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The Novice - WorkDoc
🕑 Added 2023-01-08 15:52:04 +0000 UTCBackground info on The Novice project
You can download the PDF file at the bottom of the post.
In this series, we follow the adventures of a young novice on his way to a secluded abbey. The strange events bring his monastic calling into doubt. This is the fifth in a series of Gothic winter tales.
Adso
The character and the settings for this story were mainly inspired by the film The Name of the Rose, based on the novel of the same title by Umberto Eco. In this historical mystery, a friar and a novice investigate a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey. The scary setting with its grotesque characters has always fascinated me, and it has all the elements in place for a Gothic winter tale of my own.
This story focuses on the novice Adso of Melk and his inner struggle between sainthood and sin. In the novel, he is described as young and handsome and inquisitive. He loves reading and studying and is fascinated by the mysteries of the abbey’s library. But other mysteries await him in this decaying and dying order of old men. For when night falls, darker forces come to life in the depths of its deepest dungeons.
The Ruins
The adventure starts with the novice’s journey to the abbey on a dark and cold winter day.
As many of you have noticed, the scenes were mostly inspired by the works of Caspar David Friedrich, a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, best known for his allegorical landscapes, with Gothic ruins in morning mists or silhouetted against ominous dark skies.
For the ruins, I used a DAZ 3D model of a Gothic cathedral called Ancient Legends by Linday. It’s an extensive model – probably a 3d scan - with all the characteristic architectural elements such as pointed arches, ribbed vaults, ravaged, lancet windows, flying buttresses, and ornate decorative chimaeras and gargoyles. For close-ups of the scene and the construction of the chapel, I added some other 3d scanned medieval sculptures from Scan the World.
For the chapel scenes, I focused mostly on the light setting, trying to simulate the atmosphere of the Renaissance paintings (chiaroscuro). The fire creates a strong contrast between light and dark, enhancing the sense of volume and adding mystery to the scene.
The main challenge for this part of the series was the draping of the novice’s clothes and the covering of his bed. For this, I used dForce in DAZ Studio, an engine designed to accurately simulate the physical collisions and interaction of soft materials such as fabrics and hair movements. It was introduced a few years back, and it’s a huge improvement from the previous static clothes. It works well on standard models in basic poses, but a bit less with more complicated scenes, like the novice sitting in bed under a blanket, with his robe pulled up. I had to test that many times before getting any results, eventually compiling the scene from separate parts.
The Abbey
In the novel, the abbey is never named, only described as a Benedictine monastery in Northern Italy. It’s a fictional place but it was probably inspired by the monumental Saint Michael's Abbey in Susa Valley, in Piedmont, Italy. The place is truly breathtaking and, in reality, far more spectacular than in any description or depiction. In the beginning, I wanted to base my model of the abbey on the movie set, but after finding out about this abbey, I could not resist starting from there. It’s a place I really want to visit one day; in the meantime, one can have a 3d view of the place here on SketchFab.
The church choir I used for the interior is an actual 3d scan of the choir of the Monasterio de Yuste in Spain. It’s the secluded place where Emperor Charles V spent his last day. It was the perfect setting to introduce the novice to the order and to present him to the bishop for a blessing. With a few adjustments and the addition of a few light settings for the characters, the model worked far better than expected. Even at close range, the beautiful details of the woodcarving are well preserved. The mitre and crosier used in the scene are also scans of real historical objects.
The bedroom in which the novice is seduced by the demon is a stripped version of Roguey’s Medieval Fantasy Bedroom. A beautiful and very realistic high-resolution model with many detailed elements and props. The more austere version of this room in my story is probably far from what monks were used to in those days, but I wanted to give the novice some comfort after his long journey, and some space and privacy when he’s being seduced by the well-endowed devil.
The Gates of Hell
While the novice is being seduced by the muscular and well-endowed demon, a group of mysterious black monks descends into the catacombs of the abbey. At the bottom of a long staircase, they reach a large, foreboding door, known as the Gates of Hell. For this gate, I used a 3D model of ‘La Porte de l'Enfer‘ by French artist Auguste Rodin. It’s a colossal bronze sculptural group work that depicts a scene from the Inferno, the first section of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. A theme I’ve obviously used before, although I can’t remember exactly where ;o) I’m sure Harry was involved in some way!
