Dragon Drawings
Bits and Pieces to Try

Dragon drawings come in all shapes, styles, complexities, and colors. Here is a close-up of one favorite.

You will find a neck here, flashing eye there, snaggle tooth, and flaring nostril. As a crew, these creatures can be a bombastic lot, but what can one expect from a group making fireworks their life.

Although sections of this illustration appear simple, they are based on years of art doodling, roughing out, sketching, and finishing art in all media.

The illustration offers us a chance to think about "viewpoint". It appears as if we are seeing the creature at eye level and slightly to the left. It means we are in the midst of a swirling mass of muscle and sinew. We are up off the ground. The artist makes us believe this through "viewpoint".

As the artist, you get to tell the story you want to tell. You are trying to portray the subject of the picture in the most authentic way - the way that is genuine - that does not feel artificial even if it is a creature you never have seen.

In the mind of an artist all things are possible. Some artists think of things that could be, and then create them on paper, in digital format, in mixed media collage, or three dimensional renderings. All innovation comes from finding problems and figuring out a better way that winds up fixing the problems.

Think about how long you have wanted to draw. Now you can. No one is watching or judging you. Just pick up a pencil and clean sheet of paper. Not sure what to draw? Look directly in front of you. Draw that even if it is only one inch square.

In art, try. That's the only way you get better. And remember in art, there are no mistakes, only opportunities to improve.