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Post by Elheru Aran on Jan 28, 2011 17:09:03 GMT
All right then, it's time I showed y'all some designs... First off, some pages from my sketchbook! ~Fittings I designed for my Side Sword. Not sure how they'll work out but I crafted the first part (the triangular hanger with the straps), and it turned out all right... ~Drawings of two swords. Nothing too special really. Ignore the lower one, it's kind of crappy. I rather like the look of the first one, though. ~It's hard to see, but there's a two-handed Viking sword in there, above the hilt design, and then below that a Beastmaster-styled two-handed scimitar with a wire wrap in the middle of the hilt and a metal butt-cap. Who knows, I kind of liked how it turned out though. ~Close-up, flipped detail of the guard in this picture. Working out that knotwork was a pain! The boar theme is something that I was hung up on at that time... not sure why. And yes, I know boars have hooves, not clawed feet. Shhh... ~A variety of hilt designs, nothing too special. ~An Oriental chape... more or less ripped off of the Hanwei Odachi and Tachi, I'll admit... with a tunkou (Chinese habaki) below. ~Scabbard throat and part of a hanger. Moving on! Now, these are larger drawings. Some of these pictures are more detailed close-ups. I draw on a pretty big sketch pad when I'm not using my sketchbook, so some of these are shown in multiple overlapping images because the sketch pad pages are too big for my scanner! So without further ado: ~My design for a Wheel of Time-style sword, using a unokubi-zukuri style katana blade. Note that the chape, hangers and throat on the scabbard are more or less the same as on my sketchbooks; I liked those designs, thought I'd carry on with them. I drew the sheathed sword first, which is why the grip doesn't quite match the larger depiction. ~As far as the grip goes, it should be wrapped in itomaki for the first half, then a bronze fitting covering that, leading on down to polished wood. I haven't decided yet whether the design there will be in a brass or bronze strip, or if I'll burn it into the wood. Then there's a bronze pommel; you're seeing it from the direct side so you can't see this, but it goes from an octagonal shape into a cross at the end. ~I decided to use a tunkou instead of a habaki. I think it looks exotic enough that it wouldn't be too jarring on the Japanese blade. I haven't decided whether to leave it plain or to decorate it (with what?), though... A teaser of the next one... Intrigued yet? Well, here's the rest of Godbiter... this was a BIG drawing, but it ended up looking rather nice... ~My baby, ladies and gentlemen! I left the guard and pommel blank because, well, I couldn't figure out how to draw a proper Urnes-style dragon depiction on them. Very frustrating. And if that wasn't a clue already, yeah, it's loosely based on Albion's Valkyrja. I rather enjoyed doing the knotwork on the grip rings, though. Why three? Just cause I thought it was cool This is more or less an actual-size depiction (yes, they're big pictures), so it's not *quite* a full two-hander grip. You could fit my two hands on it, but it would be sort of a hammer-grip actually. This may create balance issues, I know... I may redo the length, but proportionally I think this looks good. If the hilt was longer, I'd need to make it a little wider and upsize the pommel accordingly. It's really a shame you can't see the whole page in one picture... Anyway, I have a few more drawings I haven't scanned yet. Hope y'all like these, though! (Aside: I guess maybe I need to clean the glass of my scanner...those blue spots on the Godbiter pages? Ugh.)
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jan 29, 2011 0:56:58 GMT
Actually, Aran, the second one at the top isn't as bad as you think. It looks quite a bit like a very slightly fantasy dadao (only fantasy in the proportions). I actually like it for that exact reason; if nothing else, it'd make one hell of an executioner's sword.
I also like the first and most definitely your WoT design (especially since I just started reading Eye of the World and am already in love with it), though I think the guard from the first sword would probably be more appropriate given the description in the book, but that's just me; I'm a bit of a stickler for details.
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Post by JohnE on Jan 29, 2011 2:58:12 GMT
I like the pommel on the top one.
Looks very celtic, like something out of the book of Kells.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Jan 29, 2011 20:05:52 GMT
Vincent: For some reason that particular form of guard with the long slightly curved Z-shape is kind of stuck in my head. Not sure why. I dig the more tsuba-like guards well enough, but I wanted to do something a little less obviously Japanese. Watch out for those Wheel of Time books, though-- after the fourth or fifth one, they start dragging something awful up to Winter's Heart, which is the penultimate in slow-- apparently, Robert Jordan felt that it was okay to cover only three days through ~900 pages! I like the series... but it BADLY needs some serious editing for length. The last two books (written by Brandon Sanderson from Jordan's notes after RJ passed away) have been much better in that regard, though-- they're still long, but they move along better.
