By Justin Gerard

So I know I said I wasn’t planning on doing (or monkeying with) any of these Silmarillion pieces digitally. But I gave in and joined the Dark Side for a bit to push the Glorfindel and the Balrog piece a little further.  
I can’t help it, sometimes I just have to monkey with the paintings. This version of the image is much more like the frame that was in my head originally, with a little more emphasis put on the fire and atmosphere. Hopefully the digital work doesn’t affect the overall classic feel I was going for in the original.  Having things turn out too synthetic looking is always a concern when painting in Photoshop. 
In the end, I just love pushing the traditional parts further on the computer. Like the Dark Side, Photoshop can be a lot of fun to work in once you really figure it out.  
But this is where it starts guys. One day your happily adjusting Photoshop dials, the next thing you know you’ve built a Deathstar and are blowing up Alderaan.Â