Custom Lord of the Rings fore-edge painting | Paint with me 🎨 🖌

The full painting process of my third Lord of the Rings fore-edge painting with a custom design across all 3 sides 🎨 🖌
To see more works like this visit my website www.mcieart.com. To learn more about fore-edge painting check out Martin Frost, helping to keep alive a critically endangered art form • How Fore-Edge painting...
Materials:
Watercolor - Winsor and Newton Cotman Pocket Sets: bit.ly/3RItBvT and bit.ly/3Er5PBl
Book - Lord of the Rings Delux Edition: www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Del...
The process:
00:00 - Preview
00:05 - Set up
00:51 - Bag End Sketch
00:56 - Bag End: Painting Side One
07:06 - Changing sides
07:20 - Helms Deep: Painting Side Two
19:51 - Changing sides
20:11 - Eye of Sauron & Mount Doom: Painting Side Three
28:06 - Final removal from the press
28:16 - Finished Product
28:39 - ASMR cracking and page separating
29:26 - Packaging the book
29:39 - Wax Seal
Music List:
1. Adventure by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
2. Nomadic Dawn by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
3. Sorrow by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
4. Nowhere Land by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
5. Grundar by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...

[@mcieart]

Thanks for watching! The watercolors I used for this (and all my fore-edge paintings) are linked in the description for the video. Next piece will be featuring 6 😱 portraits and will be out in November likely. If you’d like to learn more about fore edge paintings check out the work of the only contemporary professional fore edge painter Martin Frost, helping to keep alive a critically endangered art form kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zqmbmpuld8Z3qqs

[@thebluetrinity]

Is that all three books together? It's really good.

[@eshagarg3230]

This painting is giving me a whole new reason to live!✨

[@mcieart]

Thank you so much 🥰❤️

[@olatzsantos3102]

Amazing work, so beautiful! You’re so talented you make it look easy. ❤

[@mcieart]

❤️❤️❤️❤️ thanks Olatz ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@burakark4321]

All of them beautiful. But I loved the Helm's Deep.

[@mcieart]

Thanks so much! For the fact that it’s only black and white it stresses me out too much haha

[@burakark4321]

@@mcieart If there was a high resolution version, I could make this drawing my wallpaper. :)👍

[@bradykelso8682]

Stunning from start to finish!

[@mcieart]

Thank you! 😊

[@sayleonara1829]

very epic! The packaging with the wax stemp at the end is truly matching.

[@mcieart]

Thank you! I’m still trying to perfect my packaging because I’ve got big ideas but not the wrapping skills for them haha, but I see now why wax seals have had such a comeback, they are very fun!

[@lerroxxya4135]

It’s so beautiful 😍

[@mcieart]

Thanks so much 🥰

[@kevinkelley3906]

That is just darn beautiful and crafty❤

[@markitosnismo6204]

Amazing. I have to get one for my Tolkien collection😍

[@luisamaria3233]

Precioso, pones luego algo para proteger la acuarela?

[@mcieart]

Hi, yes I spray a protective sealant on when I finish to help protect the watercolor

[@yamsmma5055]

This is beautiful.

[@mcieart]

Thank you! ❤️

[@leyraa]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@mcieart]

I’m glad you liked it!

[@petshomeworld]

I love your work

[@mcieart]

Thanks so much!

[@LefttoWrite]

Aaaaaaamazing ❤️

[@mcieart]

Thank you! I really appreciate you watching 🥰

[@karmen__]

I've watched some of this paintings on the books and I wonder... watercolors (or perhaps also gouache?) are the only option, right? Because acrylic paint will "glue" the pages? 🤔

[@mcieart]

Yes I would suggest only using watercolour or gouache for these paintings. I’ve personally only used watercolour but I know others who prefer gouache

[@karmen__]

@@mcieart Thank you for answer. Can I also ask how using watercolors works with how the painting stay in shape? I mean does it maybe smudge over time or something due to humidity of the air or something? 😅

[@mcieart]

This is actually a pretty old art form, it used to be reserved for really special books and you’ll see it on things like old bibles so as long as it’s taken care of it can really last. Because watercolour paint goes into the paper, where I would say acrylic more sits on top, it’s not like there’s really a separate layer on top of the paper to brush away. Of course if you handled it roughly or damaged the paper then it would damage the painting as well. I just uploaded a new Foreedge painting and you can see when I can the pages that I’m rubbing it with my fingers but it still looks the same 😊

[@viajandoentreleituras]

I just started to paint with watercolors and now my goal is this ♡ but I'm still not confident enought to to this to my book babies 😂

[@mcieart]

Definitely give it a try! If you don’t want to risk it on your nicer books then you can definitely try it on some books from the thrift store or a library sale. You don’t even have to paint something specifically about the book if you haven’t read it or don’t want to when practicing. Hope you have fun!

