To help you flesh this out into a full essay or presentation:
Tolkien’s own watercolor sketches (e.g., The Hill: Hobbiton-across-the-Water ). Emphasis on "light and distance" rather than hyper-realism.
I. The Author as Illustrator
How paintings of the Misty Mountains or Mordor evoke "The Sublime" (terror mixed with beauty).
Should I focus on a (like Alan Lee vs. John Howe)? Tolkien's World : Paintings of Middle-Earth
The fusion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s linguistics and visual art creates a unique "sub-creation" that has inspired generations of illustrators. This paper explores how artists interpret the atmospheric and moral weight of Middle-earth.
Master of the "watercolor wash" and architectural realism; focused on the ancient, weathered feel of stone and forest. To help you flesh this out into a
💡 Tolkien believed art should be "sub-creative," meaning it must feel like it belongs to a world with its own history and internal logic, rather than just being a literal depiction of text.