Star Wars Fan Art

"The guy just ran into me!"

Not long ago I read the Star Wars novel Lost Stars by Claudia Gray following the story of two people in love and on opposite sides of the Empire. It is a good read and as such, several times I found myself wanting to grab a pen to sketch the imagery I was seeing in my imagination. The best books can be like that for me which can also be a little aggravating.

One of the strongest scenes for me was one that took place immediately after the destruction of the first Death Star. One of the main characters is tasked with retrieving Darth Vader in his damaged Tie fighter and she gets a first-hand look at the destruction.  

The scene makes Vader seem more mysterious and dangerous than any of the movies ever did. But what really stuck with me was the image of Vader sitting patiently (perhaps meditatively) waiting for the Gozanti carrier to arrive. 

This was executed using Adobe Illustrator and a lot of reference imagery from production models and film stills. I am not normally prone to make fan art or imagery from established franchises but this case was a very good opportunity to test a few techniques. 

Most important was the slow, methodical building of layers and texture. I am most happy with the lighting as the shadows fall around the ball section of the fighter.