The next illustration in the second Tolkien calendar by Hildebrantd brothers is Saruman who looks in the palantir:
I don't know about you guys, but it's one of my favorite artworks by Hildebrandt brothers. They perfectly captured mysterious atmosphere of the Orthanc, and addicted facial expression of the main character. The blue light on the stairs - probably moon light - makes the scene even more dramatic. The chaines hangind from the ceilling make the place look like torture chamber, and I immidiately thought about the moment when Saruman imprisoned Gandalf.
It's really interesting to knoow how the references were created. Palantir radiates light, and this effect had to be depicted on the illustration. Here are the reference images:
Looks like a real Saruman, right?
So, the reference photos were taken with help of a bright lamp. I wondel how the model feeled after the session, I mean the eyes...
Thank you for watching:)
Love, Inber