Featured Art: Prototype Boba Fett Painting
Every once in a while, a toy company decides to repaint an existing Boba Fett collectible and release it as a prototype variant. We wished this would occur more often, so naturally we were thrilled to learn that talented digital artist Robert Shane decided to do the same with his striking 2014 digital painting of Boba Fett. Robert himself stated that the repainting of toys was his inspiration for “Prototype Boba Fett“. Unsurprisingly, details did not go overlooked as shown by the fact that he removed the wookiee braids, put on a different belt and holster, and hammered out the helmet dent.
As an added bonus, it turns out that Robert has an affinity for “Proto Fett” so this is not his only work depicting the white-armored bounty hunter. We have the privilege of showcasing two of his other exceptional pieces: “Clone Commander Fett” features an alternate universe Jango Fett battle-testing clone trooper armor, and “Concept Stormtroopers with Prototype Boba Fett” shows a white Boba Fett surrounded by lightsaber-wielding McQuarrie concept stormtroopers. We strongly encourage you to check out the links to each piece for additional insight from Robert himself.
Artist Notes
“I’ve been a Star Wars fan for decades and have always been fascinated by the characters and designs used in the saga. I’ve long been familiar with the work of Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston, and marveled at the imagination and skill they brought to their designs. Their work introduced me to the ‘concept’ Boba Fett. The amount of backstory and effort that went into creating the enigmatic character helped pave the way for his eventual popularity, but I have always been intrigued at what might have been if they had decided to go with the original concept for Fett as a kind of “Super Trooper” in his all-white prototype gear.
I’m a keen artist and have painted dozens of fan art pieces in recent years. Because there is so much Star Wars fan art out there I often attempt to depict some unusual scene or mash-up and try to create something a little different using the characters we all know so well. For that reason, the prototype Fett has featured in a few of my pieces. I’ve imagined him as either leading a squad of ‘concept stormtroopers’ or maybe as an alternative version of Jango Fett, putting the Clone Trooper armor through its paces.
I primarily create my artwork digitally, working in Photoshop using a Microsoft Surface Pro although I’ve also used Wacom pads and the Samsung Note tablets and phones. I used to create my initial sketches in pencil and paper but have found recently that I nearly always start my artwork on my Note phone, which I find ideal for creating ‘thumbnail’ sketches which are used to help work out the basic composition of a piece. When I’m happy with it I transfer my initial sketch over to my tablet and work on the details in Photoshop.
Boba Fett is such a great design and has clearly stood the test of time, as was demonstrated in the Clone Wars cartoon series where the history of the Mandalorians played a major role. Even now the costume is constantly being reinvented with ever more immensely talented cosplay artists putting their own stamp on it and creating their own versions. Who knows, with the return of Star Wars to movie theaters perhaps we’ll even get to see the costume back up on the big screen!?”
About Robert Shane
Robert Shane is a digital artist from the UK with a strong focus on Star Wars. A larger portfolio of his art can be viewed on his DeviantArt gallery, Instagram and Tumblr. Robert is also on Twitter as @RhymeSyndicate.