Laketown « Thread Started on Mar 7, 2012, 3:51pm »
I've started working on a modular set that could be used as Laketown from The Hobbit. The idea is 3 parts. 1. Docks: piers, ramps, platforms, bridges....the base for the town. 2. Buildings: a number of different sized, Norse styled building. 3. Boats: several large and small boats...again Norse/Viking inspired.
Here's a little goofing around I've done on sketchup...
Joined: Jan 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 1,888 Location: Kansas City
Re: Laketown « Reply #1 on Mar 7, 2012, 4:06pm »
I for one would really like to see this come together. I think Laketown is one of those settings that Tolkien described so well, without going into extreme detail, that everyone has a picture of what it should look like.
Norse? Kinda. My picture is Danish/Belgian/Dutch which is close.
This has alot of flair from the Sketchup concept alone, @Shawn. I would totally appreciate this set. Do you game in Middleearth? What's your motivation? The set would be useful for every Norse Myth or Viking/Celtic inspired gamer ... . You know, I live in the flatlands of Northern Germany - there were in fact such lake- and swamptowns in neolithic and later times, like Danish/Viking Haithabu (around 800 AC).
Can you see the pic? Can you click-thru to the Flickr page its on? (this is the first thing I've put up on Flickr, and I'm not really sure how all the privacy settings work...)
I saw a clip of Peter Jackson talking "The Hobbit" and he was on the Laketown set. Unfortunately they managed to show practically nothing of the set except a few walls and doorways....but from what you could see it was obvious they were emulating the Stavkirke style.
Re: Laketown « Reply #12 on Mar 14, 2012, 8:37am »
This is an exciting project. I assume you've checked out Alan Lee's depictions of Laketown? I'm guessing, based on the set of LOTR, that Peter Jackson will lean heavily on Alan Lee's visual imagining. http://fantasy.mrugala.net/Alan%20Lee%20-%20The%20Hobbit/
Joined: Jan 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 1,888 Location: Kansas City
Re: Laketown « Reply #17 on Mar 14, 2012, 6:16pm »
I'll just sit here and revise my vision of Laketown. That little piece in there about Nordic influence on language, etc. also lends credence that my vision was incorrect.
I'd sure like to see Tolkien's sketch that the drawing refers to. He was an excellent writer, but I'd like to see his skills at sketching.
Joined: Jan 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 1,888 Location: Kansas City
Re: Laketown « Reply #19 on Mar 14, 2012, 8:21pm »
I'd say that from Tolkien's sketch (I'd call that more than a sketch) that Kiladecus is right about Graffam buildings fitting in, but, my gosh, that place would be huge.
I wonder if his sketch is LOTR timeframe, Hobbit timeframe or 'at the height of its wealth' timeframe.
You've certainly done a lot of research on this. Thanks.
EDIT -- Different interpretations between the pics, but the Castellum in the first pic actually looks like a warehouse or customs house to me in Tolkien's, and not at all in the last. Only the last shows any kind of real defense at the bridge. Maybe it's because of the world we live in, but I am surprised there aren't more defenses at the bridge and canals.
« Last Edit: Mar 14, 2012, 8:31pm by Vermin King »
Re: Laketown « Reply #20 on Mar 14, 2012, 10:48pm »
Nice work, @Shawn. Thanks alot for those beautiful 'Viking' Boats.
I have fetched my 'Pictures of J.R.R. Tolkien'-book and read, that the above 'sketch' is a colored version of the original B/W-inked illustration Tolkien made for the 'Hobbit' and printed therein 1937. As all of Tolkien's ink drawings for the 'Hobbit' are depicting actual scenes of the book, I conclude (razorsharp ), that the above sketch is indeed showing Esgaroth at the time of Bilbo's adventure.
You can clearly see very complex and high buildings in the distance - tower-like constructions and even Stavkirke-like multi-story buildings. Karen Wynn Fonstad analyses in her famous Middleearth-Atlas the sketch and gives the following data:
Esgaroth on the Long Lake Area: about 400 x 600 feet Population: about 400 Buildings: wooden, two-story, very densely built, very long or large, about 50, largest buildings in the 'marketplace' center and on the frontside depicted in the sketch, with the large building at the corner identified by Fonstad as the 'Town Hall' (with the 'Great Hall/House' standing in the center of town).
