J. R. R. Tolkien publisher used the author's own cover art, maps, and full-page illustrations for the early editions of "The Hobbit". Much of his artwork was collected and published in 1995 as a book: "". The book discusses the paintings, drawings, and sketches of J.R.R. Tolkien and in total includes 200 reproductions of his art. In a 1951 letter to Milton Waldman, Tolkien wrote about his intentions to create a "body of more or less connected legend", of which "[t]he cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama".
J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator was natural and keen. Portraits are conspicuously absent from his work. The book explores Tolkien's art at length, from his childhood paintings and drawings to his final sketches. It reproduces 200 examples of his artwork. At its heart are his illustrations for his books, especially his tales of Middle-earth. Also examined are the pictures Tolkien made for his children (notably in his "The Father Christmas Letters" and "Mr. Bliss"), his expressive calligraphy, his love of decoration, and his contributions to the typography and design of his books. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator" won the 1996 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award