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caesar120 β 'Cantina'
Published: 2011-04-18 03:38:51 +0000 UTC; Views: 3296; Favourites: 65; Downloads: 0
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Description
Illustration for West End Games: Star Wars RPG...I believe this is from one of my earliest assignments. Different style...but still packed with detail!Related content
Comments: 42
Really cool, I love it. Also nice to see that many of the non-humans come in pairs, all to often I see SW illustration where you haveΒ 30-50% humans but all the other species have only one representative.
Have to ask, the grumpy looking, eight limbed, lizard-guy (or is it gal?) to the left of the picture has his/her species a name? Really like the design.
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I musts ay that in my humble opinion your Star Wars artwork is among the ebst I have seen here.
I love the details and how lifelike the characters are. You can almost hear the chatter and smell the smoke and brew.
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Thank you very much for the encouraging words, YEM. My Star Wars illustration years are long past. So it's gratifying to know that many of my RPG pieces still hold up! When I first started doing gaming illos in the late 1980's I was determined to raise the bar for quality artwork in those expensive RPG products. The dedicated Gamers deserved illustrations packed with detail. The point is to provide theΒ necessary fuel toΒ fire imaginations and inspire exciting gameplay.
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Thanks, Poe! The use of Zipatone is a clear indication that 'Cantina' goes waaaay back. *smile* I really tried my best to spend the time it takes to pack in the details. Those gaming books were very expensive and I wanted the dedicated Gamers who bought them to feel it was worth the money.
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I always loved your art the most and when I was looking for new books I always thought: "If there are drawings by Mike Vilardi, I'll buy it" 
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For me the goal was always to try to create an image that would inspire more adventurous and enjoyable game-play, Poe. I'm fairly certain I didn't make as much money per illustration because I spent so much more time on each one. But that didn't matter to me. I didn't always hit the bullseye, but I'd like to think I at least hit the target!
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Oh, man, this takes me back; I used to love gazing at this particular piece in my original West End copy of the rules. It's got the little Muppety eyestalk guys in it and everything. The ophidian dude in the background always reminds me of Sir Hiss from Disney's Robin Hood -- was that intentional?
My original gaming group (from half my life ago) is actually reuniting for a Star Wars campaign soon, and we're reminiscing over your art which was always our favorite.
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Awesome words, Jess. I appreciate you sharing those thoughts with me. I really tried to inspire the imagination with the pieces I was assigned by West End. I wanted depth...mood...details. It's gratifying to know it paid off!
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It absolutely did. Your art in "Fragments from the Rim" really helped flesh out life in the outer reaches of the galaxy, and inspired a lot of thought about mood and story with my group. There have been a lot of very talented artists working on Star Wars properties (and some sloppy ones, admittedly), but I don't think anyone really had your eye for mise-en-scène. Portraiture and technical charts are great and all, but you were telling stories.
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Exactly why I poured as much into each illustration as I possibly could. Not every illo was a success...but I certainly tried to make them count! I wanted you guys to step into an environment and look around. I had faith you could take it from there and make it your own!
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I love that picture so much. Brings back good ol`RPG days...
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Yeah...this piece is nostalgic for me as well. Great times, Bernd. Great times!
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that is an awesome place set in the star war-ian world. great job. I can't tell its not for some official publisher.
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Thanks, Jeremiah. This was a fun piece to do. One of those illustrations where my art director asked for hundreds of characters. *smile* Ah my West End days!
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hehe I only wish I was that good in my own works. but I do good in my own way.
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Indeed you do, Jeremiah. Fulfilling the creative impulse to the best of our abilities. THAT is what's important!
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This is one cantina I would use in my D6 SW campaign. well done
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This piece was done early on in my West End period. The tip-off is the use of shading film only. Before I started using Unishade and Duotone paper.
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I am still in the stone age of crosshatching and inkwash. I never used the tools you mentioned. but they are all quite pleasing to the eye from what I see in your works.
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The stoneage is a good age, Chris. Crosshatch and inkwash are tried-n'-true methods. Unishade and Duotone papers were great tools for me, especially when I was doing a boatload of illos on a deadline. Gave me speed without sacrificing quality. Those papers are no longer offered due to the developement of digital graphics programs...which I have yet to dabble in. So I've taken to pencil-shading my inks.
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interesting choice, I might as well give it a try just to see how it works. What can you say about print quality of those pencil shades? Due to my extremely limited knowledge, inking is fundementally tracing pencils in order to prepare them for print. Worth a try nevertheless.
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Here's a great "trick", Altug. Once you have a pencil lineart version to your liking...make a light photocopy on good cardstock...then do your inking and shading directly on the copy. That way you aren't risking the original drawing, and you can take as many shots as you want at it to get it exactly the way you want. It's a great way to practice inking with a brush (my favorite method of laying down linework).
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This is really useful. I am always afraid of ruining my pencils when I ink and hesitation is the bane of a consistent line. It shows itself on paper instantly. This way I could master that fear in a safe mode. thanks again
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You are very welcome, Altug. It's always a pleasure to help another artist negotiate the Creative Path. I've had alot of help along the way myself!
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hmmm might have to have you make some stuff like this for me 
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It was a fun piece to do, Eniak! I tried to pack in as much detail as possible so the eye would wander around the "room".
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Ah, space cantinas... sleazy bartenders who clean glasses with spittle...
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Mhm...serving only the best pseudo-pasturized blue milk in the galaxy! Slipped a cross-species butt-grope into this piece. Sweeet!
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Hah, yeah, noticed it!!!
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Now this is an instant fav! Your style rocks!
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Ah yeah.
If I was home I'd find it.
But in any case, this is a great scene.
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I think you're on the mark with Fragments From The Rim. Personally what I liked was the snake-like alien conversing with an unknown character in the booth on the left...and I managed to sneak a "grope" into the piece (short multi-armed alien at the bar)!
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Yeah. The "grope" alien, along with his brother plus their 'master' at the table were more repeat characters in that book.
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Fun, fun, fun!
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I like all the texture on the characters. That makes them stand out more
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I reallt enjoyed throwing alot of details into this illustration. If you look carefully, there is a cat-like animal sitting on the shoulder of the squid-faced character in the middle of the scene. Just a fun piece!
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You took the words right outta my mouth!
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oh, wow. the detail in this is quite impressive. i love all of the different aliens, it's a lot of fun to look at!
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Thanks, Olivia! It was alot of fun doing illustrations like this one. It was a blast being able to play around in the Star wars universe!
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