a
known for her art ’50s like Rockwell, Leyendecker, degree, for taking the characters
P for DC Comics
and on Star Trek
for IDW, Cat has
Maguire, and so many more from
that era.
to the unseen moments.
What makes a great character like

also created Star Can you tell us a little of how you those in Star Wars work?
Wars cards for Lucasfilm since work? What is your process? They are incredibly relatable
2004 and a series of distinctive It tend to be very research and not so far removed that the
Celebrations posters (six so far) in intensive before I even put audience cannot connect with
the style of wartime posters. “I am pencil to paper, especially for them. Even a two-ton space slug
a big fan of propaganda art from these propaganda pieces. I want had our attention!
the ’40s,” she explains. “I thought to make sure they convey the
it would be fun to combine them Are you a Star Wars fan?
with the war aspect of the Star From the moment that Star
Wars films. Playing with the I want to convey Destroyer flew over my head
juxtaposition of the vintage with in 1977.
the future was a very appealing the emotion of the
challenge for me.” Do you have a favourite Star Wars
moment as well as a poster or image that you’ve done?
Why does Star Wars keep driving That is a hard question. I like them
artists to create new work? vintage feel and inject a all for various reasons. Do I look
I can’t answer for anyone but back on older pieces and wish the
myself. For me, there are so many little humour if I can execution was better? Sure, but I
worlds, people and creatures to still like what was created. I will say
play with, it almost feels like an though that the propaganda series
endless playground of inspiration. emotion of the moment as well has been the most fun, and I look
40 years’ worth of material, and as the vintage feel of the era. I forward to working on new pieces.
now we are adding new elements. am also a fan of injecting a little
It is incredibly exciting. humour if I can. I can spend Do you have any future projects
weeks working out the piece in you can reveal – any new posters
Do you have a favourite poster my head before I ever get started or clothing designs?
artist who has inspired you? on the illustration. Nothing I can talk about just yet.
I’m a big fan of design and
layout, and the movie posters Is it hard to find a unique take on Finally, how excited are you about
of the ’50s-’70s are some of my such familiar characters? the new film?
favourites. Artist like Bob Peak No. Because the world of Star Extremely!
and Robert McGinnis were Wars is so vast and so developed
standouts for me, as well as but we have seen only so much, www.catstaggs.com
A display of Cat’s versatility,

from a convention badge
in the style of a pulp novel
cover to her Obi-Wan Kenobi
Clone Wars trading card
artwork for Topps, plus
(top left) a study sketch
Spirit of ’77 was the first

of Cat’s propaganda poster
series. Top right is the
prelim, then anti-clockwise
some progress shots of the
final marker rendering, and
at right the final poster
Simon
Goinard
Even with clients ranging from Disney to
Aston Martin, Simon paints a pitch piece
Simon titled this

striking piece
“Apprentice” but
it clearly reflects
his expertise as
an illustrator and
concept artist
rench-born concept artist and dynamic and represent the essence of the films –
production illustrator Simon Goinard galactic wars and the fight between good and bad,
F has always loved Ralph McQuarrie’s

work on the original Star Wars trilogy,
“not only because it’s beautiful and
pretty clear intents. And then I tried to bring in that
Greek tragedy feeling too, with the [character’s] robes
for example, or the fact that the main character seems
inventive, but because it helped a lot to be breaking the fourth wall and looking at us like
to sell the concept of the first film too.” For him, he we’re an audience in a theatre.
says, “it’s the perfect example of what pitch design
should be, so I just wanted to bring back that feel with What is it about Star Wars that inspired this?
a piece, trying to cross a Star Wars pitch piece with a I’m a huge fan of the mid-’70s, I must say. The sci‑fi
bit of McQuarrie and a bit of my moody style.” feel in society, the music, the design was pretty
awesome. Star Wars is part of that too – that’s what
Did you try anything new on this painting? I like about it: all these ideas are combined in this
Technically speaking no, it’s just my usual approach cultural phenomenon that is the movie.
to personal pieces. I just kind of paint and think at the
same time. I knew the feel I wanted in the end, but still It feels like this is a very romanticised vision of
a lot of things evolved – the Jedi became a Sith; the Star Wars. Was this intentional?
scene focus changed too, with more protagonists, etc. Yes, totally. Again like a Greek myth, Star Wars is
pretty romanticised itself, and as I intended the piece
What was the aim or mood you were looking for in to be pitch work it had to be too!
the image?
It was designed to be a pitch piece, so it had to be www.simongoinard.com
Darth Maul
All images © Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

