The Look of Episode I: A Talk with Doug Chiang

January 4, 1999

A sample from Doug Chiang's non-Episode I portfolio.

Was this approach something you chose to follow in your paintings?

At first I was very uncomfortable about being so bold in my own work, but since then I have pushed myself into new territory and tried some rich color combinations as well.

In the Star Warswork of Ralph and Joe Johnston, what has been the strongest influence on you?

For me it had always been about functionality when I came up with designs. The design quality was in how well they would work, and how they were built. For George, film design quality is not about details like that, but about how well a design reads to the eye, immediately. Ralph and Joe's works really express that. They're very clear and bold in concept, and I have tried to learn that quality.

So has Ralph checked in on you? I notice that you have one of his original paintings on your wall there.

He has come by three times and has been really kind. I think I spend most of my time just trying to live up to his work!

A sample from Doug Chiang's non-Episode I portfolio.

The illustrations for this feature all come from the portfolio that Doug Chiang had put together before he came on board for Episode I. We chose these artworks to demonstrate Doug's style and range, and in them you see some of the influences that emerged later in Episode I. For more about how Doug got where he is today (including everything from student animation films to Pee-Wee's Playhouse), check out the illustrated interview in Star Wars Insider #39, on the newsstands in July 1998.