B2MeM sketch dump! Days 10,11,12 and 14

[hrymfaxe]

Another four sketches for the B2MeM! :D As you can see I'm not completely caught up, but I only had today to draw in, so I'm pleased that I made four.


B2MeM prompt 10: "Traveling is a fool's paradise. We owe to our first journeys the discovery that place is nothing."

I was stumped by this one, until I talked with dawnfelagund about it. So this is Mablung and Daeron at the Mereth Aderthad, and Mablung is starting to question whether he could have done more to off-set Doriath's insularity by staying at home and working on internal politics. He is certainly stepping into a tension-filled environment. (For those interested the people in the image are from left to right: Aredhel, Fingon, Fingolfin, Turgon, Caranthir, Maedhros, Celegorm, Daeron and Mablung.) Please to not get so complicated ideas for the rest of the prompts..

B2MeM prompt 11: Humour

Mablung and Beleg share some decidedly male humour, and Mablung's sister is not amused...

B2MeM prompt 12: Innocence

Set in the time when the first orcs began appearing on the borders of Doriath. Innocence lost more likely, both for Mablung going away from his family and for Doriath having to enlist the young men.

B2MeM prompt 14: Favourite season (or not)

Being a warden on the borders of Doriath in the death of winter cannot have been entirely pleasant, but at least the enemies suffer the same, and I suspect it is easier to spot them if they should venture out.

Comments

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

You've done it again! Terrific series of scenes.

Love the sweeping. almost epic quality of the first one and its ambitous cast of characters--makes me want to torture you to fill it in.

The humor one is adorable.

Innocence is incredibly emotive and really speaks.

But, I think for sheer appreciation of the composition and the posture of the subject, I like the last one best. Nice work!

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Thank you Oshun! :D

You can torture me on the first one - I want to see it filled in too! Now if only someone would do it for me... And the last one, where I (as you know) was least inspired came out a lot better than I dared hope.

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

Now if only someone would do it for me...

You need a studio filled with lackeys apprentices like the Renaissance artists to fill in the tedious parts, while you provide the genius.

And the last one, where I (as you know) was least inspired came out a lot better than I dared hope.

I loved his legs and his posture. The concept was great also. I just posted mine to that same prompt. Kind of the anti-prompt response. I don't have a favorite season right now. Sick of winter and early spring so far looks a lot like winter to me.

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

You need a studio filled with lackeys apprentices like the Renaissance artists to fill in the tedious parts, while you provide the genius.

What a wonderful idea! They don't need to be paid though, do they?

I just saw that you had posted - am running in your direction posthaste. :D (I also wish the seasons would just make up their minds now.. This half/half gets old real fast)

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Oh I don't know which one I love the most, but Mablung and a son, kids *squee* And yeah I agree with you that the winter would be a favourite time for all, also because you can spent a lot of time in bed to stay warm *coughs* ;)

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for commenting! I like your take on winter too. ;) And Mablung would probably prefer a warm bed to guard duty at the border!

Oh, and I meant that Innocence picture to be Mablung as a child getting drafted for the armed forces of Doriath as she is under threat...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Oh, those are wonderful!

I'm especially in awe of the "Travelling" one - so many characters, and all of them individual! And the "Innocence" one is just beautiful. Well, they all are; but that one's my favourite.

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

You cannot know how happy you made me by saying that the characters in Traveling were individuals. I was moaning earlier about the pain of drawing so many men that all had to look handsome (to a certain degree - Turgon obviously got the harsh end of the deal with me) but still had to be differentiable. I also think the Innocence one could be great if I worked on it some more - it definitely has potential. :D

[pandemonium-213.livejournal.com]

Each and every one of these is fantastic, Hrym! Your ability to create a sense of movement in each picture is awesome. I'm also fond of your and Binka's vision of the Firstborn -- each a different (delightfully so) style -- but with a real humanity in them. Although digital art is fine, there's something very fundamental about the media you use that seems so fitting for Beleg, Mablung et al.

I can't pick a favorite. I just can't.

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Wow! Thank you so much. In my first tender forays into this fandom I must admit that I was a fan of those perfect aloof elves, but they become boring really fast and now I wouldn't trade these human and fallible elves for anything.

I'm often impressed with digital art, but there is something about traditional media that is more attractive to me. (not the least of which is that there is always a limit to how much you can fiddle with something before the paper gives out ;))

I'm glad you like them all!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Four sketches in one day! And they're so different in scope and theme, too. Wow.

As someone whose faces always look exactly the same when I try to draw people, I really enjoy the variety of expressions in #10 (even though I don't remember enough about the Silmarillion to place the names).

