Star Wars, Illustrated: The Fantastic Art of Jenny Dolfen

Jenny Dolfen, a self-trained artist in Jülich, Germany, has drawn since she learned how to hold a pencil. From that early age, she’s been attracted to the worlds of fantasy, from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth to George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away.

Here, Jenny brings the new generation of Star Wars characters to life with watercolors. May the 4th Be With You!

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How did the last installment in the saga, The Force Awakens, rekindle your love for Star Wars?

For several years, I lived and breathed Star Wars. When Episode I came out, my then-boyfriend (now husband) and I were stoked for it. We drove to London to see it in May, rather than wait until August when it opened in Germany. We got the last two tickets for the Royal Box at the Odeon! We loved the film.

But it dawned on us when we saw it again at the German premiere just how much it had let us down. Within a very short time, my interest in Star Wars just died. We watched the next two movies the way we’d watch other blockbusters — we just weren’t invested anymore.

We thought our Star Wars days were behind us, and we were mildly hopeful for The Force Awakens. We took our kids to see it on opening weekend. I remember walking away with the distinct feeling that this was Star Wars again, but it didn’t fully hit me until rewatching the movie just how much I loved it. We all loved it.

I remember walking away with the distinct feeling that this was Star Wars again . . .

Rey and Kylo Ren in an Art Nouveau-inspired piece.

Of the new generation of characters, who is your favorite?

I loved all of them almost equally at first. Rey is one of my favorite female characters ever. I knew I’d love Finn and Poe. What totally surprised me, though, was how much I loved Kylo Ren.

I never fall for the baddies. In trailers, I saw pictures of him but forgot him immediately — a faceless badass villain to go on boys’ pyjamas. But he turned out to be a very complex character that truly drew me in in a way that other villains never do.

Watch timelapse videos of Jenny painting some of these pieces on her YouTube channel.

Visually, he’s cool to draw — from his amazing costume with long, trailing cloth to his jug ears. All the main characters are fun to draw. The costumes of Kylo Ren and Rey just scream Art Nouveau for me, so they got the treatment.

Kylo Ren.

Finn.

Poe.

What’s the story behind your site name, GoldSeven?

It’s named after a pilot character who defects from the Empire and joins the Gold Squadron. She flew as Gold Seven. She’s in the Y-wing you see flying away from the exploding Death Star. Her name was Samica Trey, and she still holds a very special place in my heart.

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Browse Jenny’s work on her blog or visit her Etsy shop.