Lord of the Rings Sketchbook

LEE, Alan. The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. 8vo, 192pp. Color pictorial boards. Color map endpapers; 5 full-page color illustration, one half-page color illustration and b&w illustrations on nearly every page. A fine copy in original color pictorial dust jacket. Signed by the author/artist, Alan Lee, with drawings of Frodo and Sam in repose as well as a circular sketch of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum looking out upon Mount Doom.

First US edition. Alan Lee, the Oscar-winning conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, discusses his approach to depicting Tolkien’s imaginary world. The book presents more than 150 of Lee’s celebrated illustrations to show how his imagery for both the illustrated Lord of the Rings and the films progressed from concept to finished art. Included are sketches of characters and scenes from the book that were dropped from the films as well as an introduction by Sir Ian McKellan. A must-have for any collector of Tolkien or lover of the Peter Jackson movies.