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Greg and Tim Hildebrandt: The Tolkien Years
The first edition of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt -- The Tolkien Years, was a runaway best-seller success, one of 2001's greatest book-selling stories. Now comes Greg and Tim Hildebrandt -- The Tolkien Years, Expanded Edition featuring 12 new pages of original Tolkien drawings and paintings, plus a brand-new pullout poster
A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the work of two renowned fantasy artists, written through the eyes of their closest family member The million-selling Lord of the Rings calendars created during the '70s by renowned fantasy artists Greg and Tim Hildebrandt are now considered artistic masterpieces. Greg and Tim Hildebrandt -- The Tolkien Years tells the untold story behind the creation of these cherished illustrations, written by an author with real firsthand knowledge of the creative genius behind these paintings.
Written by Greg Hildebrandt, Jr., Greg Hildebrandt's son, this fascinating book tells the story through the eyes of young Gregory when, at ages five, six, and seven he posed for the various "little people" characters known as the Hobbits. Gregory reminisces about his key role in the development of these calendar paintings and the unique creative ingenuity of his father and uncle.
This updated and expanded edition of the best-selling Greg and Tim Hildebrandt -- The Tolkien Years provides Tolkien-lovers with a fantastic treasury of Lord of the Rings art. Not only is all the artwork from the first edition here, but this new edition also features 28 new, exclusive Hildebrant drawings and paintings; a fabulous new cover; and a brand-new pull-out poster of an original painting specifically commissioned by the Hildebrandts for this book.
144 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2001
17 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Greg Hildebrandt
141 books22 followersGreg and Tim Hildebrandt, known as the Brothers Hildebrandt, were American twin brothers who worked collaboratively as fantasy and science fiction artists for many years, produced illustrations for comic books, movie posters, children's books, posters, novels, calendars, advertisements, and trading cards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
February 23, 2023
Probably some of the most beautiful fantasy art out there. Wonderful illustrations of the Tolkien stories. Very recommedned
October 17, 2012
This is a lovely coffee table book -- I was allowed to view it on Netgalley, but I imagine I'll get a copy for myself. And I don't even have a coffee table. It reproduces the really gorgeous art of the Hildebrandts, and includes explanations of how each painting was posed and tweaked to make the art that has become so iconic. If you're interested in Tolkien's world, there are some lovely graphical representations to admire, here; if you're interested in artwork, you might also be interested in the commentary.
December 5, 2019
This is quite a rare thing for an artbook, in that it is also a history book of the Brothers Hildebrandt foray into Tolkien and their making a name that has echoed in fantasy art ever since. Among many other things, it reveals the reasons why "The Brothers Hildebrandt" has become such a common, widely used phrase.
It includes all illustrations from the '70s Tolkien calendars, accompanied by the memories of Greg Hildebrandt Jr., who witnessed (and often took part in) all of the creation process, as well as quotes by the brothers on each piece, photos taken during the model photo sessions at Hildebrandt House, sketches and charcoal drawings, elements that constitute a complete history of a great part of the iconography we associate with Tolkien's work, as well as the movies.
Not that this is before the advent of legends like Alan Lee and John Howe, who tackled Tolkien more than 20 years later.
It includes all illustrations from the '70s Tolkien calendars, accompanied by the memories of Greg Hildebrandt Jr., who witnessed (and often took part in) all of the creation process, as well as quotes by the brothers on each piece, photos taken during the model photo sessions at Hildebrandt House, sketches and charcoal drawings, elements that constitute a complete history of a great part of the iconography we associate with Tolkien's work, as well as the movies.
Not that this is before the advent of legends like Alan Lee and John Howe, who tackled Tolkien more than 20 years later.
December 10, 2021
Beautiful art
The art is definitely the highlight of this book. Beautiful paintings. It's nice to get some insight into the creative process. Also, Greg Jr.'s reflections add some intimate details. And he's a decent storyteller.
I read this art book on my tablet, so zooming in and out was easy. It might be nice to have a coffee table art book with larger reproductions of the paintings to get a sense of scale the brothers used.
The art is definitely the highlight of this book. Beautiful paintings. It's nice to get some insight into the creative process. Also, Greg Jr.'s reflections add some intimate details. And he's a decent storyteller.
I read this art book on my tablet, so zooming in and out was easy. It might be nice to have a coffee table art book with larger reproductions of the paintings to get a sense of scale the brothers used.
February 24, 2019
An account of the years of the Tolkien calendars, as told by the son who was five-years-old at the time. And frequently featured as a hobbit. Sketches, reference shots, final work, with commentary all along.
