Riddles in the Dark

[DBMiller]

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.

From chapter five of The Hobbit - Riddles in the Dark.

Some ages ago, 1971 I think (my first year of junior high), I read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. It was tough going at first because I wasn't a great reader then. I still managed to fall in love with both works and read them every autumn for years. I wish I still had the great posters I bought back then!
I hadn't read them in years so I gave it a go just before Peter Jackson's films came out but it wasn't the same. That made me a bit sad but I've never gotten the feeling out of my head from my earlier days.

I'll be re-creating the riddles scene with these ancient metal figures I bought maybe 20 years ago from a gaming store. I lost the box for the set I'm using but you can see what it looked like with these other two.



These are my guys - Bilbo and Gollum.







And this is what I'll be using for a base.





By the way, did you guess the answer? It's "Dark"

[BigWall]

I have to admit I couldn't answer the riddle but it's been a long day so I won't be too hard on myself.

Filthy hobbitses.

This is going to be a neat build!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Absolutely love this!!!

I made one a while back, similar theme but different moulds
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=13356&hilit=We+eats+it+whole

[Casper]

Great subject
Probably one of the first books I ever read but after the first couple of chapters it got put in a draw for a couple of years (think I was around 12) and then I read it front to back three times, couldn't put it down. My wife got me the 1997 Alan Lee illustrated edition for my 40th birthday, some wonderful artwork. I still have the Lord of the Rings 1970,s poster but smashed the glass in the frame a few weeks ago and I was just about to hang it as well
Pre tinted water looks interesting, not used that before. Rocks look perfect

casp

[Casper]

"My wife got me the 1997 Alan Lee illustrated edition for my 40th birthday"
I stand corrected by her indoors, was my 30th

[Tomcat64]

Very cool subject - I still go back and re-read the Hobbit and LOTR every five years or so.

Looking forward to seeing this come to life... what's it got in its pocketses?

[RangerNeil]

I carried a paperback edition of Lord of the Rings in my bergen in the army - over 40 years ago. Still got it - dog-eared and very battered - but intact and I still read it.
Still wishing and hoping a cinema will show all 6 extended version films back to back in a Ring Fest....

Going to look forwards to this build very much!!

[bfrd]

Instead of posting all 50 of these, here is a link...

[Twokidsnosleep]

I thought I was full on nerd for reading LOTR young...kept that very quiet
I remember going to an animated movie with my mom, was kinda cheezie but good
Glad Sir Alan Jackson came on and made those movies

[DBMiller]

Absolutely love this!!!

I made one a while back, similar theme but different moulds
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=13356&hilit=We+eats+it+whole

I missed that build - it wasn't too long after I joined the group. Thanks for linking it!

Very cool subject - I still go back and re-read the Hobbit and LOTR every five years or so.

Looking forward to seeing this come to life... what's it got in its pocketses?

I hope it comes to life! As for pocketses - as we're all modelers here, you can bet you won't find any money! That gold ring? I got a great kit, plus extras, for it!

[DBMiller]

I thought I was full on nerd for reading LOTR young...kept that very quiet
I remember going to an animated movie with my mom, was kinda cheezie but good
Glad Sir Alan Jackson came on and made those movies

I saw the Rankin-Bass Hobbit when it came out on TV back in 1977. It was actually pretty good! Ralph Bakshi's "Lord of The Rings" film was only OK (is that what you saw?). It was roto-scoped so the animation wasn't too great. Then it ended half way through the books - to be wrapped up by Rankin-Bass on TV.
Star Wars trivia - Anthony Daniels voiced Legolas! Alien trivia - John Hurt voiced Aragorn!

Since several of you are Hobbit fans I'll link this. It's an interesting video comparing the TV Hobbit with Peter Jackson's.

[DBMiller]

"My wife got me the 1997 Alan Lee illustrated edition for my 40th birthday"
I stand corrected by her indoors, was my 30th

I struggled at first then came to love it as well. My favorite Tolkien illustrators were Tim and Greg Hildebrandt (along with several Frazetta drawings).

I carried a paperback edition of Lord of the Rings in my bergen in the army - over 40 years ago. Still got it - dog-eared and very battered - but intact and I still read it.
Still wishing and hoping a cinema will show all 6 extended version films back to back in a Ring Fest....

