HOME | DD
samburley β Surtr, Fire of Ragnarok
Published: 2010-11-10 17:43:56 +0000 UTC; Views: 108622; Favourites: 3251; Downloads: 9079
Redirect to original
Description
According to Norse mythology, Surtr is the god/demon who kills Freyr at Ragnarok and proceeds to cover the Earth in flames with his sword of fire. In coming up with this I was trying to think about how religion tied into early cultures and how those peoples may have believed the landscape around them to have been formed by their gods much in the same way that cosmos and natural phenomenon might have been explained.Β© Sam Burley - Do not use without permission
Check out my website [link] , blog [link] or facebook [link] for more!
Feel free to email me at sam@samburleystudio.com - Don't send notes here on DA because I tend to miss them.
If you're interested in prints, check my site Contact page for rates and send me an email, or browse BFA: [link]
Thanks for looking!
Related content
Comments: 212
In the middle of the pitch black veil of the night you hear a monstrous crash in the distance. Normally, you would try to ignore something like this and return to your rest. However, this particular disturbance seems much more destructive and powerful than anything you have ever experienced before. A straining feeling in your chest begins; as if your body is telling you that there is something out there that you cannot face...something that is an incalculable level of destruction and evil. Leaving your shelter you immediately trek outside and are greeted by a truly horrifying and foreboding sight. Standing in the distance is gargantuan ogre, one who is none other than Surtr the demonic god himself. His sword, ablaze with the flames of the netherworld cleaves through the mountainous hills near him as if they were not even there. The once tall and mighty earthen peaks crumbled under the sheer weight of the blade and fell to the ground in heaps of rock and dust. The beast then looks onto the distance for any more viable targets that he should make into rather quick work of his blade. His body courses with the very flames of the netherworld itself as he continues his incalculable swath of destruction across the countryside. As you look on at this horrific scene, you soon realize something; there is nothing that can stop him. He will continue in the current pattern until your are within his path. Unless he were to be stopped, unless something were to intervene...it appears as though Surtr's reign may just be a bit more permanent than any of us could have ever thought it would be. Surtr, Fire of Ragnarok, created by *samburley, presents us with his own personalized depiction of the destruction and dark presence that the mythological being Surtr can create under his blazing gait.
I have to say that the artist has done quite a good job capturing the presence of scale in this piece. The beast really feels like a massive being that simply moves through the mountain range as if they were simply foothills in its path. The detailing on the mountains and other elements in the piece look really good and capturing the overall mood in the piece and draw the attention of the viewer directly in as if you're watching the destruction unfold firsthand. The detailing is done quite well and gives a very nice textural appearance to all of the compositional elements further developing throughout the creator's artistic personality in the image. The atmosphere is also spot-on with the rest of the image as it carries a heavy tenseness within it as well as managing to build upon the image itself and billows throughout the image. One can easily see that with the many design choices and style implemented, the artist really try to pull out all of the stops in order to build up on a dynamic and rather nicely detailed piece.
However, with the many things in this piece that works in the piece, there are still somethings that could be improved in this composition. For instance, while the detailing is nice, I have to say that it is a bit lacking when one takes a closer look to the mountains and even the trees in the foreground. A bit more fine-tuning to the primary compositional details can get that much more out of the piece in the quality department. Another thing you could have done was a better pronouncement of the lighting and shading effect. As Surtr was an a being of darkness and destruction, it just seems as though better adding to the shadows of the objects as well as the cast shadow on himself. Then you could add more contrast to the flames and molten cracks in the beast's skin as they appear a bit dim in the lighting in the piece. At the most, keep experimenting with the compositional elements of the piece and be sure to try some newer techniques that you haven't already. Doing so will help you find something new about your art that you may have never knew about yourself before.
Mythology has and always be a source of entertainment and inspiration for artwork and more stories. Each one depicting an epic struggle of good versus evil in battle after cataclysmic battle over the control of the land. Its with stories such as the ones in Norse mythology that we artists can immortalize them in a more modern view with a more traditional medium. Surtr, Fire of Ragnorok is a shining example of bringing a classic story into the view of the present so that many others can experience it in its immortalized form, for all to see. Good work *samburley, keep up with the experimentation and newer art design styles.
π: 0 β©: 2
Love the deviation. Definite fav. SkillZombie....your critique should win the equivalent of a DD Grammy for cover art writing.
π: 0 β©: 1
Wow! Thanks! That was amazing, did you write up that whole intro just now!? I sure wish I had that when starting out
And great points. You're absolutely right about the foreground details - I've been called on that before and it's something I'm trying to work on.
