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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:27 am 
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AnsonJames wrote:
Brian,

Obviously you've seen the various casts of your sculpt that are floating about.
Could I ask if the scratches and nicks were present on the original sculpt or are they the product of the casting and painting?
I've always imagined the sculpt was very clean and smooth...

Anson


The original clay sculpt was very smooth and then I carved the plaster cast to be even sharper. Obviously the more times it is moulded and cast the more nicks, scratches and particularly distortions appear. The photo of me sculpting the Death Star Droid gives you an idea of how smooth the clay finish should be and it wasn't at a complete finish when the film was taken.

Brian


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:36 am 
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Darth Karo wrote:
Brian,

How close was your sculpture of vader compared with Mollo's drawings? Was the intial sculpture approved the first time around or did you need to make additional changes?

Thanks.


It was close to the drawing but details were added. It was John Barry's idea to add the tubes, tusks and tear ducts.

Brian


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:53 am 
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Thanks Brian thats very interesting.

I have always thought you must have used this sketch since it has nearly all the features we see on the vader you created exept for the metal tusks and the strip down the center of the helmet.

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JR


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:52 pm 
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black helmet wrote:
Thanks Brian thats very interesting.

I have always thought you must have used this sketch since it has nearly all the features we see on the vader you created exept for the metal tusks and the strip down the center of the helmet.

Image

JR


As I stated previously the drawing I had from John Mollo was a line drawing at a 3/4 angle with no shading. The drawing has subsequently disappeared as I've never seen it since in any book - not even in John's very comprehensive book of drawings. If I had used the drawings you're showing that's what the finished helmet and mask would have looked like.


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:55 pm 
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I like the Muir sculpt better than the concepts.

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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 6:13 pm 
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NoHumorMan wrote:
I like the Muir sculpt better than the concepts.



:thumbsup


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:39 pm 
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That goes without saying, although Lucas and McQuarrie seem to prefer his concept for the novelization cover...I have no idea why. It's the Vader we see on the big screen that gives us the memories of that character, not some drawings...I prefer the more noble proportions of the helmet Brian made because it's more balanced vertically and the mouth/nose doesn't jut out like the McQuarrie concept.

Brian, it would be amazing if you could actually make a sketch of what you recall the reference sketch looked like and post it here for us. But just wishful thinking on my part.

AJ, would it be possible to put all of the facts you've listed in your first post? That way anyone can quickly refer to all the important things we've been fortunate to learn from this discussion.

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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:11 pm 
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So you are basically saying that John Mollo is responsible for the final look of Vader's helmet. He always struck me as a guy who had a lot of ideas, but didn't take a lot of time fleshing them out. Like the kind of guy that would sketch something out on a napkin and hand it to you.


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:13 am 
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I have a deep respect for John Mollo and, especially, Ralph McQuarrie. There were many fine artists who contributed to the overall look of Star Wars. McQuarrie's images established the landscape that we've been enjoying for the past 30 years. While the Concept Vader is amazing, I don't think it's use in ANH would have had the same effect.

Despite those rich and amazing contributions, I still like Brian's take on Darth Vader the most. The John Mollo sketches could have been interpreted and realized (in 3D) in so many ways depending on who the sculptor was, but I doubt anything other than the final Vader sculpt we've come to love would have had such power and potency as an icon of all sci fi - regardless of the era in which it was created.

I think the entire OT would have fallen apart if the antagonist character was not worthy of the protagonist. Brian's sculpt to me is the most endearing, and will be the most enduring design of any movie - past, present and future.

Enough said. :thumbsup

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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:34 am 
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clutch wrote:
So you are basically saying that John Mollo is responsible for the final look of Vader's helmet. He always struck me as a guy who had a lot of ideas, but didn't take a lot of time fleshing them out. Like the kind of guy that would sketch something out on a napkin and hand it to you.


Well I would say that there were a team of artists responsible for the final look that was achieved.

Ralph McQuarrie for his original concept
John Mollo for his take on the concept
John Barry for his verbal input
Last but not least - me :wink: for creating the 3D version from my interpretation of John's lined sketch. As the drawing was from only one angle I had to work out everything else 3 dimentionally.

Brian


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:40 am 
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CSMacLaren wrote:
I have a deep respect for John Mollo and, especially, Ralph McQuarrie. There were many fine artists who contributed to the overall look of Star Wars. McQuarrie's images established the landscape that we've been enjoying for the past 30 years. While the Concept Vader is amazing, I don't think it's use in ANH would have had the same effect.

Despite those rich and amazing contributions, I still like Brian's take on Darth Vader the most. The John Mollo sketches could have been interpreted and realized (in 3D) in so many ways depending on who the sculptor was, but I doubt anything other than the final Vader sculpt we've come to love would have had such power and potency as an icon of all sci fi - regardless of the era in which it was created.

I think the entire OT would have fallen apart if the antagonist character was not worthy of the protagonist. Brian's sculpt to me is the most endearing, and will be the most enduring design of any movie - past, present and future.

Enough said. :thumbsup


Thanks Mac :cool:
You are right that every sculptor works in a different way and each has their own interpretation and style.

Brian


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:49 am 
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illbethere1 wrote:
Hello Brian,

Question :
Did you purposely angle the bottom flange area to achieve what Mac would describe as the (dog ears flap look) when viewed in a certain way ? Did you care about that or did it just turn out that way....... Thanx

Image


When sculpting I work to make sculpts look aesthetically correct and not to be seen as 'dog ears flap look' 30 years later :wink:

Brian


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 9:10 am 
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vaderman wrote:
When sculpting I work to make sculpts look aesthetically correct and not to be seen as 'dog ears flap look' 30 years later :wink:

:lol :thumbsup

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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:53 pm 
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Understood Brian. I know you came up with the final look. I just took it from this statement

vaderman wrote:
If I had used the drawings you're showing that's what the finished helmet and mask would have looked like.


that you can pretty much replicate whatever is asked of you. I didn't think about it being one sketch and you having to fill in the 'blanks'.


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 Post subject: Re: ANH Vader helmet - Just the Facts.
PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 2:01 pm 
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Just makes it even more impressive, imo.

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