I had to see the difference. So I spent a few minutes in photoshop tweaking just a few things.
The before is HBO's version of the Stark Direwolf. The after is just some changes I did, I felt to enhance its wolfish-ness. Also got rid of those squinting puffy eye.
**UPDATE BELOW**
So in the "better version 2". I still had issues with the ear. I moved the ear down and enlarged it a bit. I tapered the snout ever so slightly to give it a more wolf snout, which also allows the neck to look thicker. Dogs snouts get wider as they reach the nose. I also moved the mouth to end its gaping under the eye more, instead of the originals behind the eye. I may move the ear one more time. I still really dont like that buck tooth look on the wolf. I most likely will change those front teeth.
Overall the ear is by far the one part of this design that doesn't fit with the rest. It's original style by Jim Stanes is so smooth, round and more piglike ear that its just stands out so much from the rest of this wolf canine style. I may go in and make a new ear entirely. Making it look like it follows the same style of the rest of the design. I have a feeling doing so will REALLY pull the wolf effect off better. I've drawn it many times down on paper in small variations. Its more diamond shaped and follows the same look of that "scale fur" effect.
You tell me what you think.
I thought they nailed it with the original. When you think about a wolf/dog snarling like that lowers it ears and pins them back like that. So in a sense the original captures the aggression and power inherent in a challenged wolf. Although I agree that your images (your ver 2 is best by the way) are more distinctly recognisable as a stereotypical wolf, I would still go with the original. I do have one question for you though - do you know where a full image of the stark wolf sigil can be found (including the body, tail, legs etc)?
ReplyDeleteKindly enough a russian fan site had taken a good hi res shot of Jim Stanes concept of the full body direwolf. Sadly it didn't make it into the full series beyond the tourney scene banners its seems. It was used heavily in the pilot.
ReplyDeletehttp://7kingdoms.ru/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/stain2-2.jpg
It would have been nice to see the full body more. But I have to agree with HBO with closing in on the head. When you zoom away from the full body of the direwolf sigil Jim created it looks like an angry golden retriever. Mostly due to the position of the body, the length of the neck, the size of the head, and the tail.
I will be posting in coming days a slew of possible House Stark heraldries of my own design.
Wolves and Dogs show agression by lowering their ears. The original shows more power and anger. The two alterations look less agressive and less wolf like.
ReplyDeleteNot always. I've been around wolves here in MN long enough to know that. They do that sometimes but not always. Hollywood, media and poorly researched artists perpetuate this assumption. If you actually do some photo/info searching you'll notice this isn't true. Often enough wolves show anger with their ears up also and sometimes up and forward. The position of the ear depends on a few things. What its angry about or afraid about and social rank. More often then not the ears back and growling means a more submissive wolf angry and afraid. The positions that show the most power and anger are bared fangs, ears up and forward. Although someone could argue in the context of which wolf would be more dangerous between a wolf with bared fangs and ears up and foward or bared fangs and ears down and back. Whats a greater danger to your saftey a wolf extremely afraid and ready to lunge or a wolf extremely assured and ready to attack.
ReplyDeleteHere's a good chart for you.
http://www2.fiu.edu/~milesk/FacialWolf.JPG
Based on what we know of the Starks. The position of the ear and the bared fangs in the original design IMHO do not fit their household acts much at all, nor the Norths given character. I always saw the Starks as a more assured threat. And the Starks are prepared for winter so they do not fear that.
The two alterations are from a simple design and visual glance standpoint. I tried to give it a more iconic "thats a wolf at a glance" feel. Jim Stanes original poor design looks like a mutant dragon shark dog. He even admitted that the Stark Sigil was the hardest one for him to design in a HBO 2 minute docu about the sigils. Ive spent many a year designing Stark Sigils that pop into my mind, a lot with heavy historical influence from norse, germanic, celtic and pictish influence. Once I have a working scanner again in spring I can upload them. Heck...this wonderful lady at 7narwen.deviantart.com has proven better wolf looking sigils can be done. My alterations quickly done in photoshop just rearranged the ear he designed and a bit of muzzle change. I actually have a third variation that has the position the ear is in the second update without a muzzle change, and I got rid of the beaver teeth and put the teeth in a proper position. And as Ive said before. Jim Stanes put the ear of the wolf in the wrong spot, below and behind the eye. Not just anatomically does it look wrong but he seemed to put it their to fill that void it creates with his design when you put it in its proper place above and behind the eye.
I haven't updated this blog due to real life. Needing new CS programs and a scanner. But that all should be coming back this year.
Hey I love your modifications. I was wondering if you had a high res photo of version 2 that I could use. Thank you very much and I would like this to put on a customized headphones and I have to use a modified version because of all of HBOs copyrights... Thanks a lot.
ReplyDelete