commission art - Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade

[leelastarsky]

A birthday gift from belovedranger for rubraaura. :~)

Luke&Mara



Coloured pencil on parchment.

Comments

[spidergirl30.livejournal.com]

Its beautifull!
I love the colours,especially Luke´s eyes.They are perfect:)

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thankyou! I'm glad to hear that I got Luke's eyes right! :~)

[onlymefeelinsad.livejournal.com]

OMG Wow!

That is brilliant, and damnit if it isn't how I see Mara in my head too!

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's nice to hear that my vision of Mara gells with others'. :~) Glad you enjoyed the pic!

[may-child.livejournal.com]

I hate Mara with every fiber of my being and think she is the pimple on the ass of the EU, but even so...this is nice work. :-)

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

Hee! I was going to say "While I don't like Mara ... blah, blah, blah ... "

But I'd be lying. I hate Mara too.

Still -- this is beautiful! I love the colours -- and Luke's eyes are really amazing. So much emotion there.

[may-child.livejournal.com]

Hee! I was going to say "While I don't like Mara ... blah, blah, blah ... "

But I'd be lying. I hate Mara too.

High five!

Leela's work is always beautiful, even when the subject matter is something I don't care for or am disinterested in.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thanks, chickadilly! I'm glad you liked it despite the Mara. ;~)

[netbyrd.livejournal.com]

Hee hee! I was going to say the same thing! I kept wishing she'd go away or die, and then she became even more important *headdesk*

[may-child.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it. And Del Rey keeps catering to her fanbase. They have all kinds of interesting material they could explore (Luke and Leia meeting their mother's family, for instance), and what are they doing instead? Assigning Zahn a novel about stupid Mara "at the height of her powers as Emperor's Hand"!

Look for him to simultaneously elevate her importance to ridiculous levels, and whitewash her until she's practically Mother Teresa. Also, look for plenty of elevation of Zahn's characters over Vader.

[netbyrd.livejournal.com]

IT's why I can't even read a lot of the EU. My husband does, but he's become disenchanted over it as well. When you get to the point where the original characters are weak and stupid and the created characters are more powerful and intellegent, it ruins the point.

[may-child.livejournal.com]

IT's why I can't even read a lot of the EU. My husband does, but he's become disenchanted over it as well. When you get to the point where the original characters are weak and stupid and the created characters are more powerful and intellegent, it ruins the point.

You said it. When I say this on a message board, EU fans always reply with something like, "Well, do you expect Luke, Han and Leia to always be the best at everything all the time, in galaxy of trillions?"

No, of course not. But it seems like every new character they meet is better than one of them in some respect: stronger in the Force than Luke, cooler/a better pilot than Han, more beautiful/a better action heroine than Leia, more important to the Emperor than Vader, or an eviler, badder bad guy than the Emperor.

(In the case of Mara, she's pretty much better at everything than all of them. She's become a gigantic Mary Sue. She's Mara Sue!)

Anyway...so while it would be tiresome to read about a Luke/Han/Leia who are the best at everything, so too is it tiresome to read about new characters who trump them, and Luke/Han/Leia are rendered weak and ineffectual on top of it.

From what I can tell, even many of the EU fans are, like your husband, starting to tire of the EU, and don't like the direction it's taken in the newest set of post-ROTJ books.

[netbyrd.livejournal.com]

You've absolutely nailed it. It's like they can't leave well enough alone. Of course Luke, Leia and Han can't be the greatest ever at everything! They'd be parodies of themselves that that point. But it always seems like the EU verse authors want to rub it in that their creation is better.

And I am a bit pissed about Chewbacca, becuase I see his book fate as something they did to not have to deal with his lack of speech skills rather than characterization.

Sorry for hijacking your journal, leela! See the discussion you provoke? :)

[may-child.livejournal.com]

You've absolutely nailed it. It's like they can't leave well enough alone. Of course Luke, Leia and Han can't be the greatest ever at everything! They'd be parodies of themselves that that point. But it always seems like the EU verse authors want to rub it in that their creation is better.

Exactly! And they undermine not only the movie characters but the relationships between the movie characters.

And I am a bit pissed about Chewbacca, becuase I see his book fate as something they did to not have to deal with his lack of speech skills rather than characterization.

Sorry for hijacking your journal, leela! See the discussion you provoke? :)

ROTFL! I too apologize for hijacking your journal, Leela.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Sorry for hijacking your journal, leela! See the discussion you provoke? :)

No problems. ;~) I mentioned to belovedranger that there might be some reaction... *cackles*

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

Wordy McWord Word Word to all of this.

I didn't like Mara from the very moment she appeared on the page (thought she was the beginnings of a Mary Sue from the start) and I dislike her even more now.

I stopped readng the books ages ago, mostly because of her.

Though I have to say it's a credit to Kate's talent because when I look at THIS picture I find myself thinking "If Mara really was this person (in the art) I might like her" because she very much seems very real and endearing in the picture.

[may-child.livejournal.com]

Wordy McWord Word Word to all of this.

I didn't like Mara from the very moment she appeared on the page (thought she was the beginnings of a Mary Sue from the start) and I dislike her even more now.

I stopped readng the books ages ago, mostly because of her.

I can't stand reading about her at all, even when she's being "nice." If I decide to give an EU book a whirl, I try to skip over her parts, or sort of tune her out, so to speak.