actor Ray Park
actually posed
for Sith Rocks
Randy
Martinez
First noticed for his humorous work, the
artist revels in the scope of Star Wars…
hen asked what it special. There’s so much room to What comes first, a character or a
is that inspires his be creative and apply your style concept (Darth Maul rockin’ out)?
W interpretations of
Star Wars, Randy
Martinez replies:
or ideas to the art. Star Wars has
action, adventure, romance,
fantasy and just about every
For me, the concept definitely
comes first. I like to tell stories or
make statements with my art. It’s
“My memories. I other genre there is, even Greek not enough for me to just draw
was three when Star Wars came Boba Fett just standing there
out in 1977. I remember going, but with his gun. That is really boring.
not a whole lot of the film, nothing There’s so much I want to say something and
clear anyway. But the imagery provide an emotion.
stuck with me. I was fascinated. room to be creative and There are limitless ways to do
With my Star Wars art, I try to that, and I’m always coming up
bring that same excitement and add your ideas. In Star with things to say, jokes to tell,
magic that I felt when I was a kid. or ideas to share. So say with Sith
As adults we become a lot more Wars there’s something Rocks with Darth Maul rocking
cynical because life just tends to out, I actually came up with the
do that to you. But as children, life for everyone idea to do an homage to one of
is just fun and all about wonder my favourite Star Wars illustrations
and imagination. So when I paint, ever, Star Wars Rocks by Hugh
I want to relive those feelings over mythology. So, in Star Wars Flemming. I am a musician as well,
and over again. Hopefully, the there seems to be something for so I loved this piece, and I always
finished product gives the viewer everyone. I like to believe most wanted to do something in the
the same experience.” artists create from within, and they same mashup idea of Star Wars
create what they are connected to. and rock-’n’-roll. However, I wanted
Why does Star Wars keep driving Star Wars is a huge part of our to put my own spin to it and put in
artists to create new work? culture, and most fans, no matter a lot of jokes and gags. I am huge
You mean besides a paycheck? what age, have grown up with Star Mad magazine fan from way back,
You know every artist would give Wars in their lives in some way. So, so I am often inspired by the likes
you a different answer, and that’s it is very easy to feel connected to of Jack Davis, Mort Drucker and
kind of what makes Star Wars so Star Wars in some way. Sergio Aragonez. I knew I wanted
to do something exciting, so I
thought of the Kiss rock shows,
and I automatically thought,
wow, “Kiss” sounds like “Sith”.
From there it was just a matter of
putting the right personality with
the right instrument. Darth Maul
would totally be a lead guitarist.
It helped that I am friends with
Darth Maul actor Ray Park, so he
was kind enough to pose for me!
Tell us a bit about how you work.

I don’t really have a set process.
Every piece of art is different,
depending on what the art will
be used for. I use just about every
medium there is, depending on
the job, and that is a large factor
in how I will approach the art.
I sketch, I work in the computer,
I sketch more, then get to the
painting, but sometimes I start
prepping while I’m sketching. I’m
all over the place.
How does Lucasfilm react to some

of your humour paintings?
They love it. Doing Star Wars
humour is how I got started
making official Star Wars art, 16
Randy is a great years ago, so they are very used
fan of mixed to my style of humour. Lucasfilm
media – yes, knows I can paint them a super
that background tight illustration or do something
behind Leia really funny, which has been good for
is some old comic me. Steve Sansweet once called
book pages me “the Swiss army knife of Star
Wars artists,” and that title has
kind of stayed with me.
I love when Lucasfilm lets me
be funny with Star Wars because
there is so much to be funny with.
Star Wars is an endless supply of
jokes and gags!
How are the Legacy paintings

