Turimel writes: I took these very cool pics of Alan Lee in Beaverton, OR. He’s drawing a picture of Sam on a concrete stepping stone. That stone will be placed in the Elanor Garden, which is just up the street from the bookstore where Alan appeared.
The garden was built to be an homage to JRR Tolkien and his beloved character, Sam Gamgee. We wanted to make a special stone as a tribute to Sam for the garden path, and Mr. Lee was gracious enough to brave the difficult media of rough concrete and a very messy bottle of paint to produce a lovely sketch of Sam on this stone. It bears an imprint of nasturtium leaves and a flower, and will eventually say, “Well, I’m back!” This will surely be the crown jewel of the Elanor garden and I’m thrilled that Mr. Lee was willing to do this–particularly after a long evening of presentations, questions, and booksignings.
Tim Richardson, The Dork-rector of ‘The Dork of the Rings’ writes: Coming this December will be a FREE sneak screening on the “big screen” in South Bend, Indiana of clips and interviews from THE DORK OF THE RINGS, which is coming out in summer 2006. Our website is dorkoftherings.com
Meet the cast and crew of the film and watch the movie trailer, the documentary THE MAKING OF MUDDLE-EARTH (which has screened internationally), footage of co-director Jack Peterson at conventions (where he talked to Elijah Wood about the film), new and improved computer enhanced scenes from the film and much, much more!
An hour-long DVD with many of these videos will be available as well at the event and through the website starting December 10. We will also hopefully have new Dork t-shirts available for sale by then.
This sizzling event will take place Saturday, December 10 at 2:00 p.m. Indiana University South Bend at Wiekamp Hall in lecture room 1001. Visit iusb.edu to find the address and map information.
Everyone is reminded that Alan Lee, the acclaimed LOTR illustrator and Academy Award-winning conceptual designer for the film trilogy, will join us in the Hall of Fire (on the TORn IRC server) on Saturday November 5 at 6pm EST for a live question and answer session.
Alan will be answering questions on his work illustrating Lord of the Rings, his involvement with Peter Jackson and WETA as a conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings film Trilogy and his new book The Lord of the Rings sketchbook.
The book presents more than 150 of Lee’s celebrated illustrations to show how his imagery for both the illustrated Lord of the Rings and the films progressed from concept to finished art. In addition, the book contains 20 full-color plates and numerous examples of the conceptual art produced for Peter Jackson’s film adaptation.
Alan has been creating fantasy artwork since 1978. He’s illustrated writers such as Dennis L McKiernen, Ursula K. Le Guin and has also worked as a set designer on the films Legend (1985), Erik the Viking (1989) and Merlin (1998).
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tolkien, a new 1,200 page edition of The Lord of the Rings was planned. Alan Lee was chosen as the illustrator. With 50 colour plates, the book was a stunning artistic and commercial success.
This chat will be held on Saturday November 5 at 6pm EST on the TORn IRC server. However, if you can’t make it, you can still submit your question for Alan simply by e-mailing it to us at halloffire@theonering.net. We’ll ask it for you on the day!
Alan’s United States book tour
Alan Lee is currently touring the United States to promote and talk about his new book during October. His events will will feature a slide show, a Q&A with fans, and a booksigning. You can also order your copy from Amazon here.
And if you want to find out more about his tour, including dates and locations, check out Alan’s tour blog! Get along, ask some questions, buy the book and get it signed by Alan, himself.
About the live Q&A
Because we expect a large number of people, this chat will be moderated. That means you’ll pass your questions to us and we’ll ask them on your behalf. The reason we do this is because we don’t want Alan overwhelmed by dozens of people all asking a question at the same time.
Time zone conversions
Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help.
America: 6.00pm EST (New York) 5.00pm CST (Chicago) 4.00pm MST (Salt Lake City) 2.00pm PST (Los Angeles)
Our chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation!
Where?
Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net – the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer.
To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions.
Upcoming topics:
Sun November 13 – The seven deadly sins in LoTR Sat November 19 – The seven deadly sins in LoTR
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we’ll probably give it a run in the coming weeks – you might even get to guest moderate the session!
Everyone is reminded that Alan Lee, the acclaimed LOTR illustrator and Academy Award-winning conceptual designer for the film trilogy, will join us in the Hall of Fire (on the TORn IRC server) on Saturday November 5 at 6pm EST for a live question and answer session.
Alan will be answering questions on his work illustrating Lord of the Rings, his involvement with Peter Jackson and WETA as a conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings film Trilogy and his new book The Lord of the Rings sketchbook.
The book presents more than 150 of Lee’s celebrated illustrations to show how his imagery for both the illustrated Lord of the Rings and the films progressed from concept to finished art. In addition, the book contains 20 full-color plates and numerous examples of the conceptual art produced for Peter Jackson’s film adaptation.
