Another highly vulnerable group in situations like these, and another one I will illustrate a Tolkien character, landscape or OC of your choice for in return for a direct donation (by donating directly to the crowdfund link, not through paying me! Just message/reply what illustration you would like, and donate independently).
See pinned post for examples of my work.
The fundraiser was organised by LLM students at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the National University of Ireland.
WHEW this just started with one six-character card and then went wild. I actually had never drawn a couple of these characters before, including Elemmírë and Anárion and Malbeth!
Some of these designs were entirely up to me and some of them were part of the character request, so if you find the same character on my blog they might look totally different! That was part of the fun of this challenge. :)
My favorite is Ancalimë just vibing with her sheep. Who’s yours? ❤️ Got a different headcanon about their identity?
(featuring my OC for his hubby, Ringwë “Ringo”Ilyannon)
Despite being the shorter of the two, Mags is the big spoon (he also tops most of the time)
Ringo is a NEAT FREAK and his eye twitches when one thing is out of place while Mags is literally a hot mess “it’s organized chaos, Ringo!”
Ringo followed his husband to ME, not because he was swayed by Fëanor’s words but for two other reasons, first was loyalty to Mags and the second was because he was just getting mad bored in Valinor (where nothing ever happens unless Morgoth is around to stir shit up) and he needed material to write a play about that wasn’t The Merry Misadventures of Gods Part II (his very popular comedy series about the Valar). He wanted to be around when history was being made.
He and Maglor fought side by side on several occasions even though Maglor was a spell-singer and Ringo had to learn fighting skills on the go (“I never fought but I’ve air-fenced for roles before”)
Ringo was Mags’ biggest support when Mae was captured and he got into fights with his brothers about his “failure” to rescue him (“I’m writing a new play. It’s called ‘if you don’t leave my husband alone I’ll kick your fucking teeth in”)
Ringo is a total blanket hog which Mags doesn’t mind because it gives him excuses for cuddles “you’re gonna share this warmth one way or another”
When the Gap fell, Mags ordered Ringo to go with the retreating survivors and this stubborn bitch said “if we’re dying, we’re dying together whether you like it or not.”
Whenever they get bored of their wandering, they stay in Amon Ereb (which is a perfectly serviceable keep that Mags sings an enchantment around to make it look like ruins)
Mags calls Ringo “coivenya” (my life)
They argue in the dumbest ways, Mags will sing obnoxiously to annoy Ringo while Ringo recites increasingly insulting poetry.
They’ve definitely sucked each other off under the table when meetings got boring
Ringo was away when Maedhros killed himself so he came back to find his husband and law-brother gone and the fortress a mess, he at first thought that they’d been assailed by orcs. But then he heard Maglor’s singing and found him at the edge of the water.
Weirdest place they had sex? On Himring’s roof. Maedhros had them up there patrolling for orcs and whatnot but when a couple hours passed and all they saw was snow, they were like “Welp, bored now” and banged on one of the turrets (facing forward so they could still scout for enemies). When Mae heard about this, he tried to be the intimidating older brother but ended up laughing his ass off because him and Fingon did that same thing one time.
Whenever Ringo’s having a bad day, Mags would pick him up some of his favorite fruit (strawberries, but when they were Exiled and on the road it was hard to get them. He learned to freeze-dry them from Celegorm so they’d have a supply when they were on the go). When Mags is having a bad day, Ringo does hilariously bad but surprisingly accurate impressions of people Maglor dislikes and it has him cackling every single time.
Ringo may be a neat freak but that doesn’t extend to his hair. His hair is curly as fuck and most of the time it’s thrown up in a braid because he can’t be assed with it, so Mags usually takes care of it.
Feanor didn’t like Ringo at first because his family were Fingolfin’s supporters and said that no son of his would marry a potential “plant.” Ringo’s parents didn’t like Maglor cuz of his dramatic and admittedly arrogant musician personality, fearing he would be as flighty as his stage persona. So the two of them did what any reasonable elves would do, eloped. They did the equivalent of a drive-thru Vegas wedding with like three of Mags’ brothers there.
When he got back home, Mags didn’t even bother hiding it from Feanor. “Where did you get to, son?”
“Oh, I went out and got married” cuz at that point the marriage was already performed and Feanor couldn’t do shit about it. He eventually warmed up a tad when he saw how happy Maglor was (and how Ringo made the twins laugh)
Ringo was happy that Mags had such a large family since he was an only child himself and always wanted siblings.