#11 is a great sequel to the one from last time. Now the men look a lot more amused while the sister looks considerably less so, heh.

#12 is nicely ominous, with the grave expressions and the closeness of the groups in the picture. I like the hand on Mablung's shoulder -- I can almost feel its weight.

I have to echo the comments on #14 -- the stance works really well. I really like the details of the clothing, too, especially the laces on the boot.

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Yes it was a sketch marathon. :D I had a lot of fun with the very different compositions and emotions in the pictures.

Thank you for taking the time to tell me what works for you in each of these. The expressions in #10 was both what made it a fun and a headdesky drawing to attempt. Now I just need to give them bodies too.. Eeek!
Those three having a drink may become a mainstay. ;) It could be fun to do a series of sketches -like one of those newspaper comics for that one. And the men seem to have turned the table on her..
I'm glad you feel the weight of the hand on his shoulder. Drafting the young men would not have been an easy decision nor a desired task. :( I'm also tickled that you use the word ominous for it.
I love to do details (as you may already know ;)) - so it's always great when someone notices the little thing I stick in there.

Thank you for poking your head into the Tolkien side of my split personality. I'm so happy to have you along for the ride!

[whitewave16.livejournal.com]

I love all of these but I must say the Feast got me so excited! Seeing most of the major Sil characters in one slide is just too much for this big geek. Prompt 12 is quite heartbreaking, poor young Mablung. Looking forward to your other sketch dumps.

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

I know you have been waiting impatiently for my take on the first introductions at the feast, so I'm really happy this sketch lived up to the expectations! I need to draw this on a much bigger paper, so I can work more on the details of everything. And #12 is breaking my heart too. Those sad consequences of war...

[binkaslibrary.livejournal.com]

A-WE-SOME!

I love them all: how you've managed to present a complicated scene in the first, and *squeeeeeeeeeee* at seeing a few of major Silm characters gathered in one piece;

The second made me LOL! The humor, the mischief and the light mood are prominent in this one. And I love how you subtly have done a little bit of self-insert here :D Ah, boys!

The third -- tugging at the heart, especially those figures in the background.

The fourth: *le dreamy sigh* The stance is perfect. The look on his face too :)

Let me say once again: outstanding challenge entries, and I immensely enjoy the glimpses at Mablung's life. Wonderfully done :D

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

The first scene is definitely something I would like to work more on - I think it could be a very interesting image! All the tensions those two Sindar walk into... Phew!

LOL - Those two drunken men had me laughing too. I like to imagine these lighter moments, to offset the tragic stories that run through their lives.

And speaking off - the third made me sad too. And his poor family in the background, seeing their son and brother go away to a dangerous life. (But as we see in #4, it looks like he made it to become Warden McDreamy! ;) I'm pleased and surprised by how well that turned out)

Thank you for being there with encouragement and listening when I have to tell someone about my Mablung muse! :D

[morethmusing.livejournal.com]

Absolutely fantastic! I love the expressions on the faces.

I think 10 and 14 are my favourites, but it's really hard to choose. O.O

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Moreth! :D I like those two too, and I'm still surprised at how well 14 came out. It was not the most inspired idea..

[dawn_felagund]

Excellent as expected! :D The Mereth Aderthad is impressive to say the least! You do group scenes (like the HP banner) so well, somehow managing to make each person unique, to show his or her personality. I think that my two favorites are humor and innocence. I love Mablung's sister! You have given her such a unique personality on the page (I knew who it was before even reading the text), and her expression here is priceless!

For innocence, the expression on the lad's face is what makes the picture for me. The scene as it is set is wonderful and sets up the story, but the boy's face really creates the emotion for me. There is such worry and fear there, and he is clutching at the sword like he means to be brave, but it is more as one clutches a favorite toy or blanket. He is far too young to be going to war, indeed.

On the last, I admire the posture you've drawn Mablung in. *awed* And his furry cloak looks so cozy and warm! :D

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

I'm glad they were worth the wait! :D I do so want to finish the Mereth Aderthad and give them all actual bodies...

And I'm so glad you like Mablung's sister! I'm quite taken with her too, and I hope she will turn up again. There needs to be some female balance to that relentlessly male world of Tolkien's. ;)

Poor young Mablung who should have spent many more years in innocence under the trees. Thank you for telling me what you read in his pose because that was more or less exactly what I was trying to create.

Mablung appreciate the cloak I gave him too. :) I had a good reference for the pose, which certainly helped.

Thank you for stopping by! :D