created? Do you have a favourite?
The Legacy is very dear to my
heart because it was kind of a
turning point in my career. I had
reached a point where I was bored
with just drawing and painting.
So I started to collage real
comic books, and then I started
painting over that. I really liked the
newsprint and the comic book ink
as my backdrop. It’s a lot more
than just cutting up old comics
and placing them anywhere – I
really take my time to not only
build a solid colour composition,
but also to sort of tell a story or
create a mood.
I have created about 25 of these
pieces of Marvel, DC and Star
Wars characters. Right now, only
the Marvel pieces are available
as prints: Spider-Man, Iron Man
and Captain America. It’s hard to
pick a favourite; they all have a
different experience for me.
Are you a Star Wars fan?

Absolutely, I’m an Original fan.
I saw all three movies in the
theatres when they came out. I’ve
collected Star Wars toys, cards,
Randy has
depicted
probably every
Episode and
beyond, but the
original trilogy
remains his
favourite
art, everything. And while I don’t What made creating this piece “just right” in terms of there being
collect anything anymore, I still so special was that my girlfriend right or wrong, it’s about getting
love to look at and play with Star (Star Wars artist Denise Vasquez) it just the way you want to paint
Wars toys. and my Mom helped me create it or draw it as an artist. It’s taken
It’s been a dream come true this piece. I love collaborative me 41 years to get where I am in
to actually be part of Star Wars, art, and it was fun sharing this my journey. The challenges come
doing official art for Lucasfilm experience with my family. from deadlines. Can you create
for 16 years. It’s still a wow for me, quality art in the time you are
even just saying that. I’m very Which is the hardest character to given? Sometimes I get jobs where
fortunate to have the opportunity get “just right”? I only have a few days to complete
to make my living creating art of None. I don’t mean that in an it. That’s tough, because I have
one of my favourite things ever. arrogant way at all. Nothing in this to create art in a short time that
I’m honoured and it’s the greatest world is hard to create because looks just as good as a piece I’ve
experience I’ve ever had. of the hard work I have put in on had months to work on.
Do you have a favourite Star Wars Do you get inspired by trailers

painting or project you’ve done? Anybody can learn to and previews of new Episodes?
No favourites. Every piece is Do they make you get working?
a different experience. I put draw or paint anything, You know, I saw the trailers [for
everything into each painting – Episode 7: The Force Awakens],
where I am in life, how I feel, and but you have to be and they were very exciting. But
what is inspiring me at the time. the latest and most exciting trailer
Each piece is like my own little willing to put in the came out at Star Wars Celebration,
time capsule. Lucasfilm has given where I was running my booth.
me so many opportunities to time and the work There was so much going on
create big, very important pieces selling art, making contacts and
of art, it would be impossible to doing interviews that I had not
pick just one as my favourite. But, my fundamentals. I’ve had great really had time to let it all sink in.
I will tell you that one of the most instructors and mentors in art, and With that said, I have some ideas,
special pieces I created was the they have helped me understand but I want to first get to know
key art for Star Wars Celebration how to paint and draw anything some of the new characters better
Europe in 2007, better known in this world or that I can imagine. and formulate something I want
as Sgt. Lucas. It’s one of the few The truth is anybody can learn to to say or express through the art.
3D sculptures I have ever done, draw or paint anything, but you At the same time, I also just want
so it was a challenge. Two of my have to be willing to put in the to enjoy it as a fan. Because that’s
favourite things in life is Star Wars time and the work. Art is a lifelong where it all starts!
and the Beatles, so to be able to journey that you can never master.
mash the two up was pure joy! It is not about getting something www.randymartinez.net
Andrew
Theophilopoulos
The illustrator dressed up and used photo references to
paint an image that captures a film he hadn’t seen yet...
ndrew lives unreleased film,” Andrew recalls, “I create a picture resembling two
and works in found the idea of digging through future icons? What I wouldn’t give
A his lighthouse
in Florida’s
Sarasota Bay
the minuscule amount of official
Force Awakens imagery troubling
– even more so when the female
to be on the level of Drew Struzan,
who’s had the tremendous
opportunity to meet the cast and
area, freelancing character of my commission have them pose for some of the

