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.

The Towers

The latest art to come out right now is this piece based on a sketch I was working on a few weeks ago. The premise is some sort of abandoned power station on a faraway world. The foreground textures were a challenge but turned out well. I am not sure that this is the final iteration as there are a few things I would like to clarify but the textures and techniques I used please me.

Whole Lotta' Updates.

Sorry to not have written here in a while. I have been working up a few things including my children's book and more illustrations for the Ruins site. I've also been working up my Illustrator CS5 skills. I found that I really enjoy the program more than I anticipated. I think it is because I can create a more finished product more quickly.

One feature that I can't say enough about is the strangely-named "Blob Brush" It allows me to create shapes more like I paint. The precision of the tools also gives me a fine edge that I so enjoy.

There was a time when I was less than happy about creating digitally. I felt it wasn't ready for the type of imagery I wanted to create. Now, with the suite of art programs I have, I feel like I can create the images I want.

For example:


This image went through a few shading changes before I hit upon the dramatic back-lighting. I can say I am rather pleased with the results.

In a few weeks I will be attending a children's book conference. After that I may post a few images from it. I am reluctant to give too much away since I have had copyright problems.

I have also started a Facebook page for Jouan Illustration to give more immediate results on my everyday work as well as links to pages I find useful. Click over and join up for the latest.

Of course, the primary portfolio website is due for an update but I don't foresee that being accomplished before the conference. However, the latest art has been posted to my deviantART page.

-Jouan Illustration on Facebook
-Jouan Illustration on deviantART

Art Update

Here is the updated image from the last post. I am having a ball in Adobe Illustrator and I am discovering new ways to get the textures I want. I am particularly happy with the planet cloud details as well as the texture on the foreground panels. It took a bit of wrestling with the program but I solved some functional issues.


I look back on some of my earlier efforts with the program and can see where I have made some progress in my understanding. I really did miss using it. I was just never satisfied with the earlier results. They were fine for some of the basic freelance work but I've never been satisfied with "fine" when it comes to my personal art. Maybe someday I'll explain why I stopped using it five years ago.

My earlier Illustrator work seems almost primitive now that I look back at it. This marks a slightly new direction, or at the very least, a new set of skills in the picture-making process.

I've come to the point in this piece where I set it aside for a while and look at it again in a few days. I find that I can have fresh eyes when I do. I don't always have the luxury of such time but for this one I am experimenting with technique. Not creating to a deadline.

If I still like it in a few days it may become a portfolio piece.

Experimentation and Play

It is often difficult to get in enough time to do the art I want to. I usually try to stay up on industry trends by following a couple of blogs and painting when I can. Lately, I had the desire to do some work with Adobe Illustrator largely under the inspiration of a site called VectorTuts+. I remembered how much fun I had creating art with it before my son was born.

With that in mind I decided to see what I could do. I feel a little like I have gone back to school artistically so I thought I'd apply those ideas to a piece I had already created but develop it in Illustrator.


Though I love the piece Hi Gs, I have never been completely satisfied with how it came out. The coloring and how the planet looks always bothered me. After importing it into Illustrator as a template, I began a process of pulling out shapes and defining forms.

Illustrator helped me to slow down and plan better and to that end, I feel like I have been able to accomplish more of my original intent with the art. The image below is a work-in-progress snapshot but the progress has been phenomenal.


It is easy to get into the rut of doing the same thing over and over and I often have to remind myself that I need to try new techniques once in a while. I think my next step with this piece will be to finish off the major elements and then do some subtle rework in painter to build up texture.

I am also doing this to get an idea of how I want to approach my children's book. So far I have the story and rough layouts but I want to have a couple of finished pieces to show publishers.

Digital and Traditional: The Continuing Battle

Recently, during an online exchange about digital vs traditional art I made some comments I liked so I copied them here. I think it is relevant to anyone who is struggling with the problem. Trust me, there are some serious successful artists who are trying to come to grips with the transition.

But is it really a transition? The computer has made life easier for so many graphic artists but does it necessarily have to "replace" traditional art?

Here's what I wrote...

"Creatively there still needs to be the ability to produce an image. There also has to be the ability to problem-solve and know when you're done. Painting on a tablet is still a far cry from the textural feel of the media and the intuitive ability to see the colors you get.

When going to the computer there is a whole host of other issues concerning color reproduction and calibration. Having worked both ways, I have to point out that I enjoy the ability to revisit an earlier thought [through undos] but there is also a certain spontaneity lost. I also find it is harder to make an 'original mark' on the computer.

I still go back to the media for sketching and to get my thoughts down quickly. The computer has made the final product easier to disseminate but I don't think that it has necessarily replaced the creative genius behind true artistic endeavors.

There's a lot to be said for having a final product. The final, unalterable proof of what an artist intended. Prints don't always achieve that."

Artistic Satisfaction

Lately I have been trying new techniques in painter. My aim is to avoid looking like "computer art" so I have been purposely using techniques developed over centuries in traditional media. I have been sketching, underpainting, and layering in the hopes of capturing a more traditional look.

Some might ask, "why not simply paint traditionally?" The biggest reason is that I have had some serious allergic reactions to some of the solvents and ingredients used in traditional media. (Like, can't-breathe-where's-the-emergency-inhaler reactions.) . There's other advantages as well. I don't have to constantly set up and take down the art supplies; the paint tube is infinite; and I don't have to worry about storage space. (It's a plus when you have a toddler around!)

I'm really enjoying the freedom of digital and the ability to combine techniques and media appearances. But it can be very frustrating to try to limit all the possibilities when it comes to saving versions.

It as never been my aim to see the computer as anything more than a tool for getting the imagery in my head out for everyone else to see. That is probably why I strive for a natural media look as opposed to the more photoshopy appearance that is popular in sci-fi art now.

In the end it is more about making art that I'm satisfied with than anything else.