Star Wars Sketchbook - Stormtroopers: "Look, Sir, Droids!"

Stormtroopers:

"Look, Sir, Droids!"

OK, I'm probably a moron (oh, I just **NOW** realized that?) for starting down this path, but here are pages 1-2 of the newly designated "Star Wars Sketchbook".  I always liked the "Look, sir, droids!" scene, so figured I'd do that one, next.  It probably has to do with the background Dewbacks--well, also foreground Dewbacks in the New Edition(s).  I found them cool when I was a kid (and still do), and always really liked the Star Wars card with a Stormtrooper on a Dewback.  I guess I should have just done a painting of that Star Wars card, I guess?  Oh, well, maybe next time.  I still have 25 Double-Pages/50 Single-Pages left to make that painting, if I so choose.

Now, for the next point in this decision tree...  Should I keep just doing drawings/paintings from "Star Wars: Episode Four: A New Hope", or scenes from other "Star Wars" movies, as well.  Hmmmm...  I'm thinking it will be all from "A New Hope".  Find out next week!  :-D

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STEP ONE:  Here is the double-page spread in the Sketchbook.  It was primed with casein fixative and acrylic paint, then used a blue-violet colored pencil to draw the rough placement of the Stormtroopers.

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STEP TWO:  This was the first pass with acrylic paint.  The background Stormtrooper and Escape Pod were moved up a little bit, as the placement was a bit awkward as compared to the foreground Trooper holding the... whatever the heck that thing is.

The palette was relatively simple: Titanium White, Carbon Black, Payne's Grey, Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber, King's Blue, Ultramarine Blue, and Anthraquinone Blue.

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STEP THREE:  And here's the final painting, done with lots of finagling, going back and forth with different paint colors and values.  

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Done with Acrylic Paint on 8-1/2" x 11" Stillman & Brin Mixed Media (140#) paper.

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Sketchbook Cover - Greedo

Greedo

I happened to get a couple nicer watercolor sketchbooks on clearance and figured I should doodle something on the cover so I know which side to open.  Hey, how 'bout... [very, very, very long pause].  Oh, heck, I can't think of anything--I'll just do one of Greedo.  Why  not?

So, that's the story of how I decided to do an acrylic painting on the cover of the sketchbook.  However, now that has given me a bit of a dilemma.

There are 26 sheets of paper in the sketchbook, which is 52 pages.  Which also just so happens to be the number of weeks in a year.  You may already see where I am thinking of going with this.  Part of me thinks it would be a great idea to do another stupid challenge to myself--hey, Dummy, how 'bout a painting a week for the whole year in the sketchbook?  Hmmm, I dunno about that, it seems like a pretty big commitment.  I already have "31 Days of Hell-O-Ween" in October to think about.  Should I add more to that?  Probably not... but that hasn't ever really stopped me before.

Also, what would I paint on all those pages?  Should I keep going with all "Star Wars" characters?  Or broaden it out just a little bit to all Science Fiction movies in general?  Decisions, decisions...

I guess y'all will find out what I decide shortly after I do.  Or something like that.

Anyhoo, here's the Work in Progress for this painting!

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STEP ONE:  Hey, it's a sketchbook on clearance!

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STEP TWO:  I coated the cover with a mix of Matte Medium and Casein fixative to give the Acrylic paint something to stick to.  I figured, since the cover was a darker blue, to do the painting as a monochrome painting, with the palette consisting of: Titanium White, Carbon Black, and Ultramarine Blue.  Here's the first pass with a large, 1/2" flat brush and a No. 12 Round.

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STEP THREE:  And here's the finished painting.  A lot more modeling and texture added to the face, and just general adding of detail.  I did add my name in Photoshop, 'cuz I realized a little too late I forgot to sign it.  Oh, well.

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STEP FOUR:  And, just to add the symmetry from the Step One, here it is in hand after I just finished spraying it with Krylon UV-Protective Fixative.  Weird how a lot of the blue color was lost on the phone pic; I guess I'll blame the fluorescent lighting.  Now for the difficult part: Trying to figure out what to do next with the sketchbook with all those blank pages!  Hmmmm....

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Done with Acrylic Paint on 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" cover.

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