It stands 6 meters high, contains 180 figures, and weighs approximately 6 tons. I’ve once seen the original in Paris and knew at once I had to use it one day for one of my projects! There are several versions of the sculpture around the world (Germany, Japan, the US), so perhaps you’ll have a chance to see one for yourself. I strongly recommend it, for you really get the sense of standing in front of a gate to an ominous place, the Gates of Hell whispering to you, ‘abandon every hope, who enter here’. Who knows what the novice will find behind there in the next chapter?
The Scriptorium, Staircase, and Library
After a long night full of disturbing dreams, the novice goes to work in the abbey’s scriptorium. His aim is to consult some rare manuscripts from the famous library to complete his manuscript on demonic temptations and the fall from grace.
This part of the series is to set the stage for the next chapter, to make the transition from the abbey to the underworld. The inspiration for the scriptorium and staircase comes from the impressive settings of The Name of the Rose.
The multitude of flights of stairs and alleys in the film were based on etchings by Piranesi‘s Carceri from ca. 1750, showing bare, sinister, and almost endless dungeons.
These mysterious illustrations are perfect for the settings of my next chapter as well, and the models for this are currently a work in progress…
Dark Dungeons
Through the Gates of Heel, the novice enters the realm of the demons, the dark dungeons where huge muscular men are tortured and pleased. Are they novices as well, being punished for their worldly sins? The scenes remind me of a series I did in Photoshop, many years back. The huge guys are also models dating from the earlier projects, created for several commissions and my first 3D series. You can find the original series of these Recycled Models in the attachment at the bottom of this post.
Render Test
You can download these images in a file at the bottom of the page.
Models of the Rooms
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Comments
RWClassCDLVR
Magnificently done!
Priapus of Milet
Thanks, Fabian! The novice has continue his journey in the Abbey and reach a whole new level, but I'll keep your suggestions in mind ;o)
Undiesfan
Priapus of Milet
Thanks! Much appreciated and glad you like the new series :o)
FHG
Maravilloso trabajo como siempre nos tienes acostumbrados. Felicitaciones
Priapus of Milet
Thanks! Glad you like it! Those were mysterious times, so not much imagination was needed for that. And as for the tail, who knows in what shape that will turn into eventually ;o)
Undiesfan
David - thanks for my favorite details (for example the view on the fucking parts) ! And even more your facinating creativity on "middle age" imaginations. Your mistical models with body transformation let me hope on the tail transformation "ad fundum 2015" or the body transformation in "dee space". I stay very courious on how you will continue the story. Somehow I see similar thinkings with my written story "clothed dance". Kind regards and hugs from Fabian !
Priapus of Milet
Thanks, my pleasure, glad you like it. Have to make more time for that, hope to be bale to update the document on a weekly basis as well. Fingers crossed ;o)
Jan
It is amazing to read your thoughts and knowledge of your artworks. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Priapus of Milet
Thanks! :o)
Priapus of Milet
Thanks, Andrew! Strange experience indeed, but don't worry, you're welcome at any time :o) Seems my work can have strang-side effects! perhaps I should place a warning for viewers: not to overindulge and to enjoy in moderation :o)
Andrew
I absolutely love this series already. With a religious background, it’s completely easy to relate to Adso’s sexy dilemma, and to insert myself into his character. (“Insert” pun unintended!) … And as I was drifting off to sleep I had a weird psychic experience: I found myself inside your house (as my unconscious imagines it to be), wandering in your studio, in your very mind! It felt even more real than your drawings, if that’s possible. I was outstaying my welcome in your workshop, felt like an intruder, sensed your presence… and awoke with a jolt! Apologies for lingering, David: you certainly deserve your privacy! But how strange…
Gulliver
An amazing study of art history! So rich and so inspiring! And, so sexy!
