Melian by Castile181 on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

"But Melian looked in her eyes and read the doom that was written there, and turned away; for she knew that a parting beyond the end of the world had come between them, and no grief of loss has been heavier than the grief of Melian the Maia in that hour." - Silmarillion p. 188

I wanted to show her as just this perfect ethereal being but there is one thing wrong, just one small, tiny thing, but that one thing means the world to her. For me, this was the saddest part of the Silmarillion, imagining how a Maia can be a demigod but still feel grief like that, but it seems to be an overlooked scene. I never see any illustrations or even fanfics about it.

Also, I wanted to make her black and give her natural hair. Maybe it is really unconventional and I am sure it might upset some people, but I really wish I saw people of color represented more often in fantasy works. I like to imagine Melian being so powerful and conquering everything, even racial boundaries. I've never painted dark skin before but I absolutely loved working with these colors and I will definitely do it again.

Please don't repost. Link to reblog: celeborn-of-doriath.tumblr.com…