Tolkien illustrators
 

Hi!
I don't know if this is the right forum for this and I couldn't find any topic discussing this so here it goes.

There are many different artist that draw from Tolkien's world... maybe someone here does? I try but I'm not really good. Anyways I was wondering who was your favorite and why? The way they draw, paint, etc. or what they draw? I love Ted Nasmith and what he draws from Silm... wonderfull... no one can even come close. Well please tell me what you think!! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Hey,
I totaly agree with you about Ted Nasmith. Alan Lee does some pretty awesome stuff too. TTYL.

Topics that ask for opinions rather than discussing the books in depth are usually placed on the Novices and Newcomers forum. I'm moving this one there, where you may continue the discussion.

thanks... I will remember that in the future! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Back to the illustrators... Alan Lee and John Howard or something was it? They worked on the movie with PJ right? John does some really awsome stuff to! But Alan Lee... I don't like the way he draws Hobbits... To thin in the face but he does dwafs perfect and trolls. Ted however, he does the sea likes it's real... and he has a way of making elf faces look... calm and very elfish! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Does anyone have anything to say about it?

it's John Howe, but you got it close [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] and yes, they worked with PJ in the film.
i agree with you about that hobbit drawing thing, but Alan's drawing of the Orthanc is just awesome! so is the Khazad-dûm.
i haven't seen so many Ted's illustrations so i can't say anything to that.

Hi, my favorite is Alan Lee. I simply looooooove his art! Ted Nasmith is very good, but he is not totally my style. I like to draw, but I'm not very good. I want to go to a school for arts, and become a skilled Tolkien-artist, thats a dream of mine.
(Sorry, for my bad English, cant help it)

welcome to the Downs, Orothoniel, enjoy being dead! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

i checked up some works of Ted Nasmith and they're awesome, especially the Nazgul!

I love:
Ted Nasmith's "Under the Spell of the Barrow-wight" & "Riders at the Ford" & "The Balrog"
Alan Lee's "Galadriel's Mirror"
John Howe's "The Dark Tower" & "Sam and Shelob"
and Roger Garland's "The Lord of the Nazgul" & "Earendil and Elwing"
among many, many others. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

I can draw great Tolkien pictures, well I could as a child. But I have no time to draw anymore and I feel that I have lost my touch!

Roger Garland... I do not believe I have seen any of his works... do you know of any books he's illustrated or if there are any of his works on the internet? I would really love to see them!

As for John Howe (did I get his last name right? I never know [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] ) I love his nazguls! but my favorite is still Ted Nasmith. "The Sea" in the Silm is just... beautiful.

You can find Roger Garland's art in the book "Tolkien's World." It's a book of Tolkien inspired artwork accompanied by appropriate passages from his works. It's a lovely book. The artists featured in it are Inger Edelfeldt, Tony Galuidi, Roger Garland, Robert Goldsmith, Michael Hague, John Howe, Alan Lee, Ted Nasmith, & Carol Emery Phenix. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Hildebrant brothers. I like them because they are very good at what they do and because they are so not normal. They are twins, I think, and they paint pictures togather. While one paints the other sleeps. Other thatn LOTR they illustrate many more of my favorite books, Sword of shannora anumg other things. I think that their Hobbits look a little dumb and so do some of their other charcaters, but I still like them. Right now my avitar is one of their paintings for the coca cola advertisments this one is craming......

I love John Howe's illustration of Frodo at the Ford. It is my favorite depiction of that scene. Another of my favorite illustrations is by Rob Alexander. I have seen it called "Lure of Expedience" and "Palantir" and is (IMO) what Sauron thinks he is seeing when he discovers Pippin on the other end of the Palantir of Orthanc. (It is theorized thus to Pippin in TTT by Gandalf as he is riding towards Minas Tirith). If you'd like to see it, the link is here: Lure of Expedience

I know I've seen Nasmith's work; I think he did the artwork for the Danbury Mint plates, which included a lovely illustration of Bathing at Crickhollow, complete with Pippin splashing water everywhere!

There's so much great artwork out there! I believe there are some good links to archives on the Barrowdowns' Links link [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Oh yes, another favorite I would like to mention: I cannot remember who is the artist, though. It is Gimli hewing the neck of an orc in a VERY graphic and gory depiction indeed! Full color and full of blood! Great stuff!

Cheers!
Lyta

Ah, Lyta, that picture of Pippin through the Palantir is wonderful!! That's one of my favorite parts & until now I'd never seen any depictions of it. I once tried to draw Pippin gazing into the Palantir myself, but it didn't come out good at all.

