I started this project almost five years ago after watching the first movie yet another time. I really loved the scenes where the balrog approaches in this very subtle way when you just see his lights glowing through the columns of moria. I knew I had to do this when the balrog bursts in flames clenching his fiery blade against gandalf´s magic barrier. (© Lukealgonda; Source: DeviantArt)
The next day I ordered the GW miniatures, assembled and painted Gandalf and the Balrog as soon as they arrived. This wasn´t probably my best paintjob but I was content at the time with my miniatures.
Shortly after I started planing the diorama. Two elements I found most important: the contrast of the dark mood of the dwarven mines with the fiery glow of the balrog and the illusion of depth. Both were difficult to achieve in a showcase which size was determined by the vitrine it should fit into. I started with the expierence I gathered on the Siege of helms deep and some resources from the web. (© Flavio Hoffe; Source: www.flaviohoffe.com)
First I did a few sketches and a rough 3D model I made using CAD Tools, which I will cover in the next update.
