Our good friends at Harper Collins – Tolkien publishers in the UK – are running a competition where they want to see YOUR version of Tolkien’s mighty dragon Smaug! They say:
‘Smaug is an incredible and mysterious character, his sleep and anger equally frightful. J.R.R. Tolkien described and illustrated the dragon with awe-inspiring words and artworks. Now it’s your turn to create your version of Smaug, as you imagined it when you first read J.R.R. Tolkien’s descriptions. Illustrators, designers, Hobbit fans of all ages – anyone can enter the competition and submit their Smaug’s artworks to win a fantastic grand prize!’
That prize is a copy of your own illustration, beautifully mounted on canvas! The winner will also get a collection of Harper Collins Hobbit books. Ten runners-up will win an exclusive, deluxe print of their artworks.
Get out those pens, pencils, inks, paint and whatever else takes your fancy, grab a copy of The Hobbit, reread Tolkien’s description of the fiery worm, and get illustrating! Full details of the contest, and where to submit your artwork, can be found here. The contest runs until December 13th, when (in many countries) we’ll finally be able to see Peter Jackson’s Smaug in all his glory on the big screen!
Harper Collins will be releasing various movie tie-in books for The Desolation of Smaug on November 7th. We’ll bring you details – and a chance to win copies! – nearer the time. Meanwhile you can find more information at Harper Collins’ website, here.
[Click here to enter the Smaug Artwork competition.]
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Our friends at Weta Workshop have released their latest newsletter and its jam packed with information. Tonight, we get two new pre-orders and a run down of when we will start seeing items for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The first item that came up for pre-order is the next Hobbit Hole helping fans create their own Hobbiton with Gandalf’s Cutting. This great little piece is named for being the Hobbit Hole that is nearest when Gandalf enters Hobbiton. The other item that went up for pre-order is a beatuiful art print capturing The Argonath. This stunning print was created by Gust Hunter and captures the Kings of Old as the Fellowship goes by. You can order Gandalf’s Cutting for $40 and it will ship in late November and you can also order The Argonath art print for $35 which is in-stock.
Also within tonights newsletter, Weta tells fans when they can expect to start ordering products that are tied in with the second film in the Hobbit Trilogy. These products will start to be released from next Monday afternoon here in the US, which is next Tuesday morning in New Zealand/Australia. So starting from next week fans can expect to order at least one new statue, which will be the Elven King Thranduil himself.
Here is the full comment from tonight’s newsletter:
Next week signals the launch of the first items from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
We have previously launched Bilbo and Bombur Barrel Riders as exclusive preview products, but 15 October signals the start of our range proper!
We have a range of products lined up for the next few months and while we want to keep some of them a surprise, one or two have seen the light of day at conventions and events.
King Thranduil 1/6 scale statue is one such piece and we will start taking orders for this striking Limited Edition piece:
Tuesday 15 October at 9AM NZ time!
Around the World that means the following times:
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US West Coast: Monday 14 October at 1pm
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US East Coast: Monday 14 October at 4pm
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Central Europe: Monday 14 October at 10pm
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Sydney, Australia: Tuesday 15 October at 7am
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As we know Weta Workshop is responsible for so many great things dealing with Middle-earth from the movies themselves to the collectibles we bring into our homes. So we wanted to take a chance to sit down with one of their amazing artists who, like so many there,has worked on both the movies and the collectibles. Today, we’re going to interview Steven Saunders who is responsible for the prosthetics for several of the Dwarves in The Hobbit as well as collectibles like mini-Arwen, mini-Strider, mini-Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and Bombur Barrel Rider from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
1. What sparked their interest in art?
Most of us start off interested in art but grow out of it as adults, I just kept going.
2. What medium do they like to work in best (paint, pencil, sculpting, electronic, etc)?
Once I started sculpting in clay I probably got hooked for life
3. Can they pinpoint for us any of their work we may have seen in past films or those coming up? Any character or creature design or landscape we might recognize?
I can mention a few of my favorites:
I did a great deal of prehistoric skeleton sculptures for Roland Emmerich’s 10,000bc. In the Hobbit films I sculpted the prosthetics for Dori, Gloin, Bombur, a few orcs, and a few goblins. On Elysium I sculpted prosthetics for both Matt Damon and Sharlto Copley.
4. What project (book, film, poem, song, etc.) would you most want to help bring to life with your art?
Frank Herbert’s Dune, Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy, and Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I was lucky enough to have already worked on a Tolkien adaptation project otherwise that would have been first on the list.
5. What tends to be your favorite subject to draw? In other words, if you were offered a million dollars to create a piece of artwork on whatever *you* wanted it to be, what would you create?
Time spent as a contractor doing reconstructions of extinct life for a South African Museum has convinced me that bridging the gap between scientific discovery and public awareness through pop culture could be the best possible application for my craft.
6. You work in a very competitive industry. What’s one tip you have for those aspiring to be in similar positions as yourselves one day?
Talent only provides you with a little extra initial potential. What you really need is to nurture perseverance, tenacity, practice constantly and the ability to work extremely well with others. Practice your craft constantly!
7. Do Weta’s artists get to keep a version of everything they sculpt? Say no.1 of every statue? Or would it feel weird to own and display your own work?
