The Wandering Hill / Blue-Shell Turtle

Name of Model: The Wandering Hill / Blue-Shell Turtle

Created by: M.R. Yoder

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yoderism/8114718378/in/photostream/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/yoderism/8114867656/in/photostream/

Details:

Here's a solid take on the ancient myth that the world is carried on the back of a turtle. Somehow it works well both with and without the foliage applied. The juxtaposition of the shell sculpted with ordinary bricks and the tan limbs that make great use of slopes is very effective. I never get far trying to make slopes look like natural shapes, but the head on this turtle uses that technique perfectly. I'm both jealous of the realistic form and curious as to whether or not there are actually any pupils in the turtle's eyes. You could spend all day staring closely at this to determine whether or not that's just a perfectly planned shadow.