October 17, 2012
Review originally posted on The Oaken Bookcase on 17 October, 2012.
During the 1970s Tim and Greg Hildebrandt, twins and fantasy illustrators, produced three calendars for Ballantine Books featuring paintings inspired by The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien.
This coffee-table collection gathers all the art pieces for those calendars, along with a variety of sketches and photographs used in the creation of the paintings. These are accompanied by a delightful commentary written by Greg’s son, Greg Junior, who was the chief model for the hobbits featured in the artworks. Greg Jr was only between five and seven years old at the time the calendar art was being created and he shares a child’s delight and sometimes terror at living in a house with two rather eccentric artists, who he believed were friends with wizards and with Tom Bombadil.
When I was small, I remember reading over and over my parents’ copy of David Day’s Tolkien Beastiary, with its horrible monsters and beautiful places and creatures. I feel the Brothers Hildebrandt’s collection could be another of those – a book to be admired and pored over by dreamers of all ages.
The book contains 134 full colour images covering all the artwork for the three calendars, plus 100 black and white images. Forget the pre-conceived pictures in your mind from the LotR movies – these paintings were produced well before that and show an often quite different interpretation of Tolkien’s world. The images are beautiful – using real-life models and armour and props the Hildebrandts designed and built themselves allowed the brothers to paint with an amazing level of realism. Each picture is finely detailed and I think you might find new hidden things each time you look at them! This review e-copy only contained a selection of the paintings and none of the photos so I’m going to have to get my hands on a real copy soon so that I can admire the full complement. Christmas is coming, after all!
This book will be sure to be enjoyed by all fans of Middle Earth, new or old.
During the 1970s Tim and Greg Hildebrandt, twins and fantasy illustrators, produced three calendars for Ballantine Books featuring paintings inspired by The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien.
This coffee-table collection gathers all the art pieces for those calendars, along with a variety of sketches and photographs used in the creation of the paintings. These are accompanied by a delightful commentary written by Greg’s son, Greg Junior, who was the chief model for the hobbits featured in the artworks. Greg Jr was only between five and seven years old at the time the calendar art was being created and he shares a child’s delight and sometimes terror at living in a house with two rather eccentric artists, who he believed were friends with wizards and with Tom Bombadil.
When I was small, I remember reading over and over my parents’ copy of David Day’s Tolkien Beastiary, with its horrible monsters and beautiful places and creatures. I feel the Brothers Hildebrandt’s collection could be another of those – a book to be admired and pored over by dreamers of all ages.
The book contains 134 full colour images covering all the artwork for the three calendars, plus 100 black and white images. Forget the pre-conceived pictures in your mind from the LotR movies – these paintings were produced well before that and show an often quite different interpretation of Tolkien’s world. The images are beautiful – using real-life models and armour and props the Hildebrandts designed and built themselves allowed the brothers to paint with an amazing level of realism. Each picture is finely detailed and I think you might find new hidden things each time you look at them! This review e-copy only contained a selection of the paintings and none of the photos so I’m going to have to get my hands on a real copy soon so that I can admire the full complement. Christmas is coming, after all!
This book will be sure to be enjoyed by all fans of Middle Earth, new or old.
July 21, 2012
I remember getting one or two of the Hildebrandt LotR calendars when I was in 4th/5th grade and actually reading the series for the first time. I immediately ordered a book by them from the Science Fiction Book Club and proceeded to buy a few other novels that were graced with a cover from them. Fantasy illustration was still fairly new and they had a great impact on the field, one that made a deep impression on me as well as a young boy. Some of the work seems a little dated now with the immense amount of LotR artwork available today - but at the time, there was nothing like it.
This book combines all their LotR calendar paintings into one book, with Gregory Hildebrandt, Jr. providing memories and stories from his boyhood recalling the 3 years spent by the two artists producing the paintings. Reading his thoughts made me recall similar events from my childhood and what a wonderful, carefree time it was in the mid-70's growing up with parents who lived a life very removed from "normal."
I would have liked to see more visual evidence of the work progressing from trace to board (they did not paint on canvas) to the stages of painting. There is only 2-3 pictures in the entire book of them actually painting or of a finished painting. It would have been nice to also have some technical discussion of how they worked - instead of 40+ narratives from GH, Jr., one of the brothers could have provided some insight from their perspective on how the painting developed.
