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Merlkir — Rohan helmet sketches

Published: 2009-06-20 11:30:19 +0000 UTC; Views: 36810; Favourites: 575; Downloads: 2138
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Description They're really just sketches, they'd be much cleaner and nicer if I took the designs further. I didn't though. Designing rohan items is hard for me :/ Even more so than with elves, everyone expects a certain style - vikingesque/saxon mixed with lots of horse motifs. It's a neat combination, but it's been done in the movies and while it looks great, it's pretty boring to just replicate. And I can't really put in something different, because it's not what people expect and they wouldn't like it. It's a bit frustrating.
You know, my Rohirrim as I imagined them are much simpler. If I really drew or painted what I imagine them like reading the book, everyone would be disappointed.
So I drew these horrendously ornate helmets.

Making a rohan helmet is easy. There are only a few types of every part so it's just a matter of putting it together so that it fits somehow. From the viking/vendel/saxon helmets you can take the bowl which can be made of 1,2,4 or even more pieces. Usually riveted together, mostly with a riveted ridge/spine running down the middle. There can be an optional nasal of different shapes, or the goggle-like mask which can also have a few shapes. Cheekguards can be shaped differently, they can just hang down, be tied at the chin, or be a part of a more complex protective system, maybe linked to the neckguard. And there can also be a back-neck piece, it can be metal or leather, segmented or one piece, layered or hinged...
And into all that you have to put the horse motifs. They can run on the cheekguards, make a decorative crest holding a tail plume, horse head might be a part of the nasal...Whatever you can think of. Other motifs you can use are sunrays, sun circle, horseshoes...

1. Quite ornate, celtic inspired. Bowl with fluting. Leather segmented back piece, high maille collar.
2. Some kind of heavy helmet. Goggle mask with a longer nasal, neckguard over high maille collar connected to a back maille aventail. Bowl is poorly drawn, but it's supposed to look like a round segmented spangenhelm.
3. Similar to 2., rounder, somehow more ancient looking. Weird protruding nasal, horse head cheekguards. (these are not hinged as opposed to the rest, that makes the helm look ancient as well.)
4. Ehm. Really angry looking horsehead. Probably a pretty expensive helmet. Bowl seems to be beaten out of one piece of metal with the horse head riveted to the front. It also makes a ridge, so maybe the bowl is 2 piece. The tail plumes (there are 2) are supposed to fall onto the rider's shoulders. The whole helmet seems tilted backwards and it makes it look more aerodynamic. I think.
5. Well, this is just a typical shape. Nothing original about this one. :/
6. Slightly boxier looking spangenhelm with a high top plume and a maille aventail.
7. A fairly typical conical spangenhelm, but this time with a square shaped maille ventail edged with fabric/leather.
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Comments: 52

BlutKaiser [2017-06-26 06:09:46 +0000 UTC]

The Rohan armor was probably my favorite. Like if the vikings had developed more advanced armors. 

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Hardtreads [2014-10-16 18:37:42 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful, 3 is my favourite.

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goeliath [2013-12-27 22:19:19 +0000 UTC]

i love these sketches!

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maracanda [2013-12-14 09:20:45 +0000 UTC]

These are splendid. Don't worry about them being ornamental, it would have been a mark of wealth. If you still want less to have more, you can always reverse-engineer them to make them simpler, and only keep a detail or one ornament, or take the basic shape. If you don't go back to the historical helmets, but take the things you designed and strip the ornaments, you'll still have that feel to it.
Great work!

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QuarianLifeline39 [2012-12-25 02:25:47 +0000 UTC]

Love them all!

I'd really like to see a sort of combination of numbers 1 and 4

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farelegost [2012-01-23 19:19:23 +0000 UTC]

Great designs (:

BTW i also imagined the Rohirrim equipment from the book more simple than those in the movie,

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valeka [2011-11-14 20:03:56 +0000 UTC]

Wow so great! Bravo!

