The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook

by Alan Lee (Illustrator), Ian McKellen (Foreword)

In The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook Alan Lee reveals in pictures and in words how he created the beautiful watercolor paintings for the special centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings. These images would prove so powerful and evocative that they would eventually define the look of Peter Jackson's movie trilogy and earn him a coveted Academy Award.

The book is filled with more than 150 of his sketches and early conceptual pieces showing how the project progressed from idea to finished art. It also contains a selection of full-page paintings reproduced in full color, together with numerous examples of previously unseen conceptual art produced for the films and many new works drawn specially for this book.

The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook provides a fascinating insight into the imagination of the man who painted Tolkien's vision, first on the page and then in three dimensions on the movie screen. It will also be of interest to many of the thousands of people who have bought the illustrated Lord of the Rings as well as to budding artists who want to unlock the secrets of book illustration.

Genres: Art, Fantasy, Reference, Fiction, High Fantasy, Film, Classics

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Alan Lee is an English book illustrator and movie conceptual designer. He was born on 20 August 1947 in Middlesex, England and studied at the Ealing School of Art, specialising in illustration, and has illustrated a wide range of books, including Faeries (with Brian Froud), The Mabinogion, Castles, Merlin Dreams, The Black Ships of Troy and The Wanderings of Oysseus.

He is best known for his award winning work on The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - having done illustration work for both the books and the Peter Jackson directed movies. As of 2011, he is working on The Hobbit movies, based on Tolkien's book, again directed by Peter Jackson.

Tolkien's work has inspired him ever since he read his books at an early age. Alan Lee is also inspired by nature, myth, legends and Folklore.

Alan Lee draws a lot of inspiration from nature around in which he lives - he lives and works on the edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England.

Recommended articles:
* http://www.endicott-studio.com/gal/ga....
* http://gaytonvanryn.blogspot.com/2011... and http://gaytonvanryn.blogspot.com/2011....

His artistic influences include:
"I've been strongly influenced, in technique as well as subject matter, by some of the early 20th-century book illustrators — Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac in particular, Burne-Jones and other Pre-Raphaelites, and the Arts-&-Crafts movement they engendered. I'm continually inspired by Rembrandt, Breughel (I've wondered whether his brilliant "Tower of Babel" had inspired Tolkien's description of Minas Tyrith), Hieronymous Bosch, Albrecht Durer, and Turner; it's not necessarily that they influence my work in any particular direction, more that their example raises my spirits, re-affirms my belief in the power of images to move and delight us, and shows me how much further I have to go, how much is possible. Having visited Venice and Florence for the first time, I am besotted with the Italian Renaissance artists — Botticelli, Bellini, da Vinci and others. Their work is calm, controlled, and yet each face and landscape contains such passion." - Alan Lee

fan homepage:
http://alan-lee.narod.ru/Bio.htm

Reviews

[Sean Barrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolute treasure; it is one every fan of Tolkien’s work should own. This is regardless whether you are a fan of the movie franchise, because most of the work in here was produced years before it was even devised. Some of the art was created specifically for the movie, but I think this could easily exist without it in its own right. Don’t get me wrong, I love The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (I’m not going to mention the shambles referred to as the Hobbit trilogy) but I feel that Allan Lee’s work really transcends it; it is wonderful on its own.

Brilliant Artwork



He illustrated a special edition of the book many years before, and in here are some of those images as well. I really struggle to imagine a middle earth beyond the images that Allan lee has produced. I can see that he tried to adhere as much as possible to Tolkien’s descriptions, and I think because of this Allan Lee’s work is so brilliant. Most of the images are annotated with descriptions that are insightful to the creative process behind them, and Allan Lee constantly re-asserts the point that without the sheer depth to Tolkien’s narrative, his images would have been nowhere near as vivid. I really would not like to see a middle earth that strays from Tolkien’s words, and with Allan Lee we don’t have to.

