Star Wars Art Awakens the Force of Childhood Nostalgia

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Dubbed “Childhood Revisited,” this sequence of Star Wars art by Matt Cauley was encouraged by his assortment of vintage Star Wars motion figures.

Star Wars Art: The Trooper by Matt Cauley
The Trooper (tempera and ink resist on board, 10×8)

New York artist Matt Cauley has been identified for his superb and electrifying acrylic portraiture—but his Star Wars art requires a incredibly various technique. Dubbed his Childhood Revisited series, the playful paintings have been encouraged by the Classic Kenner Star Wars motion determine line the artist gathered as a child.

“These paintings ended up a enjoyable experiment,” Cauley suggests. “Since nostalgia performs these types of a large purpose in my everyday living, I made the decision that as an alternative of painting portraits of individuals, I would try to paint ‘portraits’ of my childhood toys. These had been the toys my mother experienced ordered for me some 30 to 40 many years in the past, so there are all of these added recollections and associations with the subject matter matter.”

Star Wars Art: Lizard Man by Matt Cauley
Lizard Man (tempera and ink resist on board, 10×8)

Behind the Star Wars Art

The paintings are designed in ink and tempera, working with a resist procedure that results in a modest perception of variety and a energetic surface area though retaining a strong graphic top quality.

Here’s a wander-through of the novel strategy:

  1. Outline & Paint Floor: Cauley starts with a very restricted define drawing on illustration board, then takes advantage of white tempera paint to fill in all the locations outside the line operate. This makes a surface area that is painted solely white except where his pencil lines are remaining uncovered.
  2. Use Ink: The moment the paint dries, he applies substantial locations of ink in excess of the total area, typically going with hues considerably darker than those he needs in the closing piece, these as blacks, browns, and dark blues.
  3. Rinse: As soon as this phase dries, he positions the board in a sink underneath working drinking water. Applying his fingertips, he steadily assists the tempera paint dissolve and “sculpts” with the ink which is still left at the rear of. The remaining dark inks build the illusion of both an engraving or a woodcut, depending on how considerably ink erodes in the course of the rinse approach.
  4. Tint: The moment the portray is dry, he tints locations on the board to finesse the color.
Star Wars Art: Bounty Hunter by Matt Cauley
Bounty Hunter (tempera and ink resist on board, 10×8)

In accordance to Cauley, aspect of the exhilaration of doing the job this way is that he under no circumstances really appreciates how the image will turn out. The specific last search is dependent on break up-2nd decisions he can make though he’s working h2o throughout the impression.

Similar: Star Wars Art: How Carl Samson Painted an Oil Portrait of Padmé

Imaginative Cross-Coaching

Cauley is similarly comfy with fantastic artwork portraits and illustration, and he values the cross-instruction each and every of these pursuits has supplied.

“For me, it doesn’t issue whether or not I’m painting an graphic of a pal or product, or sculpting and crafting a superhero or sci-fi character,” he states. “They all use the exact primary strategies of paint, likeness, and creating of variety, irrespective of the subject matter make a difference. My paintings are knowledgeable by my graphic structure, just as my toy structure is affected by my illustration skills. The style and design rules are relevant, whether the artwork goes on paper, canvas or digital screens, or is molded in plastic.”

Star Wars Art: Bad Motivator by Matt Cauley
Terrible Motivator (tempera and ink resist on board, 10×8)

Without a doubt, Cauley’s portraits convey an extreme and thoughtful exploration of the way persons relate to the globe and every single other. This is surely informed by his childhood fascination with the Star Wars narrative, in which compact human dramas enjoy out against a track record of epic forces.

Are We Finished Still? acrylic on canvas, 30×24

Related: Painting Thoughts in Acrylic

What’s Following in the Star Wars Art Selection?

Cauley has located collectors who share his passion and nostalgia, and get pleasure from collecting his paintings of the toys they grew up with.

“There ended up far more than 100 Star Wars figures made for the classic line, and I hope to eventually have paintings established of all of them,” says Cauley. “It feels excellent currently being in a position to share these childhood recollections with people today who have related memories.”

To stay up-to-date on new releases, adhere to Matt Cauley on Instagram.

A model of this story initially appeared in Artists Journal.

Meet the Artist

Matt Cauley, artist
Discover Matt Cauley’s artwork at mattcauley.com.

Matt Cauley has an extensive track record in the visible arts. Born in Dallas, he moved to New York in 1992 to go to Parsons School of Design and style, obtaining his BFA in Illustration. Though there, he discovered a like for portrait painting, and he has ongoing his painting reports at the University of Visual Arts less than the steering of renowned artist John A. Parks. gentleman and team exhibitions, most not long ago at the Plaxall Gallery in Queens, N.Y. He can make his home in New York Town. In addition to portray, Cauley is also an completed illustrator and toy designer.

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