Going to look forwards to this build very much!!

Your copy went "There and back Again" for real! As for all six films in a row - my backside just gave out thinking about it!

[DBMiller]

Filthy hobbitses.

Just their hairy feet.

[DBMiller]

Instead of posting all 50 of these, here is a link...

You just had to, didn't you?

[Casper]

Instead of posting all 50 of these, here is a link...

[Casper]

"I struggled at first then came to love it as well. My favourite Tolkien illustrators were Tim and Greg Hildebrandt (along with several Frazetta drawings)."

I love Hildebrandt Tolkien years very colourful illustrations. I have the Jimmy Cauty (rockman) Lord of the rings poster from the 70,s but its rolled up in a tube at the moment, I started doing a sketch just before the glass broke on the frame
here is the illustration from the book I have.


Casp

[Casper]

Frazetta,s work is very similar to Borris Vallejo, brilliant artists but my all time favourites are Syd Mead and Philippe Druillet
casp

[Garion77]

I thought I was full on nerd for reading LOTR young...kept that very quiet
I remember going to an animated movie with my mom, was kinda cheezie but good
Glad Sir Alan Jackson came on and made those movies

I love the animated movie ! I saw It when I was pretty young and that made my interest for Tolkien ! and crazy as I was the first real book I read in English was the full series of lotr

[DBMiller]

Long gone but not forgotten. The first copy of The Hobbit I owned had this cover. Funny how this image brings back more memories than the covers I have now.



I had this poster as well, Casper. I think it was damaged from too many moves over the years.



The Hildebrandt Gollum!



It's going to be too hot to work this weekend - over 90 (32C) for at least 3 days - so I gave some of the parts a quick first pass tonight. The base got a coat of stain and the two figures go base coats. Gollum got Model Color Middlestone and Bilbo got Model Master Acryl Dark Tan. Both were mixed with Golden acrylic retarder and brushed on.

[Casper]

That's the poster matey still have mine but it's rolled up somewhere the artwork is brilliant especially around the border.
Great start, 90 degrees wow, its warm in Sunny Wales but not that hot. Have a great weekend
Love the old cover image and the Hildebrandt Gollum.
Casp

[DBMiller]

Here is a quick color pass. It was 93° when I left work yesterday and is just under 90° right now, so I won't be working in my loft too much today!
It kills me how bad it looks once I photograph my work up close! I'll have to try a lot harder than this! Also, I thought the desk top was too busy and put a wood backdrop. I don't like that - it makes it seem too yellow and I didn't correct the white balance enough for it.

[BigWall]

I think you're capturing the old fashioned look of the castings perfectly. It's looking nice!

[Tomcat64]

Nice progress DBM - photographing small scale figures is definitely tricksy

[Casper]

They look great

[aur0ra145]

Awesome subject! I recently got into the world of painting minis, it's quite addicting.

[DBMiller]

I expect to get going on this some more this weekend since the weather has chilled out a bit from Monday! This was the temperature when I left work about 2pm!

P6070002.jpg

[digger303]

I expect to get going on this some more this weekend since the weather has chilled out a bit from Monday! This was the temperature when I left work about 2pm!


P6070002.jpg

Should get a lot of painting done then as it will dry quick

[BigWall]

Ugh! It's been hot here too. We went straight from a rainy spring and 70s to high 90s. It's very rare that we get near 100 here other than sometimes a week or two in August. It makes me wonder what's coming this summer!

[Casper]

We had a lovely 74 in sunny North Wales, that's just right for me

[DBMiller]

Finally getting some work done on this build and my Heavy Lifter!

A little more color then an umber wash on the figures.









Then some dry brushing for highlights. Not too much since they are in the dark.









The base got some stain and the first coat of polyurethane.

[DBMiller]

[/quote]

Should get a lot of painting done then as it will dry quick

[/quote]

I would have melted faster!

[Casper]

Dry brushing really finished them off they look cool

[DBMiller]

The rock shore got a coat of black and umber wash which I dabbed with paper towel. Looks better than it did right off the ground.



Working on the base. Black primer inside to give the water depth.