Authentic



It’s really quite exciting to see this images that were later polished up for the movies. You can literally see whole scenes that were adapted from one image created by Allan lee. By reading this you get to see how the work has evolved from its early sketches to a big scene in the films. There are even a couple of pages on Tom Bombadil and Goldenberry, which Jackson excluded from the films. Reading this is like seeing an image version of the entire trilogy. The images are in chronological order, which re-tells Tolkien’s magnum opus.



Overall, this is an absolute wonderful book. I strongly recommend it to Tolkien fans, whether you like the movies or not. A lot of the work in here was created many years before Allan Lee was asked to work on the movies. Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend this to all Tolkien enthusiasts. And if that isn’t reason enough to read the book, the excellent Sir Ina Mckellen provides a superb introduction to this book.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I recently picked up in order to learn a lot more about the LotR book to film adaptation process and what exactly being the concept artist for such a big project means. Alan Lee was one of the essential concept artists who not only illustrated some of the LotR and Hobbit books on the Centenary editions, but was also heavily involved in the 6 year process of producing the Lord of the Rings films. This book is a largely image focused book with full page, small and medium images of various creatures, places etc from Middle Earth, but it is accompanied by some wonderful text where Lee talks about inspirations, his own love for the book, and exactly what he was aiming for with the designs.

I have to say that the artwork in this book is phenomenal and it really made me want to watch and re-watch the films for all of the Lord of the Rings just to see his ideas come to life. It's a fantastically polished version of what I imagine starts off as a much messier planning process, but for that reason it's beautiful and exciting and some of the images are definitely relatable to the films.

This book also has text which I actually found to be truly fascinating and at some times even emotional because it was such a big part of everyone, cast, crew, artists, designers, producers etc. lives whilst they were involved in the films and stepping away from it at last and recounting it in this book you do get the vibe that nothing will ever be quite as magical an experience.

I would say this is an amazing book not only for the artwork but also for the insight it offers into how things get done in production and art teams for big epic set films. I loved every page and sent a lot of pictures of some of the more stunning images to my friends too. Highly recommended - 5*s

[Lena’s Version · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imprescindible para los fans y admiradores de la trilogía de ESDLA en general, y de los amantes del arte y la producción cinematográfica en particular. Alan Lee y John Howe son los ilustradores por antonomasia de la Tierra Media, y es que hacen magia. Este libro recoge una colección de bocetos con cientos de detalles y escenas a lápiz que dieron vida a lo que posteriormente serian los diseños visuales finales que tanto nos maravillaron y enamoraron en las películas. Plagado de asombrosos detalles sobre el proceso de producción cinematográfica además, pone de manifiesto una vez más el trabajazo increíble de documentación e imaginación que lo hizo posible.

[Albus Eugene Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Datemi una matita e vi … creerò il Mondo
Tempo fa, qualcuno ha detto “Datemi una leva e vi solleverò il Mondo”.
Lee ha impugnato una matita e, più semplicemente, ha dato sostanza ... del sogno alla Terra di Mezzo di Tolkien.
Una matita e la sua portentosa, formidabile immaginazione.
Aprite il libro e scorreranno sotto i vostri occhi ammirati un intero modo magico: gli Hobbit, Moria, Lothlorien, Rohan, la Foresta di Fangorn, i Nazgul, Il Fosso di Helm, Gandalf, Minas Tirith, Galadriel, e ancora personaggi, statue, edifici, scenari mozzafiato.
In questo breve filmato di qualche minuto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC_2Zl...
con garbo e semplicità, si racconta. Testimonianza della funzione formativa della forza creatrice dell’immaginazione.
Con una matita Renzo Piano crea luoghi in cui “le persone si incontrano e condividono”.
Potenza di una matita, di una … karandash … o era … Caran d’Ache? … http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caran_d%...
Grazie Ale*es.
Buona ... Immaginazione a tutti.
Albus … Oakenshield

[Plateresca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A movingly beautiful little book.