Though I have to say it's a credit to Kate's talent because when I look at THIS picture I find myself thinking "If Mara really was this person (in the art) I might like her" because she very much seems very real and endearing in the picture.

I agree. I'm guessing Leela used the actress Annette O'Toole (Martha Kent on "Smallville") as an inspiration -- she once said that she saw Mara as resembling her.

The books act like Mara is the most gorgeous creature in the galaxy; even her teenage nephew-by-marriage Anakin Solo drools over her in one book, and she emerges from her supposedly "fatal" disease looking younger and more stunning than ever (you know, like survivors of pernicious diseases always do *rolls eyes*). Ms. O'Toole, on the other hand, is normal-looking. She's pretty, to be sure, but she's not blindingly beautiful. She looks like a regular person.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Yep, Annette O'Toole slotted straight into place the first time I read a description of Mara, and she's who I based this drawing on.
I am more affronted by Shannon Bashka (or whatever her name is) being used as the 'official' face of Mara than Mara herself. ;~P Go figure. ;~D

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Shelley! I'm glad you were able to look past the subject and appreciate the art for it's own sake. ;~D

[may-child.livejournal.com]

But of course. :-)

[netbyrd.livejournal.com]

Very sweet! I really like how the colors blend, and of course, the hair is beautiful!

Wow!!

[alphielj.livejournal.com]

First off, how can you hate Mara?!?!?! I LOVE Mara! She totally rox! And Kate, you have captured her perfectly here! And thank you for not making Luke a "blond" blond. Where do all these fan artists get the idea that Luke is a perfect blond? He's not. Dark blond, I'll give you, but true blond? Nope. Not since he was a teenager.

I love the look on Luke's face the best, I think. And the slightly possesive gesture of his hand on her back speaks volumes. Totally cool.

Re: Wow!!

[may-child.livejournal.com]

First off, how can you hate Mara?!?!?!

Easily!

You do not want to send me off on a Mara rant. Believe me.

Re: Wow!!

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it! And, yes, Luke's hair is that lovely tricky colour. Not blonde, not brown, yet darkens with age. ;~)

[the-gwyllion.livejournal.com]

HOT DAMN!

That is done in color pencils?! O__O! This is absolutely amazing Leela. I love how soft and flowy the whole piece is and the way you used the strokes too. Gods....I miss working with my pencils and pastels too.

Thanks so much for sharing! ^3^

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thanks, gwyll! So glad you enjoyed it. And, yes, it was nice working with coloured pencils for a change. :~D

[santa-elidan.livejournal.com]

*sigh*
Oh Luke :)
Beautiful!!

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed him SE. ;~)

[belovedranger.livejournal.com]

It's beautiful. I love what you've done with their hair and their eyes.

Thank you so much for working on this! It is gorgeous.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thankyou, my friend! It is winging it's way to rubraaura right now! :~D

[m4g1c4lm3.livejournal.com]

omg i thought that was lily potter! :)

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Heh, no. ;~) I haven't drawn James and Lily much yet...

[yanksfan.livejournal.com]

ARghll!!! *drool*

New SW art!! Be still my heart! Even with Luke and Mara, it's still sooo cool to see new stuff from you in this fandom.

Beautiful job. *sigh*



p.s. I don't suppose there's anyone nagging you for Han/Leia art, is there? I'd love to see them again.

"I'd love to see them again."--Like they're old friends. Listen to me. I think I just crossed the border into psychoville.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I'm working on a Han/Leia right now, as a matter of fact! :~)

[yanksfan.livejournal.com]

There's only one appropriate response to this news: "*squeee*

You've made this SW dork very happy. :)

[may-child.livejournal.com]

The art I nagged you for commissioned, right? :-)

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

That's the one! ;~)

[sue-parsons.livejournal.com]

This is really a beautiful piece, Leela. I think the softness of the pencil made it the perfect tool. Your interpretation of Mara is very much genuine; she is human, flawed, imperfect, not gorgeous, and portrayed here as a character I would like to get to know. Your Luke, of course, is wonderful. You got everything right: the size of his hands, the lightness of his eyes belying his age here, the bits of silver in his hair, and hers as well....I love this. Was there a story this was to be connected to?

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

No, there wasn't a story. belovedranger wanted to give rubraaura something special for her birthday, and as a thankyou for being her beta reader. :~)
I'm so glad to hear you liked my rendition of Luke, Sue! I tried to make him a little older than he was in Jedi, yet not as old as Mark looks now.

[hhhellcat.livejournal.com]

This is great! I love how old Luke's eyes are here. It's perfect, and Mara is beautiful, just how I pictured her in the New Jedi Order series.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Thanks, hhhellcat! I'm so pleased to hear that I got Luke's eyes right! And I'm glad you liked my take on Mara too! :~)

[luckycyberbunny.livejournal.com]

so pretty ful!!! i envy ur skills!

[ravenclaw-devi.livejournal.com]

I like how "earthy" (for lack of a better word) your Mara looks like - you made her a woman, not a barbie. *thumbs up*

[ericaleev.livejournal.com]

Oh this is great Leela! I've been waiting for you to do a Luke/Mara, I just searched through your entries and found it. You drew Luke perfectly, and Mara looks just like one would picture her. I love the pair and I think you did an amazing rendition. You even did it in color pencil, a medium I've been using more and more as of late, ooooo I wish you could draw more Luke. XD