Collectors and fans alike have a chance to own one-of-a-kind Star Wars art pieces while giving to a good cause with The Empire Muggs Back. Lucasfilm asked artists, comic book creators, toy designers, and celebrity fans armed with markers, paint brushes and glue guns to transform blank which were auctioned by The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Starwars.com chats with LucasArts senior concept artist Molly Denmark about her process for turning a blank Hasbro Mighty Muggs figure into a special tribute to a Tusken Raider.
What did you choose to do for your Mighty Muggs art piece?
Tusken Raiders are not typically considered cute, but the proportions of the Mighty Muggs are, and I'd like to see how one would turn out.
What was your step-by-step process? What materials did you use?
I started off by drawing directly on the blank Mugg, then soon realized it would be better to just go for it. I'm a very painterly artist, so I stayed true to my techniques. Using acrylic paint you can see all the brush strokes. I also used my thumb prints to help create texture.
What were some of the challenges you faced while making your art piece?
One of the challenges with my piece was figuring out when to stop. I'm a digital artist professionally, and Photoshop has spoiled me with the endless undos and saving off different iterations. There were times when I painted over what was looking pretty good; but then it got ugly, and I had to repaint areas. At one point I thought to myself, it's too bad I have to give this away because he's looking pretty good. That is when I realized I was done.
Why do you think Star Wars fans will love The Empire Muggs Back project?
I think the Star Wars fans will love the originality and the creativity each artists put into their Mugg.
My little girl (1 1/2 year old) was playing with the blank Mighty Muggs for days while I was procrastinating on starting the project. I showed her the Mugg when it was all done. She doesn't talk much yet, but her eyes got all big, her whole body trembled, and she shouted out, "YAY!" and started clapping her hands and giggled. We named the Tusken Raider "Tusky," and we hope he goes to a good home.
Read more in-depth coverage on The Empire Muggs Back.