I would have liked to see some of the illustrations reproduced with a bit more contrast, and few of Lee's beautiful watercolours are included here, but the many pencil sketches are a treat: inspiring and often humorous. Alan Lee's fluency is breathtaking.

Some of the sketches here were made for the film production, while others were made for the centenary book edition, so he comments a bit on both processes.

Lovely gift for a fan of 'The Lord of the Rings'.

[Milan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prelepa knjiga, da ne kažem crteži u istoj i velika šteta što nije malo veći format.

[Noctvrnal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful art book took me at least 3 hours to finish even tho it doesn't carry much text. Mainly because the illustrations provided are so incredible and I spent a lot of time studying each little sketch. Alan Lee also provides sketches of scenes and characters (some more detailed than others) that didn't end in the famous illustrated version of Lord of the Rings and provides even more imagery to movies themselves on which he extensively worked. His commentary on working on the sets and picking scenes and details, while not wordy, is definitely impressive and lets us to part the curtain and peak behind the scenes of movies and book illustrations alike, giving more depth to already an incredibly deep world that Tolkien created. Alan Lee's work is forever tied to the story itself and I was beyond rejoiced to read this book, albeit in pdf and not physical form, to give more detail to already detailed Middle Earth in my mind. Recommended to every book and movie fan.

[exploraDora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must-have for anyone who is a fan of the LOTR books and/or the movies!

Alan Lee's artwork has impressed me ever since I first saw the appendices of The Fellowship of the Ring movie, and his artwork in this book is even more impressive! The content is simply amazing and full of his brilliant sketches. Each piece is accompanied by descriptions of what Lee was thinking about while he drew them, or better yet interesting stories about the making of the movies.

The book also details how Lee worked his magic and turned his art from paper into the sets of Lord of the Rings. I just loved every page!

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another borrowed volume which I'd one day like to own. It contains a lot of Alan Lee's sketches from when he was working on The Lord of the Rings films, and his commentary on the work he did then. And some interesting titbits about the man himself, too (like the fact that he doesn't Do lists: if he's packing to go away somewhere, he draws his suitcase with the things he needs to take).

Worth a look, if you're interested in Middle-earth, the making of the films, or Alan Lee's work.

[Gretel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit: Also, this is the first freaking book of the year and I'm already crying. WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF?!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love art and I love LoTR so this was perfect for me. I could talk about the beautiful drawings, the behind the scenes stories by Lee or the magic of LoTR. Instead, I want to express my feelings while reading this because there's really no dispute in the quality of this book.

LoTR came out when I was barely a teenager. I had never heard of the book series (except for The Hobbit) and didn't want to watch the films at first. In the end, we went to the cinema with our teacher to see the first movie and I instantly became a fan. The movie resonated with me and so many aspects showed the immense quality, including the care, skill and love in the designs for props.
The movie came out in 2001, that's now 18 years ago. And the book brought me back to that phase in my life and rekindled the magic, wonder and awe I felt while watching the Fellowship journeying through Middle-Earth.
This book was a temporal journey and it filled me with so much nostalgia, reminding me of the sheer amazement I felt that I got emotional. And I feel like Lindsay Ellis in her Hobbit essays: the LoTR series came out at a crucial moment, when I was ripe to be captured by the story and be entranced by it. There were and are many franchises I still love but there won't be any other series that will quite catch me like LoTR did because growing up gives new perspectives, wisdom and different approaches. I was lucky enough to see this in 2001, when its magic could affect me like no other series could have.
And there's something deeply painful in realising that there won't be a new LoTR for me. No matter how much I've loved Star Wars since forever, no matter how much I enjoy the MCU: LoTR was a special phenomenon at the perfect moment that will not be recreated for me personally. It is, indeed, the journey's end.

I love how much attention to detail, care, hard work and love went into the movie project. I love the dedication and brutal will to make it happen. I love the memory of that time.
Like Sam, I watch the ship sail away into the West. A last goodbye.

