Arda | Beleriand | Gondolin
Art inspired by The Silmarillion and other writings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Lúthien Tinúviel [Potoshop, 2013]
Illustrations, portraits, concepts and sketches, with some old, never to be finished works in progress.
Quenta Silmarillion [2013]
Before the Sun and the Moon
"Leaving Mortal Shores" [2008/2022]
The Age of Stars, Sun yet has to be made. Olwë in Beleriand is looking across the sea towards the Undying Lands.
Soon he will lead his people West, leaving his lost brother behind
Soon he will lead his people West, leaving his lost brother behind
"Two lords they had, for their numbers were very great: Elwë Singollo, which signifies Greymantle, and Olwë his brother. The hair of Olwë was long and white, and his eyes were blue; but the hair of Elwë was grey as silver, and his eyes were as stars; he was the tallest of all the Elven-folk."
- J. R. R. Tolkien, Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion: "Of the Coming of the Elves"
- J. R. R. Tolkien, Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion: "Of the Coming of the Elves"
Aman
Fëanor with Silmarils [Photoshop, 2013]
Nightfall
Ohtar Noldorinwa (2004)
"Be he foe or friend", excerpt from the Oath of Fëanorians
(Animated GIF 2005)
The Oath of the Fëanorians (WiP 2016/2020)
"Then Fëanor swore a terrible oath. His seven sons leapt straightway to his side and took the selfsame vow together, and red as blood shone their drawn swords in the glare of the torches."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
Fëanor at Nightfall. Inspired by works of Ayami Kojima [2010]
Losgar
"It has been told that Fëanor and his sons came first of the Exiles to Middle-earth, and landed in the waste of Lammoth, the Great Echo, upon the outer shores of the Firth of Drengist. And even as the Noldor set foot upon the strand their cries were taken up into the hills and multiplied, so that a clamour as of countless mighty voices filled all the coasts of the North; and the noise of the burning of the ships at Losgar went down the winds of the sea as a tumult of great wrath, and far away all who heard that sound were filled with wonder."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"
Fëanorian camp at Losgar. Animation project inspired by the Silmarillion and HoME XII. (go to animation page)
Crossing of the Helcaraxë
After the Nightfall and the First Kinslaying, two hosts of Noldor crossed the Grinding Ice of Helcaraxë.
Noldor entering Lammoth [2013]
"Then Fingolfin seeing that Fëanor had left him to perish in Araman or return in shame to Valinor was filled with bitterness; but he desired now as never before to come by some way to Middle-earth, and meet Fëanor again. (...) and finding no other way they endured at last the terror of the Helcaraxë and the cruel hills of ice. Few of the deeds of the Noldor thereafter surpassed that desperate crossing in hardihood or woe."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
Lost in the labyrinth of ice animation project (go to animation page)
Mountains of Araman [Photoshop, 2018]
Morgoth
Morgoth with Silmarili [Painter & Photoshop 2010]
"There he delved anew his vast vaults and dungeons, and above their gates he reared the threefold peaks of Thangorodrim, and a great reek of dark smoke was ever wreathed about them. There countless became the hosts of his beasts and his demons, and the race of the Orcs, bred long before, grew and multiplied in the bowels of the earth. Dark now fell the shadow on Beleriand, as is told hereafter, but in Angband Morgoth forged for himself a great crown of iron, and he called himself King of the World. In token of this he set the Silmarils in his crown."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
Beleriand
The Siege of Angband and the real map!
"Beleriand and Realms of The North" | Photoshop 2013 | More maps in the Beleriand section (link)
Beleriand (Fingon) [Painter, 2012]
On the Way to Thangorodrim
"On the way to Thangorodrim" [Photoshop 2016]
Findekáno (Fingon) in the Iron Mountains, searching for an entry into Angband.
