Interview with illustrator Richard Chasemore

How long did it take to complete the book?
Well it was around six months of very solid work, with some of the artworks running up 350 hours of desk time.

Do you collaborate on the drawings or do you work individually?
No we are allotted artworks with a polite bit of barter that really get the juices flowing! The decisions depend on Hans' and my past artworks as we may have existing reference to help us with the new one. Of course, our painting style and finish will all be worked out as well.

What's it like working at the Skywalker Ranch?
It is THE most fantastic place, firstly it is beautiful, it is set in a huge valley with great boulders of rock nestling in pasture land with outcrops of trees, (a lot like Naboo) there are cows, deer and wild turkeys running about. The Skywalker fire department uniform has a X- wing logo on it! Everyone who works there is just brilliant, and the art department has got to be one of the finest collections of talent. I still think, “What are we doing in here?” when we visit.

Were you a Star Wars fan before you started working on these books?
I have to admit, I had to run out and watch the second and third movies as I hadn't seen them. I was of course aware of the vehicles and some of the scenes but now I'm pretty much up to date!!! I can now stand up and say I am a Star Wars Fan.

What kind of research goes into making one of these books?
Hans has said it all. It is an absolute pleasure and such an experience to see the quality of the artwork and model making. Including the computer modeling and animatics.

How did working on this book compare to working on the other Star Wars:Incredible Cross Sections book?
The vehicles take a lot less time to draw then painting the Inside the Worlds cutaways. A lovely moment for me was when I asked Doug Chiang, " Where are the weapons going to be placed on Slave I." He replied," You should know, you put them there." It turned out Lucasfilm used my Classic vehicle book as reference for the Slave I in Episode II.

What kind of insider information do you get while working on this project? Did you get to see models, or advance clips from the film?
We were taken down to ILM to measure and photograph the models and maquettes to be able to sit down and talk about what has been worked on. What is finished and even what has been deleted at the last minute is absolutely vital, it is a very fluid situation. Things change when you least expect it, I painted the outside of the Solar Sailer twice!