An exhibition of Tolkien’s varied auxiliary materials-including calligraphy, maps, colored pencil sketches, vibrant watercolors, and more-made the rounds in New York, Paris, and Oxford, England beginning in 2018. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, which first hit bookshelves in the 1990s, contains about 200 reproductions of Tolkien’s artworks and in 2012, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt released The Art of The Hobbit, with more than 100 of Tolkien’s Hobbit-specific artworks. Tolkien’s drawings, sketches, and paintings have popped up in various volumes over the years. But a quick glance at one of his watercolor paintings will tell you everything you need to know: If Tolkien didn’t write his own books, he probably could’ve made a career out of illustrating other authors' works. Tolkien never took art lessons, and he often downplayed his artistic skills. What might be surprising is how good he was at it. Tolkien invented languages, drew detailed maps, and practically wrote history textbooks in order to make Middle-earth come alive, it’s not exactly surprising that he illustrated scenes from his work, too.
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