[Urania · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating is both based on the text and Alan Lee's artwork, which is amazing. He's also a surprisingly eloquent writer, considering he's more well-known for his illustration skills. It's not exactly literature, but it's a beautiful book with some well-written behind-the-scenes thoughts from the artist.

[Garret Macko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book review comes, like most of those that I write, with an accompanying story; one which will likely engulf my review of the book itself. And so to save you, my dear reader, from once more getting caught in this wave, I will abridge my story. Here’s the Sparknotes version: Several Christmases ago, when I was a Sophomore in High School, my parents gave me the Blu-ray extended edition box set of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have always loved the trilogy--in fact, for nearly a decade now, we’ve partaken in an annual tradition of watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy every New Year’s Day. It is a day that is always filled with excitement, heartbreak, joy, appetizers, and family; memories I know will warm my heart for as long as I live. Contained within this box set is a lengthy series of appendices, countless hours of footage following the making of each of the films--one that I watched in full after receiving the gift. These documentaries mark my first and last encounter with Alan Lee; last, that is, until I read this book. I honestly don’t remember much from the film’s appendices: I have flashes of certain behind the scenes looks, interviews, juicy facts (such as the infamous scene where Viggo Mortensen actually breaks his toe), identifying cameos, and, it just so happens, a few of Alan Lee and how he came to be associated with the film. He rehashes all of this briefly in the book, but in the first appendix that accompanies the Fellowship of the Ring, if my memory serves me right, there are interviews with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh in which they explain their decision to call upon Lee to help with the film, as well as footage, again, if I’m remembering correctly, of the group actually meeting for the first time at Lee’s humble abode in The Middle of Nowhere, England. The appendices give credit where credit is due, and so I was made well aware of just how massive of an impact on the style of the films Lee and his illustrations had. This book offers readers another, more personal window into the journey the films took from Tolkien’s hand to Lee’s, and finally to the screen. Accompanying each of the illustrations are charming insights and tidbits about both the films and Lee’s own creative process. Fascinating and, for fans of the films, well worth taking a look at.

[Paddy Haesler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously the sketches and occasional watercolours are gorgeous and inspiring. But I found Lee's writing of great interest also. His insights into the relations of Tolkien's legendarium to the archetypes of myth were engaging, and point to a depth of thought and background in Tolkien's writing, and in the design philosophy of Lee's visual construction of Middle Earth. There are also many interesting details of Lee's artistic process which the artistically inclined may find surface-level, but are quite entertaining to the layperson. The most valuable stories to me were those of Lee's time working on the Peter Jackson trilogy. I, like many, grew up watching the films and the extended edition extras. I loved the stories of the films and their making, and this book shares some of Lee's personal stories. All this, alongside gorgeous artistic representations of the events, cultures, people, architecture and artefacts of the Lord of the Rings, make for a great book (and a great Christmas present).

[Milad Rami · Rating 5 out of 5]

یکی از دلایلی که دنیای سرزمین میانه و کتاب ها و فیلم های ارباب حلقه ها رو خیلی دوست دارم توجه به جزیات زیادی میشه که باعث میشن هیچوقت از بودن تو این دنیا خسته نشم.
این کتاب طراحی های ارباب حلقه ها اثر آلن لی می باشد که توسط تیم خوب آردا ترجمه شده و پایین لینکشو میذارم.
.
.
.
آلن لی، برنده ی اسکار برای تصویرسازی و طراحی سه گانه ارباب حلقه ها، نگرش ذهنی خود را در ارتباط با دنیای خیالی تالکین در این اثر شرح می دهد. اثر پیش رو در قالب ۱۵۰ طرح به ما نشان خواهد داد که «آلن لی» چگونه از میان تصاویر خیالی خود، آثاری بالفعل و ماندگار خلق کرد.

