Mel's art blog:)

just an illustrator sharing their stuff with the world! mostly Tolkien, Pratchett, and whatever else I'm into. @thistlefig is where I reblog stuff

[figbythistle]

Quick sketch I did between calls at work today, because in this house we are Discowing truthers. Genuinely my favourite Nightwing outfit, I love the callback to his roots in the circus and as Robin, I hate to see people hating on it. And the mullet is just very important to me.

[figbythistle]

The púca (or pooka, or puck - there are many variants on their name, depending on who is telling the story) is a mischievous creature of Irish and English folklore, a shapeshifter who may appear as any number of creatures, most often a wild colt. Naughty children are warned against eating overripe blackberries because they may have been entered by the púca. If you accept a ride from the púca, you may expect a wild, white-knuckle gallop and that will likely end quite abruptly when you are thrown from their back. Spurs may protect you, but if you don't have any, don't worry too much. These are creatures of mischief rather than of malice, and they are often protective or helpful spirits.

Watercolour and coloured pencil on paper. Inspired by The Púca: A Multifunctional Irish Supernatural Entity by Deasún Breatnach and Tamsin by Peter S Beagle

[pipis-took]

This has been in my drafts for a long while!! And the I wanted to draw this fun idea by @figbythistle of hobbits using those old bikes, so here’s Pippin on one of those!!

[figbythistle]

AHHHHH THIS MAKES ME SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY, PENNY-FARTHING PIPPIN!!!!!

[figbythistle]

Annatar, allowing himself to be captured by Ar-Pharazôn: [in a Lucy Darling voice] Oh noooo, I've been overpowered by the big, strong men of Númenor, please don't drag me off in chains to your impenetrable kingdom across the sea and allow me to sway you with the honey-sweet flattery of my tongue to influence your politics and shape the future of Middle Earth for centuries to come 🫦🥺

Anyway, here is my reverse mermay oarfish Annatar, thank you to @peasant-player for the inspiration, this idea struck me like a bolt of lightning. He's an oarfish because, you know, oarfish and tsunamis....yeah. yeahhh.

[figbythistle]

Quick sketch of Hermes, messenger of the gods, and some carrier pigeons. Inspired by this wonderful post by @vdoes and a conversation with some lovely friends about Hermes naturally being associated with pigeons because they are carriers of messages! Hermes is one of my faves AND I love pigeons very much.

[martellspear]

HEAR ME OUT: arianne martell & daemon sand

[muskoxen]

Irene and Eugenides

[figbythistle]

Had to sketch this between work calls. Please know that he is standing on a crate to be this close to the queen's height, this man is NOT that tall. Actually no nevermind he is standing on Costis, who is on hands and knees beside Irene.

[figbythistle]

Surviving a five-day migraine, celebrating my first day with some little relief by painting!

[figbythistle]

But the horror... The horror was for love. The things we do for love like this are ugly, mad, full of sweat and regret. This love burns you and maims you and twists you inside out. It is a monstrous love and it makes monsters of us all.

Single-session sketch, ink and watercolour

Yeah so I rewatched Crimson Peak again and I'm feeling soooo normal about it.

[figbythistle]

The stuffed dates and sevillum (Roman cheesecake from around 2BCE) that I made for my Ides of March party! We feasted on olives and grapes and "Pompeiian pizza", using recipes based on actual ancient Roman recipes, and watched the National Theatre version of Julius Ceasar. All in all, a wonderful way to celebrate the day:D

[figbythistle]

And Melkor knew of all that was done, for even then he had secret friends and spies among the Maiar whom he had converted to his cause; and far off in the darkness he was filled with hatred, being jealous of the work of his peers, whom he desired to make subject to himself. Therefore he gathered to himself spirits out of the halls of Eä that he had perverted to his service, and he deemed himself strong.

I just like imagining all the unlimited terrible forms that the spirits Melkor twisted and perverted to his service could take. The way he might have snatched up bits and pieces of creations from the songs of of Yavanna and created new, warped bodies for those spirits so that they could invade the newly created world.

I also just like drawing fun creepy lil dudes.

[figbythistle]

Haven't had a ton of time or energy for art lately (it's okay, I'm getting there again!!) For now here's a sketch of my terrible horrible no-good very bad Gobling (half halfling, half goblin) from my new Daggerheart campaign. Personality of a dried booger. I love her.

[figbythistle]

How am I supposed to go to sleep in a timely manner when JSTOR exists?????? And I can just???? access it on my mobile device?????? For FREE??????

[figbythistle]

Close up of a WIP, feat. our cat Basil as one of the fell creatures of Morgoth.

[figbythistle]

Sleepy cuddles after the rain:) A sketch to keep me from losing my mind while work is BUSY and bigger projects are Too Much. I love tiny dragons so much. So do little creatures who want to stay warm and dry...

[figbythistle]

Now Melkor began the delving and building of a vast fortress, deep under Earth, beneath dark mountains where the beams of Illuin were cold and dim. That stronghold was named Utumno.

And though the Valar knew naught of it as yet, nonetheless the evil of Melkor and the blight of his hatred flowed out thence, and the Spring of Arda was marred.

Green things fell sick and rotted, and rivers were choked with weeds and slime, and fens were made, rank and poisonous, the breeding place of flies;

and forests grew dark and perilous, the haunts of fear; and beasts became monsters of horn and ivory and dyed the earth with blood.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

if you leave a long and kind comment on my fanfiction, I’m afraid I will have to ask for your hand in marriage

[rosemary-andtime]

o dip @figbythistle

[figbythistle]

If "you have already left kudos here" then the logical next step is to leave a ring:)

[figbythistle]

Biiiiiiiig stretch!