Maglor just saying “fuck u dad, I’m getting married” inspired Mae to be public about his own relationship with Fingon.
//“You might try to aim at the target this time.” Maedhros chuckled in mockery, as he watched his young cousin with judgement like that of an older brother. “Or would you want me to show you, yet again?” Fingon snorted humourlessly through clenched teeth as he drew the arrow to his ear as taught, the exertion of the act making the muscles of his shoulder and arm vibrate in objection after many such motions. The last arrow he had imbedded but a hand-length from the mark, and the frustration was clear in his tightened jaw and narrowingeyes. The young elf inhaled deeply, this time determined to shoot straight. He exhaled slowly, releasing the arrow to fly through the air as the last of his breath left his lunges. It hit the mark with a twack as the metal tip drove into the plate of straw with force. Fingon exclaimed in a cry of victory, and turned to his cousin with a smug grin stapled on his face. “What were you saying, cousin? Perhaps you should not be so swift to disregard my quickness in learning.” Maedhros raised a brow unimpressed. “This is a testimate to my teachings, if anything. If I can teach you, then your baby sister will be next. It will not be so much harder a task, I should think.” He flashed Fingon a challenging grin. The youngster grimaced mockingly in return and held out his hand. “Be quiet and give me another arrow, old man.”//
(I wrote the text now to go with the drawing and to underline my idea; it is rushed but I liked it.)
Idea Do not ask me how this idea came into my mind, but I enjoyed drawing it thoroughly. I simply loved the idea of a fully matured Maedhros teaching his adolescent cousin to shoot with bow and arrow. My last time of reading the silmarillion I understood that at the time of Finwe’s remariage with Indis, Fëanor was already grown and married to Nerdanel, so he would get Maedhros at aprox the time that Indis would have Fingolfin, which would mean that Fingon is quite younger than Maedhros. I do not know in years, but I’d guess half a dozen decades at least. So, it is definitely a headcanon of mine that Mae would enjoy the tutoring of his younger cousin. He always seemed the most sympathetic of the Feanorians, especially in his friendship with Fingon.
Some of you may also know that I have a headcanon of the dress evolution of the elves through the ages. In early Valinor I imagine them wearing something like the ancient egyptians did, it being a land of beauty and comfort, I see it as sunny and warm, even before the rising of the sun. So that is the explanation for their attires. There is nothing sexual about it.
Technique I drew this exclusively with an 8H pencil, and tuned the contrast some in photoshop after scanning–btw, if anyone has a good scanner to recommend, which is not too expensive, I would gladly hear it as mine is terrible. I used a smudge stick for the shading, and it was indeed my first attempt at using one, so I instantly fell in love with the technique, so the shading was a surprisingly easy process, even with the two months grace period–which is my way of categorising my terrible anxiety of finishing drawings I have used much too long time on. The anatomy obviously is not perfect, but this is still one of the best drawings I have made with two people in it–I even drew feet! YAY! And of course I managed to misplace them on the page so I could not finish the top of Fingon’s bow and the end of Maedhros’. But I could still stare at them both all day, as they turned out perfectly to my vision(!!). Conclusion It awes me whenever I don’t hate what I draw, and lately I have hated very little of my art. It is slightly unsettling, to be honest, and it makes me put a lot of pressure on my art, which in return makes me procrastinate. Its a bad circle, but I do love this drawing, with all its flaws, and I was very happy and excited to finish it. It is rather sketchy in style, but I like that as well, and I enjoyed drawing something completely different for once.
I hope you like it too, and let me know what you think, of the idea and the drawing!^^
Love, Iggy
PS. I cannot stress enough that I do not ship them romantically, and I would very much appreciate if you do not sexualize this drawing of mine. I respect that people have different impressions than me, but I also hope you will respect mine and focus on the art itself. Thank you! <3
I don’t mean to sound like a cliche, but I seriously had not expected this drawing to be so good so quickly… I am absolutely in love!!
I fixed Mae’s face, which was most crucial to me, and then the shading took a life if its own.
I can’t wait to add a bit more details and finish this shortly! It will not have more background than this, but I think the two of them looks complex enough for me to get away with!
Despite the bad positioning on the page, and the struggle to make the two of them correct compared to each other, I’m rather happy with this rough sketch of Maedhros and Fingon!
It’s still early, so I’m not sure how far I’ll take it yet, but it felt good to draw my favorite elves again!
(And Maedhros and Fingons friendship will always get me! I imagine this scene where Maedhros teaches Fingon to shoot, being the eldest!) ✨
