William OConnor - Dracopedia: A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World

DRACOPEDIA

A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World

William OConnor

CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.impact-books.com

Art from :

Valors Peak
Oil on paper
18" 14" (46cm 36cm)
2002

Dracopedia. Copyright 2009 by William OConnor. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by IMPACT Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.

Other fine IMPACT Books are available from your
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
OConnor, William

Dracopedia : a guide to drawing the dragons of the world / William OConnor. -- 1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60061-315-9 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-60061-315-2 (hardcover)
eISBN: 978-1-44031-712-5

1. Dragons in art. 2. Drawing--Technique. I. Title. II. Title: Guide to drawing the dragons of the world.

NC825.D72O26 2009
743.87--dc22

2009020514

Edited by Kelly C. Messerly
Designed by Clare Finney
Production coordinated by Matt Wagner

Art on page 49 from Mythological and Fantastic Creatures CD-ROM & Book 2002 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on page 18 from Gesners Curious and Fantastic Beasts CD-ROM & Book by Konrad Gesner 2004 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on page 29 from Dragons and Wizards CD-ROM & Book by Marty Noble and Eric Gottesman 2003 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on pages 26, 59 and 141 from Monsters and Dragons CD-ROM & Book by Ernst and Johanna Lehner 2005 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on page 71 from Heraldic Designs CD-ROM & Book 1999 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on page 153 from 120 Italian Renaissance Paintings CD-ROM and Book by Carol Belanger Grafton 2007 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on pages 71 and 117 from The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Drer, Dr. W. Kurth (ed) 1963 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on page 141 from 159 Celtic Designs by Amy Lusebrink 1993 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on page 129 from Dors Illustrations for Ariostos Orlando Furioso 1980 Dover Publications, Inc.

Art on pages 50 and 105 from Animals: 1,419 Copyright-Free Illustrations of Mammals, Birds, Fish, Insects, etc., Jim Harter (ed) 1979 Dover Publications, Inc.

Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Corel and Painter are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in Canada, the United States and/or other countries.

METRIC CONVERSION CHART

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To Sam. Thanks for the coffee and waffles.

A special thanks goes to Jeff Menges and Dover Publications for access to their excellent archive of historical dragon art. This book would not have been possible without their invaluable assistance. For more information visit www.doverpublishing.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William OConnor began drawing and painting as a child. Monsters and myths were inspirational to driving him to study visual arts. The writings of Tolkien, the Athurian Romances, as well as Dungeons and Dragons formed a fascination with dragons and the fantasy genre that lasted all his life. William attended Alfred University for fine arts, graduating in 1992 and become a full-time freelance illustrator. William has produced over three thousand images for publication for such companies as Wizards of the Coast, Blizzard Entertainment, Lucasfilms, HarperCollins, Doubleday and many more.

For more information about William OConnor and to see his portfolio, visit: www.wocstudios.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The most common wild member of the dragon class.

The northern, flightless furred dragon family.

Cousin of the drake, it is a four-legged serpentine dragon.

A flightless dragon, infamous for petrifying with its eyes.

The colorful winged member of the feathered order of dragon.

By far the most feared and famous creature of the dragon class.

The dragon riders dragona bipedal dragon with small front legs and expansive, batlike wings.

A common, flightless dragon, long domesticated by humans.

The smallest member of the dragon class, often mistaken for an insect.

The most unusual of the dragon class, it possesses multiple heads and serpentine necks.

A seafaring member of the dragon class that is numerous and fearsome.

A fearsome member of the dragon class, capable of spraying a poisonous mist.

The most ferocious member of the dragon class.

Fire and Water
Oil on panel
36" 24"
(91cm 61cm)
2004

INTRODUCTION

DRAGONS HAVE FILLED THE IMAGINATIONS of humankind since the beginning of history. Fables, mythology and folklore are populated with the winged, scaly beasts that both frighten and delight us. Throughout history this amazing creature has captivated the minds of artists all over the world. Today the power and majesty of dragons are as fascinating as ever, and tales of dragons and their kind dominate the novels of authors, the canvases of artists and the screens of animators.