Hughes also began creating designs for Wizards of the Coast roleplaying games such as the
Star Wars: Invasion of Theed Adventure Game. For
Theed, Hughes was asked to introduce fans to new heroes through his illustrations of the teen Wookiee scout, Rorworr and the female Jedi guardian, Sia-Lan Wezz.
Even with the exciting challenge of designing new characters for the roleplaying games, Hughes says he still has a soft spot for drawing one of the characters that initially sparked his interest in the Star Wars saga -- Luke Skywalker.
"I've been a fan since the old days, back when
Star Wars was 'the adventures of Luke Skywalker,'" Hughes explains. "When I get to draw Luke, it takes me back to a powerful personal moment. When Luke leaves the dinner table and goes off to have his moment of melancholy with Tatooine's twin suns,
that was the first time in my life I ever had an emotional reaction to a piece of music. Think about that; think about how music affects you. If you're the type of person who can
really find yourself moved by music, think if you can remember the very
first time music generated a feeling in you. I can. John Williams, Mark Hamill, and George Lucas; all those cats are responsible for the moment when I got the opera in me."
And when he's not drawing members of the Skywalker clan, he lends his talents to other fan-favorite properties.
"I've also dabbled in one or two Hollywood projects, all with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity creator Joss Whedon," Hughes says. "I did the covers for Wonder Woman for five years; that went well. I'm the cover artist on Catwoman right now; we'll see how that works out."
Using both traditional artist tools such as a French sable hair Scharff watercolor brush and digital media like Adobe Photoshop, Hughes' uniquely polished style resonates with collectors and fans alike. In fact, at any given convention, it's easy to spot where Hughes is signing -- just look for the long line of eager fans.
"Meeting fans is great," Hughes says. "You get great feedback that helps inform your work, and you sometimes find out that you made somebody's day at one point or another."
However, Hughes is quick to add that in addition to making is fans happy, he'd also like to have his art make a difference.
"I don't have a big ego, but I really want my life's work to matter," Hughes smiles. "That's not so bad, is it?"
Fans can catch Hughes' art next on the cover of Star Wars: Purge. To see more of Hughes' work, visit his official site here.
