All I ever asked from the universe was to be able to draw like Hugh Fleming. Is that really too much to ask?! Apparently, yes. While the rest of us are still doodling stick figures on the margins of our notebooks, Hugh Fleming was out here in the 1990s casually redefining what Star Wars cover art could be.
This Australian artist became one of Dark Horse Comics' secret weapons, crafting cinematic, photo-realistic covers for series like Tales of the Jedi, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, Shadows of the Empire, and The Phantom Menace. He even dipped into Indiana Jones and delivered the legendary Star Wars Rocks! poster for the official fan club. Basically, he was the guy giving the galaxy far, far away that big-screen, poster-art look every time you saw a new issue on the shelf.
What makes Fleming's work so jaw-dropping is his commitment to detail. Using gesso boards, acrylics, and carefully lit photo references, he built pieces that felt like lost movie posters rather than comic book covers. His brushstrokes carried texture, light, and spontaneity in a way digital tools still can't replicate.
So yeah, I'll never paint like Hugh Fleming. But at least we can look at his art together and pretend.
