Middle-earth Journeys

I like the bamboo too.

Iolanthe wrote:

Philipa wrote:I'm waiting for something elf like to be presented.

Well, I've attempted Lothlorien but I suppose I ought to try Legolas soon!.

Well I look forward to seeing what colored hair your Legolas will have. Will you sucum to the yellow haired version of the movies or the supposed dark haired version in the books.

Ummmmmm. That's a very good question. Maybe I'll just make it green and have done with it .

I've repainted Isenguard. I felt it needed bringing in line with the style of the later paintings and I did the whole thing in a rush at the time so there were some things that really annoyed me. Especially the 'dead tree' hands where I used masking fluid and generally got myself into a mess that took a lot of fiddling to put right (more obvious in the original ) .But they aren't that much different .This is the old one:

Isengard 1




And this is the new one:

Isengard 2




Spot the difference !

Iolanthe...I love the new style with all the arcs. SO many possibilities. It adds a lot of detail to the work...and you KNOW I love the detail.

Iolanthe, what a difference a few changes can make! I love the color details! Bravo!

It's looking more and more like stained glass, Iolanthe. I can just imagine some weird Tolkien chapel! I like the border better, too.

This is really extraordinary, to see art as it develops. Thanks, RR and I, for sharing like this.

RR, the blue butterflies remind me of a certain piece of jewelry that Tom was going to give to Goldberry. Am I reading too much into it? I love the bamboo, too, and it gives an Eastern feel to it, which is visually appealing, but it is kind of incongruous, as has been mentioned. Maybe I'll read through the chapter tonight to see if anything else suggest itself.

I prefer the later version of Isengard, too, Iolanthe - it's much more in line with your other recent paintings. Merry, I love your comparison to stained glass and the idea of the wierd Tolkien chapel!! Displaying paintings on screen does give them a slightly different quality to the paper version - you lose some things in the scanning and gain others!!

Iolanthe, I particularly like the more brilliant colors in the bit of sleeve from Saruman's "many colored" robe at the bottom of the picture, as well as the differentiateed shades of color in the mountain. So many little details that add to the whole!

RR, the only alternative for the bamboo I can think of after reading the Bombadil chapter again is willow. It's also lovely to look at, and for those who know the story, it would add a little reminder of Old Man Willow!

Not a perfect alternative, I know--so if you don't think it will work, that's fine, too.

I think I will probably stick with bamboo and maybe change the color so that look a bit more like reeds.

I'm glad everyone likes the Isenguard improvements. I'm much, much happier with it as I always felt that version one was too hurried.

I like the wierd 'Tolkien Chapel' . Maybe it's the religious underpinning coming out .

I'm now brewing a painting of Aragorn and the Palantir and am predictably stuck. I've decided that if I type it here I'll have to do it, one way or another!

Yes, Iolanthe, you absolutely MUST! I need your vision of our beloved King for my wall!

I must agree with Lindariel you must continue Iolanthe, your Isengard is beautifully designed, well done

Lindariel wrote:Yes, Iolanthe, you absolutely MUST! I need your vision of our beloved King for my wall!

Maybe I'll paint him from behind .