[@1yuyutsu]

Is this the real channel of maisie matilda I want to subscribe her original true channel not someone re-upload video of her art

[@mcieart]

@@1yuyutsu Hi I'm not Maisie but this is my own art. I don't think she has a youtube account only tiktok and instagram. I'm a separate artist who also does foreedge paintings.

[@1yuyutsu]

@@mcieart okay i subscribe you I can't differentiates your art and her

[@christimullins8988]

If is use charcoal pencils, what can I spray it with to keep if from smearing/ rubbing off when touched?

[@mcieart]

I would guess you could use a fixative spray like you would for a charcoal drawing on regular paper, but it would definitely have to be a display only book them. The reason why people mostly use watercolor for fore edge paintings is that it is absorbed into the paper rather than sitting on top of it so it makes it that bit more durable, though I still wouldn’t really read these ones once painted. Hope that helps!

[@wmt5170]

Thanks for sharing! Do you use a fixative spray after your watercolors or just leave as-is? Thank you, your paintings are beautiful! I'm hoping to try to make one myself soon.

[@virginia2688]

This is brilliant! I only have one question: isn't it possible that the acrylics expose the paper to mould? My books all seem to have a problem with humility...

[@mcieart]

I use watercolours when painting my books and haven’t had any mould issues. In reality you aren’t really using much water on the actual pages themselves and I also make sure everything is fully dry before I spray a sealant. But because the book is clamped tight the water when painting doesn’t travel into the page and stays more on the edges

[@virginia2688]

@@mcieart Thank you! 🥰

[@mariabelenmanduca9025]

How do you know when to let it dry? Or do you paint it all in one sitting? Amazing work! 😍

[@mcieart]

If I’ve used more water on an initial layer, usually to get a larger area of coverage for a very light color, then I will let that dry before going over top if I want more precise details. It’s similar to using watercolors on traditional watercolor paper as in you can work wet on wet or wet on dry, etc. Most of the time I’m painting across 2-5 sessions, I’ve only done one side of a book in one sitting once. But you get the feel for it as you go 😊

[@Jordan_Starr]

You are so amazingly talented! I've just gone down a huge rabbit hole reading about the history of fore-edge painting after seeing one of your posts so thank you l for intriducing me to this world! I've seen fore-edge painting on books before but never knew it had a name or that it was becoming a forgotten craft. I hope this isnt a stupid question but does the watercolor paint ever leak through onto the pages? When you flicked through the book at the end it looked so neat - like it was all contained to the outter edges. I'm just wondering if there's a technique to keeping the paint wet enough to work with and the pages dry enough to work on? Thank you for sharing your craft with the world 💕

[@nataliekaye8708]

That's not a stupid question! It is a legit one. I'm not sure about a special technique, but if you watch Martin Frost's video he says to use minimal water while painting, and he sort of wipes off excess water right before putting brush to book. And if you want more colour saturation or just to add more detail, you let each layer dry before adding more so you don't add too much water in the process. If there's too much water it can warp the pages and/or start removing the pigment already on the book.

[@mcieart]

Hi, as Natalie said not a stupid question at all and she’s totally right in what Martin Frost says. As long as you don’t use too much water and clamp the pages tightly, not releasing them until after all the paint is dry, I haven’t had really any issue.

[@kiarap1363]

How long do you let them dry before you remove the clamps?🙈

[@mcieart]

@@kiarap1363I usually wait a few hours or overnight if I can

[@jonnyshearer3456]

How soon can i send my books

[@obiajulumgbechi]

where did you get the clamps from?

[@mcieart]

My dad was kind enough to help me make the press for the book, but you can also easily use two clamps from a hardware store with a piece of wood or something hard to hold everything in place

[@kevinkelley3906]

I thought about doing it to one of Mt Stephen King books. I just want the edges kept white with blood splotches on it.

[@mcieart]

That sounds like it could be really cool! You should definitely give it a try sometime and see how it goes

[@mirandapintos3328]

u only paint the books with watercolors?

[@mcieart]

Yes, I only use watercolors for my books

[@ethancrawford4622]

Can I buy this??

[@mcieart]

Sorry this was a commission piece so it’s already been sent off to it’s owner

[@AhsanKhan-fq2pq]

Could I please buy one 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@mcieart]

If you’re interested in a custom piece feel free to reach out via my website www.mcieart.com 😊

[@misspenofficial]

Isn't watercolor gonna fade after a long time?

[@mcieart]

I use professional grade watercolors and a sealant so as long as it is handled with care and kept out of direct sunlight it should last for a very long time. There are some pretty old books, couple hundred years, that have fore edge paintings still.