Jade Crusades: How long have you been a Star Wars fan?
Dan Veesenmeyer: Since A New Hope came out in '77.
Jade Crusades: Which of the four Star Wars movies is your favorite?
Dan Veesenmeyer: The Empire Strikes Back, of course.
Jade Crusades: Are you a Mara Jade fan?
Dan Veesenmeyer: Sure. I think she was a fine addition to the roster. But like most Star Wars characters in the books, she can be written really well or poorly. So it's all relative.
Jade Crusades: How familiar are you with Mara Jade's character?
Dan Veesenmeyer: Pretty much so. I can't claim to know everything that has happened to her, but I know about the big story lines or major character development points she's been involved in.
Jade Crusades: Have you been keeping up with the New Jedi Order series?
Dan Veesenmeyer: Mostly. I'm pretty busy so I can't read all the novels but I do listen to almost all of them in the books on tape form.
Jade Crusades: What preparations did you go through before producing the image of Mara Jade for the Star Wars Insider #57's "Who's who in the New Jedi Order" article?
Dan Veesenmeyer: I have a lot of reference that I would go through. Covers of the novels and comics, a few photos of Shannon Baksa as Mara from her Decipher card shoot. I tried to come up with a Mara that has one key element; Easily recognizable by fans, even if her name were not attached below the image. I've found that at this point, many artists are using Baksa as the primary look for Mara in their work. Therefore, it's kind of what the fans expect. I used Baksa as the basis for my Mara but then altered it just enough to not let it be a literal translation of Shannon's face. To be honest, I just sexed up her look a bit more. Fuller hair, more defined features. I gave her the smoldering look that Mara should have.
Jade Crusades: What other art assignments are you currently working on?
Dan Veesenmeyer: I have really been at the call of Wizards of the Coast for the last year and a half as I write this. I plan to do more SW game related projects for them in the future here and there. I've worked on a lot of SW stuff for various companies at this point over the years, including Lucasfilm directly, so I've learned that one assignment eventually leads to another new one.
Jade Crusades: What is your favorite art medium?
Dan Veesenmeyer: For me to work in, pencil. I hate inking. Wish I could color with the computer better but have little time to practice.
Jade Crusades: What kind of tools do you use for inking/coloring?
Dan Veesenmeyer: I leave that stuff to the pros. If I have to ink my own stuff, I use Mirco pens because they are easy and quick to work with.
Jade Crusades: Who are some of your artistic influences?
Dan Veesenmeyer: Too many to list. But Adam Hughes is probably the most influential. He's also a good friend.
Jade Crusades: What would you recommend to aspiring artists hoping to do what you do?
Dan Veesenmeyer: Get a real job! Just kidding. It's hard to give advice like this because each individual has strengths or weaknesses that can't be addressed in a paragraph. But briefly; As much as constantly working the drawing skills, you need to network - knock on doors, make calls, send letters, learn how to present your portfolio properly, follow up and learn from mistakes others show you.
Jade Crusades: Thank you for participating in this interview for Jade Crusades.
Dan Veesenmeyer: No problem!
No comments:
Post a Comment