발록 반지의제왕 웨타 WETA - The Balrog

출처 : https://www.wetanz.com/shop/figures/the-balrog?ref=brand 

 

THE BALROG

- Scale : N/A

 : Dimensions : (W x H x D) 21 cm x 30.5 cm x 21 cm
- Weight : 3.26 kg

- Price : $399.00

- FEATURES
 : Made from high-quality polystone
 : 12” / 30.5cm tall
 : Creative paint scheme to bring the Balrog’s flames to life
 : Scaled to be displayed alongside the rest of the Classic Series line

 : Clay sculpt by Victor Gully, digitally enlarged by Steven Saunders, then touched up in clay once more by Shaun Bolton

 

Of all the terrors to confront the Fellowship of the Ring on their journey, none would compare with the Balrog. A demon of flame and shadow, the creature had lain entombed for countless ages in the deepest darkness, far beneath the Misty Mountains.

 

Deep within the earth, tunnelling for Mithril in sunless black rock, the Dwarves disturbed something that had remained safely entombed since ages past. A being of unfathomable terror, a relic of a time of gods and giants, a creature of which the like should never walk again in Middle-earth and for whom there were few equals remaining in the world. A Balrog of Morgoth. The Balrog could be harmed by no blade or device of Dwarf design. By the hundreds, Durin’s people and the Dwarf King himself fell before the beast, after named Durin’s Bane. 

When the Fellowship of the Ring sought to pass beneath the Misty Mountains and thereby thwart the attentions of the fallen Wizard Saruman, it was against Gandalf’s grave misgivings, for the Grey Wizard suspected what haunted in the shadows of Moria. Secrecy alone might secure their safe passage, for if the Balrog were alerted, Gandalf knew their escape would only be bought at a great price, and he would not again pass through the Dwarf realm’s doors. 

 

THE BALROG
When design work began on The Lord of the Rings in 1997, the look of many of Middle-earth’s most evil creatures was open to interpretation. Loose descriptions in the books, plus rough sketches by seasoned Tolkien artist John Howe, helped guide Wētā Workshop concept artist Ben Wootten in his development of the Balrog. 

Ben Wootten’s background studying both art and biology informed his designs and rooted the Balrog in a tangible anatomical reality, while the flaming mane and cracked lava hide gave it an elemental savagery -  elevating the creature above the rest of the trilogy’s less fantastical monsters.

In 2001, the epic clash between this titan and Gandalf the Grey thrilled audiences and left us with the immortal phrase: “You shall not pass!”

20 years on; the Balrog has been reimagined once more by the team at Wētā Workshop as part of our Classic Series line.

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Balrog collectible for Weta Workshop. 20cm tall, hand sculpted in hard Chavant clay back in 2020.
Art directed by Daniel Falconer and Richard Taylor. Under the sculpting guidance of Daniel Cockersell. Mold and cast by @coshantista. I was lucky to access all the original source materials, including previous collectables/maquettes, and fortunate to meet Ben Wootten (the original Balrog designer from Rings) to get insights and approval of my attempt at sculpting the beast.
Also my desk neighbour and creature expert, Jamie Beswarick, gave me some guidance as well (the head is based on a previous collectible sculpted by him). Later on the decision was made to put this sculpt in the classic line at a bigger scale. Therefore it got scanned, scaled up, printed and reworked by other artists.

Here is some close-ups of the Balrog collectible for @wetaworkshop . 20cm tall, hand sculpted in hard Chavant clay back in 2020.