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| A sketch tribute for two great artists. |
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This month saw the passing of two amazing artists: Ralph McQuarrie and Jean "Moebius" Giraud. Both of them had and will continue to have a big impact on my work. I'll provide links to information about both artists below but I thought I'd talk about their work and how much they've inspired me.
The first "art of" book I ever bought was "The Art of Star Wars." I can't recall exactly when I got the book, but I think it was during high school. I was a full-on Star Wars nerd back then and those books opened a whole new world for me. It was only then that I made the realization that someone could be a concept artist. Before then, I never really thought about the process of design when it came to movies or animation. (I was mostly into comics.) Ralph McQuarrie had a beautiful sense of design. His work has an elegant simplicity that still holds up today. I can't think of many other concept artists that have had a bigger impact on film and visual design. Emily and I were fortunate to meet him back in 1997 and he was a gentle, humble man and my condolences go out to his family and friends.
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Probably my favorite of McQuarrie's Star Wars production paintings. I love the
posing of the characters and the amazing composition. |
Moebius, on the other hand, I discovered a bit later. I knew about his work for years, but I never really had one of his comics or art books until I picked one up at the San Diego Comic Con about ten years ago. I was instantly hooked. It makes sense that I was drawn to his work because the artists that he inspired or worked with were some of my favorites as well. Artists like Otomo, Miyazaki, Amano, and Terada. When I look at the worlds he created, I think to myself, "I want to live there." When an artist can do that, I feel they have truly achieved something special. Moebius had such a wide range of styles and subject matter that I think I'll be finding "new" work by him for a very long time! Again, my condolences go out to his family and friends.
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Moebius's design work on the much maligned
(but I still love it) fantasy movie "Willow" are
some of my favorite pieces of character design. |
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| Another favorite of mine. Little Nemo in Slumberland. |
Both of these artists were visionaries and their influence has made a huge mark in the art world.
R.I.P
Links:
Emily's post about McQuarrie:
http://fabledearth.blogspot.com/2012/03/ralph-mcquarrie-1929-2012.html
Ralph McQuarrie's website:
http://www.ralphmcquarrie.com/
Nice post on Lines and Colors about McQuarrie's passing:
http://www.linesandcolors.com/2012/03/04/ralph-mcquarrie-1929%E2%80%932012/
Moebius's site:
http://www.moebius.fr/
Quenched Concsiousness, an amazing tumblr for all things Moebius:
http://theairtightgarage.tumblr.com/
Some other tributes from comic artists:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/03/16/jean-giraud-moebius-tributes-artwork-essays/
