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TurnerMohan — Thorin and Co. 1

Published: 2013-05-29 05:16:53 +0000 UTC; Views: 6651; Favourites: 91; Downloads: 72
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Description One of a series of (alternate) concept sketches me and a friend [link] are doing of the thirteen dwarves from The Hobbit.
While I liked some things about the dwarves in the movie, I think Peter Jackson and Co. went a little too far in trying to establish them all as individuals and as a result alot of them had really wacky character designs to make them easier to distinguish. I would have been content with an approach closer to the book, where among the company you've got a few standouts like Thorin, Balin, Fili/Kili, and Bombur (a case could be be made for Dori as well I suppose) but most are just in the background, providing not so much rounded characters as a gallery of great dwarven faces.
These two were both conceived as "b-side" dwarves, but the one on the left ended up as bombur, who I never pictured as being ridiculously, nutty professor-fat, just a good-hearted dwarvish gentleman, a bit on the corpulant side. the one on the right really could be almost any one of the company, so any identity I assign to him is pretty arbitrary, but for my own part I like to think of him as Nori, one of the least-mentioned dwarves in the book, and definitely one for the background. (truth be told I had movie-Nori partially on the brain while drawing this one; aside from the starfish hair, he was for my money one of the better designed movie dwarves)

I always pictured the company of dwarves, except for Fili and Kili, as mostly consisting of old-timers, long bearded old men whose hearts burn with personal memories of the kingdom under the mountain. I absolutely love the image of them all gathered together in bilbo's parlor, wreathed in curling pipe smoke, their deep set eyes flickering with firelight, all heavy-bearded, looking to Bilbo's eyes very much like eachother, and so foreign and unknown to poor mr. Baggings.
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Comments: 11

LunaLovegoodArt7 [2014-02-14 00:43:17 +0000 UTC]

Awesome! they look like how I would imagine them in the books! Lovely.

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Artigas [2013-05-29 15:46:52 +0000 UTC]

Hey Turner!
I opted to make a personal "corrected"version of the movie's Thorin, and I caught myself wondering about the names of the tribes Tolkien created, and I got really curious about how could they be different cultures. Here: [link]

Sorry for the delay in the comments, I really am in a very crazy schedule lately.
But nice to see we can put our minds to work on the subject! Thanks for the incentive and partnership man!
I really like the way you depicted Thorin here, the deep ponderous eyes, he really look like someone who have a story to tell. Also, the description itself is so great, you really know to express yourself and it makes your art even more enjoyable! Let's keep this up man, so nice to create like that !

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TurnerMohan In reply to Artigas [2013-05-29 22:31:48 +0000 UTC]

very nice thorin man, and the different houses, cant wait to see more. I'm liking this, good incentive to work (and one of my favorite subjects to boot)

just so you know the guy on the right in this one is nori, not thorin, I'll probably take a stab at him a bit down the road. but you've basically hit what i was hoping to achieve with him, no reason a background character, if the audience's eye lands on them momentarily, cant look like he's got a history, and things on his mind.
thanks for the kind words.

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Artigas In reply to TurnerMohan [2013-06-08 15:29:43 +0000 UTC]

Oh I see, I picked the wrong Thorin heheh. But anyways they are both great designs.
But the desig hit the spot for as you say, he looks really interesting and full of life and history.
I'm planning to expand the houses designs today, let's see what this exercise will bring out.
See you friend.
Let's keep up the good art.

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TurnerMohan In reply to Artigas [2013-06-08 21:18:14 +0000 UTC]

yeah, cant wait to see what you come up with.
I had a design idea, inspired by your quick sketch of the broadbeams. somewhere tolkien specifies that of the thirteen dwarves, Bifur Bofur and Bombur, though they came from erebor (and khazad dum before) were not longbeards. He also remarked that a lot of Broadbeams and Firebeards from nogrod and belegost left the blue mountains at the end of the first age and came to khazad dum, swelling it's ranks. I like the idea of the three of them being broadbeams, all a bit larger and more heavily built than the dwarves of durin's house (and bombur on the portly side even for a broadbeam) maybe at some point i'll try a piece with bifur and bofur, and try to make them have some of the same build to their faces as bombur here.

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Artigas In reply to TurnerMohan [2013-08-06 19:20:52 +0000 UTC]

Very inspirational remarks, you see you have inspired me to continue those Tolkien sketches, but I can't managed to find time for it somehow, we have been through a revolution here in my country and many other mundane things, but I'm planning to stick to my art again and am already working in some sketches, so thanks again for the inspiration friend!

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TurnerMohan In reply to Artigas [2013-08-07 07:30:12 +0000 UTC]

damn, I had no idea (brazil right?)

well I cant wait to see some new stuff from you. I'll be keeping posted

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Artigas In reply to TurnerMohan [2013-08-14 20:13:21 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, there's been some confusion and sort of a political revolution here. But I'm getting back to the rails. Soon I'll post something new. Thanks for your kindness.

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WanderingEntity [2013-05-29 12:59:30 +0000 UTC]

A great piece!

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TurnerMohan In reply to WanderingEntity [2013-05-29 22:35:10 +0000 UTC]

thanks !!!!

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WanderingEntity In reply to TurnerMohan [2013-05-30 10:31:14 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome

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