Alan has been creating fantasy artwork since 1978. He’s illustrated writers such as Dennis L McKiernen, Ursula K. Le Guin and has also worked as a set designer on the films Legend (1985), Erik the Viking (1989) and Merlin (1998).
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tolkien, a new 1,200 page edition of The Lord of the Rings was planned. Alan Lee was chosen as the illustrator. With 50 colour plates, the book was a stunning artistic and commercial success.
This chat will be held on Saturday November 5 at 6pm EST on the TORn IRC server. However, if you can’t make it, you can still submit your question for Alan simply by e-mailing it to us at halloffire@theonering.net. We’ll ask it for you on the day!
Alan’s United States book tour
Alan Lee is currently touring the United States to promote and talk about his new book during October. His events will will feature a slide show, a Q&A with fans, and a booksigning. You can also order your copy from Amazon here.
And if you want to find out more about his tour, including dates and locations, check out Alan’s tour blog! Get along, ask some questions, buy the book and get it signed by Alan, himself.
About the live Q&A
Because we expect a large number of people, this chat will be moderated. That means you’ll pass your questions to us and we’ll ask them on your behalf. The reason we do this is because we don’t want Alan overwhelmed by dozens of people all asking a question at the same time.
Time zone conversions
Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help.
America: 6.00pm EST (New York) 5.00pm CST (Chicago) 4.00pm MST (Salt Lake City) 2.00pm PST (Los Angeles)
Our chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation!
Where?
Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net – the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer.
To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions.
Upcoming topics:
Sun November 13 – The seven deadly sins in LoTR Sat November 19 – The seven deadly sins in LoTR
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we’ll probably give it a run in the coming weeks – you might even get to guest moderate the session!
Join HoF Announce!
Did you know that Hall of Fire has a mailing list? Join today and get topic announcements and news delivered regularly to your inbox!
Everyone is reminded that Alan Lee, the acclaimed LOTR illustrator and Academy Award-winning conceptual designer for the film trilogy, will join us in the Hall of Fire (on the TORn IRC server) on Saturday November 5 at 6pm EST for a live question and answer session.
Alan will be answering questions on his work illustrating Lord of the Rings, his involvement with Peter Jackson and WETA as a conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings film Trilogy and his new book The Lord of the Rings sketchbook.
The book presents more than 150 of Lee’s celebrated illustrations to show how his imagery for both the illustrated Lord of the Rings and the films progressed from concept to finished art. In addition, the book contains 20 full-color plates and numerous examples of the conceptual art produced for Peter Jackson’s film adaptation.
Alan has been creating fantasy artwork since 1978. He’s illustrated writers such as Dennis L McKiernen, Ursula K. Le Guin and has also worked as a set designer on the films Legend (1985), Erik the Viking (1989) and Merlin (1998).
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tolkien, a new 1,200 page edition of The Lord of the Rings was planned. Alan Lee was chosen as the illustrator. With 50 colour plates, the book was a stunning artistic and commercial success.
Although the chat will not be held until November 5, you can still submit your question for Alan in advance simply by e-mailing it to us at halloffire@theonering.net. We’ll ask it for you on the day!
Alan’s United States book tour
Alan Lee is currently touring the United States to promote and talk about his new book during October. His events will will feature a slide show, a Q&A with fans, and a booksigning. You can also order your copy from Amazon here.
And if you want to find out more about his tour, including dates and locations, check out Alan’s tour blog! Get along, ask some questions, buy the book and get it signed by Alan, himself.
About the live Q&A
Because we expect a large number of people, this chat will be moderated. That means you’ll pass your questions to us and we’ll ask them on your behalf. The reason we do this is because we don’t want Alan overwhelmed by dozens of people all asking a question at the same time.
Time zone conversions
Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help.
America: 6.00pm EST (New York) 5.00pm CST (Chicago) 4.00pm MST (Salt Lake City) 2.00pm PST (Los Angeles)
Europe: 11.00pm GMT (London) 11.30pm CET (Paris)
Asia-Pacific: 7.00am AWST (Sunday 7th) Perth 9.00am AEST (Sunday 7th) Brisbane 10.00am AEDT (Sunday 7th) Sydney 1.00pm NZDT (Sunday) Wellington
Our chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation!
Where?
Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net – the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer.
To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions.
Upcoming topics:
Sun November 13 – The seven deadly sins in LoTR Sat November 19 – The seven deadly sins in LoTR
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we’ll probably give it a run in the coming weeks – you might even get to guest moderate the session!
Join HoF Announce!
Did you know that Hall of Fire has a mailing list? Join today and get topic announcements and news delivered regularly to your inbox!
