Welcome to a look Inside The Holocron. A collection of articles from the archives of *starwars.com no longer directly available.
(*Archived here with Permission utilising The Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars Artist Tips
When you watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, do you ever wish you could draw Jedi, droids, bounty hunters, clone troopers and creatures like the ones your see on TV? Learn to draw like a Jedi Master with this hands-on workbook — **Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars — from Klutz.
Written by the editors of Klutz and Lucasfilm’s Bonnie Burton, and illustrated by Star Wars artist Grant Gould, Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars is packed with tips and techniques, practice space to draw right in the book, and translucent overlays that make tracing a snap.
StarWars.com chats with illustrator Grant Gould about what you’ll find inside Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars and how to draw like a pro!
**Not an Affiliate link!
Why do you think this book is a great way for beginning artists to learn how to draw their favorite Clone Wars characters?
It’s a great introduction to the essentials of drawing, such as basic shapes and framework. A lot of people joke that they can only draw stick figures, but what they might not realize is that stick figures are a great first step to learning to draw characters. I think this book will help kids understand that, and allow them to practice drawing in ways they might not have normally thought of.
What is the most common mistake first-time artists make when they are learning how to draw?
I think first-time artists often make the mistake of going straight to the final shaded drawing. They don’t want to deal with the basic shapes and pose first; they want to skip right to the last step, and doing it that way won’t help you improve as an artist.
Why is tracing a good way to begin to learn how to draw?
Many artists teach themselves drawing and anatomy by looking at other artists and by tracing. For example, when I was a kid, I would trace my superhero comics, and I think that helped me in the long run. There’s nothing wrong with using others’ work as a reference and a teaching tool. You’ll find that eventually you’ll begin to do your own thing and your skills will grow, and you won’t need to trace any longer! The knowledge will be part of you, and that’s when you can begin to create your own work and develop your own style.
Why are knowing how to draw stick figures important?
Stick figures are a great way to help beginning artists visualize a character and his or her pose. It breaks down the essential, bare-bones shapes of a character, and makes for the perfect framework for which the artist can then work with.
Who is your favorite Clone Wars character to draw and why?
I love so many of them, but I think Yoda and Ahsoka are my favorites. They’ve got such great character designs, and I really have fun drawing those two.
What was your favorite thing to draw in the book?
I don’t know if I could narrow it down to just one character, but I especially enjoyed all of the more rendered sketches, where I could show a little more detail. But over all, it was a fun variety of stuff.
Who’s the hardest person to draw in the Clone Wars?
Droids are always harder to draw than you think they’ll be. Artoo, for example, looks like he’d be very simple, but the truth is, it’s tough getting those lines just right. Some artists have a natural talent for drawing organic characters, others have a natural talent for the more technical aspects, such as droids and ships. It’s different for everyone.
What is the most important piece of advice you want to give beginning artists?
Don’t be afraid to just dive in and start drawing. The more you practice, the better you’ll get! No one is perfect when they start off, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
And with that, Inside the Holocron goes on a short hiatus while I compile some more from the archives.
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