His howling - your blasting (06)
Last Updated (Friday, 13 May 2011 20:30) Written by Administrator Wednesday, 11 May 2011 00:00
Art Notes
Savour this reader - savourrrr. Ok, never mind. I will for you.
This is definitely early to mid-1978 because I was still doing the triangular and diamond shaped eyes. So not as early as the late '77/early 78 ones (below) which are very childish. I reckon I learnt a hell of a lot drawing-wise in the space of 6-9 months from Star Wars and Howard Chaykin. This is also the yellow skin period, which I've discussed elsewhere. It's weird how you become blind to aspects of your own artwork. I mentioned earlier how rendering space as white seems quite natural after a while, when you can't be arsed filling it all in with thin black marker.
Above: A few months before - really weird artwork!
Some of you reading this are probably artists/illustrators and you'll be familiar with the experience of rendering a study from life, convinced that it looks great, you walk away for a bit, come back to it and see it with fresh eyes. Arseways! You have to keep looking at it in a mirror as you go to keep an objective view of the colours, tones and form. It's surprisingly easy, despite the greatest concentration to end up with a skewed face with green skin!
Hai Yah! Hong Kong Chewie
"What the! (statement)"
"'E's right (guv'nor)"
I particularly like this page. There's so much happening. A hapless trooper gets dramatically blasted after wandering into the room (possibly trying to find the toilet).
Chewie gives us an extra performance, not shown in the movie. Yes, yes, George Lucas - no vision you see? Chewie does a sort of Kung Fu move on Luke for daring to criticise Chewie's owner. Luke gives a little Beano-style whistle - or 'phew' exhalation and thanks Han. Do you think I'd jumbled it up with a vague memory of the funny "Now Chewbacca I'm just going to put these binders on you..." bit?
Kung Fu had been a popular series on telly back then for a couple of years; part of a sort of general martial arts craze. (see Ben's "HAI!") There was even a hit called Kung Fu Fighting and lots of kids were enrolling in Judo classes. I recall my bigger cousin Howard, a Kung Fu show fan, when the relatives visited us in Scotland in the '70s'; getting his kid-size Karate gear on and going through his moves in the sunny back garden - egged on by his parents. I was dead impressed.
Thanks for reading! Care to comment?
Comments
He looks like Atlas holding up the world.
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