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LOTR crystal ball

Submitted by palantir on

I got sick of my old forum avatar (it was a picture of the palantir of Orthanc from The Two Towers film), so I thought I?d make my own version of the palantir for my new avatar.

I know it?s not much ? just the standard transparent ball (but I'm an amateur, so thats okay!), but I thought I?d show the full image here. I would like to make a cool stand for it, but I haven?t drawn any designs for that yet. I?m still trying to get the eye to look right.

[img]http://www.thoughtvalve.com/dl/omni_palantir05.jpg[/img]

Submitted by hobonation on Wed, 09/06/04 - 10:04 PMPermalink

very nice. although i dont like all the reflections in its nice shiney surface. I feel the palantiri should give you the impression of looking through a big hole, and the reflections sort of take this away..however, knowing nothing about 3d molelling, u should probably ignore my comment and carry on as-per normal.[:D]

Submitted by hobonation on Wed, 09/06/04 - 10:25 PMPermalink

why is sauron always connected to fire! u stereotype him as a villan! he's just misunderstood![xx(]

Submitted by palantir on Wed, 09/06/04 - 10:46 PMPermalink

Yeah, Sauron is a nice guy! All he ever wanted was peace on Middle-Earth.

Actually, from the books I always imagined Sauron as an eye -surrounded- by fire, not -made- of fire like in the movies (the eye isn?t really him in any case [;)]). With this I was trying to make the version I imagined when I read the books - a little bit different from the movie - so I wanted the flames understated. I think it actually needs less fire. It still looks too much like the film. Maybe some clouds on the surface might work? ..but that was in the film also.

As for the high reflections on the glass, I put that in so it still looks a bit like glass when reduced to 64 * 64 for my forum avatar. I have a much darker, earlier version without the reflections, but I'm on a different computer, so I can?t post it right now. I'll try and get some sketches for a stand done also.

- multiple edits to sound more coherent

Submitted by hobonation on Thu, 10/06/04 - 12:30 AMPermalink

sounds good. Yes i really dislike wat the movies have done. Anyway good work.(leaving out old bombadil [:(!])

Submitted by palantir on Thu, 10/06/04 - 1:20 AMPermalink

Yeah, but I don't think people would have understood that character - he's a bit, err, odd. They did use some of his lines in the Two Towers extended edition though - the bit where old man willow buries Merry and Pipen alive and Tom saves them, is done by Treebeard in the movie. But I missed Saruman?s death the most - have to wait for ROTK extended edition for that one.

That was kinda odd topic, but me likes me rings [:P]

Submitted by hobonation on Thu, 10/06/04 - 2:32 AMPermalink

YES! i HATED how they left out the scouring of the shire, easily the best chapter...O well, better luck next time..:P

Submitted by Makk on Thu, 10/06/04 - 11:59 PMPermalink

I think the iris or whatever its called (the black vertical line on the eye) needs to be clearer. Looks good though

Posted by palantir on

I got sick of my old forum avatar (it was a picture of the palantir of Orthanc from The Two Towers film), so I thought I?d make my own version of the palantir for my new avatar.

I know it?s not much ? just the standard transparent ball (but I'm an amateur, so thats okay!), but I thought I?d show the full image here. I would like to make a cool stand for it, but I haven?t drawn any designs for that yet. I?m still trying to get the eye to look right.

[img]http://www.thoughtvalve.com/dl/omni_palantir05.jpg[/img]


Submitted by hobonation on Wed, 09/06/04 - 10:04 PMPermalink

very nice. although i dont like all the reflections in its nice shiney surface. I feel the palantiri should give you the impression of looking through a big hole, and the reflections sort of take this away..however, knowing nothing about 3d molelling, u should probably ignore my comment and carry on as-per normal.[:D]

Submitted by hobonation on Wed, 09/06/04 - 10:25 PMPermalink

why is sauron always connected to fire! u stereotype him as a villan! he's just misunderstood![xx(]

Submitted by palantir on Wed, 09/06/04 - 10:46 PMPermalink

Yeah, Sauron is a nice guy! All he ever wanted was peace on Middle-Earth.

Actually, from the books I always imagined Sauron as an eye -surrounded- by fire, not -made- of fire like in the movies (the eye isn?t really him in any case [;)]). With this I was trying to make the version I imagined when I read the books - a little bit different from the movie - so I wanted the flames understated. I think it actually needs less fire. It still looks too much like the film. Maybe some clouds on the surface might work? ..but that was in the film also.

As for the high reflections on the glass, I put that in so it still looks a bit like glass when reduced to 64 * 64 for my forum avatar. I have a much darker, earlier version without the reflections, but I'm on a different computer, so I can?t post it right now. I'll try and get some sketches for a stand done also.

- multiple edits to sound more coherent

Submitted by hobonation on Thu, 10/06/04 - 12:30 AMPermalink

sounds good. Yes i really dislike wat the movies have done. Anyway good work.(leaving out old bombadil [:(!])

Submitted by palantir on Thu, 10/06/04 - 1:20 AMPermalink

Yeah, but I don't think people would have understood that character - he's a bit, err, odd. They did use some of his lines in the Two Towers extended edition though - the bit where old man willow buries Merry and Pipen alive and Tom saves them, is done by Treebeard in the movie. But I missed Saruman?s death the most - have to wait for ROTK extended edition for that one.

That was kinda odd topic, but me likes me rings [:P]

Submitted by hobonation on Thu, 10/06/04 - 2:32 AMPermalink

YES! i HATED how they left out the scouring of the shire, easily the best chapter...O well, better luck next time..:P

Submitted by Makk on Thu, 10/06/04 - 11:59 PMPermalink

I think the iris or whatever its called (the black vertical line on the eye) needs to be clearer. Looks good though