I wanted to do a painting of Kylo Ren in anticipation for the forthcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Not having much to go on regarding the character, I chose to do a scene that could be an extension of his clip in the first teaser trailer (where he is walking a snowy forest and ignites his cross guard lightsaber). I liked the idea of the contrasting colors of his red lightsaber and the cool blue lighting of the scene.
Project Update
When I started this painting it was purely in anticipation for the release of the new movie. But, a few months after I finished, I found out about a nationwide contest for amateur artists sponsored by Disney, LucasFilm and Hewlett-Packard. The contest was looking for artwork inspired by the upcoming movie – so, naturally, I decided to enter. There were thousands of entries, with so many amazing pieces being judged by a committee that included members of Disney, Lucasfilm, and Industrial Light & Magic. To my surprise, I was one of the five selected grand prize winners.
As a winner, I was flown out to Los Angeles to attend the VIP opening night of the Art Awakens Exhibit at Gallery 1988. This exhibit featured Star Wars inspired artwork from top professional and emerging contemporary artists, and it also featured the artwork for the five contest winners. It was an honor to be a part of that experience, and to be recognized for my ability in one of my favorite hobbies about one of my most favorite things – Star Wars.
