How To Draw Sauron Step By Step

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'The Seduction of Sauron' From the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien Long before Sauron was lord of Mordor, before he was even evil, he was 'Mairon', a gifted metalsmith among the Maiar. He grew impatient with the slow unfolding on the flawed world and desired to create things to his own plan instead. Melkor promised to show how this could be achieved, and so step by step, Mairon followed Melkor down into darkness until he became 'Sauron'. Created especially for the Tolkien art show 'Evil in the Shining Light', curated by artist John Cockshaw Acrylics on paper, digital colouring, 11.5 x 8" Frame element by Stephen Clulow on Flickr.
Melkor (or Morgoth as he was by then) and his most powerful servant: Sauron. Another preparatory sketch for the series on Sauron (his fall from grace to Dark Lord) and attempt to 'find' the right faces for him and Melkor. The details are still a work in progress but the basics are there: Melkor / Morgoth, an insidious vulture-esque thing of smoke, shadow and smouldering horribleness; and #Sauron, all golden and fiery but following in his master's footsteps. From the Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien Pencil and acrylics, 8.5x11 inches
Annatar 'giver of gifts', Sauron in his fair, deceitful form during the 2nd Age.	detail
Annatar and Celebrimbor Sauron in his fair form as Annatar when he taught the Elves the craft of ring-making. It wasn't until afterwards (when he forged the One Ring in secret, planning that it should rule all the others) that his true identity and purpose were revealed. Depicted here: 'Annatar' guides the hand of Celebrimbor, greatest of the Elven smiths. In the top left and right corners, Elrond and Galadriel shun him. They couldn't see through his disguise, yet still they didn't trust him. The rings that were made in secret are embedded in the frame: on the left, right and bottom and the three Elven rings made by Celebrimbor; and above Sauron's head is the One Ring. At this time it was still just an idea. From the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien Created especially for the Tolkien art show 'Evil in the Shining Light' on during September at the Bank Street arts gallery in Sheffield, curated by artist John Cockshaw Acrylics on paper, with added digital colouring, 11.5 x 8" Frame element by Stephen Clulow on Flickr. — with Soni Alcorn-Hender. 2015
"Annatar and the Craft of Ring-making" Thumbnail preview for Annatar and Celebrimbor above Aug. 30, 2015

Sauron and Ar-Pharazon

Sauron being fair and flattering as the hostage of Ar-Pharazôn, last great king of Númenor before the fall.

A fall engineered entirely by Sauron in fact, for by cunning he rose from prisoner to most-trusted advisor of the proud king,
and convinced him to offer blood and lives to exiled Morgoth. (The smoke of their sacrifices can be seen through the window.)

Then as the King felt the weight of old age and death come upon him he listened to Sauron's promise of immortality in Valinor,
and how a brave man might take it for himself if he would only sail West to claim it...

Buildings of Númenor adorn the top left and right corners. Embedded in the frame to the left is the shining isle of the Valar, Númenor's holy mountain Meneltarma to the right. The Eye of Sauron overlooks all above, and death awaits below.
Acrylics on paper, with added digital colouring, 11.5 x 8" Frame element by Stephen Clulow on Flickr. —

From the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien

Created especially for the Tolkien art show 'Evil in the Shining Light' on during September at the Bank Street arts gallery in Sheffield, curated by artist John Cockshaw.

2015

Sauron triptych

Made last year for a Tolkien art exhibition, I've put parts of this up before but not the completed triptych, until now.

A Dark Lord's Progress :
F̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶ ̶/̶ ̶p̶u̶p̶i̶l̶ ̶/̶ ̶f̶o̶l̶l̶o̶w̶e̶r̶ / servant to Melkor.
Teacher / m̶a̶n̶i̶p̶u̶l̶a̶t̶o̶r̶ ̶/̶ ̶t̶r̶a̶i̶t̶o̶r̶ ̶/̶ ̶m̶u̶r̶d̶e̶r̶e̶r of Celebrimbor.
P̶r̶i̶s̶o̶n̶e̶r / most trusted advisor to Ar-Pharazôn.

Inspired by 'The Silmarillion' and other writings of JRR Tolkien.

Sauron was defeated at the Battle of the Last Alliance,
but his Ring was not destroyed and he rose again.
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Sauron in 25 expressions

25 Essential Expressions Challenge: Sauron
2016
The idea is to draw an imagined face in a variety of emotions to check he/she can run the gamut of expressions in a plausible way. This was very useful, though it took longer than it ought.
(Though admittedly the only imaginary face I've drawn more than once is my version of an early Sauron. …º-º It got odd around 'flirty' and then just went full Nic Cage by 'silly'.)

Crown of Sauron
September 24, 2016

Sauron again because shuttup.
My previous attempts at drawing him (including the pic I'm using as an avatar) never seemed to have his crown right:
I always envisioned it to be made of flames; and ideally a gold crown, like the ring, (rather than black which is how it's usually depicted).
But how do you make a gold crown stand out on gold-ish hair?
So I've made the crown into a sort of grisly halo: it's partly above, as well as on, his head.
The part touching the head has long teeth that anchor into the hair, probably quite painfully - I think many women reading this will know exactly what I'm talking about. ;p
And when seen from the front, the crown begins to hint at the shape of a flaming eye.