• More More

Search

My Account Logout
  • other
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • facebook
  • youtube
  • other
  • NEWS + FEATURES
    • THE LATEST
    • ANDOR
    • CELEBRATION
    • QUIZZES + POLLS
    • BOOKS + COMICS
  • VIDEO
    • ALL VIDEO
    • THIS WEEK! IN STAR WARS
  • FILMS
  • SERIES
    • All Series
    • Andor
    • Skeleton Crew
    • Ahsoka
    • The Mandalorian
  • GAMES + INTERACTIVE
    • View All
    • Star Wars Outlaws
    • Games + Apps
    • VR + Immersive
  • DATABANK
    • ALL DATABANK
    • ERAS
  • DISNEY+
    • STREAM NOW
    • EXPLORE
    • THE DISNEY BUNDLE
  • More More
My Account Logout
  • other
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • facebook
  • youtube
  • other

STAR WARS ON DISNEY+

All

  • Andor
  • Rogue One
  • Series
  • Films
  • Disney+
  • Games + Apps
  • Books + Comics
  • Merchandise
  • LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
  • Visions
  • The Mandalorian
  • Ahsoka
  • Skeleton Crew
  • The Acolyte
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi
  • The Book of Boba Fett
  • The Bad Batch
  • The Clone Wars
  • Interviews
  • Collecting
  • Creativity
  • Disney Parks
  • Events
  • Fans + Community
  • LEGO Star Wars
  • Lucasfilm
  • Quizzes + Polls
  • Recipes
  • Star Wars Rebels
  • Star Wars Celebration
  • The High Republic
{:title=>"The Rise of Skywalker", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/the-rise-of-skywalker"} {:title=>"Behind the Scenes", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/behind-the-scenes"}

Check Out 5 Never-Before-Seen Works of Concept Art from The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

March 20, 2020
March 20, 2020
Dan Brooks

Author Phil Szostak reveals beautiful images from the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The importance of concept art within the history of Star Wars cannot be overstated. Beginning with Ralph McQuarrie's groundbreaking creations for the original trilogy, the concept art phase has defined the look of the galaxy far, far away for each film in the saga. Through these images, we see radical ideas explored, imaginations realized -- and the art itself is often masterful. Phil Szostak, Lucasfilm's creative art manager, has chronicled the concept art of the modern sequel trilogy, complete with insights from the artists themselves, in a brilliant series of books that concludes this month with The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In advance of the hardcover's March 31 release, StarWars.com asked Szostak about some of his favorite works included -- check them out below, along with commentary from the writer himself.

dark Rey concept art
"In a scene not realized for the final film, a cloak, described by chief costume concept artist Glyn Dillon as a 'flowing dark entity,' envelops Rey. Dillon’s bold use of color and Rey’s steely-eyed expression give this piece an appropriately unsettling vibe. Additionally, the cloak’s rippled texture evokes the nightmarish biomechanical art of Alien designer H.R. Giger." (Page 63, "DARK REY BLADE VERSION 1A")

festival-concept-art
"In designing the Aki-Aki people of Pasaana, creature concept designer Jake Lunt Davies explored how their culture could inform their depiction. Here, crowds of joyous celebrants hoist representations of flowing water, emanating from a massive effigy of an Aki-Aki god. Lunt Davies’ use of warm and cool tones and curving shapes lead the eye around the page, giving a feeling of energy and flow well suited to this early representation of the Festival of the Ancestors." (Page 104-105 spread, "FESTIVAL 01")

Blockade concept art
"The emotion that an illustration evokes is a key factor in deciding which pieces end up in an Art of Star Wars book. For me, design supervisor James Clyne’s depiction of the final flight of General Leia Organa’s Tantive IV is not only as a rousing moment for her Resistance, but a celebration of the life of the late, great actor Carrie Fisher. Although no longer with us, Fisher’s spirit lives on in the hearts of Star Wars fans, just as Leia’s spirit does in the hearts of her friends." (Page 142, top piece, "BLOCKADE LIFTOFF VERSION 01")

sinkhole concept art
"The bond between Rey and Finn is one of the first and strongest connections forged in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Concept artist Adam Brockbank’s painting of a simple act of kindness between old friends, a quiet moment in the vexis tunnels underneath the desert sands of Pasaana, reminds me of a children’s storybook illustration. I also love C-3PO silently watching, eyes aglow, on the left side of the piece." (Page 196, bottom piece, "SINKHOLE SKETCHES VERSION 03")

