Page 132 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2019)

How did you come to work on this project?
I received an email from Jonathan Rinzler
(LucasBooks’ Executive Editor) inviting me
to participate. I had to read it several times
to convince myself it was real! Next day
I talked with him and he gave me complete
freedom to do what I wanted. It was perfect!

Did you have any other ideas before you
started the one that became the
finished piece?
This was the first idea. It was not exactly the

same, because I changed her dress, but it
was the same composition from the fi rst
sketch to the final image. I suddenly thought

that I had endless options, but was choosing

the first one. So I spent weeks looking for
something different! Eventually, I went back

to the first one and I realized it was beautiful
and very strong.
What were the challenges of painting
characters or situations that don’t exist
in our world?
The main challenge for this painting
was making the rancor looks as real as

the human figure and creating the illusion
of both being in the same space. The fi rst
steps must be very accurate because you
need to have control over the light, size, and
perspective of every single element. Once
you have that and it works, you have the

adventure of finishing the painting. Getting
to that point is the challenge.
How long did the piece take to fi nish?
Around four months, more or less.
How does this piece differ from what you
would normally paint?
Well, the rancor is the only monster I’ve
ever painted!
Have you any plans to do any more Star
Wars art?
Working again in the Star Wars universe
would be interesting. The character would
once again be a new one. I would have to
look for something spectacular.

Arantzazu Martinez is a painter from Vitoria, Spain.
She earned a B. A. from the Fine Arts University of the
Basque Country in 2000, and later graduated from the
New York Academy of Figurative Art.
Her works have been exhibited in the United States,
Spain, and Great Britain.
See more at:
www.arantzazumartinez.com

This image: Arantzazu at work
in her studio.

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