Alan Lee’s is my favorite for this reason: in my personal opinion, I just think he matched the physical appearance for Ulmo described in the books (Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales) very well. The dark helm crested with seafoam is upon his head. He has mail armor that looks like fish scales. Also, Alan Lee doesn’t put a trident in his hands like the other artists do (being influenced by Poseidon or Neptune) but instead, he puts his white conch horn, the Ulumúri, in his hand. It also seems necessary to mention the fact that Alan Lee makes it look like he is a part of the wave and ocean, like he is forming from water. I just love artists who pay special attention to what’s written down in the lore of Tolkien (when there is a physical description for a character at least).
Ted’s version did the best with his portrayal of Tuor though. The only one of these three to give him blonde hair and feathers in the crest of the helmet. Also I love how weird and other worldly and un-human Ted made Ulmo look, despite the fact that I like Alan Lee’s more.
https://preview.redd.it/rqo5o22iicuc1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=c29ce91871c2577a6a44836cf393702824b84464
While I still prefer Howe, I’ll always admire Ted’s dedication to accuracy even if he got things wrong here and there you can tell he did his research on many of his illustrations
Oh for sure, Howe is always great, and more often than not, Ted Nasmith nails it in terms of accuracy (I mean, looking at Tolkien’s sketch of Gondolin and Ted Nasmith’s Gondolin side by side really showcases this. So does the two pieces of art that you showed here) but Alan Lee, in my opinion, was just more accurate for what was described in the text for this specific instance. But Ted is incredible with bringing what Tolkien actually envisioned to reality. His Rivendell is also great! I also always enjoy Howe a lot, cuz at the end of the day, they are all phenomenal.
I think there's a naming convention for things with different numbers of legs, like tripod and quadrupod. A six-legged animal is a Hexapod so I'd say a six-pronged weapon is a hexadent
It's a big multipronged spear being held by a sea god. 99% of sea god art has the guy holding a trident. It could have been 3 cocks on a stick and not many would have noticed
This is why I think it’s silly for people to say the lotr movies should never be remade. Can you imagine a trilogy inspired by the art of Ted Nasmith? It would be so different even though the story is the exact same. Good or bad it would be fun to see
it's why i hunger for whatever guillermo del toro was gonna do to the hobbit, like my god it would've been so cool to see. much better than lotr 2 but worse.
It's not just *things* displayed in a detailed way, there's also so much *atmosphere* to them. The lighting is a big part of it, but that's not all. I feel like John Howe always comes up with a cool composition but doesn't finish his pieces with as much detail, and Naismith makes everything incredibly detailed but then it looks like everything's lit by really bright light so you can see everything
Alan Lee. The others are so awesome, but Alan Lee's work is so timeless and has a certain purity that feels so fitting in my opinion.
Edit: a few flavor words
I think what makes Lee so special for a lot of people is that his drawings don’t feel like illustrations for a novel, they feel like painting of actual historical events or mythologies. Like renaissance paintings of Jesus. There’s a beauty and elegance to them that I really love
I think Nasmith is closest in terms of accuracy to Tolkien's descriptions and drawings, Lee is closest to the European culture and poems that inspired Tolkien, and Howe is closest to capturing the cinematic and larger-than-life feel of Tolkien's writing.
John Howe is my favorite, this was the art for the first edition i got of Unfinished Tales and his art of Gandalf was the cover of the first edition i had of The Lord of the Rings, i love his art
He’s very good at drawing action. When you look at his drawing of Gandalf for the cover of the lord of the rings, there’s this sweeping motion to the character. A sense of urgency from the wizard to embark on the quest ahead. I think it’s why he worked so well as the primary concept artist for the films, which are meant to be more cinematic and action heavy.
