Man Builds a Highly Detailed Five-Foot Long Millennium Falcon Model Out of Cardboard in 140 Hours

Columbus, Ohio-based Thomas Richner, an associate professor of animation at the Columbus College of Art and Design, has built a highly detailed five-foot long model of the Millennium Falcon out of nothing but cardboard in 140 hours. Richner’s full collection of process and final photos of the legendary starship model are available to view on Imgur.

I intentionally wanted to keep the ship loose and somewhat imperfect, almost an impressionist take on the ship, like the previous other builds I’d done. I liked keeping things rough, seeing the glue, seeing the cuts on the cardboard when you’re up close. But, I also loved how the material disappeared as you move back from the ship and it just looks like The Falcon.

I spent the bulk of my time working on it late into the night. I’m still paying for it a bit now and catching back up on some sleep. But, this is what I love doing. As an artist, you get lost in your projects and time FLIES. I’d go downstairs to start working sometimes at 10pm and look at the clock and see it was 4am and realize I need at least a couple of hours sleep before my 8am class. As a working artist, spending 60 hours a week on drawings or models at a studio is your job. It’s what you do. It’s work, but you love it and have to pinch yourself sometimes to remind yourself (especially when you might be frustrated) that, ‘WOW! Someone is paying me to draw all day!’ That’s pretty cool. (read more)

photos via Thomas Richner

via Star Wars