Hey everyone, I'm back like Return of the Jedi (borrowed that from Cool Mo Dee)
So last time I left off telling you the beginning concepts of the CIV program cover/poster.
We were talking about the importance of capturing the emotion and excitement of not only "A New Hope" but also the whole saga.
But capturing the essence of the Star Wars saga is only half of what's going on in this piece.

It was really important for me to put a piece of myself into this. I don't mean that literally, that' would be gross,J Rather I mean emotionally.
As I stated in my last blog there were many different sketches and ideas. One had exactly 30 characters around Vader, Another had every Character that MADE who Anakin was, including Emperor Palpatine, QuiGon Jinn, and Schmi Skywalker. But it wasn't until I understood, that it wasn't WHO made Anakin, it was WHAT made Anakin/Vader.

So I began to think about the impact Star Wars has had on my life. I began to realize how eerily paralleled my life's story was to the story of Star Wars. You know? Family issues, friends, relationships...flying through spaceJ
I realized, this is probably true for all Star Wars fans, and is probably the element that makes these films so endearing to us, because in a way they are about US.

Personally, my life has been going through so many radical changes in the last 5 years, but even more so in these last 6 months. For some odd reason I had to deal with a lot of these changes while I was creating this painting. I see it as a blessing, as I put all of that energy and emotion into this piece.

The great thing about Star Wars is, at it's heart, its about the human condition. The Arc of the story is about Anakin Skywalker, his legacy and redemption. But I think Anakin/Vader is actually a study in human psychology and the power/ destructive nature of DENIAL.
Denial is one of the strongest devices our minds have to deal with things. We all know someone in our lives (or even our selves), who completely deny even the most obvious truths. People Deny they have drinking or drug problems, people deny that they are ever wrong, and to be specific to Anakin...people even deny they have children. If People didn't deny things, do you thing there would be any Jerry Springer, or Maury Povich shows?

So where did Anakin's Denial start?
The moment of truth for Anakin was when he helped kill Mace Windu. However, this only illustrated Anakin's inability to make good decisions under pressure. He could have simply blocked Maces blow and tried to talk down Mace first... You know, count to 10? Take a breath? Ask Mace what they call a Whopper in Europe? Anything. But Palpatine plays his impetuous nature and makes Anakin desperate enough to take an action that there is no forgivable excuse for. When Anakin is down on his knees and says "What have I done" Palpatine offers him a way to deny truth by telling him" You are fulfilling your destiny". Anakin knows DENIAL is his only option.

I don't think he ever forgot he was Anakin, but the foundation of his "New Empire" was now built upon shaky ground. But the truth is, and we all know this from experience, the longerwe deny things, lie, or simply don't face the truth...the weaker the foundation becomes.
Anakin, and the Emperor knew that if even a whisper of the truth came to surface EVERYTHING would come crumbling down...Which it did, and why Luke was such a threat. Not because of Lukes powers, but because Luke was undeniable TRUTH.
This is why Luke is near the heart of this painting. He symbolizes truth.

I believe Vader knew SOMETHING was up right at the beginning of A New Hope.
When they are above Tatooine, he basically says "send someone else after the droids. I aint goin down there." Think of all the heart ach that Tatooine brought Anakin. You think every sand person alive doesn't want a piece of him? He probably sensed some tremor in the force down on the surface too. Be it Luke, or even Obiwan. Which, by the way, is why I think Obi Wan and Yoda chose Tatooine to send Luke, because they know Tatooine is last place in the galaxy Vader wants to go.

You know Vader felt something strange about Leia too. At every turn he tries to postpone her execution. She probably reminded him of Padme, but did not know why.

When the Falcon gets caught by the Death Star, Vader says "I sense something, a presence I've not felt since..." and stops short. Kind of like saying, "Stop it...Don't even go there".
But he can't completely deny the feelings so he passes it off as it must be Obi Wan...But he knows it's something to do with his past.
Once Lukes name "Skywalker" is revealed by ESB, both Vader and Palpatine are forced to face the truth, and then the plots begin to unfold. Palpatine knows Vader wants to deny things, so he refers to Luke as "The son of Skywalker". BUT I think he also does this to see what Vaders reaction would be. Suddenly, they both want Luke for themselves to destroy each other.

I think Vader only faces the truth once Luke is about to die, and he realizes that LOVE is his true motivation to wanting to find and save Luke from the Emperor. That is one of my favorite scenes in ROTJ, because somehow you can see that while Luke is getting zapped, that EVERYTHING is coming to light to Vader. He is paralyzed by the truth , and is facing everything he has done, for the first time. Vader realizes there is nothing left to do but embrace the truth and redeem himself before he dies. AH, I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

"Facing the truth", is really what this piece is about. You know what? I previously had no title for this painting. But I think this works.

"Hence forth. The painting will be known as..."Facing the Truth".

Ok, that is enough for today, next time I will discuss the composition and color. It's a little more interesting than I make it sound hereJ

Ok, on to the responses.
Wow, thank you so much everyone for your kind comments. It really means a lot to meJ
So to answer your questions...

Q: Is it difficult to give up a vision? Was the final concept one of sacrifice, compromise but ultimately satisfying?
A: Sometimes it is difficult to give up a vision. But one thing you learn in this business is that your first idea is rarely the best idea. HOWEVER, it is usually the most important idea in my experience. The great thing about working with Steve Sansweet was he listenes just as good as he directs. I can guarentee you that 90% of the time that you see an illustration that just grabs you and is truly exceptional there was a great art director working behind the scenes. A great art director knows how to get the most of their talented artists. Steve definitely has this gift. So, no this piece was not a compromise or sacrifice at all. It was a journey, and everything that was used or deleted was part of what makes the final piece what it is.
Sometimes what you leave out, is the most important thing of all.

Q: What type of projector did you use? Is that your usual method of transferring the drawing to the canvas?
A: I use a Prism projector. It's pretty standard in the industry. It's not cheap, but its solid. There are smaller less expensive ones, but you find quickly how limiting they are. The saying is true...You get what you pay forJ

Actually this is the first time in over a decade that I have used a projector on a canvas or illustration board. Only because I could never afford a prism. But what I usually do is cover the back of a "copy" of my sketch with graphite and then transfer the drawing by drawing over the "copy" while it is on my illustration board. It leaves a light transfer of graphite on your board, which you can easily start drawing or paint over. I prefer to redraw the sketch on the board with a pencil,. But there are down falls to this. When you use a transfer, you not only transfer graphite, but you are also leaving an impression on the board. If you need to change something, you can erase the graphite but the impression stays. So you better be sure you have your sketch pretty accurate before you transfer.

Q: Will you be at CIV, possibly available to sign programs??
A: Yes, definitely. All five days! I will sign just about anything! I will also be selling, amongst other things, my CIV exclusive Limited Edition print. Which is totally different from the program cover. Don't forget that the cover will also be available as a poster in the CIV store!!!!

Ciao!

Don't forget you can still see pictures of "the making of"here:
http://web.mac.com/randymartinez/iWeb/Posters/Making%20of%20SWCIV%20Cover.html

See more of my art at:

www.randymartinez.net