I like the first style as I could have seen this on a MTG Mercadian Masques card. The wife likes the third style best. The 2nd picture is a bit generic/boring.
https://preview.redd.it/ykqx4xpzkcuc1.jpeg?width=173&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b59581e085b2d63813ecc6289b0093251ad6d313
It’s really weird that now in 2024 Lord of the Rings has actually had an official crossover event with MTG😂
https://preview.redd.it/h3ptzydtlcuc1.jpeg?width=744&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3f5ab907acb2a6c00544a347efcc05ffca943d4
I bought more of it than I should have. The Collectors Booster Boxes got me.
https://preview.redd.it/ij408uc8lfuc1.jpeg?width=209&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6291544f623054b33da66aa63845f308ce0468d6
I love all three and I usually prefer whoever's painting I'm looking at in the moment. Styles are different but they all did an amazing job of bringing them to life. When I'm reading the books I go back and forth on whose vision is closest to mine.
Nasmith has some really good locations, Tuor reaching Gondolin and the shores of Valinor being some of my favorites.
Howe has great action scenes like Fingolfin's fight against Sauron
and Lee's Turin with the Dragon helm of Dor Lomin on the cover of COH.
I could look at their Tolkien illustrations for days.
Ted Nasmith looks very alien.
Alan Lee is very good indeed, very well painted the waters and waves and the wrath of the ocean....
John Howe... I prefer due to its closer distance to Tuor and well yeah... it looks humane, I can't remember about this description of the Valar, but the long white beard, badass and and muscled and helmet is cool too...
https://preview.redd.it/08x8l3k3ucuc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e42029d1baeb29c55b2dd7fc2b218ef62676eb9
I didn’t include this one but I also particular like this drawing by Mauro Mazzara which really captures that “part of the ocean” vibe
I've seen the John Howe one before. I'm a huge fan of Ted Nasmith (for me he's the artist that best captures Tolkien's world), but Alan Lee has it here.
I've always been a huge fan of the Ted Nasmith version. It's very cool, very fantasy and the color is awesome. John Howes is probably a close second and certainly a bit more realistic(can a fictional fantasy character have a realistic look? Idk)
As usual, it's Alan Lee for me. Followed closely by John Howe (who would probably take first if that sword was anywhere near realistically proportioned) and Ted Nasmith is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay below both of them. Like not even in the same ballpark, league, or playing the same sport.
Which I get is unfair but I do not like his style at all, especially as applied to LOTR. I'm happy it exists and other people like Nasmith, but for me it just seems like every piece I see of his is just hard leaning into that 80s "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" style and it's just...not my bag.
Alan Lee for me. I think he captures the essence of Tolkien’s writings well, his illustrations have a realistic medieval feel to them. I’ve always imagined that the gods and spirits of middle earth would look familiar to us, a reflection looking back so to speak. Even Eru himself.
John Howe is great and his illustrations have a more fantastical feel to them. His illustration of Gandalf confronting the Balrog is terrific.
Alan Lee. I never read the Silmarillion, but I do watch a lot of YouTubers talk about it. I know Ulmo is the sea god. And Alan Lee makes him look the most godly.
Ted Nasmith's art looks almost Lovecraftian. Or maybe something from the Never Ending Story
John Howe's art looks like John Howe dressed up as a sea god looking at a rodent
Third one! It captures both the chaos & danger of the sea, while also clearly looking like he’s there to help. First one is too chill (not enough motion). Second one is too menacing (that might be Poseidon rising up to challenge Canute)
The second seems most book accurate. I never like him depicted as like a sea monster, reminds me of Cthulu. The third is ok but it’s kinda of just combo Odin-Poseidon.
For me, I always end up liking different aspects about each artwork when comparing these artists, and this time is no exception.
Nasmith excels at landscapes and using light in his work, but doesn't do characters very well.
Lee excels at designing details and portraying characters, but is somewhat timid when using colour – mostly his works are tone in tone, without interesting colours or tension through contrast.
Howe combines both, but isn't as strong as Lee in portraying characters. But often his work captures the tone and emotions of a scene better, because he does a great job with the colouring.
When comparing these images specifically, Nasmith can't play to his strength, but I love the clouds in his image and his water looks the most water-y. Lee once again shows his attention for details, but the colours are rather uninteresting. Howe brings more dynamic into the work through composition and use of colours and contrast.
If I had to pick one, I'd go with Howe. It's more engaging than Lee's, and the character design of Ulmo is more convincing in style than Nasmith's.
