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nightserpent — Cthulhu statue - revisited
Published: 2014-02-05 16:30:59 +0000 UTC; Views: 12838; Favourites: 335; Downloads: 0
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Description
Here's another promo piece for Chaosium's upcoming 7th edition rules. Acrylic, something in the realm of 12x18" or so.Aeons ago I did all the chapter illustrations for their 6th (and perhaps 5th, it's hard to keep track) edition, and as time passed and my painting skills developed, I hoped to have a chance to update some of that art. My time has come! One of the pieces was a greyscale image of the statue from the 'Call of Cthulhu' story. I took some liberties with the design, but people seemed to like it, someone even got it as a tattoo! But, this time around I thought I could try it again but try and get closer to the text. Some sculptor's such as Joe Broers ( zombiequadrille.deviantart.com… ) and Mark Arnold ( markarnold.deviantart.com/ ) have thoroughly explored the design in three dimensions, painstakingly examining Lovecraft's descriptions and sketches, and they've been an inspiration for me. Beyond that, I started to imagine who or what could have been making these statues and where.
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Comments: 40
Thank you! 
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it makes the statue even more frightening !
...but please don't try too hard to discover the truth or madness will engulf you in its slimy spidernet of horror ! ah ah ah !!
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Best Cthulhu statue ever! Original yet faithful to Lovecraft's description. I really love the light.
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Thanks! Since the other representations I've made (2D and 3D) all used some creative license, I thought it would be good to try one as faithful to the text as I could- and then reserve the creativity for the story behind it's creation.
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This is too cool! I'm really glad you're working on the 7th edition rules.
They're gonna sell a ton of them. The painting you did for me of Cthulhu is still my favorite, but I like it that you've used HPL's drawing as a starting point and stayed close enough to it to make it recognizable as such, but in a much more talented rendition.
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Thanks, Joe, it was a big honor to participate in that book, and what I've seen of others' art looks amazing! Hopefully it will also work as a Lovecraft art book of sorts, seeing it will have a color interior and all.
I'm grateful for your commission and the freedom you allowed me in making it. I think due to the dark values and diverse palette I could never get a good scan of the painting, which I why I've been reluctant to share it more widely.
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I hope a Lovecraft art book does come out of the project.
Lovecraft probably drew better than the average person, whose art never progresses much beyond stick people, but it definitely needs some touching up to look like anything real and you accomplished that.
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I didn't mean to suggest an art book was in the making, though the rulebook is sounding like it will have a lot of eye candy in it... effectively an art book.
True, it's much better than a stickthulhu, though probably not exactly what he saw in his mind's eye. I'm sure if he knew it would be under such scrutiny decades and decades later he might have wanted to put more into it. Or, not do it at all!
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Wow, now that's my second favourite image of yours so far, this one still being my top of the pile..
That texture on the stature is incredible Paul, hell if I'd want to touch it!
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Thanks, Scott! It's interesting to know which ones you like the most, I'm not sure what I would have guessed if I hadn't known.
Yes, please keep your grubby paws off the statue, I just had it refurbished.
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Hmm, rubby rubby the statue of doome!
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Thank you! There have been so many interpretations of that sculpture from the story, so it's nice to hear that this one did well for you.
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Very nice image. I like the organic appearance of the statue's surface and the block on which it sits. What's more disturbing is the thing behind it.
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Thank you!
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i'm still convinced that the reason why Cthulhu Statues cause such insanity is because the human mind can't grasp the notion that any OTHER race could possibly... use a toilet.
my silly jokes aside, awesome work there!
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To show also the sculptor was a very cool idea! Great painting!
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Thanks, Markus! I've often thought about how many other writers (contemporaries in Lovecraft's circle, subsequent writers working within the mythos, role playing game writers and creators, etc) have had the opportunity to contribute and expand upon the mythos. Too often I feel bound to being faithful to others' writing, but why can't we artists also add new thoughts to the universe of Lovecraft?? I also considered that this painting is going into a game book, and I think a lot of gamers flip through these books for gaming ideas, so I think it can be good to throw a few extra elements in there (even if they aren't fully understandable) as a springboard for the gamers' imaginations.
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I agree with keren-or: jaw dropping! I'm expecting the creature to blink and come at me or something. Fantastic job!!!
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Thank you! I found your use of 'majestic' both unexpected and quite interesting- I guess something ominous or foreboding from one perspective might be majestic to another, especially to a Cthulhu worshiper! veeeery interesting.....
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*sweats nervously*
You are very welcome, and I stand by my words - this is truly a magnificent work, and perhaps the only one that depicts not just the statue of Cthulhu but the creator of said statue.
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It's OK, your secret is safe with me.... and anyone else who reads this. Besides, some of my best friends are ghouls and deep one hybrids.
You might be right, off the top of my head I can't think of any other depictions of 'the sculptor'.
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