Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." ...in the later months of 1977, Ballantine Books published a special product: the Star Wars Portfolio , a collection of 21 production paintings created to inspire the craftsmen and women who helped realize the vision of filmmaker George Lucas in his epic motion picture, "Star Wars." This unique piece of early "Star Wars" merchandise was followed by similar portfolio editions of the succeeding movies in the "Star Wars" Original Trilogy, the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Portfolio (24 Art Prints in Cardstock Envelope) and the Return of the Jedi Portfolio . The man behind these paintings would soon become a legendary figure in the history of the beloved "Star Wars" Saga, Ralph McQuarrie. "Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie" is a massive 2 volume tribute to this talented illustrator and in this "Star Wars" fan's opinion, one of the most definitive books on the Saga ever published. The 2 books that comprise this collection are hardcover tomes with black cloth covers, each adorned with a black and white reproduction of sketches drawn by Mr. McQuarrie: both are contained within a similarly designed slipcase which features a full color reprinting of a production painting of early versions of the droid duo C-3PO and R2-D2. Weighing approximately 20 pounds (I couldn't resist putting it on a scale!), this is a serious and stunning set of art books! It should be understood by the reader and collector that much of the material in these volumes has been published before in the many different books and other publications released about the Saga since "The Star Wars Portfolio," such as: The Art of Star Wars, Episode IV - A New Hope book by Carol Titelman, first published in 1979 and revised for the "Star Wars Special Edition" in 1997, along with its Original Trilogy sequel volumes, The Art of Star Wars, Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back by Vic Bulluck and Valerie Hoffman, and The Art of Star Wars, Episode VI - Return of the Jedi ; and The Illustrated Star Wars Universe (Star Wars) by Mr. McQuarrie and Kevin Anderson, first released in 1997. Many additional pieces of previously unreleased production art were displayed in the limited edition treasure The Art of Ralph McQuarrie by John David Scoleri and Stan Stice, published in 2007 by Dream and Visions Press. The books in this collection add to those previous tomes with an even greater wealth of never before released art by Mr. McQuarrie. The true achievement of this very special edition is that it compiles all of Mr. McQuarrie's colossal creative contribution to the "Star Wars" phenomenon in one published work. For fans of the Saga, these books reveal the immense, imaginative vision of this gifted artist and also showcase the lasting influence Mr. McQuarrie still has on the ongoing "Star Wars" mythology that is cherished around the world. As the reader immerses him or herself into this collection, they will find themselves taken to the very beginning of the "Star Wars" Saga as George Lucas and Mr. McQuarrie collaborate in bringing to life "a galaxy far, far away." From Mr. Lucas' sparse pencil sketches of his initial toughts on the designs of the X-Wing and Tie Fighter craft, Mr. McQuarrie's fully painted production illustrations of the distinctive space ships soaring into battle to the evolving realizations of the vast and various characters and worlds in the "Star Wars" universe, this multi-volume set can be considered the ultimate book of Genesis in understanding the birth and ever growing saga that is "Star Wars." A highlight of this tome are the expanded reproductions of many of Mr. McQuarrie's famous conceptual paintings. These "detail" images give the reader the opportunity to more closely examine the technique of the artist. As someone who has been fortunate enough to have actually seen some of Mr. McQuarrie's original production paintings at a "Star Wars Celebration" convention, this reviewer was very grateful to have the chance to more fully gaze at these remarkable renderings. The original works of concept art are surprisingly modest in their true dimensions but the power and sense of scope they invoke have always been awe-inspiring. Paging through these volumes, the reader will discover that sense of grandeur again and again. Another highlight of this collection is the accompanying text, researched and compiled from the Lucasfilm archives and edited by Brandon Alinger, David Mandel, and Wade Lageose. Interspersed throughout the 2 volumes this enlightening companion to the wide variety of artwork provides contextual history and rewarding remembrances from Mr. McQuarrie and other artisans in the creation of these cherished works of space fantasy art. An example of these recollections is the following quote from Craig Barron, a matte photographer and longtime friend to the artist: "Star Wars is an entire world created by George's imagination, realized by Ralph's illustrations. It's a timeless universe with its distinct technology and history. It exists whenever you're watching it. It has magic to it." How true. Magnificent in its size, weight and collected contents, "Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie" is quite simply one of the greatest books ever published on the "Star Wars" Saga. It is a volume I happily give my very highest recommendation. May the Force be with you, always!

