Kragor, The Clay Sentinel
Bound by ancient runes to guard the forgotten vault.
Kragor, forged from earth, mortar and lost binding glyphs. This hulking guardian has stood immovable for millennia, awakening only when the inner sanctuary seal is breached.
The Inspiration
Kragor is a clay golem born of my keen interest in both mythological beasts and the works of Terry Pratchett.
I wanted to create an image of a hulking, unstoppable being made from clay. A focussed brute who has but one mission and who will not be stopped by anything short of its own destruction. The piece had to be dark and brooding and convey emotionless menace.
The Craft
Knowing that the image was going to be predominantly dark, I selected a very plain piece of birch ply upon which to burn. I needed the fewest possible areas of hard grain.
The large, nearly black, areas, behind the golem, were burned using a hot ball tip – allowing for a deep texture and cloud-like appearance. The finer details, sharp corners and more subtle shading were executed with a very fine wire tip. The hard wax varnish used to finish the piece adds a complementary golden hue to the lighter parts of the image.
