“Again therefore in his pain Maedhros begged that he would slay him; but Fingon cut off his hand above the wrist, and Thorondor bore them both back to Mithrim.”
Watercolour on Canson Vidalon cold-pressed paper, app. 22×31 cm.
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Jenny Dolfen Art 
This is so beautiful!
You are on a really good way to be counted among the greatest Tolkien artists ever :)
In my opinion you have already surpassed some of them, including at times (as with this one) Alan Lee.
There. I’ve said it.
Thank you! Alan Lee and I have a very different approach to illustration, and it’s mainly a matter of preference, I’d say. (I know I’d kill for his woodland skills!)
Your illustrations always make my fan heart happy! Especially since you’ve got so much art for more obscure stories – I’m in love!
On a super particular note: I love how you painted the wound! It’s not gory, but still gruesome, which is such a hard balance to strike.
Thanks so much! Blood is so much fun to paint that it’s easy to get swept up and overdo it, yes XD
Hi Jenny,
You’ve got a beautiful art style! I was wondering why did you make the decision to cut off Maedhros’s hair in your depictions as I can’t find any references of it in the books?
It’s not so much “cutting it off” as it is simply short hair, which is the way I’ve drawn Maedhros since 1992. There is just one hairstyle description of an Elf in all the History of Middle-earth (and none in the Sil), and that’s Fingon.
Cheers,
Jenny
OK, but why the short hair? There are no explicit descriptions of short haired elves in the books. Celegorm, Finwe, Elwe and Olwe are also explicitly described to have long hair and the Teleri and Noldor.
Just curious to understand your thinking behind your artistic decisions. I’m personally all for long haired elves but open enough to understand different perspectives.
Because I imagine him with shorter hair. That’s all I got, sorry.
Oh ok, that’s fair enough. Thank you for your response.
Sorry, not sure why my comment looks weird. Just wanted to say that’s fair enough and thank you for your response.
I’ve been obsessing over your art since the second I discovered it. It’s so stunningly beautiful and really enriches my Tolkien experience. You personally inspired me to finally sit down and read the Silmarillion and I’ve come to love it so much.
Your Maedhros, Fingon and Maglor live rent-free in my head and I couldn’t be happier!