Celebriel writes: About 75 SF Bay Area Ringers were on hand to greet Alan Lee in Marin County Saturday evening, on his return to the San Francisco area to promote “The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook.” Many arrived as much as two hours early to reserve seats and have dinner in the bookstore’s café. They were treated to his wonderful presentation of sketches, photographs, and montages, as well as nearly two hours of stories from his six-year involvement in The Lord of the Rings.
He opened the program with material on Minas Tirith, explaining in detail how his art was used in the film production. His pencil sketches and montages (often combinations of his photographs, many taken from helicopters, and working models) were used by the model makers and the computer artists, who needed very specific information on the geography of Minas Tirith and the Pelennor Fields, for example, to complete their work. An example was a sweeping panorama from Osgiliath across the Anduin and the Pelennor to Minas Tirith, complete with the curves in the river where the Corsair ships would eventually be sighted. In a light touch, one drawing shows Denethor walking his little dog atop the Citadel and looking out over the city.
He also prepared drawings that would help the computer artists illustrate effects, such as Grond striking the doors of Minas Tirith, or stonework collapsing under attack.
For the Hall of Kings in Minas Tirith, he showed a mosaic design he had created for the hall and then painted in Photoshop. It was added in to the scene after principal photography had been completed.
In one of the most interesting sequences, Lee showed his series of pencil sketches of Gandalf’s and Pippin’s ride through Minas Tirith to the Citadel. He explained that as he worked through the series, “the details of the architecture became clearer” to him, and “the structures started to become real and fully formed.” The sequence and visual angles are incredibly close to what was used in The Return of the King. In addition to the layout and overall architecture of the city, Lee drew thousands of details including columns, wall hangings, furniture, and the many statues that line the hall. As we know, the eventual Minas Tirith miniature was so finely detailed it could be used not just in wide shots but in close-ups filmed just inches from its surface.
He said that the pickup shots for each film generally lasted three months, and often involved rebuilding sets or parts of sets that had been taken down so they could be used in new or expanded scenes.
Lee also did most of the design work on Edoras, one of his favorite sets. The craftsmen who worked at Edoras were “an extraordinary bunch,” he says. “There were 400 people working on construction and set building, 80% of whom had never worked on a film before. They were craftsmen in their own right who came to Wellington, announced their presence, and said, ‘Please let us work on this film’.” Many of them were characters, too, like Sam Jennett, the stone carver who carved with an axe in each hand.
The scope of his work on The Lord of the Rings is impressive: In his six years he made over 2500 pencil drawings. He also worked on packaging for the DVDs, including the icons on the Extended Edition of The Return of the King and the fellowship entering Moria for the Fellowship of the Ring. At the suggestion of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, he did the sketches seen during the credits of The Return of the King, aiming to capture the actors when they were most themselves.
Lee shared photos of Saruman’s Book, with a white hand icon on its cover. He created the artwork in the book, in style a subtle homage to Leonardo da Vinci’s sketchbooks, that was combined with Daniel Reeve’s beautiful calligraphy.
In discussing his working relationship with John Howe, he said that Howe created creatures such as the Balrog, the Fell Beast, and the wraiths, and was responsible for Barad-Dur, Minas Morgul, the Black Gates, and Bag End, while he created Rivendell, Minas Tirith, Rohan, Moria, and also Orthanc.
Behind the scenes material included a photo with Jim Rygiel and his staff, comparing the artwork for the ring dissolving in lava with slices of leftover pizza.
He showed sketches that were to be used in flashback scenes of the five Istari arriving in Middle Earth, which was to have been filmed on a beach near Wellington. Props and costumes were tried out on some extras, but the scenes were not completed. He also mentioned talk of a scene in which Tom Bombadil would have officiated at Sam and Rosie’s wedding (THIS WAS NEVER FILMED)
Lee has two cameos in the films. In the Prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring, he is one of the nine men (who eventually become ringwraiths) receiving rings. In The Two Towers, he and Supervising Art Director Dan Hanna are seen in the Armoury at Helm’s Deep, when Gimli says “some have seen too many winters….”
His Elven map of Middle Earth appears as the endpapers in the new Sketchbook. He imagined it as something Bilbo would have brought back from Rivendell, and revealed that Numenor on the map is modeled after the North Island of New Zealand: “It’s star-shaped with a volcano in the middle.”
Lee said that there is still “a huge amount of art that hasn’t been seen,” suggesting that what’s needed is “a big thick book that really shows off the props and the armor,” for example. His next project will be an illustrated version of Ovid’s Metamorphoses for younger readers.
After the slide presentation, he stayed for well over an hour answering questions, chatting with fans, and signing books and the special t-shirts whose unique design he had created in July for the SF Trilogy Thursday which raised funds for Cure Autism Now.