This book combines all their LotR calendar paintings into one book, with Gregory Hildebrandt, Jr. providing memories and stories from his boyhood recalling the 3 years spent by the two artists producing the paintings. Reading his thoughts made me recall similar events from my childhood and what a wonderful, carefree time it was in the mid-70's growing up with parents who lived a life very removed from "normal."
I would have liked to see more visual evidence of the work progressing from trace to board (they did not paint on canvas) to the stages of painting. There is only 2-3 pictures in the entire book of them actually painting or of a finished painting. It would have been nice to also have some technical discussion of how they worked - instead of 40+ narratives from GH, Jr., one of the brothers could have provided some insight from their perspective on how the painting developed.
January 2, 2019
I had forgotten about the Hildebrandt style, which I mostly knew more from Dragon Magazine covers than the calendars (I might have owned one, but memory is fuzzy). Their unique rich manipulation of light and fine detail in acrylic has never quite been matched. This book is a good review of that late 1970s-early 1980s period.
In addition to some good reproductions, aided by the large-format binding, the book shows a bit about the process of building each piece--many of which took weeks of work. The brothers made heavy use of real life poses and props. As they describe it, the instant camera was their "secret weapon" for making deadlines. Hundreds of shots were made with crude costuming (e.g. bathrobes, one of which was also used for the iconic Luke Skywalker movie poster) and props, with different experiments in lighting and perpective. From there, full detail sketches were typically finished before brush was first put to canvas. The results speak for themselves.
My least favorite part of the book was the narrative provided by Greg's son, Greg Jr. He describes growing up from a young age watching his father and uncle work from a loft in the barn-studio. It is authentic and charming enough, but I find it gets a bit repetitive by halfway through the book. While we see some shifting perspective as Greg Jr. grows up, most of the episodes play out more or less the same. Young Greg was frequently pressed into service to pose as a hobbit or other short-statured character. He met a colorful array of people coming and going as models.
This book is worth revisiting this impressive body of work, not only to see the paintings again but to see much about how they were created.
In addition to some good reproductions, aided by the large-format binding, the book shows a bit about the process of building each piece--many of which took weeks of work. The brothers made heavy use of real life poses and props. As they describe it, the instant camera was their "secret weapon" for making deadlines. Hundreds of shots were made with crude costuming (e.g. bathrobes, one of which was also used for the iconic Luke Skywalker movie poster) and props, with different experiments in lighting and perpective. From there, full detail sketches were typically finished before brush was first put to canvas. The results speak for themselves.
My least favorite part of the book was the narrative provided by Greg's son, Greg Jr. He describes growing up from a young age watching his father and uncle work from a loft in the barn-studio. It is authentic and charming enough, but I find it gets a bit repetitive by halfway through the book. While we see some shifting perspective as Greg Jr. grows up, most of the episodes play out more or less the same. Young Greg was frequently pressed into service to pose as a hobbit or other short-statured character. He met a colorful array of people coming and going as models.
This book is worth revisiting this impressive body of work, not only to see the paintings again but to see much about how they were created.
November 10, 2017
Me gustó mucho este libro es una forma distinta de ver a los personajes con los que me he encariñado desde hace muchos años.
Una de las cosas que mas me ha gustado de este libro es que es una pequeña novela en si mismo. Nos cuenta la historia de dos hermanos ilustradores y como logran completar las ilustraciones que terminaran componiendo tres calendarios sobre la obra de J.R.R. Tolkien, calendarios de 1976, 1977 y 1978. Todo esto contado por el hijo de uno de ellos.
Es genial leer como fueron creando cada una de las obras, como les ayudaban amigos, familiares y demás personas, sirviendo de modelos para fotografías que después serian usadas como referencias.
Lo único que no me gusto mucho que que las fotografías y bocetos que se usaron como referencia eran muy pequeñas, al menos en la edición de este libro que tengo yo, pero al menos las obras ya terminadas esas si se veían excelentemente bien.
Quizá no sea muy fan de el estilo de Los Hermanos Hildebrandt pero definitivamente disfrute leyendo sobre como lograron sus pinturas.
Una de las cosas que mas me ha gustado de este libro es que es una pequeña novela en si mismo. Nos cuenta la historia de dos hermanos ilustradores y como logran completar las ilustraciones que terminaran componiendo tres calendarios sobre la obra de J.R.R. Tolkien, calendarios de 1976, 1977 y 1978. Todo esto contado por el hijo de uno de ellos.
Es genial leer como fueron creando cada una de las obras, como les ayudaban amigos, familiares y demás personas, sirviendo de modelos para fotografías que después serian usadas como referencias.
