Art of Hobbit - journey to Rivendell

Hi guys:)

Today I want to share not only a little artbook review, but also a great joy:) It was a long time since I indulged myself with ordering artbooks on Amazon for the last time, but yesterday - boom - I did it again:) So only in a month or so three new reviews will be coming: Alan Lee sketchbook, Hobbit drawings by Tolkien, and Lord of the Rings drawings, also by professor. I'm so exited, can't wait to finally receive them! Wished to have them for a long time, but yesterday all of a sudden they appeared on sale:)

So on this inspired wave today I want to make some writing about the Hobbit artbook I already have, in my previous review we stopped somewhere in the middle of it. 

Let's move to Rivendell 

Developing the valley and the characters was a long and exiting journey for the concept creators. When I'll receive Alan Lee's sketchbook to my hands (concert art director) - I will know much more about the process. But even in this artbook edition there's a lot of material to think about and a lot of artistic techniques to put an eye on and find something useful for myself.

As you remember from my previous reviews the main goal of my artbooks collection is to keep me inspired all the time, and that's why I love them so much and try to have all I'm interested in in paper addition. It's completely different then exploring such things from the computer screen.

Pencil sketches be Alan Lee are my favorites, especially when it comes to landscapes. Here, of course, also my feeling that I'm not good in landscapes drawings works too. Look how detailed it is, and how well values are worked through. Despite the fact that technically it's only black and white (well, gray scale, to be more specific) artwork it feels so alive.

This one by Ra Vincent, set decorator. Feel how different they look, when every artist has his own specific topic to develop? It seems to me that here somewhere in oriental countries inspiration was found. In fact I prefer bot to think about it, not to mix in my imagination oriental deco and elves valley, but the similarity is too obvious. Tricky how it's almost unseen in the movie final result.

When you see such type of hobbit based sketch - be confident, it's art by Alan Lee. Remember this moment in the movie, when elves come back to the valley, on hot houses they surround the dwarfs who are standing on the ground, so small comparing to the elves?  

Here is the concept by Alan Lee, elves guards outfit. It always amazes me when an artist is capable of a nice character turn around art, I find it so difficult. Or course it was needless for Hobbit in the case, but when it comes to animation it's the first thing to do, and to know how to do.

If you noticed in the movie or not, but Lord Elrond's outfit is so similar to the ones regular elves wear. I don't include here the other elves outfit concepts, otherwise I'd have to include all the pages, what of course I can't do. But if you're a Tolkien fan like me - this artbook is really a great thing to have, the most felicitous from all the series (about nine of them in total, but is the other ones are mostly filled with movie frames - this one is a pure magic of concept art).

The council hall in pencil and more developed sketch. Feel the magic is the only thing I can say here. You feel the magic, and for me perhaps the time has came to go and create some own Hobbit sketches, cause that's really what artbooks do - give inspiration and fill my head with fresh ideas.

SOURCE: Most of the images are by Alan Lee (AL), Concert art director of "Hobbit" movie. Others are by Dan Hennah (DH), Letty MacPhedran (LM) and other concept artists who worked on creating the movie. NEITHER of the images are mine!!! 

Hope you enjoyed this little journey to Rivendell, now I'll make a pause in artbooks reviews again, and will wait for the new ones to come. But when it'll happen - be prepared:) It will be a lot of fresh materials, and then a lot of new drawings by me:) Have a great day, I wish you luck and lots of inspiration!:)

 As usual, thank you for reading, voting and commenting. And as usual the one who comments with nice post/good post/keep up the great work will be burned on inquisition fire. 

Love, Inber