Morwen and Túrin by Kasiopea (SFW)

[incognitajones]

Greetings!

I'm looking forward to a month of going through my bookmarks old and new to bring you a small sample from the ocean of great Tolkien fanart. My tastes tend to focus on Elves, Men, and shieldmaidens (I'll try to limit myself to only a few portraits of Éowyn this month, but no promises), and though most of my recs will be recent works, I'm starting off with an older one...

Fandom: Tolkien (The Silmarillion)
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: portrait of a pregnant Morwen and young Túrin
Content Notes/Warnings: n/a
Medium: watercolour?
Artist on DW/LJ: n/a
Artist Website/Gallery: Tolkien Gateway, Council of Elrond, Facebook
Why this piece is awesome: Kasiopea (aka Chmiel) seems to have moved on to Star Wars fandom these days, but I first encountered her as a Tolkien fanartist. Her work is always gracefully composed with elegant lines. This piece conveys Morwen's strength and drive to protect both her children, while her son's scowl hints at the turbulent life ahead of him.
Link:
http://tolkiengateway.net/w/images/9/91/Catherine_Chmiel_-_Morwen_and_Turin.jpg

alarm inspectors by Zach Morrison (SFW)

[aka_rat]

Hi! I'm going to be recommending Friends at the Table fanart this month. As Austin says at the beginning of most episodes, "Friends at the Table is an actual-play podcast focused on critical world-building, smart characterization, and fun interactions between good friends." FaTT has been going strong for 5 years now, and has had 3 very different settings: Seasons of Hieron (fantasy), COUNTER/weight (cyberpunk dystopia), and Twilight Mirage (cyberpunk utopia). So there's a ton of really diverse and wonderful fanart!!

Fandom: Friends at the Table
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Grand Magnificent, Fourteen Fifteen, Gig Kephart, and Tender Sky
Content Notes/Warnings: none
Medium: Digital
Artist on DW/LJ: nope :(
Artist Website/Gallery: Paranatural
Why this piece is awesome:

One of my favorite things about podcasts (and books) is how much it's left up to your own imagination what the characters look like. Even when a player describes a character in detail, two listeners may come up with completely different appearances for the character. This fanart is a great example!

I found this drawing because it was linked on Discord as evidence of "Big Gig theory". Before I saw this I had never considered that Gig Kephart might be anything but a tiny little scrawny dude. BUT the artist sells their vision with the pose, outfit, and attitude (and flying eye-bot). Big Gig is Real.

This depiction of a sort of normy-looking Grand Magnificent also kinda tweaks the skinny hipstery artist that has always been in my head, in a way that actually makes the character make more sense. And Tender Sky is gorgeous. This is one of my favorite Tender Sky outfits. The crystalline pattern of the jacket and the baggy thigh-high stockings are just - *chef's kiss* Fourteen Fifteen's athletic pose and clothing are another unexpected touch! I'd always imagined them being kinda bookish. However the face, hair and glasses (not to mention the horns) make it obvious who they are.

I really like that this artwork tipped my expectations of what the characters look like while still keeping them recognizable, as well as the lovely soft color palette and sketchy dynamic lines.

Link: On Twitter