After watching Rogue One again recently with my family, I couldn’t help but daydream about all of the incredible work produced by the one man behind all of the immersive designs that defined the original Star Wars universe. Legendary concept artist, Ralph McQuarrie, was the man behind the curtain working behind the scenes to bring key scenes to life.
His brushstrokes dazzled us from the moment we were jettisoned to the galaxy far, far away where a great adventure took place. The folks who crafted Rogue One paid close attention to every detail down to the nuts and bolts that held the X-wings together. Every decal. Every rivet. All images below © Ralph McQuarrie. Used for editorial purposes only.
Ralph McQuarrie also depicted key visuals in other monumental films such as this Bible illustration below of the Ark of the Covenant for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. He was also involved in the mothership design (bottom) for Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Ralph McQuarrie’s Bible illustration of the Ark of the Covenant as seen in Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981. Copyright Paramount Pictures.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977, mothership design. Written & Directed by Steven Spielberg. Music by John Williams. Copyright Paramount Pictures.