JohnE-- Dig fishtail type pommels? So do I. And yeah, there is a definite Celtic influence on that pommel. Also Art Deco, Chinese, and Arab. I can be very fusion when I get creative...
Thanks all for the comments, keep them coming please!
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jan 30, 2011 3:09:28 GMT
Ah, true, true. Too Japanese-esque and people will begin to wonder. What I think really shines, though, is the sheath. With the amount of work put into it, it just makes the blade seem very important.
Thanks for the word of warning, but I know just how much a book can drag without being long; the recent Enduring Flame trilogy by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory (sequel to the Obsidian trilogy that's rather enjoyable if slow at times) is nothing short of plodding, all while you have to listen to two city kids whine and moan about roughing it in the country. As for Sanderson's work on the WoT books, that's kinda why I'm reading them now; I absolutely adore the man's work.
By the way, I've been considering that first design and I was wondering if you'd mind if someone wanted to make it in steel; I'd make a few changes here and there (maybe combine it with the half-grip that I love from the WoT design), but overall, it'd be your design and I wouldn't want to commission someone else's design without their permission... Even if that is a very long time off.
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Post by Anders on Feb 1, 2011 7:57:04 GMT
Good stuff, this - a lot of your ideas have similarities to my own. Keep up the good work.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Feb 3, 2011 18:23:52 GMT
Anders, I'm curious. Where exactly do you see similarities? Just wondering.
I have two drawings that I still have yet to scan and post... but they'll come in the next few days, I assure you all...
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Post by etiennehamel on Feb 3, 2011 19:03:19 GMT
nice designs i love the boar cross guard (even if your boar have claws it could be some demon boar or somthing i think it really standout from the dragon theme viking swords ) i like the celtic sword with ito too very unique (kind of reminds me of the topic i posted about my euro sword with ito idea...) glad to see the ito idea has been draw love the look of it keep those design coming!!! one day i might consider asking you for a design, those drawing are great
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Post by Elheru Aran on Feb 3, 2011 19:10:31 GMT
Feel free to ask anytime. I give you special price just for you Kidding, but seriously, if anybody wants to use/commission a design, just contact me. No charge except credit on the design. EDIT 2/9/11: I feel like I should clarify this. I will indeed give anybody a free design, the first one they order from me. After that there will be a small fee per design. I hope nobody has an issue with that, but if you do contact me via PM.
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Talon
Member
Senior Forumite
Posts: 2,554
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Post by Talon on Feb 3, 2011 19:50:22 GMT
this sword is ticking all the right boxes for me :mrgreen: a sort of cross between a conan and viking merger stunning design ,im liking this A LOT
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Talon
Member
Senior Forumite
Posts: 2,554
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Post by Talon on Feb 3, 2011 20:06:38 GMT
thought id best mention (not good with pc's) i copied the picture ,uploaded it then deleted it from my pc (i wouldnt want to be accused of stealing members designs) :lol:
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Post by chuckinohio on Feb 4, 2011 4:26:13 GMT
Theres some nice stuff in there Elheru.
I also favor curved swords that are not just varying themes of Katana.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Feb 4, 2011 12:55:48 GMT
Talon, you're fine... For my part when I first looked at that after I'd finished drawing it, I was like, "hey, looks like something Conan would use..." In the future I'll be putting "(c) Elheru" on my drawings in an area that can't be cropped out, like Lunaman does his, so you can save pictures to your computer without worrying about the copyright issues. I'm not too picky about it; I'm actually flattered because it means you like my designs that much Thanks, Chuck. One gets tired of all the katana-lite knockoff designs, doesn't one... so I thought, why bother knocking off the katana, just *use* the kat blade and run wild with what you can do to the grip and scabbard. I've even trifled with thoughts of an Scottish claymore-style hilt, or an Irish ring-pommel...
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Post by chuckinohio on Feb 4, 2011 20:06:56 GMT
Now thats an idea right there....................................
