Defined Green Lantern Comic Rings

Playing around with the V2. Quickly threw together a Dave Gibbons version, with no gem, a straight band, and using the alternate licensing symbol as a basis. Finding that perfect Joe Staton V2 continues to nag at me. Of all the ring designs, that one seems most difficult to get correct, proportionately, at least when using the primary licensing symbol.

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Been rethinking and tweaking the V2 and V3. Smaller and sleeker is the way to go, I think. The inherent problems with the V3 are getting the overall shape and height right so that the walls aren’t too thin to accommodate the finger hole and gem hole. With the V2, the trick is getting the “V” band’s profile well-proportioned, so that it doesn’t look top-heavy, AND without making the symbol-piece too small.

After lots of tweaking, I have two new versions. The symbols and gems on both the V2 and V3 are identical, and the symbols are both about 24.5mm long.

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And here’s the old V3 (left) compared to the new (right). Subtle tweaks in size and shape.

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Been working and reworking the V3. Here’s the latest iteration. My main concerns have been the curvature of the sides in front view, and having some added thickness between the finger-hole and the top/symbol face.

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On a related note, the 2011 movie ring—based on the V3, of course—has straight, sloping sides which transition from the face/symbol into the lower band, and the face of the ring is surprisingly high-profile and thick. Probably somewhere between 5-8mm. Grell’s comic design, on the other hand, usually (but not always) had curved sides, and (usually) a relatively thin face and lower profile.

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Converted the current iterations to STLs to get a better look at them, without all the construction lines. Yeah, I’m really liking where this is going. As this thread has shown in obsessive detail, it’s been a real process to find that proper mix of size/proportions/aesthetics.

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I was waiting for someone to comment about the movie ring.

Greatest/Worst/Only Live action Green Lantern movie I am aware of.
 

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The movie ring is outside the scope of this project, but I do certainly find it interesting. The Ring Foundry recently did a small run of accurate, high-end replicas.




The image I posted upthread is of the hero prop still owned by Ryan Reynolds.

While the movie itself was a crushing disappointment, I do find the ring design interesting, with the metal/resin construction, the lens design/metal bezel around the gem, and the weathering/chipping (which, on the one hand, makes sense if the rings are passed down again and again, but, on the other, also seems incongruous with the super-science of the Guardians). Still surprised they strayed from the comic design by having a steel-colored band rather than an entirely green ring. I was also surprised that they went with a variant of the Grell/V3 look, since it’s the least-prominent of the main designs from the comics.
 
The movie ring is outside the scope of this project, but I do certainly find it interesting. The Ring Foundry recently did a small run of accurate, high-end replicas.




The image I posted upthread is of the hero prop still owned by Ryan Reynolds.

While the movie itself was a crushing disappointment, I do find the ring design interesting, with the metal/resin construction, the lens design/metal bezel around the gem, and the weathering/chipping (which, on the one hand, makes sense if the rings are passed down again and again, but, on the other, also seems incongruous with the super-science of the Guardians). Still surprised they strayed from the comic design by having a steel-colored band rather than an entirely green ring. I was also surprised that they went with a variant of the Grell/V3 look, since it’s the least-prominent of the main designs from the comics.
Well, let me know if you'd like any specific camera angled shots. ;)
 
Still tweaking the V3. It’s a tricky balance in terms of finding the right amount of curvature for the sides, the right wall thickness, and the right height between the finger-hole and the top/face/symbol.

Old on left, new on right.

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To my loyal readers—

Fear not. I’ve been taking a long break to recharge my batteries. I’ve gotten a few other modeling projects under my belt, and am now slowly moving back toward this project with some new skills and new ideas. Still debating about the best way to create the finished products (Machined aluminum? Lost-wax casts? Paint? Anodizing? E-coating?).

Shapr3D has also included a few new tools I look forward to playing with, such as “Visualization”, which allows models to be rendered as simulations of many different materials (metal, wood, plastic, etc.) and finishes. Very neat.

