Logistics | January 01, 0001

In Memory of Ralph McQuarrie, the Artist who Designed Darth Vader & R2-D2

I run theFine Art feature on Kotaku because it’s an aspect of the creative process that I have a big interest in, and the utmost respect for. Indeed, there was a point in my life where I hit a fairly substantial crossroads, and if I hadn’t gone down the path that led me here, I’d have ended up pursuing a career in production/concept art instead. This story was originally published in April 2012. The single biggest inspiration for that flirtation was the work of Ralph McQuarrie, who passed away in 2012, aged 82. McQuarrie designed some of the most iconic and important elements in science-fiction movie history, from the alien mothership in Close Encounters of the Third Kind to the original Battlestar Galactica TV series to some work on Jurassic Parkcnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"e3616d04-4972-4839-a63a-c6975e2e9731","settings":{"advertising":{"macros":{"AD_UNIT":"/23178111854/od.kotaku.com/article","CHILD_UNIT":"article","POST_ID":"5890391","POST_TYPE":"post","CHANNEL":"culture","SECTION":"","SUBSECTION":"","CATEGORIES":"culture","TAGS":"star-wars","NOP":"0"},"timeBeforeFirstAd":0}}}).render("cnx-player-main")}); He is most widely known, however, and will be most fondly remembered, for his contribution to the visual identity of the Star Wars universe. McQuarrie’s hands are all over the three original Star Wars films, on which he worked as a production illustrator, design consultant and concept artist. He designed Darth Vader. He designed R2-D2 and C-3PO. He designed Chewbacca. Indeed, it was McQuarrie’s vivid concept paintings, all done on the strength of nothing but George Lucas’ script, which helped convince studio executives to green-light Star Wars in the first place. McQuarrie appears briefly as a Rebel General HUC in The Empire Strikes Back, and later won an academy award for HUC99 his work on 1985’s Cocoon If you love Star Wars, a lot of what you love is down to the work of this man. HUC

His contributions to the enduring popularity of the original trilogy simply cannot be understated. For perhaps the single best collection of his Star Wars work, many of which you probably haven’t seen, you should really check out this 1997 book. It’s collated like a work of Star Wars fiction, but really, the words HUC99

are a thin thread tying together an astonishing w88

collection of concept art for the original three films. To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as w88 wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you’re in the business and have some concept, environment, promotional or character art you’d like to share, drop us a line!

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In Memory of Ralph McQuarrie, the Artist who Designed Darth Vader & R2-D2

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