QUEST 1: Concept Sketching ORIGINS – Species

ORIGINS – Species

QUEST 1: Concept Sketching

Teacher notes

Curriculum links: Art Zone relevance: Origins

Description: In this activity, your students will get a taste of what it’s like to be concept artists. They will create a scene with minimal direction – relying on their own imaginations to fill in the details. You can then compare students’ work to see what similarities and differences are present and discuss why this happens. Your students can imagine what the Star Wars movies might have looked like if they had been the concept artist.

Background: Concept sketches are used throughout the film industry as a first step in visualising scenes and characters. Concept art can range from quick pencil on paper sketches to fully detailed and coloured paintings depicting scenes. The main concept artist for the original Star Wars trilogy was Ralph McQuarrie (June 13, 1929 – March 3, 2012) who designed many of the film’s characters – including Darth Vader, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO as well as many iconic scenes for the movies. To view McQuarrie’s art, visit his official website: www.ralphmcquarrie.com

Activity: Equipment needed: • Paper • Pencils/coloured pencils/paints • Ralph McQuarrie’s painting of C-3PO and R2-D2 on Tatooine (see supporting Information sheet)

Ask your students create a picture, giving them the following parameters: • It should feature two robots • It should be set on a foreign planet • There should be a mountain for the background

EDUCATOR’S RESOURCE GUIDE 14 Encourage students to come up with their own mental image of the scene before they start drawing. When finished, show your students Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art of C-3PO and R2-D2 on Tatooine. Discuss the similarities and differences of everyone’s pictures.

Concept sketching Information sheet

EDUCATOR’S RESOURCE GUIDE 15