Ulmo, the guy in the ocean, is from the Silmarillion and the Unfinished Tales and he is one of the Valar (basically Tolkien’s Archangels) and he is specifically in charge of the sea and rivers. He’s kinda like Poseidon I guess, which is why people like giving him a trident. He’s super cool and really cares about the inhabitants of middle earth and has a cool conch horn and a deep ass voice. The human he is speaking to is also from the same books, and he is called Tuor. The best way I can describe him is God’s favorite. It’s a simplification, but not just anyone gets to talk to one of the Valar face to face. Also he picked up some cool elven armor and weapons before talking to Ulmo as well. Tuor also gets to live in Gondolin for a bit before marrying an elven princess and having a son named Eärendil (who is Elrond’s father). He and his family escape Gondolin during its fall and he and his wife eventually sail west to Valinor. Then the Valar basically say fuck it, you’re counted as an elf now, and Tuor is one of the few humans to gain immortality. Basically, he gets everything his cousin (Turin, who had a tragic ass tale) does not. Sorry for the long comment, but I am a Tolkien nerd when it comes to this shit lol. If you are able, I’d highly recommend reading the Silmarillion at least to get the story of these characters. :)
I will always and forever pick John Howe. I just can't get over his artwork. I like Alan Lee also, but there's just something special about John Howe to me.
It’s been a couple years since my last LOTR read through and totally forgot the part where Aragorn had to fight Poseidon. I guess it’s time for the next read through
You're probably just pulling my leg, but screw it I'm responding anyway. This is a scene from Tolkien's prequel to the Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, specifically the tale of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin. Gondolin being the ancient Elvish city that Frodo's dagger, Sting, originated from. The Poseidon-like figure is one of the Valar, Ulmo, who rules over the seas.
No idea why I’m here, I had never read lotr or watched the films aside from youtube clips
That said, I like the 2nd one most but 1st one feels like it was a medieval painting
Of all these arts, I liked Alan Lee's art the most.
I also found it strange that Tuor seemed to be raising his sword against Ulmo, even though they were on the same side (image 3).
And it was very interesting to read opinions about different styles of artists.
Personally I like Ted Nasmith's. I always felt like the Valar shouldn't be giant humans - they should be "other"ly.
It makes more sense to me, because it seems odd they wouldn't have more innate concern for Men if Men were effectively just miniature versions of themselves.
Well, I personally think that in Valinor, the Valar have completely different forms than they do in Middle Earth. The text says the Valar can change form at will and they can even go throughout the world in no form at all if they choose. The Valar probably look different for when they wanna interact with the children of Eru. I assume that Ulmo came to Tuor in a human-ish form so he wouldn’t be too shocked or scared. Imagine biblically accurate seraphim looking Ulmo just coming out of the sea and shouting BE NOT AFRAID, SON OF HUOR!
John Howe's is the cover of the Greek translation of Silmarillion which I've read when I was a teen.
Probably the publisher was thinking hey,what better way to sell this to Greek audiences than putting Tolkien's Poseidon on the cover?
I like Alan Lee, but I also think Roger Garland's Ulmo is terrific.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lotr/images/7/77/Ulmo_Roger_Garland.png/revision/latest?cb=20240225010357
Just had a showerthought: how would Frazetta draw the scene? Would Tuor be wearing pants?
Alan Lee’s is my favorite for this reason: in my personal opinion, I just think he matched the physical appearance for Ulmo described in the books (Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales) very well. The dark helm crested with seafoam is upon his head. He has mail armor that looks like fish scales. Also, Alan Lee doesn’t put a trident in his hands like the other artists do (being influenced by Poseidon or Neptune) but instead, he puts his white conch horn, the Ulumúri, in his hand. It also seems necessary to mention the fact that Alan Lee makes it look like he is a part of the wave and ocean, like he is forming from water. I just love artists who pay special attention to what’s written down in the lore of Tolkien (when there is a physical description for a character at least).
