Drawing Captain Tarpals
Ever wanted to draw Star Wars characters and vehicles just like the professional comic book artists? In this step-by-step series, Star Wars artists and illustrators show you how to draw some of the most beloved characters in the saga.
During the Trade Federation occupation of Naboo, Captain Tarpals was part of the Gungan Grand Army that fought against the battle droid invaders.
Star Wars illustrator Cynthia Cummens explains with these easy-to-follow steps on how to draw Captain Tarpals.
Steps 1-5 are to be drawn lightly with a pencil. No pen, no dark lines. Finished lines and details will come at the end.
Step One:
Begin by lightly, loosely sketching the basic shapes of his head, neck, and shoulders. Keep your sketch simple, and fill the page. 
Step Two:
Draw two triangular shapes at the top of the oval. These will be his eyes. Also indicate a nostril and his mouth. You can make him smiling, grumpy-looking, or copy it just as you see here. Also lightly sketch a few of those small tendrils that hang from the tip of his nose.
Step Three:
Add the folds of his upper and lower eyelids, and sketch the contours of his head and ears. Remember to keep the pressure of you hand very light as you sketch.
Step Four:
Using a bit more pressure with your pencil, start to give more shape to his neck and shoulders. Remember to keep his neck curvy, not straight up and down. The same thing applies to the whisker-like tendrils. They're not stick straight, but curvy and slightly flowing.
Step Five:
Erase the original pencil marks you made in the first two or three steps, keeping those lines you are satisfied with.
Step Six:
One way to color this piece is to start with a monochromatic under painting (gray). The lighter you keep the gray, the more the color will show through. This technique is traditionally done with oil paint, but can work with acrylic or in this case, marker. It's a technique known as "grisaille" and can be fun to do. Another option is to ink the lines you want for you final painting, then scan and color in Photoshop.
Step Seven:
You can start adding color at this point or simply finish your black and white painting. Apply your color on top in layers as you would with watercolor. Experiment with different materials. Don't judge your progress! The point of this exercise is to experiment and practice.
Step Eight:
This is what your final color piece can look like with a bit of practice. You can use black colored pencil for outlines. Ink fine-liners work just as well if that's what you prefer. Use white acrylic paint for highlights (which should be added last). There's no right or wrong way to drawing this or any character. Through experimentation with different paints, brushes, markers and paper, you will find what feels best for you. Draw often, and make time to draw from life whenever you can. Keep up the great work!