"Therefore he dared a deed which is justly renowned among the feats of the princes of the Noldor: alone, and without the counsel of any, he set forth in search of Maedhros; and aided by the very darkness that Morgoth had made he came unseen into the fastness of his foes. High upon the shoulders of Thangorodrim he climbed, and looked in despair upon the desolation of the land; but no passage or crevice could he find through which he might come within Morgoth's stronghold."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"
The First Snow
"The First Snow" (Maedhros) [Painter 2009]
"Snowflakes were lazily drifting before his eyes. He wanted to reach out, to catch them, to hold them in his hand, but... He had only one hand. The attempts to hold his shawl with the stump nearly ended with the garment falling. All he could do was to reach out with the stump or... Put his face towards it, as towards the Sun" - "The First Snow".
Gondolin
Gondolin City Map |
Photoshop 2017/2022 |
More in the Gondolin section (link)
Battles of Beleriand
A Dwarf, Nirnaeth Arnoediad [2013]
Lechind [2010]
"Lechind means 'flame-eyed', a name given to the Noldor by the Sindar in Beleriand "for the eyes of all the Elves that had dwelt in Aman impressed those of Middle-earth by their piercing brightness"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, “Quendi and Eldar”, HoME XI
- J.R.R. Tolkien, “Quendi and Eldar”, HoME XI
Vanyar in the War of Wrath [2012]
Inktober knight (a Noldo in Beleriand) [Ink on paper, 2016]
Let the Havens Burn
Let the Havens Burn [2008/2010]
"Now when first the tidings came to Maedhros that Elwing yet lived, and dwelt in possession of the Silmaril by the mouths of Sirion, he repenting of the deeds in Doriath withheld his hand. But in time the knowledge of their oath unfulfilled returned to torment him and his brothers, and gathering from their wandering hunting-paths they sent messages to the Havens of friendship and yet of stern demand."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 24: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 24: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
"Then Elwing and the people of Sirion would not yield the jewel which Beren had won and Lúthien had worn, and for which Dior the fair was slain; and least of all while Eärendil their lord was on the sea, for it seemed to them that in the Silmaril lay the healing and the blessing that had come upon their houses and their ships. And so there came to pass the last and cruelest of the slayings of Elf by Elf; and that was the third of the great wrongs achieved by the accursed oath."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 24: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 24: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
Scion of Kings
Ereinion Gil-galad
King of Diamonds version [2015]
The sixth and last High King of the Noldor. While in the published "Silmarillion" he is the son of Fingon, JRRT's latest idea was to make him the son of Orodreth. This is Illustration to a polemic about his parentage in the jubilee 20th issue of the almanac "Aiglos" (Polish language issue), with the son of Fingon at the top and the son of Orodreth mirrored in the bottom. Ereinion means "Scion of Kings" thus the title, a words play between the epessë and the complicated parentage.
Done in Painter & Photoshop. [2015, colored in 2019]
Done in Painter & Photoshop. [2015, colored in 2019]
Ereinion Gil-galad as son of Fingon [2019]
Quendi and Eldar
Calaquendi of Aman and Moriquendi of Beleriand
The House of Finwë
Finarfin, Idril Celebrindal and Anairë. Illustration to "The House of Fëanor" by Deborah Judge, for Aiglos #23. [Photoshop 2018]
The House of Fëanor
Nerdanel. Illustration to "The House of Fëanor" by Deborah Judge, for Aiglos #23. [Photoshop 2018]
Open full view. | My oldest portrait of Maedhros in stereoscopic "cross-eyed" version - not to be watched as two separate images, but as one (check Stereoscopy section). [2006-2010]
Edain
Tar-Míriel, known as Ar-Zimraphel, the last queen of Númenor. [Traditional, 2020]
Tolkien Fandom
Images for 10th anniversary of the Hobbiton (2011), the oldest Polish J.R.R. Tolkien fans forum
& updated image with animation 2020
& updated image with animation 2020
Music from "Księga Zaginionych Pieśni" by DTH ("Pieśń Minstrela", "Tolk Folk", "Eldalie"), with excerpts of "Dwarf and Orc" by Glass Hammer and "The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King" o.s.t. by Howard Shore.
Archive
Some of the old works, sketches and pages from my virtual Book of Arda, which cannot be watched as a book with flipping pages anymore after Adobe stopped supporting Flash Player.
Digital paintings and drawings done in Painter & Photoshop, unless stated otherwise. Prints available.
