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AranNZ
The Shire
Apr 26 2008, 3:01am
Post #1 of 22
(2713 views)
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My King of the Dead and Eowyn sculptures
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Hi folks,
I'm Aran, a sculptor based in Auckland, New Zealand. I've been posting for a few years over on the Shadow and Flame forum and at The Clubhouse modelling forum, but thought I'd finally join up here with news of The Hobbit hotting up and Guillermo posting here. 
I've been a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit since I was a kid, when my father read us both books as bedtime stories.
I'm dying to get some work at Weta Workshop on The Hobbit (and sequel), but it is very hard to break into their sculpting team since they only have enough work for a set number of sculptors and no one ever wants to leave! 
I was inspired to try my hand at sculpting by the wonderful Sideshow/Weta LOTR collectibles a few years ago and did the King of the Dead bust pictured below. It was sculpted from super sculpey and is a fraction over 1/4 scale and fits in well with the Sideshow/Weta pieces.
This is a resin (plastic) casting which I painted to resemble bronze or copper:
Here is anoher resin casting that I had painted in full colour for me by the very talented Rick Cantu of Dragonstooth Miniatures:
I followed that with a statue of Eowyn as she appears on the front of the Golden Hall. She is 1/6th scale (~10.75 inches tall) and designed to fit in with the Sideshow/Weta range.
Eowyn is almost finished, but not quite. I'm really getting down to the final detailing now. She has a very hard likeness to capture in clay! 
 
 
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diedye
Grey Havens
Apr 26 2008, 3:44am
Post #2 of 22
(2299 views)
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I remember seeing your work over at Chuck's Place...
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... aka "Shadow & Flame"  .
Very nicely done... very realistic... I just hope the paint job is as life-like as the sculpture itself.
But I wonder why everyone always tries to make her look so harsh... I'd like to see a statue of her looking less stern (such as when she lets her guard down with Aragorn or when she was amused by Gimli falling off the horse... her features are much softer then and she looks beautiful).
 Miss  ? Then Join Us.
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Jazmine
Tol Eressea
Apr 26 2008, 7:04pm
Post #3 of 22
(2244 views)
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The detail on those is amazing! You got any more to share?
*Jazminatar the Brown*
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greendragon
Sr. Staff
Apr 26 2008, 8:51pm
Post #4 of 22
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those are fabulous - thanks for sharing!
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I hope you do manage to get work with WETA one day - it certainly looks from those pics as though you have the skill! Great stuff! (But I'm not surprised that noone wants to leave WETA... )
'There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of my fridge...'
'You never know what will happen next, when once you get mixed up with TORnsibs and their friends.'
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WonderBroad
Lorien
Apr 27 2008, 1:56am
Post #5 of 22
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Question about how you fired these
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>>It was sculpted from super sculpey and is a fraction over 1/4 scale
That's pretty big! Do you have a special oven you fire these in, or can you use your oven at home? I've used Sculpey and Fimo, and you really have to have good ventilation when you use your oven, because the fumes can be a problem.
Very nice work, by the way. Very cool!
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Idril Celebrindal
Tol Eressea
Apr 27 2008, 2:47am
Post #6 of 22
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The detail on the King of the Dead and Eowyn sculptures is exquisite.
With caffeine, all things are possible.
The pity of Bilbo will screw up the fate of many.
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labingi_maura
Rivendell
Apr 27 2008, 7:16am
Post #7 of 22
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I think you could get work at WETA if they have an opening, you've executed excellent detail and likenesses. While I think you've captured Miranda's face very well, still, sometimes I think its OK to shade a character's features a little more towards idealization, especially female characters. But that's just a preference on my part; I certainly am no sculptor and think you are extremely talented! Thanks for sharing your work here, I hope it has good results for you!
-ML
aka
-Debbie/primmy
"I am in fact a hobbit in all but size." - J.R.R.Tolkien
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Ataahua
Superuser
/ Moderator
Apr 27 2008, 7:28am
Post #8 of 22
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I'm particularly impressed by your cloth work,
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both the detail on the King of the Dead and the sweep of Eowyn's gown. Well done Aran!
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Saurons master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded b*****d with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Ataahua's stories
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Nimloth
Lorien
Apr 28 2008, 5:22am
Post #9 of 22
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They are both incredibly well done. How long did they take to make?