Honestly this surprised me. I didn't read the product specifications, so when it came in the mail I was shocked by how huge and heavy it is. This is NOT your standard coffee table art book--this is huge. Check the size and weight before you buy. This is a bulky, quality book with beautiful pages, crisp printing, and the content is beautiful. I haven't seen an homage to McQuarrie's art this tastefully done, or this comprehensive and complete. The only downside, which has me waffling between 4 and 5 stars, is that the black felt-like cover captures dust and skin frustratingly easily and is very difficult to clean. I don't want to have to enjoy this book by wearing gloves...Yet any time I handle it, no matter how well I've washed me hands, there are white little smudges all over the black. It's truly jet black felt, so it shows *any* amount of dust/particulate/skin. I'm hesitant to use a damp rag to wipe off those areas before putting it back on display, but it's practically necessary or else this thing just looks worn and scuffed after a single use.

I think it would be important for me to qualify my background briefly before my statements regarding these volumes; I am an illustrator and fine artist with more than two decades of professional production, education, and exhibition experience. In recent years, I’ve turned my attention to concept art and design for the entertainment industry, and as such I have looked to keep on hand not only imagery that fuels my creativity as I strive to reach that next level, but the creative visions that remind me of the excitement and enthusiasm that inspired me to become an artist in the first place. To that end, I could not purchase a better book. These lavishly (profusely so) illustrated volumes could be textbooks for an entertainment concept design curriculum. I say this, of course, with an understanding of the range of sophisticated digital software tools available to artists today – this compilation, full of hand-crafted art, is a powerful testament to the creativity and talent of Ralph McQuarrie, whose visions based on George Lucas’ early Star Wars scripts left an indelible mark on film history and popular culture. Despite owning several volumes that feature the artwork and design for the original trilogy of Star Wars films… I was shocked at the number of images I had never seen before. And, I’m not talking about “after thought” sketches or doodles – these are fully-realized conceptual designs in pencil, ink, marker, and paint. Hundreds of them. Content? If Ralph McQuarrie sneezed in 1976, and the tissue looked like a tie-fighter, I swear it’s in this collection. I joke, but the point is you’ll see where the design work for these ground-breaking films took many (wrong) directions before arriving at the designs that became iconic, which of course is a powerful lesson for any aspiring conceptual designer to understand. With pencils, markers, paint… and a trusty photocopier… you see here, in chronological order, McQuarrie crafting Star Wars with his hands through sheer talent and tenacity. This book is also notated with interesting side stories about the artwork, the context and purpose for the art, its use in the final films. There are even stories that help you to understand Mr. McQuarrie as a person – a look at the problem solver that McQuarrie, and the many pioneers at ILM, had to be. The reproductions in these volumes are worthy of its subject, and they are presented with clear, large, and concise details that would impress any museum curator – indeed, if the 2,000 works of art in these volumes was a touring museum exhibition, this could be its catalog. Of course, Ralph McQuarrie’s work speaks for itself, and it is presented in these beautiful hardcover volumes in a manner that does absolute justice not only to the history of these influential films, but to the artist himself.

Excelente libro del creador visual del universo de Star Wars.

What a great book, it arrived in pristine condition and is very intriguing, though can be very dust prone due to the felt.

Consegna puntuale. Regali per il mio nipote. È rimasto felice

Imprescindible!!!

I bought this for a friend who's a massive SW fan after reading all the reviews here, and even knowing how well it was rated I was still very impressed. It might be pricey but it's an extremely well made and designed duo of books chock full of photos, information and development process. I love SW, but I'm not the kind of guy to buy anything SW related. This is something I'd buy myself and I just may someday! Seriously, if you have a true fan in your life that you love enough and you can afford to splurge a bit, this will make their day. It's fantastic.