Good point with the lighting too. Shadows tend to get tossed into the ditch for me anyways and the fiery glow in this definitely threw me for a loop.
Glad to see others with an interest in Mythology. Its amazing to me that there are so many beautiful descriptions of places and deities of myth that have lasted for thousands of years. It's a wealth of inspiration and an illustrators dream.
Thanks again for the crit, I really appreciate it!
π: 0 β©: 1
You're welcome, and yeah I did just make that up for the piece.
I have always loved Mythology and other mythical creatures despite my lack of knowledge on certain elements of the stories. I did enjoy viewing and reviewing this piece, you really did quite a bit of nice work on it.
π: 0 β©: 0
He looks very much like the Liege Maximo from Transformers.
π: 0 β©: 0
Surtr: Thor, son of Odin.
Thor: Surtr, son of... a bitch, your still alive.
π: 0 β©: 0
This is the best art of this titan that i have ever seen. Keep the excelent work mate.
π: 0 β©: 1
Surtur was a Fire Demon/Giant. Norse Mythology didn't really have "titans"
π: 0 β©: 0
Now, that's a JotΓΌn... Who said Thor's job was easy?...
π: 0 β©: 0
Hey Man! Can I use this pic for my non-profit music album? (i will give credits)
π: 0 β©: 0
I,m liking your work, but where is the main connection to war, if I may ask, is there a connection to reality of modern or future war{s}-civilizations, sex, religion, politics & money/drugs/pro-narco countries or peoples, & last our stupid ass government that I love so much & sacrificed so much for.
π: 0 β©: 0
AWESOME art, but Norse giants are actually quite human looking.
π: 0 β©: 0
So Badass!!! I hope Hi-Rez will use this model for Smite if they release Surtr!
π: 0 β©: 0
This is my favorite Surtur picture now. It's absolutely terrifying, just as an image of the Destroyer of the universe should be. My only problem with it would be the horns are a bit too long for my personal taste, but it still looks completely amazing.
π: 0 β©: 0
See me rise, the mighty Surt
Destroyer of the universe
Bringer of flames and endless hurt
Scorcher of men and earth
π: 0 β©: 1
I was listening to that song as I was looking at this picture.
*Has the nickname of Surt among some friends*
π: 0 β©: 0
Wow, amazing. Love the detail, love the motion of the piece. Awesome.
π: 0 β©: 0
Daaaaaamn. I love your work. Very epic themes and I enjoy the fact that your work is not overly labored, giving it a very genuine paint feel.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks! It's more overly labored than you might think
π: 0 β©: 0
this is epic scary if it were real but epic
π: 0 β©: 0
I don't say this often...but this is truly horrifying. I think I'd rather try to french kiss a dragon than even look at this guy!
π: 0 β©: 0
This is how i imagine the Norse giants to be and their leader surtr to look
π: 0 β©: 0
Surtr (Surt, Surtar, Surtur) is a strange and enigmatic figure throughout the myths. On one hand he technically was the first being in the universe, the first giant by all accounts, yet he hated Ymir and the jotun, and had no interest in the world when it was formed, or of the doings of the gods, giants, vanir, elves and dwarves. He sat within his realm, upon a throne of fire (personally I actually see him as a living volcano of sorts who lays dormant) until he saw the coming of Ragnarok..where upon he rode to Vidgrad plain near the battle's end, and slew many of the vanir, including Gerda, driving Frey to take his final stand and thrust his enchanted horn into the eye of the fiery demon, who erupted with so much power that his fires burned everything, the remaining gods, einerjar, jotun, draugr (from Hel's army, aka the walking dead if you don't know) vanir, elves and trolls, covering the world in ash and darkness.
Surtr portrayed here is quite primal looking and very much a giant that dwarfs all opposistion, sundering mountains with his mighty sword which burns brighter than the sun. Excellent work
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks for the history. Glad it meets your approval
π: 0 β©: 1
This would be the worst way for the world to end
π: 0 β©: 0
WHY CAnT I DRAW LIKE YOU!!!!!! YOU HAVE THE MOST TALENTED ART SKILLS I HAVE SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!
π: 0 β©: 0
this should be a magic card, is one of the best artworks ive seen here ever
π: 0 β©: 0
That thing looks downright disturbing...
...awesome.
π: 0 β©: 0
one of the most badass things iv ever seen. thank you!
π: 0 β©: 0
This! This is why we can't have nice things!
π: 0 β©: 1
| Next =>