Indeed, Aredhel, that is probably my favorite artwork of that scene, just because of the implications of the perspective and the fact that it tells Gandalf's story as well as Sauron's, while Pippin is simply an object in it, seen by other eyes. It is, to my mind, an interesting and provocative piece that makes me visualize as Pippin might when Gandalf is telling him what he believes Sauron has seen in the Palantir. That, to me, signals Pippin's awakening and the presence of the "other eyes" and "other realms" in his dawning consciousness. Of course, I see most things from Pippin's or Frodo's POV, so I would think that! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

There are a few other depictions of the Palantir scene and events before and after, but none quite like the Alexander illustration!
Gubina-Palantir
Staten-Palantir
Eiszmann-Pippin stealing the Palantir

Here's an all-time favorite by John Howe: it used to be my avatar, until I found the irresistible photo of Frodo (well, Elijah Wood, anyway) asleep on the statue's nose on Amon Hen: Gandalf and Pippin on Shadowfax--Approaching Minas Tirith

Also, that lovely picture, also by Howe:
Frodo at the Ford

There's lots more great artwork out there, but I felt mainly like Pippin today! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Speaking of artwork on the net, there's a drawing, I'm not sure if it is fanart or otherwise. It is a drawing of Frodo with the Ring on a chain around his neck, and the Ring is HUGE! I saw it once, and now I cannot find it again. Anyone know this one?

Cheers,
Lyta

Wonderful! Many thanks for those links, Lyta! The piece by John Howe, Gandalf & Pippin on Shadowfax, is now a new favorite of mine & I very much liked Pippin Stealing the Palantir as well. *nods* [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Thought some of you might be interested in these http://galaxy.uci.agh.edu.pl/~evermind/

Its the Polish Tolkien Society page. Go to Galeria, & take a look at the S. Juchimow images.

Mm, thank you. Those 3D pictures are interesting, I like them! All very nice. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Thnak you for the link to those pictures, davem. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

The artist certainly gives some very interesting takes on the events of the book. The portrayal of Gandalf, Aragorn and Frodo almost as saints in the style of mediaeval religious paintings gives the impression that they were painted some time in the Fourth Age in commemoration of the events of the War of the Ring. Likewise with the portrayal of Theoden at the Pelennor in the style of the Bayeaux Tapestry, which I particularly like.

I'm glad you "took" to the Pippin illustration so well, Aredhel! Heh heh...Couldn't help myself! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] And davem, thanks ever so much for that link! I could stare at those pictures for hours! As Saucepan Man said, very reminiscent of medieval style art, even down to the flattening of faces and lack of perspective in some cases. (In others, though, perspective (i.e. depth) is there...odd thing, really, but very nice effects!) I also like your suggestion, Saucepan Man, that it could be an illustration from the Fourth Age commemorating the events of the War of the Ring!

I wonder if there are larger versions of these artworks that can be studied more closely...I notice lots of writing on Samwise's shield and all I can make out is "Mordor," but, alas, I do not have sufficient time to devote to it to do it justice...I do appreciate the glimpse though!

I've nothing more to add right at the moment, but, keeping on my eternal quest for Pippin art, does anyone know if there is a piece of art anywhere that visualizes Pippin's notion as he rode to Minas Tirith that he and Gandalf were still as stone on Shadowfax's back, while the world moves by at great speed...the exact quote used to be my signature until I got so overly tickled by Fëanor, the Exploding Elf! It is a vivid mind image that makes me wish I could draw or paint, so I could get it out of my mind and onto my wall!

'Til later, all the best!

Cheers,
Lyta

I loked the Hildebrandt calenders of 1976-78, but now I like Ted Nasmith, though it really depends on the scenes at to whether I like John Howe or Alan Lee's art. I wish I was better at art so there would be a proper Eowyn and Luthien drawn. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] I have to say I have not seen any artist rendition of Eowyn that even comes close to my minds eye, and only a couple that get near that for Luthien. I will have to look for them.

this is neet it be a hildebrant brother one. this one toothis happens to be Bilbo. And we can't forget the ultimate elf. this is not a Tolkien thing but those that are students will understand. But then again this is another good book or four.

I have seen many good piece of art about LotR but I think all of the best artists have been named allready so I can just agree .
But I have seen really bad drawings too . When I was small I was afraid to open "The Hobbit" because of the bad drwings . The Elves are drawed like ... fairys and the Rivendell Elves are ... well... naked (except for Elrond ofcourse . And the Dwarfs are like from "Snow White and the seven Dwarfs" . And that is just ... sick [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Well maybe Tolkien's illustrations are good but I have not seen them because I do not think that those horrible pictures could be drawed by Tolkien himself and it is quite unbeliveble that in a book so old as mine (well I think it's old)and if looking where it was issued it really seems imposible that Tolkien had drawed that . But we may never know ... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

I love many of the artists works although sometimes i can't remember who does what because many of them are very good and realistic. But me myself am trying to get into drawing some Nazgul and Elves, but havn't had the time or the inspiration that is why i'm reading the Silmarillion again [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
and perhaps i'll be buying some of Alan Lee's LOR art books that have come out. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

I just looked at some art by Ted Nasmith and John Howe, and I think it's great!! I could never draw stuff from lotr though, I'm a terrible drawer. But good luck to those who CAN draw and are trying to draw lotr characters,scenes, ect. Hope you are sucessful.