Lo único que no me gusto mucho que que las fotografías y bocetos que se usaron como referencia eran muy pequeñas, al menos en la edición de este libro que tengo yo, pero al menos las obras ya terminadas esas si se veían excelentemente bien.
Quizá no sea muy fan de el estilo de Los Hermanos Hildebrandt pero definitivamente disfrute leyendo sobre como lograron sus pinturas.
August 24, 2023
This is what an art book should be. It’s a great mixture of appreciating the art blowing it up, showing sketches showing photograph references. And great insights into the production of the artwork by the artist, and by one of the sons of the Hildebrand brothers, who is the main author. You appreciate the amount of work, the detail, and everything that went into this if you are a Tolkien fan you should definitely pick this up. I almost forgot to mention the thing that I loved the most about this book is just the passion, and the imagination that the Hildebrand brothers had for their work
June 14, 2020
This is basically a "coffee table" book. It covers all the art work done for the LOTR calendars, I believe in the 1970's.. It is a great collection and oddy hard to find at times. I was lucky enough to find it at a local used book store. It still had the pull out poster in it .
More Tolkien/Middle Earth at www.nerdylifeofmine.com
More Tolkien/Middle Earth at www.nerdylifeofmine.com
February 16, 2024
Liked how the son of Greg filled in the back story of his father's and uncles's efforts to create a visual world of Tolkien's LOTR/Hobbit for those great first calendars in the days of old. The sketches showing how a picture developed, the photos used of models and just little memories adds so much to my appreciation of those calendars.
November 21, 2017
Beautiful Art
I remember when these calendars came out. I had at least one of the calendars that I recall. The stories behind the creation of the calendar and the pictures are terrific. Thoroughly enjoyable!
I remember when these calendars came out. I had at least one of the calendars that I recall. The stories behind the creation of the calendar and the pictures are terrific. Thoroughly enjoyable!
February 7, 2022
a well done art book
The illustrations in this book along with the descriptions are really well done. Having read the Tolkien books multiple times these illustrations really bring out the stories.
The illustrations in this book along with the descriptions are really well done. Having read the Tolkien books multiple times these illustrations really bring out the stories.
December 31, 2020
This art is famous, but it was wonderful seeing their process too. Especially all the poses they did.
September 8, 2021
This book is wonderful!
January 25, 2023
The magic behind the magic.
December 25, 2024
This would be a great coffee table book but makes for a pretty horrible reading experience on a tablet.
February 10, 2024
Great art book to have on your coffee table that even fans who only know about the LOTR movie trilogy would appreciate.
Aside from the gorgeous drawing, there's quite a bit of reading material about the creative process that went into designing these illustration.
Aside from the gorgeous drawing, there's quite a bit of reading material about the creative process that went into designing these illustration.
March 9, 2017
This was great. As a Tolkien fan it is always fun to see how different artists render the stories.
January 16, 2016
In comparison to more recent artists who have taken on the helm of Tolkien illustrators (I'm thinking mostly of Alan Lee's exceptional sketches and concept artwork for Peter Jackson's film version of the trilogy) the Hildebrandts may seem to be very much in the realm of stereotypical fantasy art. Mostly male-focused, slightly caricatured creatures, and not exactly realistic or innovative when it comes to landscape or architecture are the general defining terms of this art style, but in the context of when this work was created (the 1970s) the mastery of medium should still be considered a triumph that fed into the longer tradition of Tolkien-inspired artwork. As discussed in the accompanying text of this book, the brothers relied heavily on the exacting descriptions provided by Tolkien of Middle Earth and its populace of characters, so even while some of their pieces seem a bit juvenile to the modern eye the artwork is still highly evocative of the text. Particularly with this book, I was impressed with the amount of discussion around the research and background of the paintings - the photoshoots peopled by the artists' friends, young Greg Jr.'s rememberances of the world outside their studio, and the techniques that the brothers used to go from sketches to photo references to large scale sketch to finished painting.
November 18, 2024
Wonderful compilation of artwork by- and behind the scenes photos of- brothers Greg and Tim Hildebrandt during their work on calendars depicting scenes from J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium. Suffice it to say, the art is lovely- truly inspired translations of the printed word onto canvas. The text by Greg Hildebrandt Jr. blends childhood memories with Tolkien's narratives in a really unique way. Greg Jr. was the model for much of the brothers' art (especially their Hobbits), and he whimsically recounts these often exhausting sessions as adventures in Middle Earth. He also discusses the way that Greg and Tim Hildebrandt managed to rope relatives and friends into acting as models- dressing in absurd homemade costumes and wielding cardboard weapons- to form the basis of epic-scale images. This book should delight any fan of J.R.R. Tolkien.