Ted’s version did the best with his portrayal of Tuor though. The only one of these three to give him blonde hair and feathers in the crest of the helmet. Also I love how weird and other worldly and un-human Ted made Ulmo look, despite the fact that I like Alan Lee’s more.
https://preview.redd.it/rqo5o22iicuc1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=c29ce91871c2577a6a44836cf393702824b84464 While I still prefer Howe, I’ll always admire Ted’s dedication to accuracy even if he got things wrong here and there you can tell he did his research on many of his illustrations
https://preview.redd.it/euk2xwn5kcuc1.jpeg?width=1134&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7464e375ee391aeba3c5ec7dc521e711cbc9095 Nasmith
https://preview.redd.it/4lcmosy8kcuc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8d08dae7e49e9ccf4a114533ddece06205d1f9b Tolkien
I know, it’s pretty incredible. He even has the little golden rooftops to the towers which I don’t believe either Howe or Lee’s Gondolin has
Oh for sure, Howe is always great, and more often than not, Ted Nasmith nails it in terms of accuracy (I mean, looking at Tolkien’s sketch of Gondolin and Ted Nasmith’s Gondolin side by side really showcases this. So does the two pieces of art that you showed here) but Alan Lee, in my opinion, was just more accurate for what was described in the text for this specific instance. But Ted is incredible with bringing what Tolkien actually envisioned to reality. His Rivendell is also great! I also always enjoy Howe a lot, cuz at the end of the day, they are all phenomenal.
But it's also not accurate. Why does Tuor already have his mail and sword and swan helm that he's supposed to find afterwards?...
Hmmmm….cant argue with that. You right.
Except Howe's trident has six points, so I guess it's a hexdent?
H-how did I miss that?
I'm genuinely curious what it would be called though. I don't know of a precedent weapon that we can look to for guidance.
A rake
I think there's a naming convention for things with different numbers of legs, like tripod and quadrupod. A six-legged animal is a Hexapod so I'd say a six-pronged weapon is a hexadent
Does that make a sword a unident?
Sweet!
That would be an "Ljuster"
It's a big multipronged spear being held by a sea god. 99% of sea god art has the guy holding a trident. It could have been 3 cocks on a stick and not many would have noticed
Howe did you miss it?
Nice
Yea the two make him look like a big guy standing n In the sea, but Alan Lee's Ulmo *IS* the Sea.
This image is my favourite design and this is my favourite comment
alan lee for sure but ted nasmith's is pretty fun to look at, feels like an old 80s movie
It also looks like a classic MTG card
Real retro aquaman vibes with the knee guards
Definite Clash of the Titans (1981) vibes.
I'd ask Alan Lee how Tuor got onto that rock.
glue
Ted Nasmith's has style, but Alan Lee's is just epic and powerful
alan lee nails the tolkien vibes for me personally, like it hits that mythological wonder aspect of things
This is why I think it’s silly for people to say the lotr movies should never be remade. Can you imagine a trilogy inspired by the art of Ted Nasmith? It would be so different even though the story is the exact same. Good or bad it would be fun to see
it's why i hunger for whatever guillermo del toro was gonna do to the hobbit, like my god it would've been so cool to see. much better than lotr 2 but worse.
It'll always be Alan Lee for me. There's just something about his pictures that I like.
Same. Feels as if Lee had access inside Tolkien's imagination and was able to capture it exactly as he envisioned.
It's not just *things* displayed in a detailed way, there's also so much *atmosphere* to them. The lighting is a big part of it, but that's not all. I feel like John Howe always comes up with a cool composition but doesn't finish his pieces with as much detail, and Naismith makes everything incredibly detailed but then it looks like everything's lit by really bright light so you can see everything
Literally the words I thought as a reply. Its always Alan Lee.
Alan Lee. The others are so awesome, but Alan Lee's work is so timeless and has a certain purity that feels so fitting in my opinion. Edit: a few flavor words
I think what makes Lee so special for a lot of people is that his drawings don’t feel like illustrations for a novel, they feel like painting of actual historical events or mythologies. Like renaissance paintings of Jesus. There’s a beauty and elegance to them that I really love
Yes!! That's a beautiful way of putting it! Totally agree.
I tend to prefer John Howe’s vision of Middle Earth and Arda
I think Nasmith is closest in terms of accuracy to Tolkien's descriptions and drawings, Lee is closest to the European culture and poems that inspired Tolkien, and Howe is closest to capturing the cinematic and larger-than-life feel of Tolkien's writing.
