[Jordy Knoop]

Hey guys!

My name is Jordy and i'm a 21 year old game art student from the netherlands. I recently finished reading the ASOIAF series and was looking for a new series to read. I bought gardens of the moon and was immediately taken away by the quality within these books. I had a few remarks about the 1st book in regard to the realism and suspension of disbelief but the amount of sheer insanely cool magic and characters made me start the 2nd which I'm loving to bits. At the time of reading the first book I had to start my specialization at school and i chose to focus on character concepting for movies. I chose to do 3 characters from the 1st book and try and work them up to a quality as if they were to appear in a motion picture.

My previous work can be found here: My Website

I have now been working on this for 4 weeks and have a lot more stuff coming out but for now I really wanted to share with you my progress on Anomander Rake which is the first character i'm doing. Would love to hear some feedback and see what you think of my takes on these characters. One thing though is that my supervisor at school wants me to push for designs that go beyond generic so i might deviate from book descriptions here and there to also acquire designs that enhance my portfolio. But I will do my best to stay true to these great characters.

First a page of thumbnails I did to explore some idea for anomander rake. Not happy with any of these as they were a bit too generic so i still hope to do some more unique designs!




Here is a page of head ideas!





My main output for my specialization will be 3d concept models so I'm using zbrush to take these further. Here is a head sculpt for Rake!




That's it for now but I'll soon be back with lots more!

Hope you enjoy! thanks

[Kaamos]

Interesting! I love seeing such concept sketches and how they lead to the eventual design. :-D
As for personal visions, I'm going to adopt a slightly more boring approach and pin the one with the ponytail (next to the version that vaguely resembles Goliath from Gargoyles) as something my mind would conjure up while reading. I haven't gotten all that much attached to Rake (yet, anyhow), so cannot recall exact descriptional passages, but the Andii (and Edur), on general, have been described as quite handsome, and possessing epicanthic folds in the eyes. (See this Wikipedia example.)

Love the sculpt, though, and hoping to see more! :-D

[Dolmen 2.0]

Hello! really great artwork!

Top right thumbnail of Rake has my vote. Its all really incredible artwork!

[Puck]

Wooh, I love it

I'll go with Dolmen as for which design would get my vote, though the pretty much centre-stage one would fit, imo, too, except with white hair. I see that you have to go the non-generic look for your project, but as you say you want to stay as true to the characters as possible here's a few things I would change:

- epicantic folds, the Andii got those as Kaamos already pointed out
- I love the 3D, love the facial shape, the lips, the nose, the eyes and how they are of a different distance than human eyes would be, except while the Andii do look alien to humans they're not 'bestial-alien', not orc-like, but more - as generic as that might sound - 'elvish-alien'; I'm petty sure with how well you seem to be doing you could manage to do that without going too generic
- lose the pointy ears - too generic AND the Andii don't have them anyway

[Spoilsport Stonny]

Y u stop at da nipplez?

[gandrin]

I love how you are approaching this from a true art student perspective.

Since you are just starting, there are many details about Anomander you do not know. Without any spoilers, here are some major points to consider:

1. The Tiste Andii are humanoid but distinctly recognizable as non-human. Humans seem to find them either attractive or at the very least "not ugly." They can mate with humans.
2. Their skin is very dark. There are some other races very similar to them that are essentially the same (physically!) save for the color of their skin.
3. Anomander carries an enormous burden. The sword is just symbolic of it. Enormous. This is the primary personality trait I remember of him. He is so quiet all the time because he carries so much pain. You can basically hear him gritting his teeth as you read.
4. As you have seen he has no trouble punishing people, but he always does it with his own sense of true justice. If he gave his word you could trust it implicitly. But you would have a tough time getting him to trust YOU.

Thus there are a couple of concepts that didn't really work for me--the ones that make him look like a monster. One the other hand, your 3d render might just be perfect. Maybe a little meaner than I was envisioning, but I like the "almost but not quite human" look, as well as the obvious power that he has. Oh yeah, that reminds me of another one

5. Basically everybody in the world is afraid of him.

[gandrin]

Hey, I just looked at your website. You're only 21??? Wow! You've got a gift and a great future.

Here's to hoping you become addicted to MBotF and do concept art for all the major characters!

[Imperial Historian]

Oooops.

Like the art, but I accidentally deleted the latest update whilst browsing on my phone (fat fingers). Can't fix it here, will fix tomorrow when I get to a PC.

