Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Great Gates to Thranduil's Hall

I think this piece turned out rather exotic, even for Tolkien, but then I have always thought that Thranduil and the Wood-elves were exotic too. Perhaps it is that they lived underground which seems to me to be an odd place for Elves to live, even during the dark times. Both Rivendell and Lorien evoke fresh air and communing with nature much more than caves ... even the wonderful ones in Mirkwood ... and especially caves that the Dwarves helped construct.

This piece is again done in markers and ink with the addition of shimmering gold acrylic that highlights the gates themselves. The 'shimmering gold' does not translate well to digital imagery, but I think you can get the idea. The gates hint of copper, but I guess that's OK. Not everything in Tolkien's world can be made of mithril, you know.

The Great Gates to Thranduil's Hall