Illustrations based on the works of Tolkien
This project is still in progress. I will add new illustrations as I complete them.
Some time ago I decided to try and make some illustrations based on the books by the author J.R.R. Tolkien, which I love very much. Obviously these are works that have been illustrated countless times in a very remarkable way, and of course there are the famous movies with their own very special weight in terms of illustrating these texts. For my part, I tried to choose moments that for me created beautiful images in my mind and that have not been so often considered by other artists (and much less belong to the scenes of the films).
The first book I chose was Tolkien’s most famous work, the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’ll divide the works based on each individual book.
The lord of the rings
The Fellowship of the Ring
1) Old Hamfast Gamgee (Sam’s father) scolds the miller Sandiman for the gossip he spreads about the death of Frodo’s parents.
2) The three hobbits (Frodo, Sam and Pippin) leave Hobbiton and just before it gets completely dark they take one last look at it. The lights of Hobbiton flicker in the gentle valley of water.
3) In the fireplace at Tom Bobadill’s house, Frodo, annoyed by Tom Bobadill’s indifference to the ring and its significance, puts it on, disappears, and walks away from the fire toward the front door. The other hobbits are surprised and upset. Merry leaves a scream. Tom however sees Frodo (despite hime being invisible) and tells him to take off the ring and reappear.
4) Goldberry says farewell to the hobbits by looking down on them from a hill. In the illustration I have tried to include parts of the future adventures of Frodo and his company: Barrow Tomb, Bree, Amon Sûl, Rivendell, Caradhras (misty mountains) and of course I’ve included Tom Bombadil running through the trees.
5) Frodo encounters a wight in the Barrow-downs: a tall, dark figure like a shadow with stars behind it, two icy eyes glowing with a pale light, and a hand that grabs Frodo.
6) Three Black Riders, just before dawn, break down the door in the mist and force their way into Frodo’s new home in Crickhollow. A voice and a horn are heard outside.
7) Glorfindel finds Aragorn and the hobbits after their adventure in Amon Sul, while being chased by the Black Riders and hiding in the bushes.
The Two Towers
1) Merry and Pippin dip their feet in the river in Fangorn Forest. They have just escaped from the group of Uruk-hai and Orcs and their fight with Eomer’s squad of Rohirrim. The river water refreshes them and brings joy to their hearts despite the hardships they have endured. Shortly afterwards, rays of sunlight pierce through the forest canopy.
2) Legolas sees Edoras from afar: a moat, a mighty wall with a thorny fence surrounding a hill, from which the roofs of houses protrude, and in the middle, on a green balcony, a large palace with a golden roof. In relation to other illustrations and the Edoras of the films, I tried to create an image of a larger city: many more houses both inside and outside the city—farmhouses and small villages that contribute to the city’s economy.
3) Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli on horses arrive outside the mighty walls of Edoras on a sunny morning. They pass in front of the tall, green barrows of Théoden’s ancestors, which are crowned on their western side with many white flowers, the Simbelmynë.
Watercolor versions
An additional way to present the above images, digitally refined to resemble watercolors. I have also added a brief caption to each image.