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Kelvarhin
Half-elven
Apr 28 2008, 7:25am
Post #10 of 22
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These are incredible, you've got terrific talent, thank you for sharing them :)
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There he stood
Proud and solemn
Yet happy and gay
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Deni
Rivendell
Apr 28 2008, 1:14pm
Post #11 of 22
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wow...I like your work very much...how could you make so many details in there??
-thatīs amazing...how long do u work on one of these sculptures??
thanks for sharing 
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AranNZ
The Shire
Apr 30 2008, 3:33am
Post #13 of 22
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>>It was sculpted from super sculpey and is a fraction over 1/4 scale
That's pretty big! Do you have a special oven you fire these in, or can you use your oven at home? I've used Sculpey and Fimo, and you really have to have good ventilation when you use your oven, because the fumes can be a problem.
I use an old home oven that is purely dedicated for baking sculpts in - it never gets used for food anymore. I also frequently use toaster ovens for smaller parts. I always bake with the windows open and in fact I do all baking in my garage - separated by a closed door from the rest of the house.
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Ainu Laire
Tol Eressea
Apr 30 2008, 8:10am
Post #15 of 22
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My skills lie in 2D, so I must say that I am simply awestruck by anyone who can sculpt, especially if they can do so well. You, sir, certainly can! Lovely, very lovely.
My LJ
My art site
NARF since age 8, when I refused to read the Hobbit because the cover looked boring and icky.
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WonderBroad
Lorien
May 1 2008, 2:40am
Post #16 of 22
(2233 views)
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>>It was sculpted from super sculpey and is a fraction over 1/4 scale
That's pretty big! Do you have a special oven you fire these in, or can you use your oven at home? I've used Sculpey and Fimo, and you really have to have good ventilation when you use your oven, because the fumes can be a problem. I use an old home oven that is purely dedicated for baking sculpts in - it never gets used for food anymore. I also frequently use toaster ovens for smaller parts. I always bake with the windows open and in fact I do all baking in my garage - separated by a closed door from the rest of the house.
Thank you for the info! I'm particularly interested to hear you can use toaster ovens, too. I'm filing that away for future reference. 
Thanks again.
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AranNZ
The Shire
May 1 2008, 8:33pm
Post #17 of 22
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Do some test runs in whatever oven you use!
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Thank you for the info! I'm particularly interested to hear you can use toaster ovens, too. I'm filing that away for future reference. Thanks again.
You're welcome!
With regards to toaster ovens - they tend to be less accurate in terms of the temperature settings than fullsize ovens, so if you try one make sure to do a few test runs at different temperatures to make sure you find the right setting on the temperature dial. Sometimes if it says 230 degrees F it isn't actually at that temperature... the same can also be true of older or cheaper fullsize ovens.
Also, because toaster ovens are smaller the elements tend to be a lot closer to the parts that you are baking and this can lead to accidental scorching or overbaking of the clay. You can help prevent this by making 'tents' out of metal foil over the top of the pieces being baked.
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Owain
Tol Eressea
May 2 2008, 9:58pm
Post #18 of 22
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Elven
Valinor
May 7 2008, 2:27pm
Post #19 of 22
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I am so amazed at your skill - and I cant imagine the time you took to do these - very dedicated pieces!
That is the best likeness of Eowyn Ive seen. Miranda has a hard enough face to draw let alone sculpt (I imagine). The way you managed to get her dress to flow - and proportionally, the back view you took - it's her! ... and her hair and face - just wonderful!
The WitchKing must have been a great challenge - so much detail and patience. You must really like what you do - it shows.
Thankyou for sharing them, and good luck with your future prospects in this field. I hope you are successful and find what you seek.
Cheers
Elven
Were off to Hobbiton finally!
Tolkien was a Capricorn!!
Russell Crowe for Beorn!!
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Anorien
Rohan
May 25 2008, 10:43pm
Post #20 of 22
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I do paintings and I know how tedious details can be. i have never had the patience to do what you do with sculptures. They are amazing!
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AranNZ
The Shire
Jul 15 2008, 4:07am
Post #21 of 22
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Finished Eowyn pics and started to paint her
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Thanks all!
Just discovered I hadn't posted pics of the finished Eowyn statue! 
So here she is:
Here is a plastic casting that I made from the sculpt, which I am attempting to paint. Still a lot to do, but you get the idea:
Cheers,
Aran
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AranNZ
The Shire
Apr 24 2009, 3:07am
Post #22 of 22
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Very nearly finished! I just have to attach her arms, blend in and paint over the seams, do one or two other touch ups, then seal it all. I will also probably try to make her look less shiney over all, especially her dress.
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