in film, games and TV as well as [was] a relatively unknown most iconic film posters out there!
publishing. This illustration was actress with little to offer in “I spent $20 on thrift shop
commissioned as a matched pair terms of portrait photography. supplies to dress as Kylo Ren,
of promotional magazine covers “What about painting the and my partner as Rey. My photo
before the release of Star Wars portrait of a stealthy Sith, who shoot was the starting point of a
Episode VII: The Force Awakens. only appears in the dark in the lengthy push and pull of pixels.”
“When asked to make not one trailers? How on Earth – or in the
but two cover illustrations for an galaxy for that matter – does one www.andrewtheo.com
Karen’s 2015 Celebration

poster features all three of her
favourite characters – Amidala,
Leia and (subtly) R2-D2
Karen’s Art

Nouveau Leia
poster brought
her to notice
and remains one
of her personal
favourites
Karen
Hallion
Her website describes her as “artist,
illustrator, and part-time Jedi…”
elf-confessed Wars twist. Leia is such a strong

“pretty geeky character, always in the front and
S artist” Karen
Hallion reveals that
it wasn’t until she
in charge. I wanted to show her
in a more quiet, pensive moment.
Also, combining Art Nouveau and
was 16 and saw pop culture can be so much fun
the movie The Little Mermaid that – there are so many ways to hide
she became interested in being an little details in the illustrations.
artist. “I walked out of the theatre
and thought ‘I want to do that’,” How long does a piece like La
she recalls. “I went to Ringling Dauphine Aux Alderaan take?
School of Art and Design in Well, that one was back when I
Sarasota, Florida, and graduated didn’t have a tablet. I had a laptop
with a BFA in Illustration. I spent with a touchpad and very basic
years trying get an art-related job Photoshop skills. I drew it out on
or freelance, and failed miserably. paper with pencil, scanned it in,
One thing led to another and I then did the lines and colour in Combining Art Nouveau with
wound up as an art teacher for Photoshop. Took me forever.
two elementary schools, teaching 40-50 hours, maybe? Now I have pop culture is fun, and there are so
grades Kindergarten to Fifth. I a Cintiq, and my Photoshop skills
loved it – it was fantastic. Lots of are better. Something like that many ways to hide little details
glitter and watercolours and pipe would take me more like 20-25
cleaners. But I lost my job in 2009 hours these days – partly because
and decided to give an art career of the Cintiq making work move Usually I start with a very
another shot. It was kind of a sink more swiftly, partly because I rough, flowy, loose sketch with
or swim moment for me… and I am know my way around Photoshop a blue coloured pencil brush in
still swimming. Knock on wood!” now, and mostly because I’ve been Photoshop. Then I reduce the
drawing so much the last five opacity, add another layer and
Where did the idea come from years, it comes a lot more naturally sketch again, fixing issues with
to mix Star Wars and Mucha? these days. Sometimes, someone proportion, adding little bits of
I had a print of La Dame Aux will say to me “You make it look detail but skill keeping it pretty
Camélias by Mucha hanging so easy!” But it was 20 years of rough. Then, reduce opacity, add
over my desk for years. I love struggle and stubbornness to get another layer, and keep doing
Alphonse Mucha – I am in awe there, and there are still days when that for a while until I’m happy
of his linework. This particular a drawing just won’t cooperate. with how it looks. Next, I “ink” it
print always reminded me of Leia, digitally. I usually go over all the
and I thought it would be fun to Can you tell us a little about your lines first with about the same
do an homage to it with a Star workflow and creative process? line weight. Then I go back and
Karen’s painting
Leia’s Corruptible
Mortal State riffs
off the Disney
Haunted Mansion
Tightrope Girl
In general, I struggle with drawing done is always the hardest part, League of their Own, and it was
