Next up in the Knights of the Old Republic set is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I wasn't given a whole lot of direction on this one, other than to portray a young version of him with his lightsaber lit up. And, speaking of lightsabers. I just installed a new application on my iPhone called "PhoneSaber". You get to pick what color of lightsaber you want, and then as you swing your phone around, it emits all the familiar lightsaber sound effects. Yup, it's a total geek fest and I just couldn't resist trying it out. If you see me at Comicon, feel free to ask for a demo.
Now, back to Obi-Wan. The art director provided me with background info and a link related to Obi-Wan. From there I shot reference of various poses that I thought might work, and then jumped on into the sketch process. I would show you the reference photos, but I just don't think you need to see me in a fuzzy pink bathrobe, black boots from Hot Topic and a long fluorescent light tube for a saber. I'll only humiliate myself up to a certain point. The sketch was approved and I went ahead with painting it. The size of the final painting was 8 x 17" and created using acrylics and colored pencils, no oil in this one.
ART DESCRIPTION:
Obi-Wan (A young Padawan version)
Personality and traits:
In his youth (circa 32 BBY), the loyal and dedicated Kenobi possessed a dry sense of humor and sarcastic wit. Yoda said that he sensed Qui-Gon's defiance in him, but spoke very highly of him nonetheless. Qui-Gon himself reflected upon Kenobi's considerable knowledge and potential. Despite having been apprenticed to the radical Qui-Gon Jinn, Kenobi was relatively orthodox in his views.
As a young Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan was cynical, though wise beyond his years. His humble and soft-spoken demeanor belied his warrior prowess. Despite his numerous complaints during flight, he was also a quite skilled pilot. In many ways, he represented the strength of the old Jedi Order: steadfast, selfless, and modest. His later skill at resolving disputes without a single battle would earn him the sobriquet The Negotiator.
Over time, Kenobi lost some of his youthful audacity and assumed the role of a more cautious and conservative mentor to Anakin Skywalker, who was in many ways his opposite in personality. Kenobi carefully measured his actions in any situation, garnering him the aforementioned nom de guerre. Kenobi was also known to be an accomplished story teller. While hiding in the Jundland Wastes in his later years, he appeared as a kindly and eccentric old hermit (or, in Owen Lars' words, a "crazy old wizard") to those not familiar with the ways of the Jedi. In his final days, Kenobi retained his traits of patience and foresight as well as gaining some of the boldness reminiscent of his youth.
These booster packs will be available to buy August 8th! My next Star Wars post will feature Mandalore the Ultimate. Stay tuned for that. And by all means, if you have questions or comments please post them!
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