Dragon hide

What does a dragon need to stay safe? If you read The Hobbit, Smaug the dragon was killed by an arrow that pierced a soft area in his skin under his arm. Dragons have to have a strong skin..

So what would it look like? I’ve been experimenting with how big the scales would be. I guess they would have to be like an alligator or crocodile skin, rather than a lizard or snake whose scales seem smaller or softer. The dragon would need fire retardant scales to prevent charring or burning either around its mouth when it is fire breathing or on the rest of its body. Maybe male dragons duel in short fights, if they were to attack each others wings they would need to be strong. Dragons wings always look vulnerable. The skin is stretched between bony fingers. Surely that could easily be holed if it were not well maintained. Lots to consider.

Dragons get everywhere

Oh I do like creating a dragon now and then. I decided to rotate my sky drawing and then add a bit of symmetrical drawing over the top. I think the result is quite cute.

It’s getting towards the end of the day, week, year and I’m looking at some of my older stuff. I might have to delete some of the earlier work. Memory on computers and phones seems to run out faster than humans!

Crying dragon

Tell me dragon

Why do you cry?

Why aren’t you flying

Up very high?

I can’t he said

With a tear in his eye

I walk on the ground

Not up in the sky!

But why is that?

Then with a great sigh

He told me sadly

I no longer fly

My wings disappeared

I just want to die!

So I bought an old glider

Made of two by one ply

Glued on the wings

Now the dragon can Fly!

Doodled dragon

I’m still drawing dragons

Their appearance intrigues me. How do they not burn up from inside? They must have strong guts or lungs. If they belch do they singe their eyebrows? Silly things like how many legs do they have, two like a bird, or four like a lizard? If they have wings too does that make them an insect? So many questions, how long is their tail and is it prehensile? How big are their wings and how do they keep aloft if they don’t have hollow bones like a bird….

Anyway they are mythical and magical so I don’t suppose any of these questions matter.

dragon for sale

Shall I buy this cute little stone dragon? Not at THAT price! Do you think I’m made of money? What about the coal it would cost to feed it? And its asleep now but what happens when it wakes up, sneezes, and burns my shoes or the bottom of my coat? I mean he’s really CUTE, don’t you just want to go ahhhh or oooo? I know I do. And what about (whispers) toileting? Can you get a dragon litter tray? Plastic would not do, too caustic……would need stainless steel. Then there’s the vets… innoculations, how do they inject through a stone hide? Something to think about.. I mean, are dragons prone to scale beetle, carbon cough, wing itch? Your guess is as good as mine… What do they drink? water- or lamp oil? I think I will go for a Gargoyle instead. Stick it on the roof and it will be happy drinking rain water and watching birds fly by…

dragon again

copyright Christine Mallaband-Brown

I’m still working towards my final major project at college. The project is a picture book with patterned pages on one side of the two page spreads and possibly strongly contrasting images like this one on the other side. Im thinking of trying out linocutting as a method of producing them ( could get very messy) or perhaps a photoshop technique I’ve never used before? All part of ideas generation…Probably both to show that I’m trying to widen my skills. I also need to resolve where the text will sit…. I might even get it published. I think time is not dra-gon-ing on! Its going too quick!

Staring

The dragon stared, it looked out at me, the forest had hidden it until I got close. I didn’t know what to think? Where was it from? How had it got there? Was it real, mythical, mystical or magical.

I stood quietly. Waiting to see what happened. I didn’t have to wait long.

It spoke!

Who are you human? Why are you here? Its questions were the same as mine. Then it said, how can you see me? I am invisible!

Of course I replied that it was not. That I could see it perfectly. Then it said I must be young, or believe in stories. Grown ups rarely see dragons!

That’s how we became friends. A chance meeting. We had many adventures. I might tell them one day.

Can you see a dragon?

Messing about with plastic dots glued down, then worked on it in layout app (a mirroring app) and then photodirector to change the texture and twist the perspective. Back to layout to mirror the result. Different colours and patterns seemed to create a horned dragon at the centre. I can see his nose and eyes, although part of his face appears hidden…. Having fun…

dragon stone

A few weeks ago I got a stone painting kit. I used to paint them a lot. I’ve painted little mice, and hedgehogs and other creatures on stones, so I know what I’m doing.

This dragon stone didn’t turn out as well. It’s a bit too blobby, it lacks definition. you can just about work out what it is but I think I have overworked it. It is meant to be a curled up dragon which has fallen asleep on a red cushion. I think it must be a tiny species of dragon, only about four inches long. You can have small lizards so why not small dragons? I think they live in the cracks in stone walls. They eat lichen and set fire to tiny sticks and grasses if they want to get warm. I wonder if I could turn this into a story? Pixies using them as transport, or for flying after honeybees to raid their hives? Imagination is a mad thing….