Ecthelion and Glorfindel - the story so far - Part I

[dagmarjung]

I'm now going to fullfill my threat/ promise to unleash some half-baked sketches of Ecthelion and Glorfindel to the world at large, a promise that I made a week ago in Tehta's livejournal.

Anyone who is not interested in a dozen headstudies of elves would do better to skip the rest of this post. For the rst of you, on with the show!

Comments

[eveiya]

I love these. #2 and #3 especially, and #3 above all. But exactly what do you mean by "serious asymmetry issues"? Because I'm not seeing those, or if I am, they're only adding to my liking.

[dagmarjung]

Do you have a picture program? Try and use the 'mirror' function and all oddities will be visible at once if you compare the two versions. Besides, the eyes are on different levels.

[eveiya]

But most real faces are asymmetrical to some degree, I think (heh, I know mine is, very much so) - you'll find the same thing if you reflect almost any portrait photograph. I still maintain it works here, and only adds to the appeal. Also, I think a more symmetrical face would tend to look younger and perhaps more feminine.

[dagmarjung]

You are right of course, but I imagine that elves have very regular features, or in other words: the assymetry makes him look too human.

[wulfila]

I think I like #2 best (yes, that's the fan of sketchiness speaking here...) because of the emotion conveyed in those simple lines, but #5 absolutely makes me buy the "golden hair" description, and I like the movement in #3 very well (who cares about asymetry if there is actually life in the picture?).

[dagmarjung]

Yes, #5 is very proud of his shining golden hair. I foresee a career in shampoo advertising for him.
I like #2 too.

[keiliss]

I like #1. It has personality and a bit of movement and for me has a 'oh lord, it's a damn Balrog, this is not good' expression. #2 is a nice starting point, I see the problems with #3, but I'd be really interested to see where you could take the idea. #4 as you say has a really nice expression, he's strongly individuel. But my love is #5. Probably isn't Glorfindel, you're right, but those eyes are so expressuve - really nice, whoever he is. And really great hair.

[dagmarjung]

I think #5's eyes are okay, it's the mouth that makes him non-glorfindelish. He looks too smug.

[lenine2]

Wow, they're fabulous. I like all of them, and, like Eveiya, I think I like #3 best, maybe because of the asymmetry issues that I can't see.

I liked #5 until you mention Hildor. Now I can hear him saying "Look, I'm wearing my lucky leggings. Do you like them?"

[dagmarjung]

#5 being Hildor is all too convincing, isn't it? He looks way too smug. Glorfindel is fully capable to look smug too, but I believe he would do it in a different way.

I like #3 too, that's why I use him as a starting point for new sketches.

[wulfila]

#5 being Hildor is all too convincing, isn't it?

Perhaps it is Glorfindel doing his universally dreaded Hildor impersonation after some glasses of wine, much to Ecthelion's embarrassment and the delight of some foolish young Golden Flower warriors? ;)

[dagmarjung]

That's it! :-D
And we know already that Glorfindel's acting abilities are not the best.

[eledhwen_ch]

Thank you for inviting me! What a treat, so many Glorfindels...

At first sight, my favourite was #1, the noble warrior. But I also like #3 and 4 a lot (the face isn't too narrow in my opinion) And you're right, #5 looks a bit smug, but it's a wonderful portrait. In fact, the longer I look at it, the better I like that one. He is very much alive. You're a wonderful artist!

[dagmarjung]

Seem's #5's buttery charme is working on you... :-)
I'm sure he will be very pleased.

[tehta]

Actually... me too.

Or rather, I have now looked at all these pics on my work computer, and they look even better on it. (On my laptop the contrast is much greater, so there's less detail and e.g., Hildor!G's face looks much more shiny.) Now his slightly-compressed lips look to me like he might be trying not to laugh, and I really like both him and #3.

[dagmarjung]

That was the look I wanted to achieve, but I'm afraid the lips are to tense now.