Morwen and Túrin by Catherine Karina Chmiel
Month: June 2017
- natgeo Video by @bertiegregory. A crested hawk-eagle on the lookout for prey (small birds and mammals) near a waterhole in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Shot on assignment for @natgeo, @natgeowild and @stevewinterphoto. Follow @bertiegregory for more wildlife adventures!
Melian was a Maia, of the race of the Valar. She dwelt in the gardens of Lórien, and among all his people there were none more beautiful than Melian, nor more wise, nor more skilled in songs of enchantment. It is told that the Valar would leave their works, and the birds of Valinor their mirth, that the bells of Valmar were silent and the fountains ceased to flow, when at the mingling of the lights Melian sang in Lórien. Nightingales went always with her, and she taught them their song; and she loved the deep shadows of the great trees. She was akin before the World was made to Yavanna herself; and in that time when the Quendi awoke beside the waters of Cuiviénen she departed from Valinor and came to the Hither Lands, and there she filled the silence of Middle-earth before the dawn with her voice and the voices of her birds.
For @legendariumladiesapril and SilmWeek.
Inspirobot for the Silmarillion
Feanor:
Celebrimbor:
Elros:
Eärendil:
(◡‿◡✿) Friendly Reminder from the Valar:
Thû:
Unsettlingly Accurate Description of Valinor:
The Entire First Age:
For those interested:
I just put up a bunch of these fun lil’ guys you can use as blog guardians or whatever on my Patreon!
–where you can also get a bunch of other cool stuff like process-gifs, comic pages, transparent assets, and of course, outrageously high-resolution versions of all my latest paintings!
So many pixels!
Resolution so high you can count Sauron’s chest hairs!
The original purpose of the Patreon was to host my new comic pages, but as that has proven to been a glacially slow process that has thus far mostly involved me… just…. getting better at art, it has become a way to keep this blog running and support me while I bring you my usual Dark Lord Content™ and rantings about Middle Earth, and where I put up wall-sized versions of my art as a thank you.
And I absolutely want to thank you– even if you’re not a patron– for supporting my unemployed ass and my 5 year long obsession.
❤ You’re the wind beneath my wings, the fire in my forges. ❤
Just about everything (except they long process videos, gifts, and glimpses into the messy universe of my sketchbooks) is available for just $1. If you’re able and interested, check it out, and you will secure my overflowing gratitude.
~Wes
Is nudity still allowed on this godforsaken hellsite? If so, please enjoy some Melkor being sassy with Grond. His aesthetic is All Spikes All The Time.
‘All who dwelt in Aman were filled with wonder and delight at the work of Fëanor, And Varda hallowed the Silmarils so that thereafter no mortal flesh, nor hands unclean, nor anything of evil will might touch them, but it was scorched and withered; and Mandos foretold that the fates of Arda, earth, sea, and air, lay locked within them. The heart of Fëanor was fast bound to these things which he himself had made.’ – Of the Silmarils, The Silmarillion.
Light in Darkness, by MathiaArkoniel
A pair of daggers with goat horn hilts, India, 19th century.
from Hermann Historica
talking with Sath yesterday made me want to draw some Elrond-Maglor interactions, so I did this, with a bonus Elros
oh yeah, this happened too
The Watchers at Cirith Ungol– RivkaZ 2017
“…Within the shadow of the gate he saw the Two Watchers. They were like great figures seated upon thrones. Each had three joined bodies, and three heads facing outward, and inward, and across the gateway. The heads had vulture-faces, and on their great knees were laid claw-like hands. They seemed to be carved out of huge blocks of stone, immovable, and yet they were aware: some dreadful spirit of evil vigilance abode in them. They knew and enemy.” –The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien
I took a few artistic liberties with the statues (largely because I didn’t have the description in front of me…whoops) and cheated a bit at the end, but at least I got the idea on paper! I was excited when I came across this passage in my re-read because I’d already done one drawing with Sauron featuring a chimera/griffin motif using Mesopotamian and Mediterranean influences, and the description conjured an immediate visual of some of my favorite mythological beastie statues. 🙂 They were very fun to paint, and I spent far too long on them.
I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse ‘applicability’ with ‘allegory’; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.
J. R. R. Tolkien (via one-small-garden)
MisbehavingMaiar: Tumblr Archive 