👍

Thank you!

I also create hand‑embellished prints of this piece, where I add metallic highlights by hand to bring out the glow of the star and runes, if you are interested:
matejcadil.etsy.com/listing/1352...

Thank you!

I approached them a little differently and used different techniques. Which one do you like better? ☺️

I drew Night in Mirkwood originally in 2022 with light ink on dark paper. And I think with all the glowing eyes, twisted trees, and black bats it is quite fitting to share today.🙂
Prints are available if you’d like to bring a little Mirkwood mystery to your walls: matejcadil.etsy.com/listing/1396...

This scene from The Hobbit has haunted me for years: Thorin & Company try to kindle some comfort in the uncanny night. But the fire only draws out the hidden life of Mirkwood. Tolkien’s description is vivid, unsettling, and strangely beautiful. I wanted to capture that eerie tension.

If you’d like to see close-ups, read about my inspiration, or learn why I included certain things, I’ve shared all the details in a Patreon post: www.patreon.com/posts/riddle...
Your support helps me keep creating these lore-rich illustrations. Thank you for being part of this journey. 💛

At its heart is the encounter between Bilbo and Gollum, set on the shore of the underground lake. Around the central scene, I’ve woven ten circular vignettes, each depicting one of the riddles from the chapter.

I used ink alone for the dark interior of the cave, but added colour to highlight the contrast: the glint of brass and the sunlit valley with the promise of air and freedom.

I am quite happy with how this turned out, I really like the contrast in it.⁠ What do you think?

There’s something deeply haunting about this moment. That lonely flicker of hope in the frozen desolation of the North. For a brief instant, rescue seems within reach. Yet the story ends in tragedy, as the ship is later crushed by the ice and lost beneath the waves, along with Arvedui.

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”⁠