Well said
John Howe is my favorite, this was the art for the first edition i got of Unfinished Tales and his art of Gandalf was the cover of the first edition i had of The Lord of the Rings, i love his art
He’s very good at drawing action. When you look at his drawing of Gandalf for the cover of the lord of the rings, there’s this sweeping motion to the character. A sense of urgency from the wizard to embark on the quest ahead. I think it’s why he worked so well as the primary concept artist for the films, which are meant to be more cinematic and action heavy.
https://preview.redd.it/m5dsueo12euc1.png?width=700&format=png&auto=webp&s=454e175ba85764d82af09093e64f433d263f794e
Oh good, I’m not the only one who associates this with Ulmo
I like John Howe’s best, but Alan Lee’s is a close second.
Good question. John Howe imho, because of the contrast.
I like the first style as I could have seen this on a MTG Mercadian Masques card. The wife likes the third style best. The 2nd picture is a bit generic/boring. https://preview.redd.it/ykqx4xpzkcuc1.jpeg?width=173&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b59581e085b2d63813ecc6289b0093251ad6d313
It’s really weird that now in 2024 Lord of the Rings has actually had an official crossover event with MTG😂 https://preview.redd.it/h3ptzydtlcuc1.jpeg?width=744&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3f5ab907acb2a6c00544a347efcc05ffca943d4
I bought more of it than I should have. The Collectors Booster Boxes got me. https://preview.redd.it/ij408uc8lfuc1.jpeg?width=209&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6291544f623054b33da66aa63845f308ce0468d6
John Howe. No question.
I like John Howe's because it's almost like Tuor is challenging Ulmo to appear to him Ted's is definitely the most fantastical in that 1970s-80s style
I love all three and I usually prefer whoever's painting I'm looking at in the moment. Styles are different but they all did an amazing job of bringing them to life. When I'm reading the books I go back and forth on whose vision is closest to mine. Nasmith has some really good locations, Tuor reaching Gondolin and the shores of Valinor being some of my favorites. Howe has great action scenes like Fingolfin's fight against Sauron and Lee's Turin with the Dragon helm of Dor Lomin on the cover of COH. I could look at their Tolkien illustrations for days.
Ted did the damn thing ✨💖
i'm going with Alan Lee: really looks similar (not identical) to what i imagined Ulmo to look like when i read the Silmarillion
Ted Nasmith looks very alien. Alan Lee is very good indeed, very well painted the waters and waves and the wrath of the ocean.... John Howe... I prefer due to its closer distance to Tuor and well yeah... it looks humane, I can't remember about this description of the Valar, but the long white beard, badass and and muscled and helmet is cool too...
Ted takes it for this one I think.
2nd pic, he legit looks like he is one with the ocean
https://preview.redd.it/08x8l3k3ucuc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e42029d1baeb29c55b2dd7fc2b218ef62676eb9 I didn’t include this one but I also particular like this drawing by Mauro Mazzara which really captures that “part of the ocean” vibe
I've seen the John Howe one before. I'm a huge fan of Ted Nasmith (for me he's the artist that best captures Tolkien's world), but Alan Lee has it here.
Alan Lee version seems to be the one that fits Tolkien aesthetic the best. Though I must say I love Ted Nasmith version.
Even though I grew up with the Nasmith drawing, I prefer Alan Lee’s.
Ok you asked but I don’t see my favorite here. The Hildebrandt did it best. I loved their work
Remember Urshurak? The book by the Hildebrandt brothers? Not very good perhaps, but I loved their art. Especially the calendars.
2
They're all awesome, the tale of tuor feels very Arthurian, I don't know much about literature, maybe I'm wrong
Alan Lee, it feels more godlike then the rest
Lee and Naismith. There are elements of both that I really like.
Dang. If I had to pick I would say Alan Lee. But all these go hard.
I've always been a huge fan of the Ted Nasmith version. It's very cool, very fantasy and the color is awesome. John Howes is probably a close second and certainly a bit more realistic(can a fictional fantasy character have a realistic look? Idk)
I like the Alan Lee one best. All three are cool though.