[Rothenril]

Awesome work, I personally like the pupil-less ponytail one, it seems to capture his character and personality most befitting. You also have some really excellent work on your website, and I think you have a very definite and valuable skill in art.

[Jordy Knoop]

Thanks a lot guys! I really appreciate the comments and it's exactly the reason why i figured i'd post here. While doing research on these characters i often bumped into spoilers so i had to stop so to not spoil the rest of my books. Getting this input from you guys on these characters is such a big help because they don't spoil the story but help me get a better feel for the character. Really appreciated!

As of yesterday I finished Deadhouse Gates and it's quite likely the best book i've ever read. Starting on MOI tonight. Really getting into these books and i plan to tribute to these books with my art. I find the characters very inspiring and from an artistic point of view it is very interesting to visualize these while there is not yet a vast majority of established art out there.

I plan on dropping a bunch of sketches in this thread once every week. I currently have around 10 weeks to concept anomander rake, tattersail and shadowthrone so it should be an interesting journey hopefully. I will then go on an internship for half a year but will return after to actually produce the concepts that im doing. So i'll be making 3 of these characters as cinematic movie models. I hope to however do more than these 3 characters and do some ocassional sketches of characters like apt and herboric cause they are so amazing and I'd love to try my hand at them.

@Kaamos: Thanks man! interesting note on the eyes. I will definately do a test and see how it works. The more I'm getting into these books the more homage i want to pay and stay true to the book's description.
@Dolmen: Cheers!
@Puck: Thanks for your input. Really appreciate it. For now my plan is to get the non-generic look in his outfit so that i can stay closer to the brief with his face. I tried the round ears but didn't really like the feel they give em. Epicanthic eyes I'm most likely going to do and i have a sketch of that somewhere below now. Soon more!
@spoilsport Stonny: Well here ya go!
@Gandrin: Dude best feedback ever! I can't describe how appreciative i am of your remarks. Really usefull information without spoilering anything that does greatly improve my understanding of the character. Especially his personality stuff is just great and gives me a lot to work with. Thanks! And hopefully i'm into this for the long rn because i would love to do most of em!

I'm guessing some of you won't like my approuch to these but for my specialization i have to show i can play with shapes so i was playing with the idea that rake would have some hints of his ability to transform into a dragon reflected in his normal form. I will not go for this for my final design so don't worry but it was a good way to do some cool horn designs and some more varied iterations. Also in one of the heads i tried to include the epicanthic eyes and i will do a variation on the face soon in 3d to test that out. Think it could be really cool. Finally i took a bit of time to start blocking in the body. I'll be getting into his outfit from now so that should be an intersesting challenge!












Mod edit: There you go sorry!

[Grimjust Bearegular]

Top right, or top left for the head, but lose the pointy ears...maybe less angry, and more determined or pensive. Disconnected and detached also works, since he's lived a hundred thousand years and human lives are short, bright flashes to him.

None of the armours or dragon horns say Rake or Erikson to me, more World of Warcraft and Dragon Age. Although terrific sketches and 3D models, I feel like I've seen much of it before. You're clearly talented, no question about it, but I think maybe should try more subtle ways of making "non-generic" concept pieces...I dunno, I'm just gonna leave now.





Oh, I would love to see your take on Dragnipur.

[Studious Lock]

There is actually evidence for rake to sometimes appear more draconic without him going massive winged death creature on everyone. I think its from TTH and i dont want to give any spoilers, but it mentions his bare arms and perhaps torso (i forget) being scaled. If someone could quote fu that without spoiling anyone that would be awesome...

Great stuff so far!

[Puck]

Ask, and ye shall receive..

Trying not to spoil anything, but here are the specific quotes SL had in mind. They're from TtH. It's worth noting, though, that what they describe happened, like, ages ago, so present day Rake may not fume with rage as much, but hey, whatever.. I also added the one about his will because that's part of what makes him so great - he can just make people do things.

Quote

[...] Behind the flaring rage in his eyes there had been triumph.

[...] His forearms sheathed in black glistening scales, his bared chest made a thing of natural armour. The blood of Tiam ran riot through him, fired to life by the conflation of chaotic sorcery, and his eyes glowed with ferocious will.

And so he walked past, and Endest found himself on his feet, as Lord Anomander’s will closed about his heart like an iron gauntlet, pulling him round and into the great warrior’s wake.

But the warrior continued on, silencing Endest with a gesture from one scaled, taloned hand. '[...]'

[Studious Lock]

Puck, on 16 November 2013 - 02:18 PM, said:

Ask, and ye shall receive..

