Keeping his assignments varied helps Rabbitte stay inspired to try new things, as well as to challenge himself as an artist. "I'm always pushing myself to be better at what I do," Rabbitte says. "It's a never-ending uphill climb but for me it's totally worth it."
Rabbitte's process from beginning to end for an illustration assignment is fairly straightforward. "Usually before I start anything I do some research and find reference for what I need, especially if there are characters in the picture," Rabbitte explains. "Sometimes I will look for some dynamic poses and interesting angles to work from. If I can't find the exact pose I need I will get someone to model for me. For a poster or book cover, I like to draw the characters separately on different paper then composite them later either in Photoshop or paste them together in the composition I like. Once the characters, background and other elements are put together, I transfer it down onto Illustration board."
"Sometimes I like to add acrylic gesso to the board if I want a bit of a textured look, but mainly for the background; the faces I like to keep clear of that because they require more attention to detail," Rabbitte continues. "I then start to put down the general colors and establish the lighting for the scene, followed by blocking in the colors for the characters. I find it's best to work this way rather than finish off a section of the art and then go onto the next because you're never sure how the whole piece is going to work together. You will get a more general feel for how the final piece is going turn out."
Though the process sounds streamlined, Rabbitte admits that each assignment comes with its own collection of challenges. "When designing a cover for a book or comic some of the biggest challenges include coming up with an exciting composition that will draw the viewer into the art," Rabbitte says. "You could have an exciting layout but if there is an element in the work that distracts the viewer it could ruin the effect you're going for. Coming up with a color scheme is also a challenge. The color should reflect the mood and idea behind the picture. Usually if you're doing a warm colored painting of, say, oranges and yellows an accent color of blue and purple will complement it pretty well.
Rabbitte also likes to look at the work from other
Star Wars illustrators for inspiration and encouragement. "I really like Brian Ching's work," Rabbitte says. "There's something about how he draws the character's faces and I like how he uses a confident free line rather than the heavy-handed look some artists use. Tsuneo Sanda is another one of my favorite current illustrators. I've made some good friends in this line of work. The thing that stands out for me most is that the
Star Wars artists have some of the most diverse personalities. While some want to talk for hours, others can be a little shy. I think on some level, we're all a little weird."
Weird or not, the fans are more than happy to discuss
Star Wars with Rabbitte and his fellow artists. "Meeting fans have been great!" Rabbitte says. "Most of them are real nice people who just want to hear what you're working on next. I haven't set up a table at too many conventions so far, so most of the fans I've met are through email. I get a real kick out of people who write and say 'I'm a big fan of your work.' I'm always shocked when people know who I am! One of the times I was set up at a table in a comic book store some guy came up to me and couldn't stop shaking my hand because I worked on
Star Wars art!"
When fans greet Rabbitte at conventions, he's always eager to encourage them to pick up a pen and draw their favorite Star Wars characters. With his experience in illustration and animation, Rabbitte has plenty of advice for budding artists. "If you feel you have something to contribute to the art world, never, never give up trying to get work -- even if it takes years," Rabbitte says. "Try and look objectively at your own work and ask yourself, 'How does this measure up to other published work? Is it as good?' Take other experienced artists' criticism with grace and use their advice to push yourself further. That's not to say every artist's opinion is the right one, but if what they say makes sense to you, as one Sith Lord advised, 'Use my knowledge, I beg you.'"
To read more about Rabbitte's upcoming projects, visit his official site, as well as his blog.
