This project started a while ago, picking up where I left off with my skull study. I’d already completed a skull drawing and an arm drawing for a new collection just before Covid hit. But then the first UK lockdown happened, and my photography work exploded. For 18 months, I was so busy with photography that my art projects had to take a back seat. It got to the point where I had to start turning down photographic work just to make space to get back to my creative roots.
When I finally had the time to think about my next project, the first thing that came to mind was drawing another skull. But I wanted to take it further, add something to make it more visually compelling. I thought about adding a crown and maybe even a historical quote from a King or Queen. Perhaps I’d create a whole series. As I started scribbling ideas and doing some research, I stumbled across the story of Beowulf. It had been ages since I’d read anything about this legendary Anglo-Saxon hero, so I dove into a rabbit hole of academic papers, blogs, and forums. Before I knew it, I was hooked.
Now, I had the concept, but how to execute it? I sketched out a few ideas but didn’t have any props to work from. Should I visit the Royal Armouries in Leeds to photograph swords? And where on earth was I going to find a crown? Maybe I could borrow one from Liz?
That’s when the idea hit me: why not create the props digitally? It had been years since I worked on a 3D graphics project, but I’ve always loved 3D design. My interest in it goes all the way back to the days of the Amiga 500 and software like Turbo Silver, remember those checkerboards and silver goblets that took weeks to render? Nostalgia aside, I decided to dust off those skills and dive back in with Zbrush.
My goal was simple at first: create basic 3D objects like the skull, swords, and crown, add some textures and lighting, and then use them as references to draw from. But, as with all creative projects, things quickly spiralled into more research and more questions. What type of crown should I design? What would 4th-century swords look like? I spent hours poring over historical details and re-reading sections of Beowulf to make sure I got it right.
After months of research and development, the concept was finally coming together. If you’re curious about how I built the digital scene step by step, stay tuned for Part 2: Beowulf – Digital pt2
The Process
I spent a few weeks pondering what to draw next for my academic drawing collection. At first, I toyed with the idea of another skull, this time paired with a crown and some quotes from historical kings and queens. I even considered turning the whole concept into a deck of cards, imagine each piece representing a different ruler or era.
But then, during my research, I stumbled across Beowulf, and everything shifted. The more I read about this legendary story, the more vivid the images became in my mind.
I dove into countless papers and blogs about Beowulf, and a few key elements really stood out to me. First, there were the two main swords, Hrunting and the giant-made sword, both rich with symbolism and deeply tied to the hero’s journey. Then there was the overarching theme of the futility of war, set against the backdrop of a cultural shift from pagan traditions to Christianity. These contrasts, between old beliefs and new ones, between heroism and mortality, felt incredibly powerful.
These ideas sparked something in me, and I couldn’t wait to start exploring how they could translate into my next piece.
There was one element of the story that really caught my attention was the third sword that Beowulf used, described in such vivid detail in the poem.
After Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother and returns to Heorot where Hrothgar examines the hilt of the sword Beowulf used to slay her. The hilt itself is a masterpiece, intricately crafted and engraved with the story of Noah’s flood, the great flood that destroyed the race of giants. It even includes the name of the sword’s original owner, adding layers of history and significance to this already powerful artefact.
This golden hilt, forged by the Eotens (an Old English term for giants), is more than just a weapon, it’s a symbol. It foretells the demise of its creators, the giants, wiped out by the flood. In its design, the hilt embodies the clash between Paganism and Christianity, reflecting the poem’s broader themes. The giants, like Grendel and his mother, are descendants of Cain, the biblical figure who killed his brother, marking them as symbols of sin and evil.
This powerful artefact becomes a representation of good versus evil, the old world clashing with the new. It’s these kinds of details, rich with meaning and history, that make Beowulf so captivating to revisit and reimagine.
Developing the gold giant-made hilt and the other elements of the saga took an enormous amount of time. Part two of these posts show more details about this whole process. Beowulf – Digital pt2