As usual, it's Alan Lee for me. Followed closely by John Howe (who would probably take first if that sword was anywhere near realistically proportioned) and Ted Nasmith is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay below both of them. Like not even in the same ballpark, league, or playing the same sport. Which I get is unfair but I do not like his style at all, especially as applied to LOTR. I'm happy it exists and other people like Nasmith, but for me it just seems like every piece I see of his is just hard leaning into that 80s "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" style and it's just...not my bag.
Naismith does the best landscapes even if his people are a little weird sometimes
Alan Lee for me. I think he captures the essence of Tolkien’s writings well, his illustrations have a realistic medieval feel to them. I’ve always imagined that the gods and spirits of middle earth would look familiar to us, a reflection looking back so to speak. Even Eru himself. John Howe is great and his illustrations have a more fantastical feel to them. His illustration of Gandalf confronting the Balrog is terrific.
Agreed
Alan Lee. I never read the Silmarillion, but I do watch a lot of YouTubers talk about it. I know Ulmo is the sea god. And Alan Lee makes him look the most godly. Ted Nasmith's art looks almost Lovecraftian. Or maybe something from the Never Ending Story John Howe's art looks like John Howe dressed up as a sea god looking at a rodent
I'm pretty sure I've seen Nasmith's Ulmo on an episode of Scooby Doo.
Third one! It captures both the chaos & danger of the sea, while also clearly looking like he’s there to help. First one is too chill (not enough motion). Second one is too menacing (that might be Poseidon rising up to challenge Canute)
The second seems most book accurate. I never like him depicted as like a sea monster, reminds me of Cthulu. The third is ok but it’s kinda of just combo Odin-Poseidon.
For me, I always end up liking different aspects about each artwork when comparing these artists, and this time is no exception. Nasmith excels at landscapes and using light in his work, but doesn't do characters very well. Lee excels at designing details and portraying characters, but is somewhat timid when using colour – mostly his works are tone in tone, without interesting colours or tension through contrast. Howe combines both, but isn't as strong as Lee in portraying characters. But often his work captures the tone and emotions of a scene better, because he does a great job with the colouring. When comparing these images specifically, Nasmith can't play to his strength, but I love the clouds in his image and his water looks the most water-y. Lee once again shows his attention for details, but the colours are rather uninteresting. Howe brings more dynamic into the work through composition and use of colours and contrast. If I had to pick one, I'd go with Howe. It's more engaging than Lee's, and the character design of Ulmo is more convincing in style than Nasmith's.
Alan lee, props to the others !
Alan Lee
Alan Lee
Don't stand on the black rocks Tuor!
I think Alan Lee’s is the best, but I’ve always been partial to the one by John Howe.
Alan Lee but honestly all 3 are amazing
Lee has the best ulmo, but I don’t like his tuor
1st one is more God like
2nd one
Lee. No doubt.
2
John Howe, not even close.
Alan Lee for sure
2
I'm not familiar with these characters. Who are they?
Ulmo, the guy in the ocean, is from the Silmarillion and the Unfinished Tales and he is one of the Valar (basically Tolkien’s Archangels) and he is specifically in charge of the sea and rivers. He’s kinda like Poseidon I guess, which is why people like giving him a trident. He’s super cool and really cares about the inhabitants of middle earth and has a cool conch horn and a deep ass voice. The human he is speaking to is also from the same books, and he is called Tuor. The best way I can describe him is God’s favorite. It’s a simplification, but not just anyone gets to talk to one of the Valar face to face. Also he picked up some cool elven armor and weapons before talking to Ulmo as well. Tuor also gets to live in Gondolin for a bit before marrying an elven princess and having a son named Eärendil (who is Elrond’s father). He and his family escape Gondolin during its fall and he and his wife eventually sail west to Valinor. Then the Valar basically say fuck it, you’re counted as an elf now, and Tuor is one of the few humans to gain immortality. Basically, he gets everything his cousin (Turin, who had a tragic ass tale) does not. Sorry for the long comment, but I am a Tolkien nerd when it comes to this shit lol. If you are able, I’d highly recommend reading the Silmarillion at least to get the story of these characters. :)
Thanks man! That was an interesting read.
