Design based on the illustration of John Howe and realized on the big screen by the talented people down under at the WETA Workshop and WETA Digital, this is my Zbrush interpretation of the creature from the Fellowship of the Ring.
I tried to keep it in Zbrush as much as possible, including the fire and smoke but had to bring it into photoshop to correct and sharpen my textures which kept sliding on me while in texturemaster and to soften the edges between materials such as the skin and the molten cracks between.
jelee
Thats just too damn coo 
unbelievable awesome!! I love everything about this peice.
Just one question; how the heck did you manage that perfect fire look?
Wow! This is very much what I pictured these creatures to look like when I read the trilogy, as well. I haven’t seen the “big screen” movie, so this is like a snapshot right out of my nightmares. Fantastic.
wowzer …man o man this is awesome …the best of your work so far …keep these kinda images coming…
:b4: Valaraukar! :b4:
Nice job!
That is an absolutely incredible depiction of the Balrog! Pure, 24 karat wowzers! If this doesn’t show the world that ZBrush means business, nothing will!
hall of fame stuff. absolutely wonderful, jelee!
- juandel
Oooow! The Balrog!
I was speaking to a couple of guys from the Production of LOTR’s last week and they were telling me all about the Balrog and the making of the Balrog sceane. It was one of the last sceanes that was made for the movie and it was started about eight weeks before the movie was due for release! Well, that’s not 100% true, … there was a special flame generation software made for the Balrog creature, but the problem was that it was just TOO real, and when the Balrog jumped up out of the flames all the fire went out as it would in real life! They spent thousands on this amazing fire creation software and had to render the fire with Maya in the end!
I heard stories that they were working around the clock to get this sceane finished. Someone had to get sent out to buy fresh underwear for the animators!
Anyway that’s enough gossip! Great likeness! Keep up the good work!
Upham
Cool job !!! Perfect !!!
that’s a fantastic molten person effect. I am interessted about the “sliding” of the textures. It has been driving me totally crazy and I couldn’t work out what I’m doing wrong. So this is just how texturemsaster is eh? It can’t be used ford razor sharp textures without post production sharpening.
Wow! This is now my all time favorite Zbrush Artwork ! amazing work Jelee
Awesome!! I love it this is great… :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
Wow, that is really incredible work jelee!
That flaming whip is just awe-inspiring. :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
WOW !! Say no more 
Wowsers! :eek: :eek: :eek: Fantastic! Amazing! Did you use a glow material by chance for the whip? Could you be persuaded to share with us the technique used in creating this marvelous figure? Hmmm? Pretty please with sugar on top? As far as the “sliding” goes on the texture while using TextureMaster that happens because the texture is being mapped to the mesh when you pick the object. If the mesh (polygons) are greatly distorted (you slid them around a lot when you pushed, pulled, etc) then the texture will distort as it is fitted to the mesh geometry. One way to help with this problem is to smooth the object out before adding additional detail…add detail…smooth…add detail…smooth…etc. It will help to more evenly distribute the mesh and cut down on the “sliding”. Dividing the mesh will also help. Ultimately though the way I fix this is to do about 50% of my texturing with TextureMaster and then finish after I have dropped the object to the workspace. You will not have the sliding problem then.
Great work Jelee! 
Phenom.
Incredible work on every detail.
Sharp, clear, concise, FABULOUS POV, deadon flamage, I’m awestruck.
X 10000000000000000000
GO AWAY YOU FOOLS!
what I found strange about this one (and the movie) is that the beast is quite what I imagined when I was reading the book back when I was 12.
LOL Christos for a second I thought you were talking to us! I don’t have the book in front of me right now but isn’t the actual line “Flee you fools!”?
well, i must say, this is one of the most amazing pics i’ve seen on ZBC yet. i love the glowing cracks in the skin and the fire rules. incredibly cool…i’m dumbfounded.
josh