December 10, 2012
This is a beautiful look into the minds of two of the best illustrators the world has ever seen. Showing how these iconic pictures were made up in minute detail is incredible to read and see. I loved flicking through the pages of this, seeing the little sketches to the end result. You can see that some of these drawings have never been seen before, as there is the representation of sticky tape to hold some of the pictures together. Wonderful stuff.
Being able to draw Tolkien calendars would be the dream of any illustrator but the Brothers Hildebrandt and their series of calendars set the style and feel for most Tolkien imagery. There is even a decent amount of images in this book that you will see in the film trilogy.
If you are an illustrator or a Tolkien fan, then this book is an essential. Seeing the hand drawings to final product makes this book entirely worth it.
Being able to draw Tolkien calendars would be the dream of any illustrator but the Brothers Hildebrandt and their series of calendars set the style and feel for most Tolkien imagery. There is even a decent amount of images in this book that you will see in the film trilogy.
If you are an illustrator or a Tolkien fan, then this book is an essential. Seeing the hand drawings to final product makes this book entirely worth it.
December 11, 2012
Loyal and sentimental account with informative notes on the artworks by the artists themselves. Large paintings are depicted in full-page and double-page spreads, many produced in cooperation by both brothers.
Gregory Hildebrandt Jr., son and nephew of artists Greg and Tim Hildebrandt saw and participated in the creation of year after year of best selling Tolkien calendars. In this work, Gregory shares his recollections of the creation process from the first sketch to the completion of the fifty-fourth original painting. This beautifully illustrated book includes the art from the 1976, '77, and '78 Lord of the Rings calendars originally created for Ballantine Books. Also includes concept sketches, posing photos, private commissions, and new works by Greg Hildebrandt.
The publisher supplied an advance copy e-book for review.
Gregory Hildebrandt Jr., son and nephew of artists Greg and Tim Hildebrandt saw and participated in the creation of year after year of best selling Tolkien calendars. In this work, Gregory shares his recollections of the creation process from the first sketch to the completion of the fifty-fourth original painting. This beautifully illustrated book includes the art from the 1976, '77, and '78 Lord of the Rings calendars originally created for Ballantine Books. Also includes concept sketches, posing photos, private commissions, and new works by Greg Hildebrandt.
The publisher supplied an advance copy e-book for review.
March 8, 2010
These two brother’s artwork is really amazing! I was truly awe inspired reading their book and following along on how they got their ideas and models to make the artwork come to life, it was really fascinating. It was great to be able to see their sketches in the all stages as well as their trials to get them to the success they are today. It wasn’t an easy road for them, but their stubborn persistence paid off and that in itself is really very inspiring for any artist or author who is trying to make it in the industry.
March 21, 2014
A must for any Tolkien fan. The Bros. Hildebrandt were *the* Tolkien artists of my youth, and even today, when I find my own artistic interpretation of the scenes varies so much from theirs, I still deeply appreciate what they did, and am thrilled to see their calendar work -- with the associated sketches and model photos -- reproduced here.
The childhood anecdotes by the author -- son of one of the Brothers -- are occasionally interesting, more often annoying. But the art itself remains glorious.
The childhood anecdotes by the author -- son of one of the Brothers -- are occasionally interesting, more often annoying. But the art itself remains glorious.
April 29, 2009
The Brother Hildebrandt's official website
Nice history and stories with beautiful artwork. My favorite would have to be the cover of 'The Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien - Architect of Middle-Earth' by Daniel Grotta ('77 Running Press). This book is differently worth a check.
Nice history and stories with beautiful artwork. My favorite would have to be the cover of 'The Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien - Architect of Middle-Earth' by Daniel Grotta ('77 Running Press). This book is differently worth a check.
September 27, 2011
I'm not all that big a fan of the art, but I'm enough of a Tolkien fan to love looking at various interpretations of the characters. The fun of this book is increased by the really personal touches of the author (Greg Hildebrandt's kid) and the descriptions of the really awesome and neat ways that they created their pieces.
October 31, 2012
I like a few of their paintings but for the most part I'm not a big Hildebrandt fan and their homely hobbits, stiff poses, and too-too blonde women. I almost prefer the pencil sketches to the paintings. Still, an interesting read from the perspective of Greg Jr. on his dad's and uncle's artistic process.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews