There was quite a buzz of excitement when we announced the new plastic Treebeard kit a few weeks back, and fans will be happy to hear that the pre-order is not far away. With that in mind, Dan Entwisle from the Middle-earth team, having recently spoken to one of the designers of Quickbeam, sat down at the Entmoot with Gavin Newton, the mastermind behind this new plastic kit, to find out more about the project.
Dan Entwisle: What was it like to work on a character as iconic as Treebeard?
Gavin Newton: In a word... awesome! I’ve wanted to create a Treebeard model for a long, long time, so to actually do it was an honour. I also love Treebeard as a character and have done ever since I first read The Lord of the Rings™ as a child. The reverence Tolkien has for the land that he displays through Treebeard has always resonated with me.
Plus, it's so rare to have the chance to sculpt a character that’s monstrous but who fights for the forces of Good. Unlike Trolls, Dragons or Fell Beasts, Ents are not utterly terrifying unless driven to unleash their wrath on those who seek to destroy what they love.
Dan: What did you enjoy most about designing Treebeard?
Gavin: It was definitely embellishing the model with all the minor details such as leaves, twigs and branches – it felt like spring was blooming on Treebeard himself! It was also great fun spending time looking at nature for inspiration. During one lunchtime walk, I found a particularly interesting dead log on the ground, so I hauled it back to the office so that I had some extra reference to hand.
Dan: What challenges did you encounter during the design process?
Gavin: Getting the beard spot-on was a big one. Creating a believable texture for a beard made of twigs, that was also manufacturable in plastic, was much more difficult than I’d first anticipated. Making sure that it didn't look too much like a normal beard, or too much like a bush, was a real headache at times, but I think, in the end, the balance I achieved was very close to what we see in the films.
Dan: What aspect of the model are you most proud of?
Gavin: I would have to say his pose. It was challenging to figure out a way of displaying energy and movement in the sculpt while still showing how heavy and powerful Treebeard is. I think it also demonstrates how connected to the natural world Treebeard is, showing the motion of his stride advancing forwards while the roots of his feet appear as if they’re still seeking to anchor him to the ground.
Dan: People will be very happy about the inclusion of Merry and Pippin in this kit. What was it like tackling them alongside Treebeard?
Gavin: It was a huge scale contrast, that’s for sure. Treebeard is the largest model I’ve ever sculpted, while Merry and Pippin are two of the smallest. I love how both of the actors portray the two Hobbits in the movies, and it was great working on both the versions on foot and the ones riding on Treebeard. The dismounted pose for Merry, in particular, is something I’m very satisfied with. He’s a very forthright and proud Hobbit and, conversely to Pippin, takes things very seriously – especially when it comes to looking out for the young Took.
Dan: What do you have planned for your own Treebeard?
Gavin: I'm going to experiment to see if I can achieve a moonlight effect to represent him during the Entmoot. I think it would be cool to find out what kind of look that gives the model, as it's not something I’ve seen before, but it's definitely going to be a challenge to get right.
It's always nice to delve deeper into the design process of new models. A big thanks to Dan and Gavin for taking the time to fill us in on all things Fangorn, and also to Daniel Wegmann from HVM Workbench once again for his beautiful imagery of the mighty Ent. Treebeard will be available for pre-order from this weekend, so until then, make sure to let us know if you’ll be commanding your own Last March of the Ents (it is March, after all!) over at the Warhammer Official Facebook page, and check out our special Treebeard painting video.
One final note, some of you may notice a slight error in Treebeard’s construction booklet. Thankfully, to ensure you can assemble your exquisite miniature like a true artisan of Erebor, you can now download the correct version of Treebeard’s construction booklet.