Woodstroll newly detailed.

**Geir** · July 27th, 2008, 12:44 PM

Hi -I've been a member of CA for some time now. Been looking at threads and galleries, and find it a joy. It's such an amazing high quality on the work in here. I finally found the guts to post some myself.
Here's a little wip of my woodstroll back from his hunt. It's ment for an exhibition i'm having next may. The figure is developing as I go. I've only made a simple preliminary anatomy concept drawing.
It's made in Chavant clay, and ment for casting later on. I want to cast it in some kind of plastic, eposy, resin or such. But I want the material to have a relativly high specific weight.
Comments of all sorts are wellcome

Bought myself a cow for the referance

Well, that's it for now. I'll hopefully be posting the next steps soon.

**shadowseth** · July 27th, 2008, 01:10 PM

Very nice.

**Geir** · July 28th, 2008, 11:57 PM

A couple of updates. Added the tail and the staff, and done a bit more detailing.
I'm thinking about giving him some kind of pants. And I'm still not sure if I want the cow to have it's feets. As it is now, the troll is supposed to have cot them of and discarded them. Hmmm... what to do!??

[IMG]

**Geir** · August 5th, 2008, 11:30 AM

I've never been quite happy with the head, so I decappeteded him and started over again. This time i'm going for a more animal/monstrous type of head. The problem with the last, was that it was a bit to much Th. Kittelsen (a classic norwegian folktale artist), and thats something I wanted to avoid.
Have'nt yet stuck his eares on, and the facial features is just roughed out. Now I'm just working with the allover shape.

[IMG]

**Geir** · August 8th, 2008, 06:36 AM

Ok -done some more finalising on the top part. Given him a face and detailed out his back/neck part. I got very happy with this head. I've managed to get far enough away from the traditional norwegian trolls, and I feel his neck now is even more of an really-old-rheumatic-like troll.
About the casting: I've actually landed on trying to cast it in some sort of fine concrete and patinate it with something. Not sure what yet though. But I think that might give the sculpture the weight and look I'm after. I'm a bit short on money now though, so it might be a month or to until I'll get starting on the casting.

**Mariahc** · August 8th, 2008, 10:38 AM

I like new details. I liked the old face but this promises to be better. I like it!

**Geir** · August 8th, 2008, 02:45 PM

Thanks. I think so to.
Still a bit uncertain about the clothing. Might go for some wrapped around hide thingy around his waist.

**maddmaestro** · August 8th, 2008, 03:09 PM

I really like the way this is shaping up...can't wait to see more.

Maddmaestro

**Moai** · August 8th, 2008, 10:13 PM

This is shaping out to be a really good sculpt! Good call on changing his head. The first head had a nice character, but the new head is so much more interesting, and really improves the design of the character as a whole. Nice sense of weight and anatomy, with his love handles and pot belly. The fine detailing is going quite nice so far as well.
Great work so far. I'm definitely going to be watching this progress.

**Geir** · August 9th, 2008, 09:26 AM

Thanks for the kind words. I'm starting to be happy with it myself to

I've just gotten my alcohol torch by mail today, so the detailing will go a bit smoother from now on I guess.

**Geir** · November 4th, 2008, 02:37 PM

Long time nothing done. Yea, it's been a while since I worked on this now. I haven't had the money to by the necessary materials, so I have concentrated on painting (have two exhibitions next spring). But yesterday I took a look at my troll again. I finally decided that he should not have any clothes. I want to keep the feeling that it's posing for a classical nude. So I've given him his rightful equipment. And seeing as it's an very old troll, I've tweaked the anatomy. Further more I've detailed some more on it's stomach, shoulders, face and back. Given it some more root-like look. Well, since Christmas is right around the corner, I'm not sure if I can afford the materials to finish it this side of new year. Anyways, be seeing ya all

**Breath of Life** · November 4th, 2008, 07:58 PM

Sweet. I love the tree.

**Geir** · November 5th, 2008, 04:50 AM

Thanks Breath of Life

**Ghostbrush** · November 5th, 2008, 10:36 AM

Yeah! this is badass, really wanna see more texture on there, and loads more wrinkles and skin tension, awesome job so far mate.

The back of the shoulders is my favourite bit so far, looks like tree roots, which is a good since he a woodtroll ha ha.

Post more WIP as you make it i wanna see more of this guy!

**Geir** · November 5th, 2008, 10:52 AM

Thanks. I'm a bit uncertain about how much texture I want on him. I'm afraid to much will take the attention away from the whole. And since I've decided I want to cast him in concrete, I'm not sure how much detail will show in the finished cast. But wrinkles and skin tension is something I will work more on.

**Mariahc** · November 5th, 2008, 12:09 PM

Great! the folds of the belly and hips seems me very good. I see that you will detail the genitals, I think that it's cool,I love the figures with every details both in animals and in human nudity (and creatures with human characteristics). I like so much the progress and the stick is very realistic, is it clay or wood?

**Geir** · November 5th, 2008, 02:31 PM

Thanks -it's clay. Chavant clay to be precise. I have followed John Browns tutorial very closely while doing this, be course I'm first and foremost a painter. This is my first real attempt on a clay sculpture.

**Wiggins** · November 5th, 2008, 02:51 PM

For a first real attempt on a sculpture it's looking damned clean, I'll say that! Kudos for being bold and detailing the anatomy, I find the detailing in the back, as well as the head restructure my favorite parts, to be honest, I wasn't much of a fan of the original head, it lacked the right "feel" for troll in my mind, but this new one is really slick, seems to suit him nicely.

**Geir** · November 5th, 2008, 05:36 PM

Thanks.
Yea -I was never satisfied with the first one either. This one how ever, has the ugly and evil look that I wanted. It's for the previously mentioned exhibition next year. There I'm working with norvegian fairytales and folk legends. And trying to show the evil and uglyness in them. Since they were collected in the first half of the 1800, the figures as trolls, goblins and such have been illustrated and depicted as nice cosy characteres. When in fact, when you read the fairytales you find them to be both evil and scary.

**KingUnicorn** · November 9th, 2008, 09:51 AM

I just finished reading Norwegian Troll Tales retold by Joanne Asala. I have to agree that the imagery used in the book mirrored your "cosy" impressions. I'm quite certain the folks that originally shared those stories had a much different impression of trolls during darker nights long ago.

I'm very happy with the changes you've made to this - especially sense you're not just reworking older concepts with a bit of clay pushing, but actually severing whole heads to start over. That's a commitment to getting it right.

The new look is terrific. It has a very organic, woodsy feel to it that really gives it the impression of being a thing of the earth. The changes to the head are the strongest. The human elements that dominated the first attempts have given way to something strange and unexpected.

Thanks for sharing your progress.

~KU