I agree, Eldorion. The pictures Brado1 put here remind me somehow of Tolkien's drawing.

Odo

Brother Gerard's painting of Smaug is brilliant Brado . Definitely, a great design.

And Smaug from the Rankin Bass Hobbit cartoon was about the only bit of it I really cared for.

I wouldn't call the Hildebrandt Smaug chubby though. That's like calling a Steroidal Schwarzenegger fat . The fact is the painting fits well with the traditional Nordic version of Dragons. I do agree though, that I would like to see a more Languid and Slithery Smaug in The Hobbit films also.

I'm hoping we get something Dangerous and Realistic looking along the lines of Vermithrax from Dragonslayer or the Dragons in Reign of Fire. A couple of other exceptionally vicious and realistic film Dragons include Fafnir from the Zemekis version of Beowulf, and the Hungarian Horntail from Goblet of Fire (the best part of an otherwise weak Potter outing).

GB

Del Toro said that he has a way to seperate Smaug from any other dragon, so I'm hoping it sticks to Tolkien's general idea of him.

I must say, I'm curious. I hope we're not being set up for disappointment. A dragon set apart from all others! Big statement!

Odo

Del Toro is quite an artist. I've looked at books of his character and creature designs and he has a very original and dark imagination. If you look at the critters he designed for Pan's Labyrinth, Blade II, and Hellboy, I think that will assuage any concerns.

GB

I'm hoping for a typical medieval dragon, but with a twist. a bit of a cross between Brado's submission and this:



I also think he should not look evil, spiny, dark, etc. He should be a very regal and proud being.

Maybe, and I'm saying maybe, please don't tear me apart for it, even a touch of this:



I know these aren't even depicting The Hobbit, but they can still be considered.

My vote's still with Brado1's second picture (and T's of course!)

How he looks is important, but even more so is how DT depicts Smaug's personality (from the book!). Let's see his humor, urbanity and slyness! Please don't make him too evil! He's hungry (food-wise)(not çhubby-wise!), and greedy (wealth-wise), but not particularly evil when compared with the likes of Sauron, I would have thought. If he's painted too darkly, I think we'll miss his 'dark' sense of humor.

Odo

Del Toro, i'm sure has talked about using more models and 'life size' creations rather than relying on CGI, i hope this vision comes to fruition, as it will look all the more organic, dirty, dusty and 'real' than any CGI by numbers attempt.
(i bet he'll have runes carved into his skin,along with his gems)

Hello Old Cat, I wondered when you'd pop in again.

Your last post seems to both praise and scorn the director all in the one breath. Are you crippled by both hope and doubt?

Odo

Eh?