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TurnerMohan — Orc Figure Study
Published: 2013-04-22 08:16:56 +0000 UTC; Views: 5127; Favourites: 53; Downloads: 55
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Description
From the neck down this one was pretty much taken directly from a photo of a hairless chimpanzee (it's a rare condition that affects a very small number of chimps, but when they have it you get to see just how heavily muscled a chimp is) In Tolkien's world, orcs are supposed to be a deformed, perverted version of the elves. reversion to a subhuman (or sub-elf) form seems like a good way to convey that, and tolkien often describes orcs as physically very ape-like; long arms, squat bodies, bowed legs (orcs are even described at helms deep as climbing up the ladders "like the apes of the southern jungles" and Grishnak insultingly calls Ugluk an ape at one point)another quality often attributed to orcs is that despite their bent stature and usually less than impressive skill at swordsmanship, they possess a kind of bestial strength and ferocity. I wanted to capture that in this image, without resorting to making them look like the incredible hulk, ala warcraft.
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Comments: 7
Nice, seems fitting to me, I usually think of orcs as rather lean, unless they're Uruks or chieftains..Starved and savage with iron grips..
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this one is definitely a larger orc, ala azog or ugluk in my mind. I would think the average of the species is quite a bit less beefy.
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It's very curious to see that one piece here. I made myself some designs based on the same bald chimp a time ago, but mine was a Dwarf. When I first saw the bald chimps I got impressed by the bulging muscles and thick skin, and I tought it was perfect to depict the stocky and stout dwarves. i'll post it here for you to see.
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yeah definitely throw it up, I dont think you could find a much better model for the hard worked, non-gym built musculature of dwarvish miners. i actually did a series of dwarves at work in the mines and building erebor some years ago, that were basically dwarf figure studies (i'll put them up when i can find them) cant wait to see what you got.
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Here:
[link]
And here:
[link]
Let's see what you think about it.
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I always got the impression that Orcs were physically weak in strength and were only ferocious in a large rabble. Way too many people keep giving Tolkien's Orcs pig-like features when they are very simian.
Love the concept, by the way.
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Tolkien describes orcs as having very strong hands with a crushing grip (one thing that got me thinking ape-like ceatures)
I always liked to think of orcs as nervous and cowardly in the same way that animals (and often enough people) might be said to be so; they're not bold or honorable or self sacrificing like the elves or men of rohan or gondor, basically they'd run away from a fight if they thought they couldnt win, but they'd go after someone if they thought they could take them down, like wolf mentality.
I dont think i'd portray all orcs as being this beefy, this is more an azog or ugluk type. Thanks so much for your comment, love to hear feedback. (and yeah, too many pig faces among orcs)
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