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05-16-2011, 08:42 PM | #1 |
Reflection of Darkness
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Eowyn and the Nazgul Challenge Submissions on The ArtOrder
One of my facebook friends (not a BDer!) recently posted a link to some incredible artwork and I thought it would be appreciated over here.
A website called The ArtOrder (which caters to sci-fi/fantasy illustrators) put together a challenge last month for artists to submit their interpretation of Eowyn confronting the Witch King. More details about the challenge here. The deadline was last night and already the submissions have been posted...160 of them. There are some amazing submissions, so check it out! I like a lot of the pieces, though if I had to pick a top five, it would be these (not in order): Adam Schumpert Ben Guldemond Chase Stone Craig J Spearing Tiziano Baracchi Feel free to comment, list your favourites, or even share your own interpretation of the scene.
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05-17-2011, 08:29 AM | #2 |
A Voice That Gainsayeth
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Hey, interesting thing to share, Brinn!
I must say, it is really interesting to see all of these next to each other - the same scene over and over again in different interpretations. Of course, often many of them are very similar to each other, but the more interesting to me are some of the more "original" ones. If it came to those I like the most, however, I think unfortunately often the most original ones lack the artistic quality, or are in some way "unfinished" (i.e.: I mean that their potential is not used so well as it possibly could). One of them is for example this one by Alan Dyson - I liked it on first sight, the idea of being only faced by the Nazgul and the Nazgul being present there only as a shadow. Maybe if the shadow was made more menacing... similar thing goes in this one by Dagmara Matuszak, I like the fact that the WK is there only as the eyes, basically, rather "by-the-way". Quite specific is John Hodgson's, I think the characters are quite ugly, but I like the sort of "set-up" of the picture, also with the Eye being present. Again: I can think of so much more that could have been made out of this... Of those Brinn had pointed out, I quite like them too, mostly, especially I think once again Baracchi's is quite interesting, in the sense that it is almost the only one where the WK is smaller (in terms of how much space it takes on the picture; or also lower) than Éowyn. At least on first sight it sort of struck me, now that I am looking at it for severalth time, it isn't so interesting anymore. I like these for the style, and they are quite beautiful: Erin Kelso (yet another interesting idea) and Herman Lau. Those which I simply "like", as in, simply "aesthetically nice", I would say these: Diego de Almeida, Joshua Kratochvil, Rob Sample, and possibly Vuk Kostic. And I really like David moonchild Demaret's, especially the Nazgul's eyes. Really well done. Generally, I think there are many nice ones, but many of them fall into the "color vs. color" scheme (which is not necessarily bad, but it depends how well it's done) or "yet another way to picture a dragon" scheme (which I don't like at all. It is not supposed to be an illustration for "Dragon" entry into Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual v. 4.5, but "Creature of an Older World"). As a final note, I don't like so much the rest of the picture of Sands Gonzaga as a whole (or, the Nazgul is fine, but Éowyn looks slightly out of his mind, for that matter), but the eyes (??!) on the Nazgul's cloak (?!?) are really cool. Otherwise, when I look at the picture, I have to think "Hashirama vs. Madara" (for those who know what I am talking about).
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"Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories |
05-17-2011, 03:58 PM | #3 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
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Cool pics!
I rather like this one by Christopher West. It is close to what I imagined the scene to be like, excet that Eowyn is *not* supposed to be wearing a helmet.
I like Dannie Borg as well. The WK's face is a bit odd, though - it seems to be slightly glowing. Herman Lau seems to think that the reason Eowyn fought the Wk was because he cheated on her... Applause to Roger Seward for originality! Overall, I think that the artwork was too modernized. I can't help being picky about that. Some pictures were really good, but others... erm... Like Legate said, quite few seem to just illustrate the "dragon", which isn't one at that. Or the WK looks like a Dementor. Or Eowyn is applying some Kung-Fu technique. It might just be me, though, because I am prejudiced against "computernized" art, something that many pictures seem to be...
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05-17-2011, 06:15 PM | #4 |
Relic of Wandering Days
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This is great Brinniel, thanks for posting it.
I was wondering quite a bit at the heavy "movie" influence in the submissions, until I saw that stills were supplied as reference material. Very skillful and dynamic artwork there though, with a high emotive content. While most did an excellent job portraying a female heroine, it was quite amusing to see that some of the artists played that up a bit too much! Rather takes away from the impact. |
05-18-2011, 07:09 AM | #5 |
Shady She-Penguin
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Thanks for sharing Brinn! My favourite might be the one by Chase Stone - simply because I like the realism of Éowyn's blood-stained clothes and hair. A gory detail, for sure, but one overlooked by many other artists. Also, Éowyn looks the way she should in this one, not like a man or a Xena-style babe (or worse, Rubens-style babe!) But funnily this made me feel like drawing or painting the scene myself... crazy.
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05-18-2011, 12:01 PM | #6 | |
Byronic Brand
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Quote:
This, for instance http://theartorder.com/wp-content/up...ni-Aledin1.jpg reminds me rather disconcertingly of this which I think is interesting, as actually the same archetype is at work (as seen also in Perseus and Andromeda) - hero riding winged monster plus girl plus threatening monster. It's just that Tolkien (who we know was a bit ambiguous about chivalric legend etc post 1066) has done his usual ton of inverting (as with Eowyn, the "knight", winning Faramir, the "rescued damsel") - so the winged rider is now malign and the damsel and rescuing hero are - plus the obligatory hobbit - simultaneous... I always find the place of the headless Nazgul interesting in these too, and am a bit underwhelmed by all of the living, non-beheaded creatures shown here, many of which look to me too slavishly based on the film anyway. It's important to remember that this encounter involved two dead steeds, matching their two dead kings.