knowing when to stop! such fun to have so many fans
men. I don’t know why, but drawing get excited about that and start
What have been the biggest posting quotes on my page.
women comes much easier to me influences on your art? Actually, I have a quote from
Definitely Disney, in particular that movie hanging over my
Glen Keane. The flow of his art, desk, because I feel like it is so
add a heavier line around the big the movement, what he is able to fitting for art: “It’s supposed to
basic shapes, a very Alphonse express in just a few gestures – be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone
Mucha type thing to do. Then I it’s inspiring. Obviously Alphonse would do it. The hard is what
really zoom in and add subtle Mucha for his line and beautiful makes it great.”
line weight, some curves where Art Nouveau backgrounds. I love
two lines might meet, smoothing Charles Dana Gibson, also for his Do you have a favourite Star Wars
things out. I spend a lot of time linework. I am a big ol’ pop-culture character and why?
on the line, really. Then I start geek, and I draw what I love. So, My favorite character to draw
laying in big basic colour, keeping what I read, watch or listen to would be Queen Amidala. Her
everything on different layers usually makes its way into my wardrobe, hairstyles, her face… It’s
so they are easy to play around work. A lot of the more popular just so fascinating and detailed
with and find the right colour things like Star Wars or Doctor and gorgeous. I could draw her
combinations. And finally, I add Who, but also I love doing a little over and over again and never
shading, highlights, etc. Trying to more obscure designs. I recently get bored. But Leia is and always
figure out when and if it’s actually did an illustration of Dottie from will be my favourite character.
The Haunted
Galaxy series
is a mashup of
iconic Star Wars
characters with
Haunted Mansion
Her strength, leadership, bravery that with just a series of beeps and after everyone saw the new teaser
and intelligence make her a great little noises, he has such a distinct trailer. And to be included with
role model for women and girls. personality. I used him to tie together such an insanely talented and
And I am a sucker for all her witty the background in my Celebration skilled group of artists was an
banter with Han. piece, because he was important to immense honour. It is a big goal
both Amidala and Leia. When I was of mine now to continue to push
Who’s the hardest character to at MegaCon [in Orlando, Florida, in myself improve my work and get
get “just right”? April 2015], R2 came by my table included in Star Wars Celebration
In general, I struggle with drawing to visit, courtesy of the R2 Builders shows for as long as I can.
men. I don’t know why, but drawing club. I was thrilled – I wanted to take
women comes much easier to me. him home with me. Your piece for Celebration Europe
So, whenever I have to draw a male 2016, titled Strength, features six
character, stress levels rise. For me, Did you have a good time at Star leading female characters in the
Han Solo has to be the trickiest. Wars Celebration 2015? canon, with Rey front and centre...
He’s attractive, but not in any sort I had an amazing show. I’ve been It started off as a quick sketch
of traditional way. Getting that doing conventions for a few years last year, with only three women.
smirk just right can be challenging. now, and have been lucky enough I re-sketched it this year to add
to do great shows like SDCC, NYCC, Padme, Leia and Rey. I struggled
R2-D2 turns up quite often in your Emerald City, C2E2, etc. But there a lot with Rey’s face, right up until
work. Is he a favourite of yours? was just something in the air at the deadline.
After Leia, he would be my Celebration, this excitement and
favourite, yes. It’s amazing to me energy, especially on that first day www.karenhallion.tumblr.com
Josh
Viers
The art director shares his personal
projects inspired by Star Wars
oncept artist Josh films. If I can emulate Roger’s