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Rethinking the REBIRTH ring. Tweaked the shape a bit to add more thickness to the band and increase the filleting, then rebuilt the signet disc. I also increased the distance between the symbol and the lime-green insert piece, to give it a bit more depth. It’s currently at a depth of 0.75mm.

Here are some comparison shots, with the only difference between the models being the height of the signet disc. As noted in the past, the artwork varies considerably, from very tall and thick to relatively thin and low-profile. The tallest one in this batch is 3.75mm, and it goes down from there in 0.25mm increments.


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…and now, after a long break, I’ve finally begun reading the Geoff Johns run, beginning with GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH. Having a good time, so far, although Johns certainly played fast and loose with continuity and characters, but the massive critical and commercial success of this era is certainly a testament to the popularity of the run.

Keeping an eye on rings as I go, of course. As previously noted, the Hal Jordan ring drawn by Ethan Van Sciver and introduced in REBIRTH is a retcon, a duplicate of Jordan’s ring given as a backup to Green Arrow, ostensibly during the O’Neil/Adams run. Of course, the symbol design conveniently changes without explanation from the classic version to the new, slanted-sidebars version after the miniseries.

Meanwhile, Van Sciver also models the V2-style rings worn by Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, and Kilowog (among others) on the DC Direct prop/toy design, with the tri-band, raised outline on the symbol-piece, and no gem.

And, because the only consistency with Green Lantern comic rings is inconsistency, the first few issues of the rebooted GREEN LANTERN (Vol. 4) series, drawn by Carlos Pacheco, feature Jordan wearing a V2-style ring (albeit with the new, slanted sidebars on the symbol).
 
Modified the current REBIRTH model into a Sinestro variant.

Still tweaking the proportions. The current signet disc height is 3.5mm, and the height of the symbol compared to the gem insert surrounding it is 0.75mm.

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Moving into the Ivan Reis stories, now, along with GREEN LANTERN CORPS. Reis initially drew Jordan’s ring as a V2, but with the more “hourglass”-looking symbol design that is a hallmark of his artwork, and a 3D symbol-piece, rather than the traditional flat one. However, he quickly shifted to a traditional signet/V1 ring design, but without a separate symbol-disc.

Over in GREEN LANTERN CORPS, Dave Gibbons drew Guy Gardner with a standard-symbol/no gem V2 (looking just as Jordan’s V2 did during Gibbons’ 1980s GREEN LANTERN run), while Keith Champagne drew the REBIRTH-style symbol with the slanted sidebars. Also, Gibbons drew Kilowog with a signet/V1 ring, rather than the V2 of Van Sciver and other artists.


Ah, yes, consistent inconsistency. Thus far, this era looks to be a bit random in its depictions of the rings, with the new Corps featuring a mix of V1s and V2s (favoring V1s for most Corps members, especially new recruits), but with inconsistent depictions of the symbol (bouncing between traditional and REBIRTH). As a general rule, Gardner, Stewart, Rayner, and Kilowog have V2s, while most others have V1s.


Next up: THE SINESTRO CORPS WAR. In the buildup to the story, with recruits such as Amon Sur being chosen by rings, the Sinestro Corps rings are depicted as generic yellow signet rings with a domed gem, but without the Parallax symbol (not too unlike the yellow Guy Gardner ring from his 1992 solo series).


Speaking of Amon Sur, his whole schtick is getting revenge on Hal Jordan for “stealing” his father’s ring, but, no matter how you slice it, continuity-wise, the ring Jordan is wearing at this point is not the original ring that Abin Sur gave him.
 
Up through the SINESTRO CORPS WAR prologue. Van Sciver initially draws Sinestro’s ring based directly on the DC Direct replica which came with the Sinestro bust and the PLANET KRYPTON ring set, but the other Sinestro Corps rings seen throughout the issue more closely resemble the REBIRTH-style signet rings.
 

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