Terryl Whitlatch

Here is some Star Wars conceptual work of some Tatoonine creatures:

from Star Wars.com


Whitlatch has worked on numerous film projects, such as Star Wars: Episode 1 and Jumanji, in creating believable fictional creatures. She grew up around animals and her background includes studying at colleges for both vertebrate zoology and art. Her approach to her concept art is fascinating. She does not illustrate animals or creatures that belong to other planets by what is “cool.” However, she composes the purpose of each creature by drawing a realistic skeleton. This does not mean that she draws a couple bones to indicate where the spine and limbs are. These bone skeletons have to be able to conceivably move, grow, reproduce, and still exist. She studies both animal and human skeletons for reference. This mindset allows works for the rest of the conceivable anatomy of the creature to be formed. Everything must have a purpose in creating these creatures, from the types of teeth they may exhibit indicating their diet to the type of hide relating to their environment. She loved the earlier Star Wars films for their reality that made sense, such as the Tauntauns in The Empire Strikes Back. This similar design philosophy allowed her to fit perfectly into the production line for Star Wars: Episode 1. She has also illustrated several books that focus on this intensive creature design, such as The Katurran Odyssey and The Wildlife of Star Wars. She is considered to be the foremost creature designer in the world.

here is an article about her work on star wars:
http://www.starwars.com/episode-i/bts/profile/f19990210/index.html
along with her profile:
http://www.starwars.com/bio/terrylwhitlatch.html


also: Doug Chiang has some really interesting work, including an animated film in production called "Robota"