Viers loves movies. work then I’m heading in the right
C So much so, he’ll

often take a scene
from a favourite
direction. My end result will often
be very different from what I
started with, but with a solid
film and use it as foundation and good inspiration
the starting point for a painting. it’s hard to go wrong.”
It needs to be chosen carefully, Recently, Josh reveals, he has
of course: “Just because you love also started using 3D as part of his
Clueless doesn’t mean it’ll be a process. “I’ve found it’s invaluable
good starting point for your art,” in composing a scene. With even
he quips. “Pick a movie that was the simplest 3D elements I’m able
lauded by critics for its look – a to define and compose my space
film with great cinematography. in a way that makes it tangible.”
“For example, I know that The moody cinematic moment on
using a Coen Brothers film as the this page was achieved in part by
launch point is a safe bet because painting over 3D models.
Roger Deakins acts as director Josh’s career itself has included
of photography for most of their many disciplines. While studying
In a painting inspired by Once

Upon a Time in the West, a
desperate Empire once again
bargains with bounty hunters
I took a scene with at the University of Cincinnati he

had the opportunity to design toys
its brilliant framing and for Hasbro, shoes for Adidas and
consumer electronics for Samsung
repurposed it, which is and Acer. After graduating with a
BS in Industrial Design in 2001, he
kind of what George worked as an art assistant in the
Industrial Light and Magic art
Lucas originally did department, which he says “was
a fantastic experience that allowed
me to make some good friends.”
After ILM Josh had the great
opportunity to work for Doug
Chiang (at Pexart/Iceblink
Studios/ImageMovers Digital),
“who was the person to promote
me to the position of concept
artist for a feature film. The first
movie I created concept work for
was Spielberg’s adaptation of H.G.
Wells’ War of the Worlds.
“I worked on several films under
Doug’s direction for the next five
years including The Polar Express,
Monster House, Beowulf and A
Christmas Carol. While working
for Doug our small art department
of approximately 15 people
changed hands (and names) a
couple of times until it officially
Like many of Josh’s

pieces, “Jedi Ronin”
hints at a rich backstory
An evocative
piece titled “Dead
Man Walking”
I’m a digital hoarder. became a Disney company called

ImageMovers Digital.”
Each piece has one key It was while working for Doug
that Josh was approached by The
reference that informs Orphanage for the position of lead
concept artist on Frank Miller’s film
my space and one the of Will Eisner’s The Spirit, which
he enthusiastically accepted.
mood and colour “After that contract I moved to
EA’s Visceral Games to work as a
senior concept artist on several
unannounced titles,” Josh
continues. “I eventually returned
to Industrial Light and Magic as a
senior concept artist, where I
worked on Super 8, Cowboys and
Aliens and Redtails,” explains Josh.
Since leaving ILM Josh has
served as an art director and artist
for several mobile game titles and
unannounced projects based out
of Los Angeles. He has created
concepts for films by Steven
Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Robert
Zemeckis and Jon Favreau.
Here we showcase some of
Josh’s personal concept work
inspired by Star Wars.
www.conceptbyjosh.com
Recognisable even
in silhouette, Darth
Vader stands on
the path of evil
Michael
Pedro
The concept artist gives us an insight
into creating a stunning environment
rtist Michael to ‘push’ the photo elements back

