A Green-Skinned Han Solo With Gills? ‘Star Wars’ Concept Art Trailer Showcases Early Illustrations By Artist Ralph McQuarrie
A group of students from DAVE has recently brought Ralph McQuarrie's vision for the Star Wars characters to life. McQuarrie passed away in 2012, but his influence in the world of science fiction is still very much seen and felt today.
The students from the Digital Animation and Visual Effects School in Orlando, Florida released a concept art trailer featuring some characters from Star Wars that were originally created by McQuarrie.
Who Is Ralph McQuarrie?
McQuarrie was the one responsible for the overall look of Star Wars. His designs and concert art shaped George Lucas' original film, as well as the movies and TV shows under the franchise.
Lucas has also used McQuarrie's concept as a starting point for all of his creations in Star Wars. Interestingly, the students came up with a live-action trailer depicting what the characters would've looked like had McQuarrie's ideas been incorporated into every single aspect of the film.
The Concept Art Trailer
The over 5-minute trailer featured multiple scenes that were brought to life from McQuarrie's original artwork. The students from DAVE integrated the actual costumes and backgrounds that made the concept art trailer believable.
Some of the characters in the Star Wars films, namely Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, transformed into a giant green space monster with gills and a female hero respectively.
Meanwhile, the concept art trailer also took a page out of The Disaster Artist's playbook, which showed a comparison between the actual footages from Star Wars and the ones created by the students.
McQuarrie's influence continues to impact those behind Star Wars today. Director J.J. Abrams has brought his artwork to life in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Ron Howard also gave McQuarrie a shout out when he directed Solo: Star Wars Story. In the film, McQuarrie's version of Darth Vader's costume was shown.
McQuarrie was also the one responsible for creating the look of iconic characters such as Chewbacca, Boba Fett, R2-D2, and C-3PO. His works have earned him an Academy Award.
George Lucas Expresses Gratitude
The designer passed away at the age of 82. Following his death, Lucas released a statement expressing his gratitude for all his contributions to the Star Wars franchise.
"Ralph McQuarrie was the first person I hired to help me envision Star Wars. His general contribution, in the form of unequaled production paintings, propelled and inspired all of the cast and crew of the original Star Wars trilogy," said Lucas. When words could not convey my ideas, I could always point to one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'Do it like this.'"
