Hi, Realmers !

Here’s Oropher, Sindarin King of the Silvan Elves of Greenwood the Great, during the second age; father of Thranduil of Mirkwood and grandfather of Legolas.

Since there are no readings, about the look of Oropher, my intention was, to incorporate informations from „the unfinished tales of numenór and middle earth“ as well, as parallels, to what books and movies taught us, about the mirkwood-elves, and Thranduil.

References, to the typical wood-and plant-inspired colors and style, of clothing/armor, were a must, even more the name Oropher probably means "Tall beech-tree", from oro ("up, rise, high"). In Doriath, the term orn refers to trees, especially beeches. The terms pher or pheren both mean "beech-tree".

In „The battle of the five armies“, we’ve seen Thranduil, with feather-inspired coat-applications, wing-shaped shoulder armor in (black-)silver-tones, while other elven armor contend golden tones, mainly.

In a healthy father/son-relationship, the dad is always the first and a formative role-model, and followed suit, by his offspring, so my idea was, that Thranduil had chosen this particular style (in his own version), as an homage, to his beloved father, which armor was silver adorned and had wings-applications, as well, as he died, at the battle of dagorlad, where they both fought, side by side (source : the unfinished tales...)
I kinda love this idea.

I do also impute Oropher, to be the origin, for Thranduil’s liking, for silver and white gems.
That’s why I find those white gems, on Oropher’s chest-armor and crown very adequate.

Recipe :
The main topic of this figure is : real metal inlays.
For all of those, I’ve countersunk material really precisely and carefully, in the exact depth and shape, of the metal parts I’ve inserted, to make them fit absolutely smooth and seamless.
I’ve found a very cheap, no name-super-glue, which connects metal and plastic amazingly.

Head : Vaako (T.c.of riddick) : dremeled off the hair and repainted.
Upper body: Vaako : countersunk material, to insert the wing-application, which is the top, of a real metal finger-ring (needed some careful bending).
Resculpted the neck and added
the collar-segment, which I’ve cut out of an „Prologue Elrond“-figure.
I’ve inserted reenforcing plastic-sheets and sculpted over it, to make the transition, from torso, to the new and bigger shoulders smoother. Sculpted tucking, on both flanks, too.

Arms (prologue elrond) : countersunk the segments, of forearm- and shoulder armor and fit real metal-leaves, by bending, as inlays, into place.
Adjusted length and thickness of the pegs of both shoulder-joints.

Hands : of Eomer and Prince Nuada; shortened and thinned the pegs; reattached and reinforced, by needles, stuck through centered and glue. Sculpted tucking on Nuada‘s back of the bare hand, to make it look like a glove.

Legs : prince nuada ( filed down two seam and front-applications of the boots)

Hair : Saruman ( removed the inside-peg; removed the shading and repainted it. Cut out a groove to fit the crown in.
Tunic: Eowyn (removed the dirty shading)
Loincloth-chainmail : from Sauron
Real metal maple-leave of a brooch, on top of it, attached by a painted ribbon.

Shield: Applied 2mm of black sculpy evenly on a pre-curved plastic sheet and polished it’s surface with sculptors vaseline. Inserted two modified real metal-pendants into the soft sculpy. Removed the plastic base, when putty was hardened. Dremeled slots in the flipside and inserted a handle of an elven shield. Inserted a knob into the center of the shield.

Shin-Guards: Cut out of two Prologue Elven-warrior-shields, dremeled down the flipside.

Additional head with helmet :
From Vaako again ; cut off the hair and repainted. modified hair from Saruman, to fit inside the helmet. The helmet is from Vaako too : removed and sculpted on some material; carved grooves and inserted and glued in a real metal-pendant, which loop I had removed. I’ve glued a slim rubber strip to the flipside of the silver leaves, so the contact area is bigger. Sculpted the transitions to the hair.

Crown : real silver finger-ring. Adjusted the diameter and added two white gems (nail-design stuff)

Sword : is a keychain; real metal, removed it‘s handle and replaced it by two bent `n trimmed metal leaves.
Scabbard : fake leather and metal leaves

Coat : brown satin-fabric

Horse : extended the stirrups; repainted the saddle-blanket from blue to green and the white ornaments to silver; created a head-armor of a real brass leaf-pendant (painted silver)

His Shield bearer is a Legolas figure with the head of an elven archer; repainted hair and removed push-button.

Hope you like it, guys !

Citadel colors :

Imperial Primer
Death Wood Forest
WAAAGH! Flesh
Castellan Green
Underhive Ash
Waywatcher Green Glaze
Rhinox Hide
Kislev Flesh
Stormhost Silver
Brass Scorpion
Chrome Spraypaint
Chrome Silver sharpy