You, my brown-eyed Frodo

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

When I read books, very often my "imagined" characters don't have faces. I don't know why, but that's how my imagination works - I picture the personalities rather than the physical appearance. Saying that, my characters have clothes, and height, and hair, and other physical aspects, but I just can't make the "proper face image", even if it's described in the book . Especially in Tolkien's books, where faces (and particularly eyes) reflect the character's inner self.

No, that's quite common. Many people have a hard time conjuring up a face.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

No, that's quite common. Many people have a hard time conjuring up a face.

I remember I heard somewhere that all the faces you dream of or can imagine are made up of real faces you've actually seen in real life, even if subconsciously. Maybe this would explain it? (I also find it hard to do)

[Pitchwife]

Me too. I have a general idea of what a character would look like, so I can tell whether a picture is like them or not, but I don't imagine a face so clearly that I'd be able to draw it - I've tried to, but the results always fall short of my inner vision, not because of lack of drawing skills, but because any drawing is too precise compared to what I imagine when reading.

(Related but slightly off-topic, does it happen to anyone else that you imagine a character e.g. dark-haired because their name somehow sounds/looks dark to you, even though they're clearly described as blond in the text?)

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

(Related but slightly off-topic, does it happen to anyone else that you imagine a character e.g. dark-haired because their name somehow sounds/looks dark to you, even though they're clearly described as blond in the text?)

I've always imagined both Melian and Luthien to have golden hair, and Finrod to be dark.

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I've always imagined both Melian and Luthien to have golden hair, and Finrod to be dark.

Funny how I always imagined Pippin and Merry to have fair hair, even though Frodo's the one with that colour.
But yeah, Nolofinwë was ALWAYS dark-haired in my mind. Celegorm was just blond

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

Celegorm was just blond

Yeah, that too! Celegorm just sounds blond! And if it wasn't repeatedly mentioned that Caranthir is DARK, he'd have flaming red hair!

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Yeah, that too! Celegorm just sounds blond! And if it wasn't repeatedly mentioned that Caranthir is DARK, he'd have flaming red hair!

Yes! Exactly! And Saeros, too! I ALWAYS imagined him with reddish brown hair.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

(Related but slightly off-topic, does it happen to anyone else that you imagine a character e.g. dark-haired because their name somehow sounds/looks dark to you, even though they're clearly described as blond in the text?)

I know the first time I imagined Feanor he had red hair, maybe because of the whole "Spirit of Fire" thing...