Elves: green for the intellect and love of nature
Arwen
Thread: Colors of races
Planet Tolkien is archived and no longer updated, but the forums remain browseable. We have established a Telegram group for old and new visitors to stay connected and discuss all things Tolkien.This may be a bit airy but, being an artist, I was wondering about what colors you would say represents the races of Tolkien's world. Here's one. (add on for other races or diffferent colors if you wish.)
Elves: green for the intellect and love of nature
Arwen
Elves: green for the intellect and love of nature
Arwen
Ainur : white for their angelic nature.
Men : grey because only Eru really knows what's going on with them.
Dwarves : brown because they were made out of earth.
Ents : green because of what they wear on their head : leaves.
Dragons : red because of the thing they use to start barbecues.
Eagles : blue = the colour of the sky.
Orcs : black because they don't really like the light.
Elves : pink because they like dancing, singing, poems and what not so much.
Men : grey because only Eru really knows what's going on with them.
Dwarves : brown because they were made out of earth.
Ents : green because of what they wear on their head : leaves.
Dragons : red because of the thing they use to start barbecues.
Eagles : blue = the colour of the sky.
Orcs : black because they don't really like the light.
Elves : pink because they like dancing, singing, poems and what not so much.
Pink!?
I would say elves are either a leaf green or a deep aqua (green for nature, aqua for sorrow) and ents are a mossier green. Dwarves are brown, orcs, goblins and such are black, eagles are gold... I'll give you the rest of the races when I have some time to think harder...
I would say elves are either a leaf green or a deep aqua (green for nature, aqua for sorrow) and ents are a mossier green. Dwarves are brown, orcs, goblins and such are black, eagles are gold... I'll give you the rest of the races when I have some time to think harder...
Something I've noted before that I've gotten from Tolkien is an appreciation for the color grey. We don't think much of it now with the availability of an amazing array of pigments available, even when limited to just permanent artist colors, but he often articulates an appreciation of gray in the bark of the mallorn, the luminous mists of the sea, grey eyes (ones we are more likely to call blue) the grey-clad elves of Lorien. I don't think I would so much have noticed what a luminous silver is simple weathered wood but for Tolkien pulling my awareness of it up to consciousness. Likewise the bark of young maples and of beeches. I see the mallorns like beeches.
Anyway, I'm an artist, too, and I like the question.
Grey and Green are used by Tolkien for two groups of elves who remained in Middle Earth and never went to Aman before the end. Ignoring that, I feel grey is the color for the high elves that did go to Aman and for the Noldor with their gray eyes who came back.
Green for the elves who always stayed here.
Gold for the Dwarves. They were, after all, a race of artists in metal, more completely artistic than any other race.
Black is too pure for the Orcs. Brown is too colorful sounding, but there is a sort of brown that is their color, the color that things decay into. 'Dun' is a better word for it, though little used now. I don't know but that it is related to 'dung.' Anyway, it's that color the leaves are on the ground after the snow melts in the spring. (maybe like raw umber) Orcs are rotted through their long torment: God's mercy on them.
Eagles blue, yeah. I think of blue for the Teleri, too.
Humans? The scary and hopeful thing is that humans are capable of being anything. I don't think they can be assigned a single color as if they had a single way of being.
Maybe that's not airy enough. I can go a little too heavy at times.
Anyway, I'm an artist, too, and I like the question.
Grey and Green are used by Tolkien for two groups of elves who remained in Middle Earth and never went to Aman before the end. Ignoring that, I feel grey is the color for the high elves that did go to Aman and for the Noldor with their gray eyes who came back.
Green for the elves who always stayed here.
Gold for the Dwarves. They were, after all, a race of artists in metal, more completely artistic than any other race.
Black is too pure for the Orcs. Brown is too colorful sounding, but there is a sort of brown that is their color, the color that things decay into. 'Dun' is a better word for it, though little used now. I don't know but that it is related to 'dung.' Anyway, it's that color the leaves are on the ground after the snow melts in the spring. (maybe like raw umber) Orcs are rotted through their long torment: God's mercy on them.
Eagles blue, yeah. I think of blue for the Teleri, too.
Humans? The scary and hopeful thing is that humans are capable of being anything. I don't think they can be assigned a single color as if they had a single way of being.
Maybe that's not airy enough. I can go a little too heavy at times.
