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4I am doing a dragon piece. My portfolio doesn't have many monsters or made up beings so thats my next challenge. Anyone who wants to be a fantasy illustrator needs to show that they can do a dragon. If you can't tell 2 and 3 are of a dragon that breathes lightning instead of fire. Number 1 is kind of a whale shark version of a dragon. And the 4th one is pretty mundane, kind of a vignette type piece. Let me know what you think because I kinda like them all.
Tough decision! I really like the idea of some sort of lightning dragon...it seems more unique than the regular run-of-the-mill dragon with fire. I think it'd be really cool if you created a dragon that was really something we haven't seen before. Dragons are a really hard things to make your own nowadays since they've been done and done and done. I think if you take your dragon idea and couple it with the lightning idea and really concept it out you could make a great character painting. Asking questions like: what kind of environment does a lightning dragon live in? Is he related to storms? Does he create them? How is the lightning generated? Maybe some other areas of the dragon are glowing through his skin to show the electric energy inside his body. Maybe he lives amonst the clouds and feeds off of the static energy? Does he have any evolutionary features to show his adaptaion to the electric current? Anyway, stuff like that. Try to create something that AD's haven't seen before. Look at Lockwood!
ReplyDeleteIf I had to pick a thumbnail i'd say #2 but i'd tweak the composition a bit. He feels too small and centered. (I think its too close to your angel painting compositionally also). Sorry for all my bumbling about...hope that helps a little!
I agree with Scott - lightening is sweet. I would avoid the whale shark... it looks too much like a whale shark, and it's more of a silly dragon than a badass dragon. I also agree that it should be more of a character painting rather than an action scene. You really want to nail it so it's better to not have to worry about other characters. I like #2 as well (but change the composition, I thought of your angel painting too when I saw it!), or maybe a flying dragon would be cool too, but he doesnt have to be centered in the page, he can be rising from the bottom of the page, or his tail can be going off the page and entering it again, wings going off the page, etc
ReplyDeleteOwen this is a tough choice! I'd say I pretty much agree with Scott and Lis's advice. I actually do like the whale shark idea, but you'd need to make it more dragon-y somehow. Like give him some crazy fangs or a full mouth of teeth. It'd be cool if there was a whole horde of sea creatures fleeing in front of it, rather than a person... and maybe it's got some lighting-like power so it can stun it's prey? Too many ideas!!
ReplyDeleteIf you want to really practice creating a dragon, then I'd go with the second one, but come in a lot closer and really have fun with the design of it.
I am excited to see what you do!