Yes you can view some of Roger Garland's works on the internet.
Click Here for a selection of his works...there are about 45 of his works on that page [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

WOOHOO!!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I love Ted Nasmith! I think he does the best illustrations he has such attention for detail, and he makes it seem like they are real places. Anyway here is a link, I don't know what language it is, but who cares! here you go [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

As far as I'm concerned, John Howe is king. My favorite painting, LotR related or not, is his one of Smaug. It's breathtaking. Click here for the site of his work and see what I mean. I just greatly admire his ability to capture a piece of the action in a painting and have it be so real, like he took a snapshot with a camera during the battle.

The other artists mentioned earlier are wonderful, too. I have a calender by Ted Nasmith. It's wonderful. This month is his Oliphaunt. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

The reason I am up at 4.30 is because I was searching for this thread (and if there's a newer/longer one please link it to me - I simply couldn't find one), and the reason I did is because I want to share Elena Kukanova's works with you. She's an amazing Russian artist whose vision of Middle-earth is one of the closest to mine that I've seen. You will find her Children of Húrin themed pictures here.

Unlike many others here, I've never particularly liked Ted Nasmith's style. His landscapes are okay but his characters... no. They look wooden.

Agan, I love this! I agree wholeheartedly with you that this art is amazing and surprisingly ME-real!

Yes, they are amazing. I really like that dragon railing in the self-portrait in Moscow.

Hmmm I quite like her work, though there are probably other illustrators that suit my own vision better (or maybe my vision of ME has been shaped by them).

However I do really like her work, my only "complaint" is that there is something about the color scheme that doesn't quite sit right with me.

My feelings exactly!

My own favourites are Alan Lee (really he's just a genius) and Katarzyna Karina Chmiel-Gugulska. Thanks to Esty and Britainmoot last summer I was acquainted with Jenny Dolfen whose work I also really like and who seems to share my love of the Noldor.

Apart from that, I really like several artists I know from different game illustrations. Among the best are Quinton Hoover, Liz Danforth, Rebecca Guay and Omar Rayyan.


PS. For anyone interested in Tolkien Art, this is an awesome place.

OMG! That's your avvie! :D

This artwork is amazing as well. The Elves are so real! Except that something doesn't sit right with me about Feanor chewing a straw. :D Other than these minor nitpicky details, though, I find it very beautiful and true. However, I still think that Elena Kukanova (Agan's link) did the Turin and Morwen illustrations better (though K.K.C-G wins hands down when it comes to Elves!).

I suspect it might be at least partly due to her use of gouache which isn't the most rewarding medium when it comes to colour intensity.

Another artist I've discovered lately goes by the name jankolas, and while I don't take that much to Peter Jackson inspired works, she's also got some First Age stuff, and her Éowyn and Faramir are among the best I've seen.

And my most recent deviantart find is the Latvian Līga Kļaviņa. She does beautiful dreamy watercolours, and her Legolas was already at first glance more real to me than Orlando Bloom ever.

I like some of Alan Lee's and John Howe's works, but to my mind they're both overrated. Howe does beautiful landscapes and big scenes, but he's poor at portraying people. I like Alan Lee's style, but only a few of his pictures strike me in any way personally.

There was a link to her work on here years back and I still love those illustrations of Finduilas with the young Boromir and Faramir.

I've not seen that Jenny Dolfen one of Beren before and I was impressed with the use of tartan, I'm sure I've not seen any other illustrators go for that style of clothing on a character before.

Thank you, as in "thank you, how can I ever go to bed now?" I clicked randomly on a Finnish name and he turned out to be drawing mainly DWARVES. Swoon.

Me too! I like her art anyway, it's not like it was always my perfect Middle-earth but they're still very good, plus she's awesome with watercolours. She ran drawing and watercolour workshops last year at the Return of the Ring, and I had to skip Bêthberry's lecture in order to attend the latter. It was worth it though.

My adventures on deviantart have led me to the proximity of yet another Russian - zdrava makes beautiful text-based pictures (which is not a technique I've encountered often before). At least her Varda, Gondolin and Helcaraxë are worth checking out.

One of these days I am planning to draw Azaghâl's funeral procession. It's the coolest thing ever.

Jenny Dolfen and Jay Johnstone
 

I was also at the convention in Loughborough last August; and among the great experiences I had there was the very comprehensive art show, which shared the same large space as the dealers. Among the artists were a wide range of people, including two new (to me) people: Jenny Dolfen and Jay Johnstone.

While Jenny has already been mentioned earlier in this thread, for people who would like to get a glimpse of what her work looked like, and her take on the convention, her blog is here:

http://goldseven.wordpress.com/2012/...ough-pictures/

Jay Johnstone was exhibiting there for the first time; and I had a very nice talk with him one night, in which he spoke about how he came to start his Tolkien illustrations. Some can be seen on his website here:

http://www.jaystolkien.com/

Both of those artists (Jenny Dolfen and Jay Johnstone) will be guests of honour of the German Tolkien Society at its annual meeting this summer! There will be opprotunity to see some of their works and to talk to them during the weekend. (That's mid-July - if you're interested, drop me a line and I'll get you more precise information.)