The 'Swan Boats' seem very Elvish to me - also the high hats/helmets of the rowing men - woodelves?
Re: Laketown « Reply #21 on Mar 15, 2012, 2:01pm »
Painted this (fast) concept for the Bridge/Canal Building on the frontside of Tolkien's sketch. There is another sketch titled 'The Death of Smaug' from Tolkien's original 'Hobbit' scripts, where he scribbled the large Totem-type columns/spikes on top of the building's roof endings. I have tried to maintain the scale (150 x 40 feet) as indicated by Miss Fonstad. I interpret Tolkien's sketch as if there is a second-story building constructed onto and into one half of the main building's roof:
I have to reread the chapters about Laketown in the 'Hobbit', so I cannot remember, if some or all of the buildings were painted. I gave my Bridge Building some (blueish and greenish) paint for fun.
@VerminKing, there are some lines in the 'Hobbit' mentioning the feeling of overall safety and peace for some time. Children disbelieving the existence of dragons in the Withered Heath/the Lonely Mountain, or people referring to distant and far-off enemies (Orks, Goblins and Eastlings). They feel safe in Laketown - trading with men, dwarves and elves. So maybe, they never felt the necessity to build more protective structures ... .
EDIT: the Main Bridge to Esgaroth (about 10 feet wide) was meant to be destructible very quickly - as the Men of Esgaroth did, when Smaug approached (he could not land in the water - would have harmed him as a Fire Creature like a Balrog ... - and landing on the roofs of the village-town? Maybe, the roof columns had more than a decorative purpose ... .)
Working out the fitting and starting to texture. The big ship (a knarr) still has a bit of work to go. I printed out a colour version just because I don't trust my monitor vs my printer.
Hope to put some of the finished set up soon.
GM64
(the figs are Dryw's and 1Monk's (thanks)....not exactly how I picture the men of Laketown...maybe they'll come later)
Re: Laketown « Reply #23 on Mar 21, 2012, 9:46pm »
Looks great, I made the boat is finished in the picture and is very good, the boat is in the process looks set to have a good finish, follow the good work. I look forward to further progress. Greetings.
Re: Laketown « Reply #25 on Mar 21, 2012, 11:04pm »
Yeah, its suppose to be crossed beams. I'm trying to make it simple and easy to put together...plus it need some solid support at least an inch or so down from the top or it won't hold up very well. The idea was to have the space filled in at least fairly realistically. Open beams there would be a heck of a lot more work....especially considering you'd be making quite a few of them....
Got any other ideas that might work....? Maybe a single angled beam with a dark background....?
Joined: Jan 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 1,888 Location: Kansas City
Re: Laketown « Reply #26 on Mar 21, 2012, 11:49pm »
maybe have it more like the Tolkien pic with rows of horizontal beams behind the uprights. If you gave them a triangular cross-section, it would be very sturdy.
the crossbeam would work if it were just an X with a horizontal beam running directly below it.
Not sure
I really like the upper and lower deck set-up with the connecting ramp. The weathered grey color you are using looks exactly right.
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Re: Laketown « Reply #28 on Mar 22, 2012, 9:55am »
Well, even square beams can help support it.
The BEST structure of this kind I have EVER seen was from FINGER AND TOE. He had a set of walkways that were part of one of his earlier sets (MULTI-GUN, maybe), and it folded the legs into "V" shapes, rather than "L" shapes.
The icing on the cake was that the top of the walkway folded itself onto the legs again. (It is VERY hard to describe, but a wonderful design).
When I first built it, I showed my wife, I said, "See this paper bridge." I picked up a huge apple. She expressed that it would crush the paper... (knowing it had "Smoosh Assurance," I knew I had nothing to fear). I put the apple on the center of the structure. It HELD!
VERY nice design. I will try to find the link for the set. I believe it was a dollar, so you can buy it, and see if it will work well for your set.
I hope it helps!
(BTW, I am NOT affiliated with Finger and Toe models. This was NOT an advertisement for Glenn Williams or his company. Remember, to stop by the gift shop and pick up your F&T models on your way out).
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This looks neat, @Shawn. Is there a Dwarf standing on the bridge - waving a tankard!?
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