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CaptainSeawolf [2011-06-11 04:17:42 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful designs I love all of them and even though they are all different you can see easily they come from what would be the same army. Nice work!

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ferherence [2010-12-08 21:33:21 +0000 UTC]

#5 is my favorite but they're all fantastic!

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joaoMachay [2010-11-20 14:54:52 +0000 UTC]

Nice sketch work!!!

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DragonStrider [2010-11-14 10:35:01 +0000 UTC]

Number 4 looks like a Byzantine or Proto-bulgarian Cataphract,man that would be a terrific sight

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Redmist81 [2010-08-17 15:27:59 +0000 UTC]

They're not just sketches they're awesome!

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Merlkir In reply to Redmist81 [2010-08-17 18:39:30 +0000 UTC]

Well, thanks!

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jailgurdnegative [2010-05-29 08:29:01 +0000 UTC]

i seem to really like the second one. they're all too cool.

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Ostentatiousnessness [2010-02-19 10:56:00 +0000 UTC]

now as a avid supporter and help offerer, i think you should use 5 as the basic rohirrim helm with variations and 6 or 4 as like a banner carrier

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Merlkir In reply to Ostentatiousnessness [2010-02-19 12:36:36 +0000 UTC]

yeahm, I think the Rohan helmet giles made looks pretty much like that.

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Ostentatiousnessness In reply to Merlkir [2010-02-19 13:29:06 +0000 UTC]

just my humble oppinion though, i cant find .808 which is really annoying, you're a fantastic artist you know?

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Merlkir In reply to Ostentatiousnessness [2010-02-19 13:54:12 +0000 UTC]

I think there are links for the older versions of MaB on the TW forums. Try searching there.

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Ostentatiousnessness In reply to Merlkir [2010-02-20 00:38:51 +0000 UTC]

thanks man!

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Peter-the-Fisherman [2010-01-08 02:44:55 +0000 UTC]

wow, these are really cool! Your talent is amazing. I'm, listening to my LOTR soundtrak right now ^^

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Merlkir In reply to Peter-the-Fisherman [2010-01-08 07:22:29 +0000 UTC]

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Creative-Games [2009-12-28 20:48:47 +0000 UTC]

ever heard of the Vendels?
Google Vendel warrior/helm

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Merlkir In reply to Creative-Games [2009-12-28 23:45:37 +0000 UTC]

Might surprise you, but I did.

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Creative-Games In reply to Merlkir [2009-12-29 15:25:05 +0000 UTC]

Then you should mention it

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Merlkir In reply to Creative-Games [2009-12-29 15:48:42 +0000 UTC]

I did.

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jmont [2009-06-26 21:51:36 +0000 UTC]

do you mind if I do a quick colour on them?

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Merlkir In reply to jmont [2009-06-26 22:01:54 +0000 UTC]

No, not at all. Just link to the original drawing in the description and send me a link when it's done.

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jmont In reply to Merlkir [2009-06-27 06:08:08 +0000 UTC]

just one question....How do you link stuff?

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Merlkir In reply to jmont [2009-06-27 06:55:15 +0000 UTC]

Just paste the URL (address) of my deviation into the description text, it'll create a link.

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jmont [2009-06-26 21:50:21 +0000 UTC]

Nicey wicey

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Eriagon [2009-06-21 15:04:45 +0000 UTC]

Great work, but didn't the rohirrim use a spangelhelm type of helmet (tolkien referring to norman knights as visual refernce to them). Altough I like all tolkien armor if it isn't plate

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ReinoutJansen [2009-06-21 05:38:34 +0000 UTC]

I like number 5 best..

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Destichado [2009-06-21 04:35:48 +0000 UTC]

Oh HELL yeah.

Nice work! ...but when do we get to see it in-game?


#4 is very original, but I really like the concept of #2, turning the whole horse into a crest box. Pushing #1 along those lines, you could wind up with a very greco-parthian crest.

