Conan, what is best in life?
polycounter lvl 19
Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord lured me in when they launched a retelling of Robert E. Howards Conan stories in Darkhorse comics. Then they left for a while, others tried to continue it and it just wasn't the same, so I checked out the original REH novels.... I've reread everything he wrote 2 or 3 times now.
So I'm going to have a bash at Conan stuff for a while. Theres a number of scenes from stories like Black Colossus, Queen of the Black Coast, The hour of the Dragon (best Conan story written), The Elephant tower and many others that I fancy having a crack at.
I'll just be pottering about with WIP images for a while, just roughing things out and seeing what grabs me as I work toward creating a mysterious ancient environment, Conan himself, some babe to appear needful of rescue while looking hot and a big ugly , seemingly impossible to beat monster for Conan to break into little pieces along with the environment while caught up in his desctructive mating dance!
If there are Conan fans reading and you ever had an idea for him, for anything relating to him, or you saw a cool piece of Conan art or a stunning location to use as reference for a story you read, let me know, post me a link.
I'm mostly interested in REH's stuff, but anything will do.
Anyway, just a first 3d doodle, I guess I was thinking a little about those huge crypt pillars in spooky ruins that Conan invariably stumbles into while simply looking for some ale and meat, maybe a little sleep, oh wait theres some undead horror from the pit in the corner... etc
What is best in life? Well, Conan of course
So I'm going to have a bash at Conan stuff for a while. Theres a number of scenes from stories like Black Colossus, Queen of the Black Coast, The hour of the Dragon (best Conan story written), The Elephant tower and many others that I fancy having a crack at.
I'll just be pottering about with WIP images for a while, just roughing things out and seeing what grabs me as I work toward creating a mysterious ancient environment, Conan himself, some babe to appear needful of rescue while looking hot and a big ugly , seemingly impossible to beat monster for Conan to break into little pieces along with the environment while caught up in his desctructive mating dance!
If there are Conan fans reading and you ever had an idea for him, for anything relating to him, or you saw a cool piece of Conan art or a stunning location to use as reference for a story you read, let me know, post me a link.
I'm mostly interested in REH's stuff, but anything will do.
Anyway, just a first 3d doodle, I guess I was thinking a little about those huge crypt pillars in spooky ruins that Conan invariably stumbles into while simply looking for some ale and meat, maybe a little sleep, oh wait theres some undead horror from the pit in the corner... etc
What is best in life? Well, Conan of course
Replies
http://frankfrazetta.org/conan0001.php
sounds like a plan..ROR
Nice to see you have finally have some downtime to work on some personal stuff. Looking forward to what you come up with!
Cheers!
-Tyler
Great subject material too. I also couldn't keep reading after Busiek left but I kept picking it up, I have about 15-20 issues I haven't read. I haven't thought about giving the old stuff a read, I'll have to check it out. I reread Cerebus not that long ago and by the end I wished for a few more books like the first.
Conan the Barbarian had some cool castle sets from what I remember, haven't watching in a while though but I remember a great set of stairs. I'll try and drop it in and see if there is anything worth noting. Aside from that, its going to be hard to find much env ref other then the latest comics, most of the art is hulking mass standing on a pile of bodies and or frozen rocks, or in a non discript cave/underground temple.
I remember one issue in the current dark horse series (I think it was toward the start) where he sneaks into a pallace looking for a box... I remember being mildly impressed by the background art. I'll hunt around for it too.
awesome kevin - i'm a huge fan of Robert e. howard's stuff , i'd love to see the blind space astral travelling elephant god - lol (such a pitty that he snuffed himself at 30, but i think that depression and outlook gave such vibrance and creativity in his works).
you should look at the 'age of conan_hyborian adventures' novels, which revolve around different characters in the smae universe, kinda interesting getting more background in the universe howard created.
i agree with the re-invisioning of the stories, since busiek and nord left , i'm no longer as keen to buy the separate issues, but i'll save up later when the're in the full graphic novel...
That's a good remedy for procrastination in my book
Cant wait to see how it turns out, If u need a CONAN or something...
ben
This thread needs more Yag Kosha.
So I got back to my Conan stuff. I'm roughing in a scene from The Hour of the Dragon ( the best Conan story told imo) where king Conan's future wife Zenobia helps him escape Xaltotun's dungeon.
It'll be sort of Shemitish with a bit of Set engravings also as Xaltotun is from Acheron and they were Set worshippers in the past like Thoth Amon was later in Conan's time. I've always figured the Shemite folk were persians.
I'm aiming toward pushing more bold open warm stone work with intricate ornate props and pushing the interest and opulence in through that side of things more than the walls.
My plans may all change though, currently prepping main forms for Zbrush and ref gathering for the other props i want to throw in there.
As far as the neat ideas about how to break up the plain forms, I'm trying very hard not to do that, because I always do stuff like that and I want to try to be more restrained than normal.
They always seem to make him over-muscled, like a bodybuilder. I get that he had muscles on top of muscle, but he is also described as moving gracefully, like a panther. If anyone has seen the average bodybuilder walk you would know that these guys don't move particularly gracefully. To me that indicates he should be leaner than he is portrayed. Still muscly, but lean muscle.
Anyway, I'm rambling off topic. Great start Kevin, I bet this will turn into something worth keeping an eye on.
is a mountain of muscle, and also extremely fast and agile a shooting star press
is not an easy move for someone the size of him. (considering he's botched it once
and broke his neck)
[ame]
lesnar built his muscle not only by roids an pumpin iron, but also a lot of cardio and running and stuff.
From seeing the image of the guy you posted, I imagine him behaving much as a bodybuilder. That's because of my pre-concieved ideas on how such people move. Having a leaner, slimmer Conan would not stir up the same ideas on how he moves, just because one expects leaner "gymnast"-type guys to be more agile.
So how do you want your Conan recieved: a mean, lean killing machine, or as a block of muscle?
He sure wouldn't have been my pick.
i know at one point HHH from wwe was in talks for the conan role, while i think he would make a good conan in look, i'm not sure of his acting abilitys only seeing him in small parts with poor writing and directing.
no i dont like skinny McRasta as conan.
And there is only one Conan for the silver screen...
What makes Conan cool, for me, is the central philosophy of all the stories as noted at the end of the Beyond the Black River story where one of the woodsmen comments that
"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind. . . . Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph."
So I will be ignoring the films as a reference point!
I actually thought Jason Mamoa was a good bit of casting, if you check out his stuff in Stargate Atlantis you will note the Ronin character he plays is very much like Conan and he shows he has the range to do the action, the mirth and the melancholy sides of his nature.
Shame about the director and writer though....
i dig what you have kevin, and would love to see more. you work is always so inspiring