The art director of Lucasfilm Animation, Andre Kirk, delves into the intricate process behind the creation of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, an animated series that brings the iconic character to life with a unique visual style. The series, produced by Lucasfilm Animation, showcases Maul's tragic and intelligent fusion of mind and body, a character who has been a part of the Star Wars galaxy for nearly 30 years. The art director explains how the design language for Maul - Shadow Lord builds upon the audience's familiarity with the character while introducing new elements. The goal was to create a painterly style, reminiscent of the early series The Clone Wars, but with a modern twist. This involved training the team in oil painting techniques, emphasizing the thickness of the paint on surfaces and the distinctions between different painting mediums. The design process for Janix, a city set in a crater on a jungle planet, involved exploring retro-futurism and terrestrial transportation, creating a walkable city with a unique architectural style. The character of Maul himself underwent a rigorous iteration process, focusing on maintaining his iconic recognition while achieving a 'living painting' feel. The team worked on seven-day build periods, creating technical designs and 'Spirit-Of' images to showcase the character's mannerisms and vibrant colors. The visual development for alien characters, such as Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki, presented unique challenges, requiring a balance between uniqueness and blendability in a crowd. The overall process for Maul - Shadow Lord involved a direct connection between the design team and the final product, ensuring ownership of the character and its place in the created world. This approach allowed for a unique and well-known character to be reimagined distinctly for the series.
