Ralph McQuarrie

Born: June 13, 1929Died: March 3, 2012 (aged 82)

by Josiah Dyrud

Ralph McQuarrie was a concept artist, best known for his work on the Star Wars films.

Ralph McQuarrie

McQuarrie's style, according to one source, used, "Strongly geometric subjects rendered in muted colors against a flat, purposefully compressed backdrop."

McQuarrie grew up on a farm in Billings, Montana. He served in the United States Army during the Korean war, surviving a shot to the head. After returning from the war, McQuarrie moved to California in the 1960s, studying at the Art Center School.

Ralph McQuarrie painted with acrylic and gouache, but he also usedcoloured pencils and chalks. He also used traditional airbrushingtechniques especially when rendering backdrops and metal objects.