Trying not to spoil anything, but here are the specific quotes SL had in mind. They're from TtH. It's worth noting, though, that what they describe happened, like, ages ago, so present day Rake may not fume with rage as much, but hey, whatever.. I also added the one about his will because that's part of what makes him so great - he can just make people do things.

Quote

[...] Behind the flaring rage in his eyes there had been triumph.

[...] His forearms sheathed in black glistening scales, his bared chest made a thing of natural armour. The blood of Tiam ran riot through him, fired to life by the conflation of chaotic sorcery, and his eyes glowed with ferocious will.

And so he walked past, and Endest found himself on his feet, as Lord Anomander's will closed about his heart like an iron gauntlet, pulling him round and into the great warrior's wake.

But the warrior continued on, silencing Endest with a gesture from one scaled, taloned hand. '[...]'

I dont know what i would do without you puck!

[Puck]

Studious Lock, on 16 November 2013 - 02:35 PM, said:

I dont know what i would do without you puck!

I don't know what kind of luck you've got, but cosidering I have no internet at home atm and am at work right now, it was literally luck that I just happened to have a memory stick with an ebook version of TtH with me. Seriously. You lucky sod. How do you do it? How do you make people do work for you just like that?!

/off-topic rant

[worry]

Studious Lock is actually Corabb in disguise.

[Jordy Knoop]

Hey guys!

Thanks for the info, it really helps a lot. I'm gonna give a personal reply soon in a later update but for now i just want to say thanks.
I've been a bit more absent here than i would want to but it's mostly due to me not knowing where i'm going with his armor design. One of my biggest problems is probably not knowing the character good enough. I can't really properly do research because it spoils the plots for me so I'm kinda in the unkown. My main idea of rake i got through GOTM and I pretty much barerly knew anything about him and now halfway into MOI i'm still quite in the dark. I'd love to do justice to him though!

If there is anyone who is willing to guide me a bit with information on stuff like armor in a more direct manner I'd love to add you on skype and pick your brain. Some of the stuff here was super helpfull but I just have a couple of more questions concerning stuff like armor personality etc. What you get is a super big thank you and if i ever finish my reel a big special thanks there as well!!! My skype is : jordyskateboardy

I have done a lot more of these but like some of you pointed out it might all be a bit too cliche and not erikson like. I really would like to get away from this but artisticly it's also still quite a struggle. So here is a bunch of sketches and overpaints of which I don't feel like any truly fit. And i'm still going to adjust his face just for now the armor is occupying me..

Oh btw some random good news I got accepted as a character intern at Guerilla Games so from the 3rd of February i'll be at their studio for half a year! Should be fun working on some unnanounced ps4 titles and getting my first real industry experience!

This post has been edited by Jordy Knoop: 20 November 2013 - 03:49 PM

[Isa]

Impressive stuff, Jordy, and congrats on the internship!
One thing regarding the Rake concept. The Andii is a tall race, and – even though there's nothing here to indicate the (relative) height of the character – the impression I get is that he is more compact. Might just be the angle of the neck, or the fact that he's heavily muscled in that area, but I thought I'd point it out because I think Rake's height (7ft if I remember correctly) is a recurring remark throughout the series.

[Tarthenal Theloman Toblakai]

hey man, wish i could see the pics at work, but the idea and your thoughts sound great as does all your feedback thus far. I recommend reading Forge of Darkness which features Anomander in his younger years (althought Tiste Andii live loooooooooooong) and it has some really nice descriptions on him and the Andii as a race. I would also take inspiration from Gardens of the Moon Subterranean Press edition with AMAZING art by the ultra talented Michael Komarck. I think he realised Anomander extremely well in the cover art and with another art piece he did which I believe appeared in the slipcased edition of the book??

[gandrin]

I think the armor is great. Some comments on each:
top left. Looks a little too "priestly" to me. He was not a Priest. He is an Anti-Paladin. The true embodiment of Lawful Evil in Dungeons and Dragons. (in the way it was intended...not really "evil" per se).
Top middle. Only thing that isn't perfect is that the armor looks too human.
Top right. Like the dragon motif Nothing wrong I can think of. That could be him
Bottom ones are all pretty similar. I could see him wearing both types of robes. I don't think he carries a knife, though (could be wrong). The bottom right, with the knife, kind of reminds me of Aragorn, which wouldn't be right. Rake would never slink around anywhere. Just think of him standing out on the Moon's Spawn above Pale, all alone against an entire Malazan army and a mage Cadre. That's Rake.