Watercolor Master Study: Alan Lee, The Hobbit

For this assignment, each student was given a well-known illustrator and asked to recreate one of their works using watercolor. I was assigned Alan Lee, the renowned illustrator behind The Hobbit and much of Tolkien’s visual world. I selected his piece titled “The Hobbit” and recreated it through traditional watercolor techniques, studying his approach to atmosphere, muted palettes, and detailed line work. This project emphasized observation, technical accuracy, and learning from a master’s visual storytelling style.