Hobbits are beige. No one noticed them for a long, long time.
Quote:
Pink!?
Pink!?
Pink makes perfectly sense. It's the Tyler connection : Liv Tyler was supposed to play Arwen, an Elf; Liv is Stephen's Tyler's daughter, who's the frontman of the band Aerosmith, who have "Pink" as a big hit.
:-P
Nice to know there's a fellow artist here. 
Ok, I'm back.
Yeah... so, Hobbits first... I would say a golden yellow, like the color of dandelions or corn, because they are carefree and like bright colors. I think dragons maybe kind of have their own colors for each, like the wizards, and I agree with Shaya puma that Men can't be assigned one color. Heck, even the Valar don't know everything that will happen to Men, especially what happens after they die.
Quote:
Hobbits are beige. No one noticed them for a long, long time.
Hobbits are beige. No one noticed them for a long, long time.
Yeah... so, Hobbits first... I would say a golden yellow, like the color of dandelions or corn, because they are carefree and like bright colors. I think dragons maybe kind of have their own colors for each, like the wizards, and I agree with Shaya puma that Men can't be assigned one color. Heck, even the Valar don't know everything that will happen to Men, especially what happens after they die.
I forgot about Hobbits. Yes, a golden yellow. I don't know why, but I always associate yellow with Hobbits. I think Tolkien mentions somewhere that they like yellow and green. T himself liked bright vests.
Backatcha artist greeting. Niggle lives.
Backatcha artist greeting.
Niggle lives.
Hmmm... let's see...
I can't think of a general color for the Ainur; they were spirits and it's hard to represent them. The Valar and the Maiar, taken separately, are a different thing, though. But let's stick with the races, for now...
The Elves... Well, we could have white for the Vanyar, anyone of the fire colors - yellow, golden, red - for the Noldor, sea-blue for the Teleri who left Middle-earth and grey for those left behind (with the mention that the Nandor are green), all shades of dark for the Avari (but not black).
The Dwarves - either brown (for the earth) or grey (for the stone).
The Hobbits - any warm, earthly shades.
The Dragons - snake-green, bright red and yellow.
The Eagles - blue, green and brown.
The Trolls - stone grey.
The Orcs - indeed, any shades of rotten. Some could be quite black...
The Ents - green (for the leaves) and brown (for the earth).
The Men... This is really difficult... I think the Houses of the Edain could be represented by: grey, brown and black (Beor); white, golden yellow and blue (Hador); brown, green and black (Haleth). Their descendants, the Numenoreans, by sea-blue, black, golden yellow; the Elendili by white, black and grey. The Rohirrim by white, green and golden yellow. The Easterlings by pale shades of yellow; the Haradrim by red and black.
This is how I see it, anyway... *shrugs* Anyway, it's a nice topic; I'm glad you brought it up, Arwen!
Namarie!
I can't think of a general color for the Ainur; they were spirits and it's hard to represent them. The Valar and the Maiar, taken separately, are a different thing, though. But let's stick with the races, for now...
The Elves... Well, we could have white for the Vanyar, anyone of the fire colors - yellow, golden, red - for the Noldor, sea-blue for the Teleri who left Middle-earth and grey for those left behind (with the mention that the Nandor are green), all shades of dark for the Avari (but not black).
The Dwarves - either brown (for the earth) or grey (for the stone).
The Hobbits - any warm, earthly shades.
The Dragons - snake-green, bright red and yellow.
The Eagles - blue, green and brown.
The Trolls - stone grey.
The Orcs - indeed, any shades of rotten. Some could be quite black...
The Ents - green (for the leaves) and brown (for the earth).
The Men... This is really difficult... I think the Houses of the Edain could be represented by: grey, brown and black (Beor); white, golden yellow and blue (Hador); brown, green and black (Haleth). Their descendants, the Numenoreans, by sea-blue, black, golden yellow; the Elendili by white, black and grey. The Rohirrim by white, green and golden yellow. The Easterlings by pale shades of yellow; the Haradrim by red and black.
This is how I see it, anyway... *shrugs* Anyway, it's a nice topic; I'm glad you brought it up, Arwen!
Namarie!
This is indeed a very nice topic. 
In spite of all the nice suggestions that have been made, I'm going to have a go too.
