From: nightsng@anarky.tch.org (Nightsong)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.tolkien
Subject: Re: Q: 'Illustrated Encyc. of Middle Earth' available?
Date: Sat, 02 Jan 93 02:01:44 PST
Organization: The Canned Ham, San Jose, CA.

carl@class.gsfc.nasa.gov (Carl F. Hostetter) writes:

> In article <1992Dec30.215504.18268@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>,
> Michael.P.Colburn@dartmouth.edu (Michael P. Colburn) wrote:
> > 
> > In article <1hsj0nINNiib@access.usask.ca>
> > friesend@jester.usask.ca (Darryl Friesen) writes:
> > 
> > >  - The illustrations are very poor (in my opinion). Many of them seem
> > >     'cheaply' done (ie. like you might find in a text book; black plus
> > >     one other color, little detail).  Some of the pen and ink sketches
> > >     are better though.
> > 
> > I sorta agree here, but for different reasons.  The illustrators used
> > several different mediums (lithograph, pen and ink, charcoal, etc) and
> > each illustrator (there are 8) have their own styles (impressionist,
> > realist, etc).  IMHO, this detracts from the reader efforts to
> > 'picture' Middle Earth as one world.  The contrasting mediums and
> > styles almost give one the impression there is more than one Middle
> > Earth.  I think the book would have been more effective had there only
> > been one or two illustrators (like the illustrator (Robin Wood??) who
> > did "The People of Pern".  BTW, I don't agree that the illustrations
> > were 'very poor' (true, some were very simplistic, but that doesn't
> > necessarily make them bad)...IMHO, many were inappropriate for the
> > reasons I stated above.
> > 
> 
> Oh yeah? How about that absolutely HIDEOUS "portrait" of Tolkien?
> An unidentifiably misshapen mass with eyes and ears. It is nae so
> much a man, as a blancmange!
> 
> |===================================================================|
> |         Carl F. Hostetter      carl@class.gsfc.nasa.gov           |
> |                                                                   |
> |                    Ars longa, vita brevis.                        |
> |          The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.            |
> |  "I wish life was not so short," he thought.  "Languages take     |
> |  such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about."  |
> |===================================================================|


It seemed alright to me.  The portrait that is.  I agree that some of the 
stuff did not seem to be done well enough.  Such as `The Trees of the 
Valar' which would have looked a little better had they been a little 
more well-painted -- the entire atmosphere seems to be lacking in the 
mood, as the artist tried too hard to make it.
 
Well, the `Eldamar', `The Golden Wood of Lothlo'rien', `The Hobbit Lands 
of Shire', `Princess Lu'thien', and `Elven Woman' seemed decent, although 
I think everything needs a slightly more fantasy-ish air to it, at least 
the ones of magical forests and such.  Maybe I  just like green :)


-Nightsong

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   `I am so used to confusing people that being confused confuses me'
 
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