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Merlkir In reply to Destichado [2009-06-21 06:39:03 +0000 UTC]

"but when do we get to see it in-game? "
Ech. Who knows? Hopefully before the end of this year.

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jezviking [2009-06-21 00:54:12 +0000 UTC]

These look great Merl, number 4's nosepiece especially. I can't for the life of me get a helm to sit nicely on the head, they always look moulded to the skull lol you do yours really well.

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Merlkir In reply to jezviking [2009-06-21 06:40:47 +0000 UTC]


The trick is to draw the head lightly first and then the helmet around it. And of course, knowing where is usually some padding and how a helmet sits on the head helps a bit.

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jezviking In reply to Merlkir [2009-06-21 22:33:10 +0000 UTC]

Well I'm definately going to sketch the life out of heads and helms until they look more normal when I do them. We do have a couple for reference but ones an old asian one that is definately way small for reference on someones head the other is norm but again is small, or maybe Pagan and I just have big heads!
I'll try your method! Thx mate

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goat89 [2009-06-20 19:32:13 +0000 UTC]

VERY, VERY good designs Melkir. I like 1-4 especially. 4 is revolutionary I might say. Its just so badass. The leader who wears this helm is like a Champion of the Rohirrim, not necessary a noble?, on a path of vengeance. VERY badass. I find the last 2, too typical for the Rohirrim, just okay, but still nice designs.

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CuielRilwen [2009-06-20 15:42:23 +0000 UTC]

It's hard for you? How come I don't believe you. lol

I like no.1 minus the horse on top. It seems to be mating with the horse on the forehead and tho that of course might portray fertility it feels a little too...visualized. No.5 and 6 are gorgeous and I admit I like the angry horse in no.4 tho he's very scary.

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Banditks [2009-06-20 15:07:56 +0000 UTC]

I like #2

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weremoon [2009-06-20 14:18:29 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful designs. But I'm also interested in haw do you imagine them, even if it could look simpler.
Anyway, good job.

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herr-garrett [2009-06-20 12:38:19 +0000 UTC]

L-O-V-E-L-Y. Especially 3. and 4.

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champain69 [2009-06-20 12:36:19 +0000 UTC]

awesome

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Arianya [2009-06-20 12:34:24 +0000 UTC]

I like number 5 best - it's practical, no protrusions for a sword to catch on and pull it off, and looks to be the most comfortable of the seven.

I agree with you that people have a number of preconceptions regarding Rohirric wargear. Because all we see in the films of the warrior elite, people tend to forget that most kit would have been purely functional, rather than highly decorated. They're in the middle of a world-wide crisis: how many people are going to be able to afford the time and money it takes to decorate something that's going to get bashed up anyway?

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Hoodoo-Operator In reply to Arianya [2009-06-21 07:23:08 +0000 UTC]

I tend to agree. Were they do be modelled and all that, I'd much prefer a generic, functional helm like #5 to be the norm rather than all that ornate and expensive looking stuff.

Having said that, I love the look of the fourth (and the second), but I'd hate to be the guy who has to wear it. Breathing through all that mail, especially after swinging a sword for a while, would be a nightmare.

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Arianya In reply to Hoodoo-Operator [2009-06-21 14:20:16 +0000 UTC]

It's actually not that hard to breathe through mail - it's if it's sensibly backed with leather that life gets interesting. And wearing any helm on a hot day, then being expected to swing a sword, is a pretty miserable experience.

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the-araon [2009-06-20 12:32:08 +0000 UTC]

Me se libi prvni, druha a pata.

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ArchievalTome [2009-06-20 12:16:42 +0000 UTC]

1st and 4th are best!

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Merlkir In reply to ArchievalTome [2009-06-20 12:23:33 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, those are my favourites as well.

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ArchievalTome In reply to Merlkir [2009-06-20 12:36:44 +0000 UTC]

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