Elves - a sort of very thin pinkish I think, vaguely human-like, but more airy, angelic sort of pink (they wear green clothes in my imagination, they are not green themselves though)
Ents - since they are walking trees, they deserve tree-colours: brown and every possible shade of green you can come up with
Orcs - mixture of black and grey, some more black than others perhaps
Men - pink with hints of beige and yellow, some perhaps darker than others (some being horsemen and outside in the sun/rain/weather all the time) Their clothes have more of a palish look in my mind, less bright than the colours of the Hobbits. More brown and dark yellow in their clothing, and green.
Dwarves - pink with hints of brown and grey, more to the brown side, they live in the mountains and come from the earth after all. Clothes are brown, grey with some yellow or gold here and there.
Hobbits - yellow-beige, little less pink than men and little less brown than dwarves (I know, I know). Very bright-coloured clothes: red, yellow, green, blue, anything basically.
I'm not an artist, and I'm probably making things far too complicated, but this is more or less the way I see them in my imagination. Oh well...
In spite of all the nice suggestions that have been made, I'm going to have a go too.Elves - a sort of very thin pinkish I think, vaguely human-like, but more airy, angelic sort of pink (they wear green clothes in my imagination, they are not green themselves though)
Ents - since they are walking trees, they deserve tree-colours: brown and every possible shade of green you can come up with
Orcs - mixture of black and grey, some more black than others perhaps
Men - pink with hints of beige and yellow, some perhaps darker than others (some being horsemen and outside in the sun/rain/weather all the time) Their clothes have more of a palish look in my mind, less bright than the colours of the Hobbits. More brown and dark yellow in their clothing, and green.
Dwarves - pink with hints of brown and grey, more to the brown side, they live in the mountains and come from the earth after all. Clothes are brown, grey with some yellow or gold here and there.
Hobbits - yellow-beige, little less pink than men and little less brown than dwarves (I know, I know). Very bright-coloured clothes: red, yellow, green, blue, anything basically.
I'm not an artist, and I'm probably making things far too complicated, but this is more or less the way I see them in my imagination. Oh well...
Hobbits are anything but BEIGE which is the boringest colour in the world.
ANYWAY...
DRagons are SOO green because they just.. are. The coolest dragons are always green.
And dwarves are the coolest race ever becasue I"M A DWARF so it just HAS to be gold which is the richest colour and also cause they LOVE money. Except me. Money isn't everything. There are also gold bars, jewels....
ANYWAY...
DRagons are SOO green because they just.. are. The coolest dragons are always green.
And dwarves are the coolest race ever becasue I"M A DWARF so it just HAS to be gold which is the richest colour and also cause they LOVE money. Except me. Money isn't everything. There are also gold bars, jewels....
Oh yes, I somehow forgot about dragons. They are either red or green. The green ones are always good, the red bad. And they also love money, so I'd run away if I were you, little dwarf! Oh wait, I'm a dwarf too! *runs away before Vee arrives* 
And they also love money, so I'd run away if I were you, little dwarf! Oh wait, I'm a dwarf too! *runs away before Vee arrives* Hey, you are too!!! I never noticed that!!!! Want to count my hoard with me? One dollar, a dollar and five cents. And again. One dollar, a dollar and five cents. Did you know that would buy me twentyone lollies? MMMM...
Actually I have a substantial hoard in my bank account. But I can't count that. It's not REAL!!!! It's on a computer. It's just imaginary money. There's no REAL vault holding my money. OH WAB!!! I wish we could have a bank like in Harry Potter where we can go down and look at it and say "Saving is good!!! I have lots of money!!! I will save more and more!!!" It would provide lots of incentive to save. And lots of bank robbers.
Actually I have a substantial hoard in my bank account. But I can't count that. It's not REAL!!!! It's on a computer. It's just imaginary money. There's no REAL vault holding my money. OH WAB!!! I wish we could have a bank like in Harry Potter where we can go down and look at it and say "Saving is good!!! I have lots of money!!! I will save more and more!!!" It would provide lots of incentive to save. And lots of bank robbers.
*Elves: Green, you can just see it. elves are associated with woods.
*Hobbits: Burgundy and brown, thats the way the inside of their homes look and its the colors tha they wear. Brown because thy can be quiet while walking in the woods.
*Men: Red, there was a lot of bloodshed in the race of Men. there was also a lot of backstabbing and betrayal.