I'm trying out a lighter color to show it getting shallower toward the shore. Styrofoam block to get the shore in place - not glued yet but you get the idea. I'll build up more rocks at the edge to hide the foam - which will likely cover the lighter color I tried out but I can blend it again later.

[Casper]

Love it

[RangerNeil]

Looking very impressive!!

[DBMiller]

I didn't like the way my base was working. I wanted the drop off from the shore to seem steep - going down to the depths of the mountain - but it was off a bit. So, I had a brainstorm. That's a sure sign it was not going to work either.
I bought some plaster to smooth out the edges of the foam and hide the wood base better.



This is just after the pour but I didn't like the dried look at all.



So, I resorted to something I already had in my supplies - Golden Coarse Pumice Gel - that I used on my Star Destroyer diorama. I spread that along the foam then poured some self leveling gel on to the plaster. Once this all dries I can incorporate the rocky shore into the foam and get a pretty good look; especially once I use the murky water resin.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Looking very promising

[Stokesy44]

Looking very promising

What he said

[DBMiller]

While the various gels are setting I've been trying out positions for the characters.

Maybe too far from each other.



I like Bilbo here but Golum doesn't look right. Maybe if the water was in and his feet were in it.



Better, but still a little far apart.



I think this is the one I like. Bilbo wouldn't like to be too close to the water and Golum would like to get up within smelling distance Bilbo.





By the way, Tolkien has Golum to be white, or at least very pale, almost white. I think that would look creepy, so greenish he stays!

[RangerNeil]

Very nice.. I love the base - thats worked well.

As for Gollum - I believe as Smeagol he was meant to be a proto-Hobbit so the choice of skin colour is appropriate. Tolkien apparently had him the whitish grey colour of the film because he'd lived underground so long .

[chops1sc]

Looking awesome so far!

[DBMiller]

After all the work and all the layers of different material I put down for the base I decided to start from scratch. I hated the way it looked and couldn't think of an easier way to fix it.
Part of my issue with the base was that the foam didn't extend far enough out. I had hoped rocks would make up the difference but that was not working for me.

So....



New foam - cut bigger and with better texture.



Hot glue this time. No worries about white glue not drying fast enough.



Re-paint the black. Then add the first coat of textured medium.

[DBMiller]

Moving along. Almost ready for the big pour!

Some Golden Coarse Pumice Gel.





Black primer.





Shading and drybrushing.






Can't wait to see how the water looks!

[Stokesy44]

Looking very nice. Bring on the big pour!

[Casper]

Looking very nice. Bring on the big pour!

perfect

[Tomcat64]

That rock has worked out really effectively - nice work

I need to investigate this pumice gel stuff you've used

[DBMiller]

Well, tonight is not as humid as it's been. The days of rain really made everything damp - including 4 inches of water in my basement. Yuck.
So, dryer air means I can go for the big pour! Actually I can only go for half a big pour because the instructions recommend 1/2 inch at a time.

The ingredients:



Pre-warm the liquids:



Instructions and mixing cup.



One last look. I REALLY hope the curing doesn't create so much heat the foam melts!!!



Mix 5 minutes. Sit 5 minutes. Mix 5 more minutes.



The pour. I mixed too much and ended up pouring more than 1/2 inch - and still had some left over. Oh, well, there really isn't any way to botch the project so much I have to scrap it. If it fails I'm out some foam and some resin.



It is SO dark! I may have to finish off the thickness with a clear resin instead of the remaining murky mix.

[digger303]

Following the creation of the base with great interest.

[BigWall]

It's looking good! I take it that the foam come thru ok?

[DBMiller]

It's looking good! I take it that the foam come thru ok?

Looks like it did!
This was last night. It got so hot I elevated it on this metal basket to let it cool better!



It's so shiny! And dark. Very, very dark.





And look at the way it cured! All the corners pulled in and rounded off! Did I pour it too deep or is it the nature of resin that it pulls in as it cures?



Bubbles! I wonder if this is from the foam? It didn't bubbles around the edges of the frame.



I think I'm going out today to get some clear resin to cap it off - just to keep with my original plan to have the water right up to the shore line. Otherwise I'd have to build up more "rock" to the edge of the shore and blend it in (as well as the rounded corners) with clear acrylic.