theairtightgarage:

Career Timeline: 1985 - Starwatcher II

His most famous piece in the Starwatcher series, and one that inspired many people to do their own version for this tumblr. I like what Moebius has to say about it, from Epic’s The Art of Moebius in 1989:

“This is truly a magical drawing. It is not perfect—the legs aren’t quite right—but in this case, it doesn’t seem to matter. The face is wonderfully evocative. I can see how someone could fall in love with a face like this. The question that is always asked when it comes to the Starwatcher series is, is the character male or female? The answer is, I don’t know. Maybe it is a man, strong and masculine, yet sensitive and soft like a woman.

A strange energy seem to emanate from the horizon. It happened quite naturally, almost by accident. When I was drawing this picture, I was trying to achieve a certain kind of feeling, so I just let myself be carried by the flow, and this was the result. I gratefully accepted it, almost like a gift. Things like this don’t always happen in art, but when it does, that’s what makes it worthwhile.

The character is sitting by a monument, waiting for a big vessel to take off. There is the book, which is by Jack Vance. The can is a can of paint. You press a button and all the colors come out. The costume is a blend of western and futuristic, Inside the box is a crystal, and it’s a present from a child who lives on this planet, And there is a message in that cube, which says, ‘don’t take all this too seriously!’”