*Dragons: mostly rich and pure colors like Purple and Red. they are very majestic and royal colors.
*Orcs: Black, duh, their evil and plus thier blood is black.
*Ents: many shades of green and brown, they are trees so that is what they look like and it represents them because they are old and green to me is a very old color
*Dwarves: Brown and red-orange, because they are in the depths of the Earth with the brown of the dirt and red-orange because they are near the fire and the most ferocious creature of Khazud-um is the Balrog (fire-monster) which they have to deal with because it is in their realm.
*Hobbits: Burgundy and brown, thats the way the inside of their homes look and its the colors tha they wear. Brown because thy can be quiet while walking in the woods.
*Men: Red, there was a lot of bloodshed in the race of Men. there was also a lot of backstabbing and betrayal.
*Dragons: mostly rich and pure colors like Purple and Red. they are very majestic and royal colors.
*Orcs: Black, duh, their evil and plus thier blood is black.
*Ents: many shades of green and brown, they are trees so that is what they look like and it represents them because they are old and green to me is a very old color
*Dwarves: Brown and red-orange, because they are in the depths of the Earth with the brown of the dirt and red-orange because they are near the fire and the most ferocious creature of Khazud-um is the Balrog (fire-monster) which they have to deal with because it is in their realm.
no, dwarves are silver and gold!!! Cause of their hoards of rich stuff. GO THE DWARVES!!!!
No way. Hobbits are happy creatures!!!! Happy nice creatures. Not BORINg colours like BROWN. Bright colours!!! HAppy colours!
Be easier on yourself!!! Men aren't THAT evil.
Quote:
*Hobbits: Burgundy and brown, thats the way the inside of their homes look and its the colors tha they wear. Brown because thy can be quiet while walking in the woods.
*Men: Red, there was a lot of bloodshed in the race of Men. there was also a lot of backstabbing and betrayal.
*Hobbits: Burgundy and brown, thats the way the inside of their homes look and its the colors tha they wear. Brown because thy can be quiet while walking in the woods.
*Men: Red, there was a lot of bloodshed in the race of Men. there was also a lot of backstabbing and betrayal.
No way. Hobbits are happy creatures!!!! Happy nice creatures. Not BORINg colours like BROWN. Bright colours!!! HAppy colours!
Be easier on yourself!!! Men aren't THAT evil.
Dragons-they are green and red, and both are evil (and gold)
hobbits- beige, hobbits are boring fellows. Spending there days eating and sleeping(with the exception of Frodo and his pals)
Istari- blue white
Dwarfs-ah..i am in conflict here. Brown.no no..gold..maybe...grey..possibly...or mabye a bit of each
Elves-not pink....thats for sure. Green, yellow and brown. Combined in some nice patterns
Eagles-hmmm...grey, gold and maybe blue for the sky they nearly live in
orcs- grey, black and brown. But only in the most disgusting pigments
Humans-all kinda colors, humans are the best at adapting. They could co-exist with elves, dwarves, evil orcs and the rest
Ents- thats easy. Green and brown. But in nice earthy colors, kinda mossy
hobbits- beige, hobbits are boring fellows. Spending there days eating and sleeping(with the exception of Frodo and his pals)
Istari- blue white
Dwarfs-ah..i am in conflict here. Brown.no no..gold..maybe...grey..possibly...or mabye a bit of each
Elves-not pink....thats for sure. Green, yellow and brown. Combined in some nice patterns
Eagles-hmmm...grey, gold and maybe blue for the sky they nearly live in
orcs- grey, black and brown. But only in the most disgusting pigments
Humans-all kinda colors, humans are the best at adapting. They could co-exist with elves, dwarves, evil orcs and the rest
Ents- thats easy. Green and brown. But in nice earthy colors, kinda mossy
Better, but... Men should hve a fixed colour. They can adapt, but they're kinda slow. And everyone ELSE can adapt. And besides, having a million colours would make them too much like Saruman. And we're not THAT bad.
Oh, and well done on hitting the 1000th post mark, Tommie.
Oh, and well done on hitting the 1000th post mark, Tommie.
Actually, I don't really think that the other races can adapt that well, especially elves. If they could adapt, they wouldn't have faded. And I would rather have men be many colors than red for blood and betrayal, because that leaves out all the good men, like Aragorn and Faramir.
