One of my favorite illustrators is Alan Lee. I discovered his work during my teenage years when my then-boyfriend introduced me to the book 'Faeries,' which Alan Lee illustrated alongside another one of my favorite artists, Brian Froud.
Initially, I found myself drawn more to Froud's artwork, fascinated by his depictions of pixies, fairies, and goblins. However, over time, Alan Lee's work grew on me. His delicate watercolor paintings are exquisite when it comes to storytelling and character portrayal, while also possessing a dramatic and romantic quality when focusing on landscapes.
Some of his figure drawings remind me of the works of the Pre-Raphaelite artists, a 19th-century artistic movement in England.
I enjoy spending time studying Lee's paintings, discovering new details that I hadn't noticed before and observing his watercolor techniques in general.
My usual obsessive self began searching for publications featuring Alan Lee's work, and over the years, I've been fortunate to find several books illustrated by him.
Two of my favorites are 'The Golden Book of Mysterious' and 'The Mabinogion.' 'The Golden Book of Mysterious' may be Alan Lee's first book, as it was published in 1976, two years before 'Faeries.' The illustrations in this book touch upon different themes, from fantasy to science fiction, but Alan Lee's masterful use of watercolors was already well-developed. 'The Mabinogion' might be his most painterly work, stunning and a bit pricey to acquire, but worth every penny. The book is a joy to read, and Alan Lee's illustrations are superb.
Alan Lee's work gained wider recognition when he served as a conceptual designer for Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' movie trilogy, for which he won an Oscar. He also contributed illustrations to many of Tolkien's books, but the ones I hold most dear are the two sketchbooks for 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit,' published in limited editions by HarperCollins.
It's important to note that the following list is not a comprehensive bibliography of Alan Lee's work. I haven't been able to find an accurate one, which is surprising considering what a talented artist he is. There should be a complete catalog of his work available.
PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Golden Book of Mysterious, Western Publishing Company- 1976
Faeries, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1978
The Mabinogion, Dragon’s Dream- 1982
Castles, Bantam Books- 1984
The Mirrorstone, Alfred A. Knopf- 1986
Merlin Dreams, Gollancz Children’s Paperbacks, 1988
The Moon’s Revenge, Red Fox, 1990
Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad, Delacorte Press, 1993
Tolkien’s Ring, Harper Collins, 1994
Prospero's Children, Voyager- 1999
The Hobbit, Harper Collins- 2001
The Wandering of Odysseus, Frances Lincoln Childrens Books -2002
The Children of Hurin, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007
Tales from the Perilous Realm, Cengage Learning- 2008
Shapeshifters: Tales from Ovid's Metamorphoses, Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2010
The Lord of the Rings, Harper Collins, 2014
Fearie Tales, Quercus Publishing- 2014
Beren and Luthien, Houghton Mifflin- 2017
The Wanderer, The Folio Society, 2018
The Fall of Gondolin, Harper Collins, 2018
