Subject: I'm partial to the White Tree... but the two swords design would be pretty cool, too.
Author:
Posted on: 2025-03-18 18:18:07 UTC
My apologies for precisely cancelling out doc's response and being cheeky about it. {; P
~Neshomeh
Hello, everyone! It's been a hot minute since I last posted here on the Board, but I hope to be more active as spring rolls in. I doubt many of you remember this, but back in 2021, when I was reading Lord of the Rings for the first time, I asked you for help with a LotR tattoo. I eventually decided against it (my family made tattoos sound like a scary commitment and I was accordingly scared). Now, I'm rereading the books and watching the movies again as a slightly more mature adult, and they hit me so hard that I decided to get that tattoo after all. I have two others and several piercings now, and I realize that I'd regret missing out on this more than I could regret getting it done. I've made an appointment for April. Would you folks like to see it when it's done?
Also, I wanted to say hello to everyone who still remembers me. How are y'all? I've been active in the Discord server, but I hoped to drop by at the Board too eventually.
I've decided to try a really tough task, and write some LotR fanfic. I mentioned before that I was having a rocky relationship with my own fanfiction, but I've done some soul-searching and a bit of relocation (I'm still active in my old fandoms that gave me so much trouble, just not nearly to the degree I used to be, and I have a different account for my readers to follow), and I have managed to come to terms with my skill level and my willingness to have my writing out there for people to see. The fic I'm currently working on is a small canon-compliant series of friendship vignettes following Boromir and Pippin from Imladris to Amon Hen, and the way their relationship changes on the road. I was hit with a severe case of heart eyes for the son of Denethor (I always have been Acacia levels of Not Sane about him as a character, and now it came back with a vengeance), and Pippin's POV is really fun to write, so this fic is getting somewhat longer than I thought it would be. Would anyone like to beta read it for me when it's done? I can't say anything yet about how long the finished product is going to be, but help would be appreciated either way, if someone has a few hours to spare.
(I know, the LotR heart eyes are getting severe. :P It's just nice to revisit a story that changed me as a person in so many ways, and the many, many feelings I had for it are coming back to me all of a sudden.)
I said that elsewhere, but there it is again. {= )
I have a constantly worn wrist cuff that says "not all who wander are lost," and have often thought that if I ever got a tattoo, it would be that (except the proper quote, with the missing word "those"). I heartily applaud your shirt, and also doing what you like with your own body! What tattoo are you going with?
~Neshomeh
It's good to see you again. :) I shan't say yet what tattoo I'm getting, but I'll just mention that you will be seeing it very soon. I'm already considering a slightly larger LotR tattoo as well (the current design is tiny, and more symbolic than decorative), but that will have to wait for a while. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to showing you this one... in a few days :) One of my closest friends has a tattoo of Andúril, and the larger design I'm tentatively contemplating will be in a similar vein, if I ever get that one done as well. Nerdery runs deep in our veins.
I managed to get a tattoo appointment from the artist for today instead of the one we originally had scheduled in April, and what can I say... I'm in love.
I admit I originally read the vowels the other way and wondered why you'd gone for "SETTLE", but I got there in the end. ^_^ That's absolutely delightful.
hS
This artist did both of my other tattoos, and it was great to have another piece done by her. I just can't stop staring at it. :D
Admittedly, this is kind of a silly thing to bring to the Board, but some of you folks might enjoy weighing in on it, or so I hope, at least.
Now that my LotR insanities are in full swing again, I'm making a lot of DIY stuff to channel some of my overflowing love for this story and this world into something. I have some plans for some fanart, and the debate I'm currently having with myself is about a t-shirt I want to make. I do a lot of custom work on cheap plain t-shirts to turn them into fan stuff, with embroidery, bleach painting, homemade fabric paint, or just plain old acrylic if I'm in a hurry. I made one a few days ago that looked like this... and this when I put it on. I have another shirt lying around that I wanted to make into another LotR-themed bit of clothing, but I'm kind of stuck on the design. The current contenders are:
Which of these designs should I put on a shirt? The materials used would have to vary depending on what color I need and how complicated the pattern is going to be, but either way, I'd love to hear your opinions and would also love to share the end result here, if anyone wants to see.
It has bonus geek value of being Tolkien's own design, but I just think it would look very cook - like a logo rather than a picture. I will note that the jewels on the Three should have their appropriate colours - per Tolkien's originals that's Narya (red) at the top, Vilya (blue) on the right, and Nenya (white) on the left - and that his preferred version was on black to make the gold and the gems pop.
Have I just made things worse? ^_^
hS
Right now, I'm leaning towards the White Tree, admittedly, but that's mostly because the book cover would be insanely difficult to transfer to a t-shirt without a stencil, which I don't use. I did choose that one as a possible option because it was Tolkien's design, and I really appreciate the additional info because I do want to eventually paint it on something... but a t-shirt might be a little beyond my current skill level, now that I'm considering it more closely. You'll definitely know if I paint this anywhere, though!
On that note, who wants to see some fanart I made while I was rereading Fellowship and The Two Towers? It's not exactly good fanart because I haven't drawn anything in months, but a few friends in the Discord server liked the vibes at least.
Here it is. :) I said it's not very good, especially compared to the sort of digital art people would post on Tumblr, but it was a joy to work on.
What makes fanart "good" is the heart that's in it, and this piece has that. The quote really captures the message of Tolkien's work (LotR in particular): that in this Marred world, even the purest bliss eventually fades, but that's okay. We take the good in what we have now, and for the unseen future, we have... well, estel, as it happens. ^_~
Artistically, I love the smooth grace of Arwen/Luthien's hand, compared to the more angular shape of Aragorn/Beren's. Calligraphically, I also love the long "f" in "of" - weirdly specific, but for an almost irrelevant letter it struck me.
And of course your choice of subject, because if there is a single moment that encompasses the spirit of Tolkien it is Aragorn and Arwen - Beren and Luthien - Tolkien and Edith, reaching for each other in a glade beneath the trees.
hS
It doesn't need to be absolutely perfect to be something worth being proud of. hS is right about the f, too. Very satisfyingly shaped, it is.
--Ls
It always warms my heart to get complimented on any of my art, but I especially appreciate hearing kind words about my fanart, because I usually don't trust my artistic skills to do justice to the worlds and the characters I love. I'll have a long way to go skill-wise until I'm able make fanart I can share without self-consciousness, but I really, really appreciate your replies. Like I said, I loved working on this piece, and it's great to see it get such a warm reception here. :)
My apologies for precisely cancelling out doc's response and being cheeky about it. {; P
~Neshomeh
