Derek Barrantes
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molluskshell.bsky.social
Derek Barrantes
@molluskshell.bsky.social
Lv. 20 / Aspiring Manga Artist / Interests: Tolkien (Hobbit, LOTR, Silmarillion, etc.), SpongeBob, Osamu Tezuka (鉄腕アトム, ブラック・ジャック), Love Live, Classic Literature, ReoNa, 声優 / まだ日本語を勉強中です!
(14/17) I greatly admire the art of Matěj Čadil, suwi, and MgCoco among others and even though you can see some of the films’ DNA in their depictions of certain scenes or characters, they nevertheless have originality that distinguish them from merely being fanart of the films.
January 25, 2026 at 7:54 AM
(5/17) And because of that, I’ve managed to come up with pretty unique depictions of the characters that look distinct from the films.

My Gandalf, Bilbo, Gimli, and Legolas for instance don’t really resemble how McKellen, Holm/Freeman, Rhys-Davies, and Bloom did as these characters.
January 25, 2026 at 7:54 AM
Just got back from watching The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition in the cinema and yeah, still the best movie ever!

I’ve got a lot I really wanna say, but I think it’s best to save them for tomorrow.

Also had a lot of fun with my friend! I’m so glad I watched it with a fellow Tolkien fan!
January 23, 2026 at 2:53 PM
#TolkienTrewsday Week 152: Mirror

The Mirror of Galadriel illustrated by Ryuichi Terashima for the Japanese edition of The Fellowship of the Ring.

It’s absolutely incredible and it’s no doubt my favorite depiction of this scene.
January 20, 2026 at 3:44 AM
Gang, I don’t think I’ll be able to catch The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition in cinemas…

(Will update accordingly.)
January 19, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Finally got to see the new SpongeBob movie.

Very funny but also full of heart, I loved it a lot! This movie (I believe) is the very definition of “absolute cinema.”

#SpongeBob #SpongeBobMovie
January 17, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Without saying Gundam, name a giant robot

Pluto from Astro Boy: The Greatest Robot on Earth!
January 13, 2026 at 3:13 PM
#TolkienTrewsday Week 151: Treasures

Bilbo stumbles upon the Arkenstone while surrounded by all the gold and treasures of Erebor!

#Tolkien #Hobbit #Art #イラスト
January 13, 2026 at 10:58 AM
January 12, 2026 at 3:47 PM
A very late posting of my Nativity illustration!

According to the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, today (the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus) officially marks the end of the joyous Christmas season!

And so, for the last time in this liturgical year, Merry Christmas!!

#Art
January 11, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Saw this on Twitter and now I need to draw Gandalf Uma Musume.
January 11, 2026 at 2:23 AM
I’m not sure if they sell it in Taiwan, but there’s this beautiful Chinese edition of The Hobbit with illustrations by Wenjin Lu (who goes by the username ‘Norloth’ online)!

I wanted to see if they indeed sold it there, but I didn’t have enough time to go to a bookstore during my visit last year.
January 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM
I usually share my Tolkien collection, but since it has grown quite a lot recently, I’ve settled with sharing a pic of my hobbit cutouts with today’s date and a side-by-side pic of my first and latest Tolkien book.

Here’s another version of the latter with my first and latest depictions of Bilbo.
January 8, 2026 at 2:58 PM
2026.1.8
Five years!
It’s been half a decade since I finished reading The Hobbit and began my love for Tolkien’s Middle Earth!

It’s been a grand year full of Tolkien art, fandom, and getting more Tolkien stuff!

To many more years (and adventures) in Middle Earth!

#Tolkien #Hobbits #TheHobbit
January 8, 2026 at 2:58 PM
After several days (and a literal trip to Europe!), I finally finished training Matikanefukukitaru!

She was a lot of fun, and I’m glad I got to stick with her throughout my first playthrough of the Unity Cup Scenario!

Keep believing, Fuku-chan!

#UmaMusume #ウマ娘 #Matikanefukukitaru
January 8, 2026 at 3:50 AM
Today (January 6) is supposedly Sherlock Holmes’ birthday and unfortunately, I don’t have any art for him. 🥲

So instead here’s a bust of the man that I took a pic of while at the Sherlock Holmes Museum last December.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Holmes!! 🎉🎉🎉

#SherlockHolmes #SherlockHolmesBirthday
January 6, 2026 at 2:02 PM
So I’m finally home after spending two weeks in Europe for the holidays, and look what I came back to!

Apparently my 2026 Beyond Bree calendar had arrived while I was gone, and it is *beautiful*!

So excited to be using this for the year!
January 5, 2026 at 4:20 PM
This one’s for me!

Golshi and the hobbits (this time with Bilbo)!

A late birthday illustration for myself inspired by that one picture I took while at Oxford!

#Tolkien #Hobbits #UmaMusume #ウマ娘 #GoldShip #ゴールドシップ #Art #イラスト
January 3, 2026 at 9:31 PM
“The Professor!”

I may have missed 9pm where I currently am (Paris, France), but I at least made it in the timezone of the UK where the Professor himself hails from!

Happy Birthday, Professor!! 🎂🎉🥳

#Tolkien #Hobbits #TolkienBirthdayToast
January 3, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Spending the first days of the new year in Brussels, Belgium; the home of Tintin!
January 1, 2026 at 1:06 PM
And bonjour, Paris! 🇫🇷
So begins the second part of our European trip for the holidays!
December 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Goodbye, London! I had a perfectly marvelous time.
It was my birthday wish to spend the holidays in the UK, and I’m glad I got to do all sorts of stuff that made me happy throughout this trip.

Until I see you again!
December 29, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Now watching: The 2025 Arima Kinen (via livestream)

現在視聴中: 2025年有馬記念 (ライブ配信)
December 28, 2025 at 6:28 AM
There was a terraced area with a great view, so I took better photos there.

monmonさん(@fatalparanoia3.bsky.social)のノースちゃんもここにいる。
December 27, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Good morning from Scotland!
スコットランドからおはようございます!
December 27, 2025 at 9:59 AM