[Dolmen 2.0]

So I started working on this on request AGES ago but it just aint going anywhere

I thought I'd post the WIP and hear from you guys what you think.
I would appreciate comments on anything really but my major concern is RYl.
I fear I made him too bulky but any thinner and he looks like a joke

Im also unsure about the moranth munition and the architecture type. Li Heng is
somewhat oriental in my minds eye but I thought I'd cross check with people here.
I think If I can get the broken moon and the architecture down the eerie mood
will make this image work...

 Ryllandaras2 small.JPG (120.07K)
Number of downloads: 24

On a second look I think I might need a lil more in terms of signature characteristics
to thrown in.These characters could be anyone and the only thing I put in thats distinctively
mentioned in the books is the fractured moon.

This post has been edited by Dolmen: 23 August 2010 - 07:08 AM

[worry]

I don't mind Ryl at all, as I never knew how to picture him, but I think you've done a pretty strong job. He gets called a man-jackal or whatever, but I still wasn't sure if he was just a gigantic, talking jackal (on all fours) or had slightly more lycanthropic qualities as you've decided. Size-wise, I honestly think you've got the right bulk. If anything, I'd think he was bigger, not smaller.

[Dolmen 2.0]

worrywort, on 23 August 2010 - 08:14 AM, said:

I don't mind Ryl at all, as I never knew how to picture him, but I think you've done a pretty strong job. He gets called a man-jackal or whatever, but I still wasn't sure if he was just a gigantic, talking jackal (on all fours) or had slightly more lycanthropic qualities as you've decided. Size-wise, I honestly think you've got the right bulk. If anything, I'd think he was bigger, not smaller.

Thanks Worry

What I got from the books is that Ryllandaras is half sembled. whether this is out of choice
is openly debated in the forumns. He runs on all fours but rears up on two feet as it suits him.
I'm glad you think his bulk is good. He is mentioned as a lil thin and whip like but considering
his strength I'd say he needs meet on 'em bones...

[amphibian]

The fractured moon is mentioned to be fragments left over from an enormous collision that shattered it. There's many small chunks all around, but the large chunks have actually started to clump back together (due to gravity).

Your Ryllandaras kinda looks like Sabretooth from the X-Men comics.

As for Ryllandaras being skinnier, look at dog anatomy versus jackal anatomy versus wolf anatomy. This wiki article upon the golden jackal is excellent. Dogs have narrower waist and their ribs are a bit narrower in breadth, but have more depth to them. Jackals seem a bit more even all around, while keeping a narrow build for long trots and wearing down the opponent, rather than bursts of all out sprints and intense confrontation that heavier creatures rely upon.

I think Erikson kept to that characterization by having Ryllandaras constantly nip at the flanks and rear of the people he went after, rather than have him go rushing head on into a packed enemy. What I'd do is pick someone like Brandon Vera (at 205), who's real lanky and not super-muscular looking, while having rather good power, and mold Ryllandaras onto that body type.

Is there a reason why the woman has no legs? And the soldier a six pack of abs visible from 20 feet?

This post has been edited by amphibian: 23 August 2010 - 08:26 AM

[Dolmen 2.0]

amphibian, on 23 August 2010 - 08:25 AM, said:

The fractured moon is mentioned to be fragments left over from an enormous collision that shattered it. There's many small chunks all around, but the large chunks have actually started to clump back together (due to gravity).

Your Ryllandaras kinda looks like Sabretooth from the X-Men comics.

As for Ryllandaras being skinnier, look at dog anatomy versus jackal anatomy versus wolf anatomy. This wiki article upon the golden jackal is excellent. Dogs have narrower waist and their ribs are a bit narrower in breadth, but have more depth to them. Jackals seem a bit more even all around, while keeping a narrow build for long trots and wearing down the opponent, rather than bursts of all out sprints and intense confrontation that heavier creatures rely upon.

I think Erikson kept to that characterization by having Ryllandaras constantly nip at the flanks and rear of the people he went after, rather than have him go rushing head on into a packed enemy. What I'd do is pick someone like Brandon Vera (at 205), who's real lanky and not super-muscular looking, while having rather good power, and mold Ryllandaras onto that body type.

Is there a reason why the woman has no legs? And the soldier a six pack of abs visible from 20 feet?

Ok: 1. how big would you think these fragments to be? is it something like a meteor belt or just shy of what I got up there already?

2.I guess you refer to the shaggy neck fur? Yeah I got a few wolfman tribe pics together and the older werewolfs had a mane to show dominance. I thought I'd throw the concept in to give Ryl a wilder look.

3. The body type of a jackal is conventionally small but when we think about the age, height and destructive power of Ryl I gravitated to a juggernaut body shape. I think Brandon Vera Is a good body model to follow but because of the lycanthropic anatomy of ryl I don't think I can adopt his chest and shoulders without getting proportions far too human.

4. The unlegged woman is absent of legs due to the shift of her position in the canvas, I'll re-leg her when I start reworking the image...as for the abs well i'll smooth them out no worries.

