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The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook by Alan Lee

"A beautifully illustrated and also fun and informative look behind the scenes of Lee's artistic process while he helped bring Middle-earth to life. Covering Peter Jackson's films and an illustrated edition of Tolkiens' novels, every single page in this book was stunning." 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pros: The artwork, obviously/Lee’s narrative is educational and fun/The memories he shares show just how much work everyone put into these monumental films.

Cons: Non-Fiction can get a little dry at times but honestly, Lees' writing flowed pretty well overall/There were parts of the books that he mentioned that I wasn't familiar with so I had trouble picturing them but that just gives me more reason to go back and read the series again 🙌. 

Full Review: 

The look into the mind of an artist was a very unique and fun way to explore Middle-earth. Lee explained his process. How instead of lists, he sketches out little thumbnails of what he'll draw first. And thus began our adventure in the Shire, of course, concerning Hobbits. 

We get to watch the evolution of a Hobbit and then, in the footsteps of Frodo, we follow the path of the Fellowship. Every location, from Bree to Rivendell, all the way to the Black Gate of Mordor, is drawn in intricate, all-encompassing, beautiful detail. Lee made every single place mesmerizing and unique. Even his barest sketches were jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

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