Clever thinking, I like the sounds of that.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Feb 4, 2011 20:48:09 GMT
I second that notion. I like the ring hilt design (it's even on one of the swords I designed for one of my novels) and I like the blade of a katana (it is on my pride and joy, Ithin, after all), so I'd definitely like to see them combined. You'd just have to find the right guard to go with it.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Feb 5, 2011 21:26:21 GMT
I would probably use something not unlike an Albion Gallowglass guard with a ring-pommel. However, the S-curved guard on the Munich appeals to me... I take a lot of inspiration from Albion's work, mostly because their website is one of the more easily accessible sources of sword material for me. Hmm, there's a thought... a directory of sword websites for people to visit when they're feeling the design itch? Not that I advocate copying a maker's designs; but for some (like me) seeing the variety that's out there, especially when rendered in modern work as opposed to corroded ancient parts, helps drive inspiration. Inspiration is good. It helps keep me from screaming and using my sketchbook as a throwing-knife butt at 10 paces
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Feb 5, 2011 21:48:04 GMT
If it were my own sword, I'd go with the Gallowglass, but that's just because something about a horizontal S-guard like on the Munich strikes me as very weird. I could never bring myself to like them, though I do fancy vertical S-guards like what you find on certain Chinese swords and fantasy swords (for the life of me, I can't think of a Euro that has one).
Now that's definitely an interesting thought. I drew a good deal of inspiration from the aforementioned Gallowglass for my sword Aelfwing; I wanted something slender, but sturdy and fierce, like a lightsaber made steel and the Gallowglass was my prime inspiration because of its straight, slender blade and the ring pommel reminded me of Obi-Wan's saber from the prequels, how it had that ball shaped pommel. So that could definitely serve; I know I have a hard enough time trying to design weapons for use in my novels.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Feb 5, 2011 23:33:51 GMT
Time to post an update! Okay, so I did a few fairly rough sketches a while back... just scribbling in my sketchbook. So, forgive these for being a little rough... I inked them up so they would actually be visible. They're the pommels in my album here: s1184.photobucket.com/albums/z332/jprussia07/Now, who hasn't ever wanted to design a crazy wall-hanger of their own? I kind of got enthusiastic with my compass while messing around on a drawing... and this is sort of what I ended up with? Had fun even if it doesn't look much like what I wrote as the title... And a close-up, rotated view of the guard. I can do pommel if anybody wants a close-up of that. But anyway, you can see how I came up with an AE-knockoff guard with a bunch of circular lines... I hope? I might should've used some hatching to define it a little better, but since it's basically a slab it's not a big deal. Hello, Oakeshott XVIIIa and a type V pommel! This would go with a fairly long blade-- 34" to 35" or so. Sort of a proto-rapier, actually, but without the complex guard. This is an older drawing I did a while back of a Migration Period-style hilt with a ring. Kind of got a little messed up with some gold paint at one point, but you can still see everything, pretty much. There are a few pencils of other hilts that I'll show below... Cropped view. And it's not badly cropped; I really did draw it kind of hanging over the edges there. Didn't think beforehand, but decided to go for it anyway. I think it gives you a decent enough idea of how it should look. Main issue is I was kind of sloppy drawing it out, so it's not particularly symmetrical. Oh well, here it is anyway. And then here are the ones I did in pencil by that hilt. Picture turned out kind of ugly because I had to play with the colors a lot to get the pretty faint pencil lines to show through... More in the near future, I hope? Anyway, hope you've enjoyed...
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Post by Elheru Aran on Feb 9, 2011 16:04:10 GMT
Just a quick post to point out to people that I edited my earlier post about designs for customers.
To wit, everybody gets a free design (one that hasn't already been drawn and posted here). After that, there will be a small fee per design. This is an acknowledgment of the fact that it does take some time and skill for me to execute these designs.
I realize this may come off as making my original post seem deceptive; however, that wasn't my intent, and I am making sure everybody understands what I am doing here. I will be happy to do a design for anybody who wants one. Then after their first design, or if they wish to use one that I have already drawn out, I will still be glad to do this for them. The only thing that changes from the first design is that there will be a small charge for my time and materials.
If anybody has an issue with that, please feel free to PM me about it. Again, I appreciate everybody who has read this thread and commented on my various designs... thank you!
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Feb 9, 2011 17:41:09 GMT
A question or two about the free design, Aran. Are there any guidelines you have established for it (i.e., nothing previously designed, even if it was designed by the person asking for it)? I'm curious because I happen to suck at drawing curves, particularly on the graph paper I use for my designs, so I've been somewhat looking for someone who can do said curves in the hopes that I can make at least one of my designs look better (I use curves in three of my designs; the blade on Ithin, the hilt on Me'are, and both blade and hilt on Li'shai).
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