Pedro created this and merge them into the rest of
A beautiful Path of
Evil illustration
for the Star Wars
the image.”
Michael’s decision to become
an artist in the first place was
Galaxies trading based on Star Wars artwork he
card game. “The concept of this discovered during college. “I was
image was to really convey Darth still in college when the prequel
Vader as a figure of temptation,” films’ art books were gaining
Michael explains. “I painted him popularity, and it was the designs
standing on a volcanic rock and paintings of Ryan Church –
formation on the planet Mustafar; the concept design supervisor on
the formations vaguely resemble Attack of the Clones – that really
the claws of a hand, a hand made me sit back and say ‘Yeah, I
beckoning the viewer. Ultimately, want to be a concept artist’.”
I wanted to find a unique way And his love for the franchise
of suggesting the allure of the continues. “I think it ultimately
Dark Side. comes down to the idea of Star
“Darth Vader, terrifyingly Wars being the ultimate sandbox.
mysterious, was a tragic figure Between the released films, an
who rose to power and fell from entire galaxy has been established
grace; essentially, Luke has no with scores of worlds, characters,
choice but to live the risk of and stories that can now, in turn,
following in Vader’s footsteps. serve as inspiration to other
Mystical trappings aside, it’s creators. It’s a galaxy of seemingly
such a human story that virtually endless possibilities, really.
anyone can identify with. Plus, “Watching the trailers for The
there’s the idea of being ‘the Force Awakens, I was reminded
underdog’ who’s ultimately called that no matter how much we all
to live out an important destiny. think we ‘know’ Star Wars, there’s
Luke went on an adventure that always another episode or series
left him a hero – what’s not to like or novel right around the corner
about that story?” that adds to the universe in ways
Michael began the piece as a we never imagined.”
series of black-and-white sketches, Michael was “super-excited” to
to outline the possibility of where see Episode VII and pleased with
© Sony Online Entertainment & Lucasfilm Ltd .
the image could go. “Once I have its approach. “I’m a huge fan of J.J.
a particular composition in mind, Abrams’ more practical approach
I’ll block in some loose, basic to set construction and special
lighting, and then begin applying effects, so I was eager to see a
colour to really start building up new Star Wars that felt more
the layers of the painting,” he says. immersive and real. That, and the
“From there, it’s a simple matter updated Stormtrooper designs
of applying photo textures to were absolutely terrific!”
quickly attain my desired level of
detail, and then using digital paint www.michaelpedro.com
Feng Zhu
Feng Zhu, concept designer on Episode III, shares a
production painting for an unseen Star Wars scene
oncept designer worked. Needless to say, I was, This painting visualises a scene
Feng Zhu has and still am, a huge Star Wars fan.” from an imaginary script: “A small
C worked with
Michael Bay, Luc
Besson, Steven
Feng studied Industrial Design
at the Art Center in California but
dropped out after one year, not
group of unidentified individuals
discover the remains of a crashed
Imperial shuttle on Hoth.”
Spielberg and because he was doing badly but “I start production paintings
James Cameron, among other because he felt it wasn’t suitable by listing the five Ws,” Feng
A-list directors, but his time with for him. “I knew what I wanted to explains. “They are what, when,
George Lucas was very special to do from a pretty early age – which where, who and why. You don’t
him. “The original Star Wars films is exactly what I’m doing now,” he need to answer all of the W
had a tremendous influence on me explains. “I think a lot of people questions, but the painting should
as a young kid,” says Feng. “During don’t recognise that until their contain information that enables
school, I drew X-wings and TIE mid 20s or early 30s. But I knew the viewers to see those elements.
fighters all over my homework, where I was going and took the For this painting, they are as
and got yelled at by the teachers. appropriate steps to get there.” follows. What: a crash-landed
After coming home, I flew around Working on Episode III has been Imperial Shuttle. When: a few
in the Slave I toy, pretending to a highlight of Feng’s career, but hours before sunset. Where: Hoth.
hunt down bounties. And like so perhaps surprisingly, Feng says Who: a small group (allegiance
many others kids, I believed in the “I don’t consider myself an artist unknown). And why: this part is
Force and tried my best to move at all… It’s all about the design. left for the viewer to decide.”
TV remotes or mind-influence Drawing is only a very small part
girls to like me – neither of which of design – it’s the last part of it.” www.fengzhudesign.com
Feng Zhu
designed many
of the hard
surface areas
that were
built into the
miniature models
for the Mustafar
set, such as this
landing area
“I thought the
look of Mustafar
came out great
on screen. ILM
did an awesome
job capturing the

grittiness of the
environment,”
says Feng Zhu
Stormtroopers don’t get

many breaks… in any
sense of that phrase!
Bobby captures the

relationship between
Luke and Yoda in just
a few deft strokes
aving seen the
Bobby
Star Wars films for
H the first time only

