The Advisor

Here are the 2 design sketches I made on my ipad for Balin.  sorry that they are sideways, I've tried to convince my ipad to turn them and it just keeps telling me no.

I don't have as many progression shots of Balin at all.  None before I flipped him right side out.  He was flipped while I was on vacation, that's why there isn't a hint of violet in the above photo.

Here he is just after he got his insides sorted out.

And the face gets started

Eyebrows and the start of  his hair.  Believe it or not, but the hair on his head was more difficult then Ori's 4 tiny braids or Bifur's axe.

Some of the details before the beard covers them up.

A better shot of the details on the shoulders

This is how I blend their hair.  Balin was a mix of white, grey and light brown.

HAIR, WHY?!

The curls in his beard are needle felted into place

Also a pain to do, i'm very surprised that I didn't stab my fingers

Because I really like the half zigzag on the arms.  There is visible stitching patterns on his costume that I was able to spot in the 2 books I have

Front

and turn right

and right once more so we can see your back.  The bunched grey at the base of his head is how I ended up getting the hair on his head to stay in place.  I bit disappointed about it, but I couldn't think of any other way because it's SO MUCH hair.  I could have done it in smaller sections, but ...I didn't want to be sitting for days doing his head the way I did Bifur's.  Bifur and Ori both have patches that look like this, but their hair hangs down so you can't see it.  Poor Balin has up swept hair.

and right once again so we can see the last side...

And that is Balin, son of Fundin, before he was The Lord of Moria.

He is up for sale at: The Advisor