I have unpainted castings of my collectables at work but I enjoy buying my sculptures in the Weta Cave just like everyone else, still a very surreal experience as a collector.
8. As a high end sculptor that pays very fine attention to detail in your sculpts, how do you feel about the possibility of poor painting by contracted workers causing an outcry from some collectors on various fan forums?
We take very special care to ensure a very high standard of reproductions. I have been very happy with the paint jobs on my sculpts so far.
9. If you could choose only one, who would you say is your favorite middle-earth character? And why is this particular character your favorite.
That would be Gandalf I guess. He seems the most proactive in events but still very humble throughout.
10. You’ve now done several pieces involving The Lord of the Rings Trilogy or The Hobbit Trilogy. What would you say has been your favorite piece to work on or have we not seen it yet?
I am fond of my Hobbit Wizards Gandalf and Radagast, Barad Dur environment and the little Arwen.
11. Following up with the last question. Is there a something you’ve not worked on yet that you would love to work on be it an environment, statue, shield, etc.
Absolutely, lots
12. Could you tell us how you got your start with Weta and what is been like working there?
I would like to think I got in through my quality of work and reputation but I think I really got a job offer through persistence. Weta is magical; I am at my happiest amongst a community of highly driven slightly crazy creative overachievers.
13. Can you point to any one particular artist who has most influenced you, or the direction your career has taken? And which of your contemporaries would you list amongst your personal favorites?
I draw inspiration from everywhere but if I had to pick one I think my mother and her support early in life definitely pulled me through. Contemporaries? Everyone at Weta but particularly the elusive Jamie Beswarick,
14. The Lord of the Rings has been around for over 50 years and The Hobbit has been around for over 75 years. These two stories have become huge in many fans lives. When did you first become familiar with Middle-Earth and what have you taken away from reading or watching the happenings in that world?
I read Hobbit and LOTR back to back as a teenager. I have always found it fascinating how we humans blur the lines between fantasy and physical reality. Tolkien’s writing manage beautifully to create a fantasy that feels like a real alternate history.
15. What is the hardest part for you as a sculptor in order to bring these characters to life? Do you do anything to help make it easier? Say, watch some of the movies to get things down.
For me the hardest part is to not start too many sculpts at once. I do watch the films every two years or so but find that a mountain of printed reference is all I need
16. Finally, If you could be any character from within Middle-Earth whom would you choose to be? Following that up why would you choose to be this character?
I could be a fat little Hobbit that goes on road trips twice a year to carve wooden sculpture first for Edoras and move on to do some stone carving in Minas Tirith then take the coastal road from the mouth of the Anduin via the Grey Havens all the way back to Hobbiton to spend the rest of my time gardening, drinking, eating and hanging out with my fat little Hobbit friends and family.
We want to thank Weta and Steven for taking the time to do this interview. I want to thank members of the Sideshow Freaks Message Board, Shadow & Flame Message Board, and my fellow TORn staffers for giving me some great questions to pass along.
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Yesterday saw not only the launch of the new The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug trailer, but also another exciting release for Tolkien fans – the publication of the latest edition of the book which started it all! You may remember TORn’s post about Jemima Catlin, the young illustrator behind the first new illustrated edition of The Hobbit since Alan Lee’s iconic version in 1997. (Catlin is also the featured illustrator for the 2014 Tolkien Calendar.)
This book is now available for purchase in the US! (It was released by HarperCollins in the UK in September.) It’s a beautiful edition. The hardcover, with cloth binding, is charmingly old fashioned, and the cover illustrations have gold accents, which shimmer with the promise of the magic contained within. Catlin’s images are a combination of pencil, ink and watercolour; there are many little pictures decorating the text, as well as more than ten full page, full colour pieces. The story is interpretated in lively, delightful drawings which show a new interpretation of old friends.
This is an edition to treasure, and would particularly be a wonderful introduction to The Hobbit for children. It’s a great reminder that, as spectacular as the movies are, the enchantment began in the pages of a fabulous book. If you’re thinking about holiday shopping already, add this to the list! I for one feel I can never have too many editions of The Hobbit; this beautiful new edition is certainly worth adding to your collection.
[Click here to order the new illustrated edition of The Hobbit.] [Click here to order the 2014 Tolkien Calendar]
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This week Weta announced the third and final member of the three trolls we saw show up during Comic-Con 2013. As many of you know Tom the Troll is shipping worldwide right now and Bert the Troll is currently available for Pre-order with shipping in Nov/Dec of this year. William the Troll comes in at a price of $75 just like his two brothers and is also shipping in Nov/Dec of this year. So get your orders in now for the all three Trolls and you can have them cooking something up in your collection by the end of the year.
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Our good friends at Harper Collins – Tolkien publishers in the UK – are running a competition where they want to see YOUR version of Tolkien’s mighty dragon Smaug! They say:
Get out those pens, pencils, inks, paint and whatever else takes your fancy, grab a copy of The Hobbit, reread Tolkien’s description of the fiery worm, and get illustrating! Full details of the contest, and where to submit your artwork, can be found here. The contest runs until December 13th, when (in many countries) we’ll finally be able to see Peter Jackson’s Smaug in all his glory on the big screen!
