Your favourite Tolkien artistes
I have disagree with you again Tom! Like the Hildebrants, I find Pauline Baynes drawings to be far too cutesy for my taste.
It's been a long held opinion of mine that, based on Tolkiens own preferences for music and illustration, I would probably have hated a movie of LotR that he approved of. Can you honestly imagine a movie with Pauline Bayne style art design and music like Donald Swanns? Yet those are the ones Tolkien himself publicly approved. Peculiar.
It's been a long held opinion of mine that, based on Tolkiens own preferences for music and illustration, I would probably have hated a movie of LotR that he approved of. Can you honestly imagine a movie with Pauline Bayne style art design and music like Donald Swanns? Yet those are the ones Tolkien himself publicly approved. Peculiar.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Alatar wrote:Can you honestly imagine a movie with Pauline Bayne style art design and music like Donald Swann?
Well, of course Pauline Baynes IS Narnia. I just cannot imagine the Narnia books without her illustrations. The Royal Shakespeare Company based some of their set and costume design on Bayne's illustrations in their fabulous theatre production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and trust me, it worked. Right down to the White Witch's icicle crown.
Yes, Pauline Baynes is Narnia, but she's not quite Middle-earth ... too cutesy, as you say, Al.
I do like that edition of 'Bilbo's Last Song' which includes her illustrations though, Tom. I just like the way it's presented although her visualisation of hobbits certainly isn't mine. And the Elves remind me too much of Narnians.
But it has a certain charm.
"Frodo undertook his quest out of love - to save the world he knew from disaster at his own expense, if he could ... "
Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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- Old_Tom_Bombadil
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Pauline Baynes gets added to the cutesy list, too?
I find her drawings for Farmer Giles to be reminiscent of a medieval style. I rather like them. I know that she is known for illustrating Narnia, but I have not seen them. I read Narnia for the first and only time back when I was in junior high school (age 13-14). It was okay but it did not capture my imagination like LOTR had a few years before.
Here's Baynes' rendering of Badger-brock and his family from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil:
I find her drawings for Farmer Giles to be reminiscent of a medieval style. I rather like them. I know that she is known for illustrating Narnia, but I have not seen them. I read Narnia for the first and only time back when I was in junior high school (age 13-14). It was okay but it did not capture my imagination like LOTR had a few years before.
Here's Baynes' rendering of Badger-brock and his family from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil:
I shouldn't have agreed that Pauline was 'cutesy'.
'Medieval' nicely describes her style, Tom.
When I was working at HarperCollins, my then boss was in touch with Pauline. That was 10 years ago though.
Here's the Wiki on Pauline:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Baynes
And a fanlisting:
http://fani.nippu.net/baynes/links.php
And her world-famous Narnian book covers:
http://eq5.net/lewis/bkcovers.html
Another artist whom Tolkien approved of - Cor Blok!
Here's the Rolozo page on him:
http://fan.theonering.net/rolozo/collection/blok
Tolkien really did have wonderfully bizarre artistic tastes!
I just love him.
One reviewer on Amazon said: "Cor Blok's view of Tolkien's world resembles nothing so much as the Pink Panther cartoons ..."
'Medieval' nicely describes her style, Tom.
When I was working at HarperCollins, my then boss was in touch with Pauline. That was 10 years ago though.
Here's the Wiki on Pauline:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Baynes
And a fanlisting:
http://fani.nippu.net/baynes/links.php
And her world-famous Narnian book covers:
http://eq5.net/lewis/bkcovers.html
Another artist whom Tolkien approved of - Cor Blok!
Here's the Rolozo page on him:
http://fan.theonering.net/rolozo/collection/blok
Tolkien really did have wonderfully bizarre artistic tastes!
I just love him.
One reviewer on Amazon said: "Cor Blok's view of Tolkien's world resembles nothing so much as the Pink Panther cartoons ..."
"Frodo undertook his quest out of love - to save the world he knew from disaster at his own expense, if he could ... "
Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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- Parmamaite
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I think Pauline Baynes' illustrations were appropriate for both Narnia and Farmer Giles - but just because JRRT was duly impressed (he practically gushes in his letter to his publisher) with these does not mean he would have thought that style appropriate for LotR!
He condemned the Ballantine covers, not because they were poor art, but because they had nothing to do with the books. Some of his 'approval' may just have been "nothing serious wrong here".... though I don't know about that.
He condemned the Ballantine covers, not because they were poor art, but because they had nothing to do with the books. Some of his 'approval' may just have been "nothing serious wrong here".... though I don't know about that.
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So, you didn't take a look at Wildwood's copy of Bilbo's Last Song with Baynes's illustrations at the Leeds moot?Parmamaite wrote:To be honest, I only know Pauline Baynes from my illustrated Farmer Giles, I've heard that her hobbits and elves are less than perfect, but I haven't seen for myself.
Here are a few examples of her Tolkien illustrations. Not bad, but too fairytale-like to my taste.
See the world as your self.
Have faith in the way things are.
Love the world as your self;
then you can care for all things.
~ Lao Tzu
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I don't know if these have been mentioned but I had two paintings by Matt Stewart brought to my attention.
Arwen and Aragorn:
http://www.heavenandearthdesigns.com/Eternalpromise.jpg
Éowyn and Faramir:
http://www.heavenandearthdesigns.com/hopereturns.jpg
Pretty nice.
Arwen and Aragorn:
http://www.heavenandearthdesigns.com/Eternalpromise.jpg
Éowyn and Faramir:
http://www.heavenandearthdesigns.com/hopereturns.jpg
Pretty nice.
- Primula Baggins
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Interesting. They're based on the films, I take it?
They are nice. Arwen and Aragorn especially.
They are nice. Arwen and Aragorn especially.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Faramir with brown hair was what made me think of the films. But you're right, the dress is, if not right from the films, very much in the spirit of their design.
Same for Arwen's, really.
Same for Arwen's, really.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
- Old_Tom_Bombadil
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Tim Hildebrandt passed away Sunday at the age of 67 due to complications from diabetes.
As most of you probably know, Tim and his twin brother Greg produced some very popular calendars during the 1970s.
As most of you probably know, Tim and his twin brother Greg produced some very popular calendars during the 1970s.
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- Old_Tom_Bombadil
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I just found a piece on Rolozo Tolkien by Maria Lombide Ezpeleta entitled
Faramir and Éowyn and the attack of the killer squirrels
Enjoy!
Faramir and Éowyn and the attack of the killer squirrels
Enjoy!
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That's certainly....interesting.
Maybe Voronwë can tell us why Christopher Tolkien cut the part about the squirrels out.
ttbk
Maybe Voronwë can tell us why Christopher Tolkien cut the part about the squirrels out.
ttbk
Glowah, eee chop glowah.
Ya glowah pee chu nee foom
Ah toot dee awe goon daa.
Glory, we found glory.
The power showed us the light,
And now we all live free.
Celebrate the light; (Freedom!)
Celebrate the might; (Power!)
Celebrate the fight; (Glory!)
Celebrate the love.
Ya glowah pee chu nee foom
Ah toot dee awe goon daa.
Glory, we found glory.
The power showed us the light,
And now we all live free.
Celebrate the light; (Freedom!)
Celebrate the might; (Power!)
Celebrate the fight; (Glory!)
Celebrate the love.
- Old_Tom_Bombadil
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- Primula Baggins
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At least she leaves it to us to imagine the leopard-print pants and the bejeweled platform boots. . . .
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King