Tolkien Years: Greg and Tim Hildebrandt [Paperback]

When the tall, bearded, wild-eyed man showed up for the photo shoot, Gregory Hildebrandt Jr. knew that his "father and uncle were in league with the greatest wizard of all time." In Greg and Tim Hildebrandt: The Tolkien Years, the author recalls his childhood days in the studio of the creators of the wildly popular 1970s Lord of the Rings calendars and features 122 color and 75 b&w illustrations.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Adult/High School-A lavishly illustrated book written by the son and nephew of fantasy and science fiction artists Tim and Greg Hildebrandt. These talented brothers painted the artwork for the popular J. R. R. Tolkien calendars. The vivid color pictures illustrate their fantastic imagination and their concepts in bringing to life the characters and locations of Tolkien's Middle-earth. The lively story gives readers an inside peek at not only this creative team's work, but also their methodology in creating the fantasy paintings for the calendars. This semiautobiographical account also gives insight into the younger Hildebrandt's unorthodox childhood. With all the interest in Tolkien's work and the first part of the movie trilogy now out, it is fascinating to see the characters and settings come to life through the work of the Hildebrandts.
Patricia White-Williams, Kings Park Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Artists interpretations of Middle-earth are legion, but those by the brothers Hidebrandt are among the best. This collects their complete gallery (197 paintings) of Tolkien art. This book will make LOTR fans reach nirvana.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In 1975 Greg and Tim Hildebrandt landed an assignment they felt destined to execute: depicting J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings. Enlisted by Tolkien's American paperback publisher, Ballantine, to illustrate a calendar, the brothers eventually produced three (1976-78) and have since created additional Tolkien-inspired art. This calendar-page-size book tells and shows how they created the paintings, which bespeak the influence of master illustrators Maxfield Parrish and N. C. Wyeth, in particular, as well as, Tim Hildebrandt says, Gustav Tenggren, production designer of the Disney film Pinocchio. The book is an eyewitness report, for Gregory Hildebrandt is Greg's son, and beginning when he was five, he posed as Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in the photos his father and uncle used as models for their lively artwork. So many of those photos, others of other posers, preparatory drawings and studies, and, of course, the finished paintings appear that they nearly overwhelm Gregory's companionable I-was-there anecdotes--but that is no failing, not in a dazzler like this. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

My brother Tim and I waited a long time for the right publisher to print all of our Tolkien artwork in an art book. We couldn't be more pleased with the overall look of the book and the time and care that Watson Guptill gave to this product. We both hope that our fans enjoy owning this book as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Having m son, Gregory, write the text was a wonderful experience. I never really looked at Tolkien through his eyes. When you look through the eyes of a child you see way past what you can ever imagine.

He gave me a new way to see Tolkien and hopefully a new way for all of our fans, new and old, to see our art.

Greg Hildebrandt --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Gregory Hildebrandt, Jr. is a screenwriter and novelist. He has contributed stories to Frank Frazetta's Fantasy Illustrated magazine. He is the son of Greg Hildebrandt and the nephew of Tim Hildebrandt.