کتاب حاضر اثری نفیس و جذاب در باره چگونگی تبدیل شدن اثر تالکین به فیلم برای عاشقان آثار تالکین و همچنین راهنمایی غنی برای دوستاران هنر تصویرسازی است.

لینک دانلود :
https://arda.ir/the-lord-of-the-rings...

[Keelia]

I bought this in hobbiton in 2017 (the tour pamphlet and set map are still inside the cover) and had only flicked through it before today when I actually sat down and read alan lee’s description of the work and dedication involved in bringing lotr to life on the screen. The architectural drawings were stunning as were the glorious sketches of armour. So so lovely, and made me reminisce on the days when I had a head full of mythology, english folklore and arthuriana. Loved it 🫶🏻

[Ellie Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are GORGEOUS, and I look at them every day.❤️

[Ettelwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Úplnou nutností bych tohle nenazývala, ale pro nás, co obdivujeme malované umění, je tohle pastva pro oči. Co se informační podstaty týče, Alan Lee více méně servíruje spolupráci na filmové trilogii z pohledu nejen miniatur, které se pro film vytvářely.

Příjemný počtení.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

For every fan of The Lord of the Rings movies, this book is definitely a must read. It´s so interesting to get to know more about all the work that was put into creating all these beautiful locations and sceneries and also to see which designs were actually Alan Lee´s. You get quite a bit of extra information on the entire creating process and to me that was really interesting and informative since I truely try tolearn everything about these movies I possibly can.
I particularly enjoyed the bits in which he talks about his peronal struggles and how he was challenged as an artist.

[Sanjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such brilliance!! It's impossible for a LOTR geek to truly claim to be one without having at least skimmed through this book. Bonus points for people who choose to read it! Right from the conception to the final execution, Lee's work is remarkable. The movie could have been visually horrifying if it wasn't for his interpretation of Tolkien's work!

[Erinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right after this book came out, Alan Lee did a book signing in Austin. It was such an amazing talk he did. I loved looking at the slide show and being able to hear him talk. Did you know that he used to be grave digger? Anyway, I was able to get this book, Faeries, and Castles signed by him that night. So awesome!

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at Alan Lee's LOTR artwork, and contributions to the film set. My copies of the books have Lee's artwork on the covers, so he's always helped my imagination along in the world of Middle-earth. The text isn't overly detailed, but I did learn a bit about the process of building the sets and miniatures that brought the series to life. Most of the images are pencil sketches, while a few are finished watercolors. Lee has a remarkable knowledge of the lore from which Tolkien drew for Middle-earth, which makes his vivid imaginations of that world all the more wonderful.

Lee references Sam's verse about the Oliphaunt, connecting Tolkien's appreciation for riddles with the Exeter Book. These are the types of details that make Lee just the right person for visioning Middle-earth. Lee contributes his own riddle:

Dug up from the earth and sealed in a coffin,
sold for less than my true worth,
hacked by sharp blades and dragged over a wide meadow
behind a pale charioteer,
leaving, I hope, some evidence of the crime.

Now shrunken in size,
having lived my life backward,
my slow demise
another's conception.
What am I? (119)

[Marko Vasić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Lee is an magnificent artist who revived and depicted many of Tolkien's work, as well as The Mabinogion. This scrapbook is for those who already possess some of illustrated The Lord of the Rings editions to gain an insight how many of these marvellous illustrations were gradually developed. And much much more.

[Rachel E. Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful addition to my Tolkien collection. I adore Alan Lee's art. I also enjoyed reading his little thoughts and notes written on each page.

[Sourojit Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant companion volume for fans of the LOTR movie series as well as all Middle Earth enthusiasts

[Steve Davala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember the first time seeing an Alan Lee painting for the Lord of the Rings. Not the movies, but the old school calendars and the LotR trilogy book with the interior artwork. This was the first time I knew someone had a vision that matched my own view of Middle Earth. (Ok John Howe had some sick artwork, too, but Lee's captured the essence of that world.)
This sketchbook shows his pencil drawings through time in developing the iconic images I've come to associate with Middle Earth. I enjoyed seeing more to the sketches than what appeared in the actual paintings.
Alan is a very down to earth person with an amazing talent. You can understand why Peter Jackson used him as a consultant for the art direction in the movies.

[Saphira · Rating 4 out of 5]

For any LOTR fan, this book is a must-see-must-read. It is of the utmost importance that you read the comments made by Allan as well as drooling over the images (use a towel, dammit, don't drool all over the book!) to get the extent of his work in LOTR.
Unfortunatelly, some of the sketches came out a bit faded when printed and some of the lines are unclear, but such is the fate of pencil sketches, not much mode you can do! Only reason why i didn't rate it 5 =)

[Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having received this as a gift from my other half, I was rather extatic as I have been wishing for this sketch collection for this past couple of years. Alan Lee showcases his talent at reimagining the world as created by J.R.R. Tolkien in the years just shy of 1950. I love the perennial feel to the drawings, the immense attention to detail, the slightly altered look and feel as compared to the movie. A must for any LOTR fan.

[Amalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute treasure! This contains over 150 delicate pencil sketches and Alan Lee is a pencil genius. There's writing all through the book on how Alan Lee took inspiration and how he drew a lot of the pictures.

As a keen amateur artist, I found myself glued to the book. I love to do sensitive and detailed sketches. Lee's ones are some of the highly refined pencil sketches I've seen.

[Krzysztof · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a wonderful book! It not only presents beautiful art of Alan Lee but also documents his work on the Lord of the Rings movie sets, paying tribute to a host of people working on visual aspects of these movies, from miniatures makers to gardeners.

First things first, the art is amazing. Book presents only a fraction of over 2500 drawings made by Alan Lee during the production of the movies and I loved the selected pieces. Some allow to admire how tirelessly teams of people worked to faithfully translate detailed drawings to real objects, others show explorations of ideas that were discarded in the process, and some are a testament to a franctic production schedule, showing that the artist had to deliver what was necessary and skip the rest. There are also several illustrations made for books, where readers can see the process that allowed to find their final shape.

The second theme of the book is craft. Alan Lee is a devoted reader of the source books, following Tolkien's inspirations and studying Norse sagas, Celtic myths, and medivial history. I loved how humble and open he is when writing about his skills. For instance, he openly states that drawing anatomy, be it humans or horses, is still a chalenge for him and he will cover difficult parts with shields or by adding foreground characters if he can't make them look right.

The last theme of the book is the participation in a 6 years long project where deadlines are tight, nights are short, and a lot of effort goes unnoticed in the final product. There is a deep sense of pride and satisfaction, but the author doesn't shy away from the difficult parts of this job. Even though I watched all the extras on DVDs I was not aware of how engaged he was in the production and post-production of the movies.

It is a great book for any LOTR fan, books and movies alike, as well as for artists who'd like to understand how work on a filmset could look like. Probably, there won't be any filmset like this one anymore, which makes me sad and at the same time grateful for the fact we experienced the LOTR movies being made.

[Mayu Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigo leyendo "El señor de los anillos" y tenía que revisar este libro y lo he encontrado genial!, una joya de Alan Lee. Siempre he dicho que mi ilustrador favorito de la Tierra Media es John Howe, y lo mantengo, pero Lee también es muy bueno en lo que hace, su trabajo para "La caída de Gondolin" es de mis favoritos. Y este libro es un excelente ejemplo de lo buen dibujante que es, sus bocetos son de una calidad en detalles increíble, muchas veces prefiero el boceto al pintado final con acuarela que es la característica en sus trabajos. Éste libro esta escrito durante el tiempo que Howe y Lee trabajaron en la película como asistentes, tiene muchos bocetos y Lee nos cuenta su inspiración y como fue creando estos conceptos y anécdotas del tiempo del rodaje, libro más hermoso no he visto en mucho tiempo.