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Among the friendly dead, being bad at games did not seem to matter -Il Lupo Fenriso Last edited by Anguirel; 05-18-2011 at 12:02 PM. Reason: sorry had no idea the rather distasteful picture was so BIG |
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05-18-2011, 02:03 PM | #7 | |
Wight of the Old Forest
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Interesting stuff there; thanks for the links, Brinn!
I have to second Lommy on the Chase Stone version; this one comes closest to how I imagine the scene, and it does give me that Merry feeling - "She should not die, so fair, so desperate! At least she should not die alone, unaided." I also like Erin Kelso's art nouveau version, and for originality and hilarity, Jason Pruett's comic strip style rendition (the Witch-King looks remarkably like Bart Simpson there, doesn't he?) What puzzles me is that a lot of the Éowyns turn their backs on the Witch-King; I don't think I'd find that a good idea in their place. It's most absurd in Herman Lau's version, which is pretty but looks like WiKi is trying to seduce her (and look! pretty butterflies!). The price for the most original choice of medium has to go to Joseph Wu's origami version. Nice comments on that Dini-Aledin-picture, Ang (but leave Rubens out of it, people - she's much too skinny)! Not much camouflage on that Dernhelm; made me think of a dialogue like this: Quote:
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05-18-2011, 03:36 PM | #8 | |
Shady She-Penguin
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Quote:
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Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris
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05-18-2011, 06:13 PM | #9 | |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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05-18-2011, 06:21 PM | #10 |
Byronic Brand
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Mmm, I think I prefer the "rom-wraith" love affair take...
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Among the friendly dead, being bad at games did not seem to matter -Il Lupo Fenriso |
05-19-2011, 02:52 AM | #11 | |
Pilgrim Soul
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Quote:
I know there are lots of things that must have happened or existed that we aren't told about but since Tolkien has the time to tell us how the light fell about her I think he would have time to tell us if she turned when she sprang back. The WK doesn't actually speak before he strikes - he cries as he strikes - and the king is the far side of him. Since earlier Eowyn raised her shield "agains't the horror of her enemy's eyes" either she would have risen it again or perhaps it was still up - as far as I am concerned this is all in the time frame of seconds. I don't see that the WK would have messed around with a slow kill like a cat with a mouse. Eowy protecte her head with her shield first time - That shatters, her arm breaks and she is forced to her knees and she must be facing forward to deliver the coup de grace. It isn't impossible she turned and turned back and there is a certain amount of upper body movement with any sword strike but it just seems to be unlikely incomparison to a bit of artistic licence in subject placement. I am not too worried.. Tolkien based art almost always leaves me cold - the pictures in the words are always better for me....
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05-19-2011, 05:17 AM | #12 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
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Guys, look at Eowyn's left hand in Lau's picture...
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
05-19-2011, 07:18 AM | #13 |
Pilgrim Soul
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Waht the fact that she looks as if she is struggling to decide if she should give him the Agincourt salute or instruct him to live long and prosper?
Also you do have to wonder about the rest of the riders of Rohan given she was meant to pass for a man - that chainmail clings like it was made of Spandex. I like the Eowyn in the Craig Spearing pic. Brin links to - really captures the sense that this girl knows what she is doing with a sword and she isn't conspiculously Miranda Otto.
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“But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.”
Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace Last edited by Mithalwen; 05-19-2011 at 07:34 AM. |
05-19-2011, 06:09 PM | #14 |
Relic of Wandering Days
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05-20-2011, 01:34 AM | #15 | |
A Voice That Gainsayeth
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Quote:
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"Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories |
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05-20-2011, 09:59 AM | #16 |
Blithe Spirit
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"Still she did not blench: maiden of the Rohirrim, child of
kings, slender but as a steel-blade, fair yet terrible." Too many of these have a blenching look about them. I'd like to see one where she is standing up straight, calling Wiki a foul dwimmerlaik to his face and laughing defiantly...as Tolkien has her do. Like Mith, I prefer the Spearing. Partly because it shows her doing what was I believe her main aim...defending the body of her beloved uncle from being despoiled.
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05-20-2011, 02:13 PM | #17 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
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Yes, Spearing's drawing looks rather nice. At least Eowyn: the Wiki is a bit weird.
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
05-20-2011, 03:10 PM | #18 |
Pilgrim Soul
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Yes the floating eyes don't quite do it for me - I think maybe they are a bit low for where they should be if he had a visible head? but Eowyn is pretty much spot on.
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“But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.”
Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace |
05-20-2011, 03:51 PM | #19 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
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I think that if you could combine the Eowyn in Spearing's picture and the Nazgul in this one, you'd get a pretty good picture.
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
05-20-2011, 04:49 PM | #20 |
Pilgrim Soul
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The crown seems too low again and too much like a spinning top or a littleUFO! I think maybe I like Seward's reflected WK best of them.
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“But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.”
Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace |
05-20-2011, 08:06 PM | #21 | |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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Quote:
What I have some problem with in the Spearing picture is the winged beast. Aside from the fact it has a very thick (and rather short) neck, the armor it is wearing appears to be a series of linked plates. With that kind of armor, Eowyn would have to have the strength of Hercules to actually send the beasts head flying (think about the kind of upper body strength needed in old time executioners to cut through an ordinary human neck in one stroke). She could cut the head free, of course, but her sword would bounce against either the plate itself or the links between the plates and those links would keep the head more or less in place. If it moved at all, it would simply flop down and hang there (and given where Eowyn is standing, if it did that, Eowyn would likey get the head full in the chest (correction, in the back over the head) and be knocked sprawling) Last edited by Alfirin; 05-20-2011 at 10:24 PM. |
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05-20-2011, 09:03 PM | #22 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
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I like the winged beast here. I don't, however, like the Wiki and Eowyn.
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
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