Rupert Greyling is the owner of Goblin’s Chest, a company that brings together role-playing workshops for people of all ages by encouraging social and communication skills. He is both an RPG creator and game maker, sculptor & artist.
Rupert’s fantasy work creates an authentic environment in which you feel as the player owner or collector, that you are being pulled into the ancient neo-pagan world. His handy work is beautiful, traditional and crafted to a very high standard.
I spotted Rupert when attending Dragon Meet at the end of 2019.
The Goblin’s Chest – Rupert’s exhibition stand, sat proud and unique amongst a sea of a board game and miniature makers, and that is a statement with a show full of game and miniature makers!
Rupert is an artisan – and an excellent one!
As part of the gaming community – I felt that it would be the responsible thing to show some of his work!
This article goes into more detail on this gifted game maker, sculptor & artist. Covering some of the materials and approaches he used to create his works of art.
About the Artist | Rupert Greyling
I asked Rupert, how he would best describe himself and this was his general response (slightly paraphrased). …
Rupert Greyling is a creative generalist, and has experience working in a wide variety of mediums and uses various techniques to create his work.
He has worked in several industries, and over time picked up a large array of skills that he uses to create images, objects, and the stories that he uses in his daily work.
From sculpting, digital and traditional illustration, painting and making, Rupert has produced a wide variety of work, ranging from arms and armour to leather-bound medieval-style books and illustrated children’s books and comics (and everything in between).
He spends most of his time producing and running role-play workshops for The Goblin’s Chest, an interactive role-play workshop provider that works with children with complex needs.
He is also working with a South Afrocan NFO to produce a locally themed, culturally sensitive RPG system, for use in disadvantaged communities in South Africa.
A lot of Rupert’s work features around board games and RPG’s – he is an artist of many talents! If you are a lover of the arcane, antiqued and of unique fantasy artwork then Rupert Greyling is the artist for you.
Not only can he draw with a pencil as the piece below demonstrates but he can sculpt to an excellent standard too.
The book/game is called “The Hidden Lands”
The Hidden Lands is a working title. You can view more information on the project on Rupert’s website by following the link below. Rupert mentions that “there is quite a bit of info on the page itself” and that the page goes into much deeper detail.
Here is a candid overview of what the hidden lands is about.
The Hidden Lands
The Hidden Lands is a roleplaying game designed by The Goblin’s Chest was created specifically for use in underprivileged, and resource-poor communities in South Africa. The goal was to create an experience for children and young people that they could use as a way to practice social and communicative skills, as well as a supplement to a struggling education system.
From a therapeutic standpoint, many of the interventions available to the more privileged are absent in the day to day lives of these children.
However, the traumas they suffer are equal to, and in many instances surpass those experienced by many people, and serious issues like abuse, exploitation, xenophobia and violence, have been normalised.
The Dagger
When Rupert first wrote to me and said how the dagger had been created I couldn’t believe it!
I thought the dagger was made from wood or cast from resin but as I read through his description I began to realise that this tool was as close to ‘authentic’ as you can get with modern permission and access to materials. (With all being above-board of coarse – the material was found)
What material is this ornamental dagger is made from?
The Dagger is hand carved from an old piece of bone found in the wild, it is 39cm long and I called it “the Leviathan”
I didn’t want this beautiful piece of nature to simply erode away, so to get to the core, I cleaned off all the salt rotted bone, then decided that due to the remaining usable parts, that I would carve it into a ceremonial stone age/aztec/inca etc. style dagger, but with a more fantasy twist, hence the vikingesque dragon handle.
An actual bone dagger!
This piece of carved nature is one of a kind. If Rupert was to create this again, no 2 items would be the same. Similar perhaps, but not the same.
Also… he would need to find an old bone from somewhere – he may have one laying around but I decide not to ask.
You can view more on his work here and get a closer look.
The Vine illustration
The illustration is called Veneer, it is on 600gsm cold press art paper, ballpoint pen and ink wash, A1 size
“It’s just a drawing, no story, just thought it would look cool.”
Rupert mentions that there is no story to the illustration but I am inclined to believe there is more to it than that.
Veneer “a thin decorative covering of fine wood applied to a coarser wood or other material.” – A definition from Google
I can compare this to how we, as people – as humans cover our appearance with veneers and offer the world a finer more polished representation of ourselves.
Veneer looks to be picking up his face in order to humanise himself and cover his rough vines or parts of his true self. Or perhaps he could be removing the mask placing it on the ground, ready to show the world a ‘warts an all’ version of himself.
or…
I think the piece can be left to interpretation.
Giant Worm Miniature for RPG’s
This incredible design was also created by a Rupert, it is a giant worm that inhabits the world of Hidden lands. The design look and feel is excellent! To also say that he hand-crafted and cast it himself. Kudos to his skill knowledge.
This is how the artist has described the worm.
game maker sculptor & artist | Isibulaba
The worm is an “Isibulaba” from the Hidden Lands RPG, a 200 ft long subterranean pack hunter. The model was hand-sculpted in clay, molded, cast in resin, then painted by me in acrylics. it is 23 x 28 x 18cm, and weighs approx. 2kg
I have an etsy shop (There is a link on the web page also)
Summary | Rupert Greying, artist sculptor and RPG creator!
Rupert combines classic art techniques to produce highly collectible art that is either in line with gamers and fantasy fanatics or for the purposes of the appeal of collectors of edgy and unconventional art.
Rupert’s resourcefulness and ability to turn his hand and create whatever is in his mind is a rare trait and to add to this, it is in the opinion of Dragon Bone Games that his work also deserves a plinth in Gallery!
His work captures the imagination of anyone with an eye for the design, model creation and sculpture.
His work combines accents of Pagan, Celtic, and gothic ritual into much of his work, with some of his pieces offering an ancient and foreboding yet beautiful style.
If you wish to show your support Rupert, you can view more of his work on his website or purchase items from his Etsy store.
Goblins Chest – game maker sculptor & artist
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