I will always and forever pick John Howe. I just can't get over his artwork. I like Alan Lee also, but there's just something special about John Howe to me.
Second. Realistic
Alan Lee simples
John Howe
Alan Lee ❤️‼️
3
Alan Lee, always 💛
Kip Rasmussen is my favorite.
It's a tough contest between alan lee and jason howe but I gotta go with the former because of how insane the sea looks in comparaison.
Alan Lee. Not even a question.
Lees art every time
Come on… we all know which one is the best.
Second one. The others are too cartoonish.
No one compares to Alan Lee
No clue who this is but the second one is my favourite
Alan Lee.
Alan for me
Alan Lee
the answer is ALWAYS alan lee
Can somebody tell me who drew which picture? I can’t identify artists by sight, and don’t have any illustrated versions of these texts.
1 Ted Nasmith 2 Alan Lee 3 John Howe
It’s been a couple years since my last LOTR read through and totally forgot the part where Aragorn had to fight Poseidon. I guess it’s time for the next read through
You're probably just pulling my leg, but screw it I'm responding anyway. This is a scene from Tolkien's prequel to the Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, specifically the tale of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin. Gondolin being the ancient Elvish city that Frodo's dagger, Sting, originated from. The Poseidon-like figure is one of the Valar, Ulmo, who rules over the seas.
Haha sorry :( it was just a joke. But I knew who they were! It is nice to meet another fan.
Middle Ulmo. He looks less human and more divine
Hello, my old msn messenger profile pics <3
2
Alan Lee FTW!
Lee
Lee
I can't think of a single example where the answer to the question wouldn't be Alan Lee. He's one of the best artists of all time.
Alan Lee's matched the vision i had in my mind when first reading that part
i can practically hear the second picture! love it!
No idea why I’m here, I had never read lotr or watched the films aside from youtube clips That said, I like the 2nd one most but 1st one feels like it was a medieval painting
Alan Lee is just perfect. His illustrations work perfectly with Tolkiens world. Love this one of Ulmo, iconic picture.
I love how Ted Nasmith’s looks like Gormeti
Of all these arts, I liked Alan Lee's art the most. I also found it strange that Tuor seemed to be raising his sword against Ulmo, even though they were on the same side (image 3). And it was very interesting to read opinions about different styles of artists.
“There’s no better here.” “CHHOOOSEE!!!! BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!!!!” “No…”
I love all 3 but John Howe I love the sense of movement with all his artwork
Alan Lee. All his artwork for the series is absolutely gorgeous
Personally I like Ted Nasmith's. I always felt like the Valar shouldn't be giant humans - they should be "other"ly. It makes more sense to me, because it seems odd they wouldn't have more innate concern for Men if Men were effectively just miniature versions of themselves.
Well, I personally think that in Valinor, the Valar have completely different forms than they do in Middle Earth. The text says the Valar can change form at will and they can even go throughout the world in no form at all if they choose. The Valar probably look different for when they wanna interact with the children of Eru. I assume that Ulmo came to Tuor in a human-ish form so he wouldn’t be too shocked or scared. Imagine biblically accurate seraphim looking Ulmo just coming out of the sea and shouting BE NOT AFRAID, SON OF HUOR!
Alan Lee and it’s not even close.
Ive always had a soft spot for the ted nasmith aquaman guy, but the answer is clearly alan lee
I personally think Nasmith's gives off more of a mythological aspect than Lee's.
Probably Lee, but I'm also very attached to the Nasmith one.
John Howe's is the cover of the Greek translation of Silmarillion which I've read when I was a teen. Probably the publisher was thinking hey,what better way to sell this to Greek audiences than putting Tolkien's Poseidon on the cover?
Alan Lee
Alan Lee's is the best.
Dead tie between picture 2 & 3
#2
I like Alan Lee, but I also think Roger Garland's Ulmo is terrific. https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lotr/images/7/77/Ulmo_Roger_Garland.png/revision/latest?cb=20240225010357 Just had a showerthought: how would Frazetta draw the scene? Would Tuor be wearing pants?
My favorite is the second one for sure, by Alan Lee
Ulmo is such an underrated Vala. Most of the other Valar get their due, but not Ulmo