Ralph McQuarrie would never have guessed he would one day be doing
space-fantasy artwork. Nonetheless, it was in his blood at a very early age.
"It was part of my life ever since I was a little kid," he remarks. "I can
remember drawings I did then of logging trucks with extra wheels and greater
proportions, and fantastic versions of scientific equipment. So when George
[Lucas] asked me to do these things, I felt ir was what I was meant to do all
along. It is the most fun and comes easy to me."
McQuarrie, born June 13, 1929, in Gary, Indiana, was influenced by his
grandfather, who did watercolors, and his mother, who drew and painted. It
wasn't long before he settled on a career in art. He took an art major in
high school, studied technical illustration, and then whent to work for the
Boeing Company. There he met people who had studied at and recommended the
Art Center School in Los Angeles. After two years in Korea, he enrolled at
Art Center as an illustration student.
The ease with which McQuarrie understood the highly technical visuals required
for STAR WARS is partially explained by his earlier work for CBS News Apollo
coverage as well as for Boeing, Litton Industries, and Kaiser Graphics. His
work for CBS, doing artist's rendering of the capsule's travel through space -
makeing visible what could not otherwise be seen - generated quite an interest
in McQuarrie's work. He was soon approached about doing animation background
paintings and movie-poster art.
Some production paintings McQuarrie had done for Hal Barwood and Matthew
Robbins brought him to the attention of director George Lucas in late 1975.
Very soon after, they began discussing production paintings for STAR WARS.
Lucas suggested that McQuarrie approach the work from the point of view of
"ideal" portrayals rather that feel restricted by what could actually be
achieved in filming the situations represented in the art.
The first four of five paintings had been done when STAR WARS was still in the
development stage trhough Twentieth Century-Fox. George Lucas felt that
McQuarrie's paintings would not only be of interest to Twentieth, but, by
helping them to visualize his ideas, would also dissolve any hesitation on
their part to go ahead with making the film.
The production paintings were of incalculable value when it came to discussing
STAR WARS' production design and costuming. They reflect various changes
in visual concepts as well as the evolving story line. The ideas of not only
George Lucas and Ralph McQuarrie are concretized here, but also those of
production deisgner John Barry and model deisgner Joe Johnston and
Colin Cantwell.
McQuarrie's paintings were done in a combination of opaque gouache and
acrylic on illustration board mount on hardboard.
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STAR WARS
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(Last updated at: 980414)