Death star concept art
"As he did a year prior inside Starkiller Base’s oscillator, Ben Solo stands on a precipice atop the broken remnants of the second Death Star, moments before his slain father, Han Solo, appears. The composition of design supervisor James Clyne’s piece emphasizes Ben’s isolation in this moment, standing at a crossroads between the dark and light following the death of his mother, Leia Organa, and his own brush with death. The looseness of Clyne’s sketch accentuates the emotion of the scene in a way that a more photorealistic illustration would not." (Page 240, bottom piece, "DEATH STAR ROOFTOP VERSION 02")

The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives March 31 and is available for pre-order.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is available now on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, and via Movies Anywhere, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on March 31.

Dan Brooks is Lucasfilm’s senior content strategist of online, the editor of StarWars.com, and a writer. He loves Star Wars, ELO, and the New York Rangers, Jets, and Yankees. Follow him on Twitter @dan_brooks where he rants about all these things.

The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker by Phil Szostak, and Lucasfilm Ltd. © Abrams Books, 2020


(C) 2020 Lucasfilm Ltd. And TM. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization


Site tags: #StarWarsBlog, #TheRiseOfSkywalker
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Related Stories

  • {:title=>"Andor", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/andor"} {:title=>"Interviews", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/interviews"}

    Diego Luna on the Legacy of Andor and Rogue One

    June 23, 2025

    June 23, 2025

    Jun 23

  • {:title=>"Andor", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/andor"} {:title=>"Interviews", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/interviews"}

    Andor’s Alan Tudyk Captures the Childlike Joy of K-2SO

    June 20, 2025

    June 20, 2025

    Jun 20

  • {:title=>"Andor", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/andor"} {:title=>"Behind the Scenes", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/behind-the-scenes"}

    The Making of Andor: The Sounds of Ghorman

    June 18, 2025

    June 18, 2025

    Jun 18

  • {:title=>"Films", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/films"} {:title=>"Behind the Scenes", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/behind-the-scenes"}

    Phantom at 25 | Iain McCaig Talks Darth Maul, Queen Amidala, and working with George Lucas

    October 29, 2024

    October 29, 2024

    Oct 29

  • {:title=>"LEGO Star Wars", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/lego-star-wars"} {:title=>"Behind the Scenes", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/behind-the-scenes"}

    Behind the Bricks: Our Favorite Easter Eggs from LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Updated

    September 23, 2024

    September 23, 2024

    Sep 23

  • {:title=>"Films", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/films"} {:title=>"Behind the Scenes", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/behind-the-scenes"}

    Phantom at 25 | Skywalker Sound’s Matthew Wood Explains Why The Phantom Menace Was His Favorite Movie to Work On

    September 4, 2024

    September 4, 2024

    Sep 4

  • {:title=>"Films", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/films"} {:title=>"Behind the Scenes", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/behind-the-scenes"}

    Phantom at 25 | Ahmed Best on the Creation and Legacy of Jar Jar Binks

    May 29, 2024

    May 29, 2024

    May 29

  • {:title=>"Films", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/films"} {:title=>"Behind the Scenes", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/behind-the-scenes"}

    Phantom at 25 | Ben Burtt Talks Sound Design and Picture Editing with George Lucas 

    May 22, 2024

    May 22, 2024

    May 22

  • More From Star Wars:
    • TikTok
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Youtube
    • SWKids
    • Terms of Use
    • Additional Content Information
    • Privacy Policy
    • Children's Online Privacy Policy
    • Your US State Privacy Rights
    • Disney Store | Star Wars
    • Star Wars Helpdesk
    • Interest-Based Ads
    • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved