Just a few days after Ralph Macquarrie, the world lost yet another master.
I owe a lot to Jean “Moebius” Giraud. My style has been heavily influenced by his art. I first learned of him sometime in the late ’80s after I read reviews of Tron and Blade Runner, the costumes of which he designed. His breathtaking artworks left me awestruck and I was amazed by how this man could effortlessly draw from imagination without inhibition. He feels the moment and draws it on paper.
(Just to add, his take on Silver Surfer is, for me, still the best.)
Every time I feel down, each moment I’m tempted to go for the mainstream “money shot”, or even as I struggle with a project, I would look at his works and get inspired by how easy he can evoke emotion and energy with just a few strokes. Here’s a simple, straightforward, and encouraging quote from him for all artists:
It is difficult to give advice to aspiring artists. There are so many things one should say. It’s difficult to be brief. Every artist is diferent, and good advice to one artist is bad for another. My best advice would be, “be what you must be and do your best. Anything more precise, more specific cannot apply because everyone is too different.” (The Art of Moebius edited by Byron Preiss)
The tribute illustrations are based on his Arzach stories. He once said that three elements must come together for the artist when he draws — beauty, truth and love. Whether or not I got it right with these drawings, I leave it up to him.
