McQuarrie - Moebius R.I.P.

A sketch tribute for two great artists.

This month saw the passing of two amazing artists: Ralph McQuarrie and Jean "Moebius" Giraud. Both of them had and will continue to have a big impact on my work. I'll provide links to information about both artists below but I thought I'd talk about their work and how much they've inspired me.

The first "art of" book I ever bought was "The Art of Star Wars." I can't recall exactly when I got the book, but I think it was during high school. I was a full-on Star Wars nerd back then and those books opened a whole new world for me. It was only then that I made the realization that someone could be a concept artist. Before then, I never really thought about the process of design when it came to movies or animation. (I was mostly into comics.) Ralph McQuarrie had a beautiful sense of design. His work has an elegant simplicity that still holds up today. I can't think of many other concept artists that have had a bigger impact on film and visual design. Emily and I were fortunate to meet him back in 1997 and he was a gentle, humble man and my condolences go out to his family and friends.

Probably my favorite of McQuarrie's Star Wars production paintings. I love the
posing of the characters and the amazing composition.

Moebius, on the other hand, I discovered a bit later. I knew about his work for years, but I never really had one of his comics or art books until I picked one up at the San Diego Comic Con about ten years ago. I was instantly hooked. It makes sense that I was drawn to his work because the artists that he inspired or worked with were some of my favorites as well. Artists like Otomo, Miyazaki, Amano, and Terada. When I look at the worlds he created, I think to myself, "I want to live there." When an artist can do that, I feel they have truly achieved something special. Moebius had such a wide range of styles and subject matter that I think I'll be finding "new" work by him for a very long time! Again, my condolences go out to his family and friends. 

Moebius's design work on the much maligned
(but I still love it) fantasy movie "Willow" are
some of my favorite pieces of character design.

Another favorite of mine. Little Nemo in Slumberland.

Both of these artists were visionaries and their influence has made a huge mark in the art world.

R.I.P

Links:
Emily's post about McQuarrie:
http://fabledearth.blogspot.com/2012/03/ralph-mcquarrie-1929-2012.html
Ralph McQuarrie's website:
http://www.ralphmcquarrie.com/
Nice post on Lines and Colors about McQuarrie's passing:
http://www.linesandcolors.com/2012/03/04/ralph-mcquarrie-1929%E2%80%932012/
Moebius's site:
http://www.moebius.fr/
Quenched Concsiousness, an amazing tumblr for all things Moebius:
http://theairtightgarage.tumblr.com/
Some other tributes from comic artists:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/03/16/jean-giraud-moebius-tributes-artwork-essays/