This post has been edited by Dolmen: 23 August 2010 - 02:07 PM

[TheSurvivor]

If you're looking for suggestions then I believe Rell had a full-helm to hide his scarring, I pictured Ryllandaras as being longer, Hurl just seems to muscular like she could snap the average person in half, and since I know which scene this is perhaps adding some corpses would be beneficial since Rell went in with like 20 soldiers and quickly became last man standing or at least some blood at the very least dripping from the talons. These are my contributions, take them if you wish or not.

[Dolmen 2.0]

TheSurvivor, on 23 August 2010 - 03:42 PM, said:

If you're looking for suggestions then I believe Rell had a full-helm to hide his scarring, I pictured Ryllandaras as being longer, Hurl just seems to muscular like she could snap the average person in half, and since I know which scene this is perhaps adding some corpses would be beneficial since Rell went in with like 20 soldiers and quickly became last man standing or at least some blood at the very least dripping from the talons. These are my contributions, take them if you wish or not.

Excellent points to consider.

I can gore it up easily enought. More bodies will also help with scale. The lines on hurl are armour lines. when She gets more detail work I hope to make her look smaller but in oversized armour and shoulder pads. Rells full helm might be a problem...

Cheers survivor

[Beezulbubba]

Reminds me of a werewolf mask I usually see every Halloween.

[NikitaDarkstar]

Keep in mind that Ryllandaras is described as about 3 times taller than an average man.. so even if he's leaning foreward he's to short by comparison of Rell in the background.

Also personally I like the body and legs (even if one looks twisted oddly, but that just might the the roughness of it right now) but the arms feels abit to thick to me, I always pictured them as more sinewy (just look at any canine really.. the front legs will be quite abit thinner than the hind) and possibly a little bit longer.

Either way I'm looking forward to seeing this finished!

[Grimjust Bearegular]

I would probably pull the heel further up on the calf, and give him more of a wolfish.jackal look than bat-cat

What colour scheme will you be using for this piece? I see you favour the gray, but that tends to muddy up the whole painting. I think maybe blues and purples would be good, with yellow and orange highlights? Just a thought...I do think this is going to be awesome when it's done

[Dolmen 2.0]

NikitaDarkstar, on 23 August 2010 - 08:20 PM, said:

Keep in mind that Ryllandaras is described as about 3 times taller than an average man.. so even if he's leaning foreward he's to short by comparison of Rell in the background.

Also personally I like the body and legs (even if one looks twisted oddly, but that just might the the roughness of it right now) but the arms feels abit to thick to me, I always pictured them as more sinewy (just look at any canine really.. the front legs will be quite abit thinner than the hind) and possibly a little bit longer.

Either way I'm looking forward to seeing this finished!

Yes Ryl is indeed 3 times bigger...I'm glad you picked that up! Perhaps I'll set him on his haunches?
I can always minimize rell mind. I could thin his arms out a bit. I think enough people have raised it
to definately adjust his structure. Thank you for the comment ND.

Grimhilde, on 24 August 2010 - 06:22 PM, said:

I would probably pull the heel further up on the calf, and give him more of a wolfish.jackal look than bat-cat

What colour scheme will you be using for this piece? I see you favour the gray, but that tends to muddy up the whole painting. I think maybe blues and purples would be good, with yellow and orange highlights? Just a thought...I do think this is going to be awesome when it's done

Heel going up makes sense. I am struggling to get a decent snarl on jackalish features
when you pull back the lips and raise the ears said bat-cat comes to the fore

Im thinking of doing something in purple as you mentioned. but I want a little more complexity
in the colour range so I'm looking at browns and a pure white for ryl that might get tempered
down with silver shading and amber softlighting. I'm no Maxxx though. My coulours would
probaly stay simple. unifying them will prove the real challenge...

BTW what do you guys think of Hurl? I cant really place her age but if she is a veteran
maybe she needs a lil grey in her hair>? and on second thought much less armour
padding...

[NikitaDarkstar]

If she's a veteran I'd say she'd look somewhere around 40'ish at the least.. so some grey and such wouldn't look of to me.

[Dolmen 2.0]

Revisiting this idea. Starting from scratch with a more Epic approach...


 RYll Rampage.jpg (157.03K)
Number of downloads: 3

[Sinisdar Toste]

looking very promising!

[Dolmen 2.0]

The question of the moment ST: which do you prefer? 2 and 4 are my current favourites...

[Gothos]

#1 looks best

[Isa]

#2 absolutely! In 1 and 3 he looks beset and not that that would be wrong but I think I prefer it when people (facing Ryllandaras) are running for their lives. It's also an interesting composition, lots of action

This post has been edited by Isolde: 28 September 2011 - 09:10 AM

[Corporal Nobbs]

2 or 3 for me.

[Nimunhan]

No. 2 would look great

[Sinisdar Toste]

I like 2 as well cuz the soldiers add a nice chaotic dynamism.