Merlin by Quagnon
Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.
Description
I just finished reading Enemy of God, book two in the 3-book Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. The series is a "realistic" portrayal of the life of Arthur, told from the perspective of a young soldier in Arthur's army who just happened to have been raised by the followers of Lord Merlin, the Druid. The setting of the books is completely different than those familiar with the Arthurian legends would expect, as they take place in the 5th Century A.D., just as Christianity is beginning to take root in Britain. There are no suits of plate armour (they weren't used until around 200 years later) and their castles were wood and earth, not stone (the Britons hadn't developed their stone-cutting skills). Why the change in settings? Well, though the evidence that Arthur truly existed is tenuous at best, what evidence we do have points to him existing in this time period, not the romanticized 12th Century that many of the legends are placed in. Why have the story tellers shifted Arthur forward in time so much? If he existed in the 5th Century, Arthur would almost certainly have been a pagan, while the people telling his stories in later years would most certainly have been Christian and it just wouldn't do for Christians at that time to have a pagan hero.
This is my take on Merlin, a Druid, not a wizard, as described in the first novel in the series, The Winter King. Or as close as I can get without taking the time to model him a proper beard :)
CREDITS
Face texture is by caleb68, hood is part of thip's mantle for Mike. Face morph was created by mixing a bunch of Mike's base morphs with a pair of face morphs included in the Musclebound Michael package from DraX, available at DAZ3D.
Comments (11)
SPIRESMEDIA
very nicely done!!! i enjoyed reading the intro to this image as well....great work! ;o)
sturkwurk
Quagnon, I'm always so happy to see one of your thumbnails when I go through the gallery... I know I'm in for something special when I follow the link... and this image enforces that tenfold! WOW... is that the Rosswell Wreckage font I see? (I'm probably wrong) Awesome image... and now you've got me wanting to read those blasted books! Can't I just stick with Harry Potter?
depakotez
Quagnon, great image here from you. Just awesome. And if you want some other books along these lines check out Marion Zimmer Bradley's series of books (no real title for them). And yeah she's the one that did "Mists of Avalon" but I tell ya, read the series. And, Doug no you cant :) Depa
Zrincx
Great work! Character and textures are awesome. Looks fab.
ronknights
Quagnon, your image, and information are much appreciated. You could likely guess I view some of this to be my "heritage," although I've never researched the details. Thanks again.
the3dgm
Very Nice! Have not, as yet, read the books, so don't give too much away! I'm Finally up to Grisham's 'The Firm' `91. I'll never get caught up! Your usual excellent work but the mantle needs a texture I think.
OpenMindDesign
Merlin is perfectly as I would imagine him to be, and yes Marion Zimmer Bradley is a wonderful Author, I have a collection of short stories that are simply fantastic and have read a couple of her others but can't remember what the names were.
Marvel1
Great image Quag. I really like the lighting and the brightness effect that you have for Merlin's iris. Only suggestion I can make is although the lighting and textures are great it seems to be lost a bit on the top of the hood making it look a bit flat. Otherwise, you have done a an excellent job.
silx
WOW ... long silence ... Wow... Ah, right... comments. Euhm, well - great! Quagnon, this is truely awesome. Great facial expression and superb lighting. Agree with Darrin about the missing texture. And maybe you want to apply/create a more realistic eyetexture. Just suggestions. Once again, very nice!
JosephineAu
Excellent pic. I love those penetrating blue eyes that almost pierce the soul.
aremis2000
OK...And here Iw as saying "Aremis, buddy...what new novel will we pick up to read today?". And then I saw this damn piece of amazing artwork...and the answer was clear. So Merlin has once again cast a spell. Bastard! =) Great job...only tip would have been to soften up when the cloak meets the shoulders. Very square straight endges.