in December 2015,
Disney character
artist Bobby
Pontillas is just a little late to this
Pontillas
particular party. But, now a die-
hard fan, he was so inspired that
he immediately started creating
his own fan art. “I can’t tell you
how many people I’ve talked to in
the animation industry who’ve said
that Star Wars is the reason they
are artists today,” he comments.
“I just think the characters and
Classic characters seen through fresh the world they inhabit fired the
imaginations of everyone. They
eyes and depicted in a different style… want to be there and live in those
worlds, and in your career as an
artist you hope to inspire the
younger generation in that same
“Only a few decades

late,” Bobby brings
a new perspective to
familiar characters
Bobby’s charming artwork

brings you even closer to
characters you feel you
already know well
I wanted to convey how cool I try to get across in my work is

just a strong sense of character,
thought these characters are and which the Star Wars universe has
in spades. I wanted to convey how
the relationships they share cool I thought these characters are
and the relationships they share.”
way and bring more of these kinds Bobby loves all the Star Wars
of worlds and characters to life.” characters but does admit to
In creating his eye-catching having some favourites. “I had a
character illustrations, Bobby was great time doing Yoda and Luke
heavily inspired by the work of because those are my all-time
movie poster artists Drew Struzan favourite scenes in all of the films.”
and Olly Moss, despite their Now a true Star Wars fan,
styles being so different from his Bobby is looking forward to future

own. “Olly’s Star Wars set is pure instalments. “I have faith that
genius,” Bobby comments. With these films are going to knock
his own ideas set, he doesn’t mess everyone’s socks off. Just by the
about when it comes to creating looks of the trailers, the reveals of
artwork. “My process is somewhat the characters.” We look forward
light on its feet,” he says. “It’s a to his interpretations in turn!
simple style and I like to work fast
and loose,” he explains. “What I bobbypontillas.blogspot.com
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© TM Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker
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Mario Alberti
Celebrate Star Wars through the eyes of the world’s finest artists.
From the legacy of those who worked on the original 1977 film
to today’s digital artists, Star Wars has never looked better.
Christian Waggoner Dave Seeley Terryl Whitlatch Brandon Kenney Matt Busch
9000
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THE A RT OF

Star Wars Identities Christian Waggoner Dave Seeley

Welcome to another celebration of incredible

The image of the

W burst onto cinema

Take the Darth Vader illustration. Stormtrooper is represented here

You not only

to take famous C-3PO quotations A love of Star Wars

The ILM &

A scene rich in Star Wars

All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd.

L with one of the most influential and

Morgan Yon dramatically reimagines

I overlooked my name,” he says. “I looked at the Insight from Jennifer Coronado

All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney

ario Alberti loves Star Wars. “I saw Star The Battle of

M me ever since,” he says. “It’s embedded

“He can draw like nobody’s

Mario is a comics author

Morgan was awarded second

organ Yon knows first-hand how hard

M artist at Ubisoft Montpellier in the

The judges said Morgan’s image

Fred developed his own Star

red’s life story is almost an adventure

F to Germany to become an engineer at

I imagined Ralph McQuarrie at

All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney

The Star Wars

reating cover “I enjoyed them because the

art for the Star art direction went through pretty

C Wars books came

Jon’s cover for issue

The front cover Jon painted

oncept artist and illustrator Izzy

C which goes some way towards

Izzy’s character Granny

[The Star Wars

“Your number one

through his creation, he had iconic Star Wars design

alaga, on Spain’s Costa Del Sol,

M sunshine. It’s ironic, then, that

All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney

Posters © Lucasfilm Ltd & Acme Archives/Bottleneck. All Rights Reserved.

Andy’s three official

All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney

All images TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC. All rights reserved.

ournemouth, on Well, there’s a lot of fantastic Even if someone’s

hree years old on the Clone Wars web-comics

© Topps & Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

oncept artist and

C was born and

What do you do as a day job,

All images copyright © Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney

surface design. In the past two

When did you first hear about the

You produced quite a lot of art

The first of the challenges

I have always wanted to capture the epic

This image is another of

“Vader was the first painting I did for

hristian Waggoner has earned a Christian’s relationship with Lucasfilm began in

C the most famous Star Wars characters