Great Book of Dragon Patterns, Revised and Expanded Third Edition E-Book

Lora S. Irish

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Great Book
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 109

Beschreibung

Dragons have captured the imaginations of artists for eons. Images of the beasts appear in the earliest myths, on the armor of medieval knights and in today's popular culture. Here, in this new and improved third edition, dragon aficionado and artist Lora Irish shares tips and techniques for creating your own fantastic renderings of man's favorite foe. Whether you are a beginner or an accomplished artist, you'll find a treasure trove of ideas for dragon art in any medium. Includes more than 100 dragon patterns, basic dragon anatomy, fascinating dragon lore, evolution and more! Updated for this edition is brand new art for both Eastern and Western dragons, a new gallery, sections on dragon history, lore, and anatomy, and a newly added section on transfer instructions for all applications, including fabric, wood, canvas, and other materials.

Leseprobe

© 2001, 2004, 2022 by Lora S. Irish and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc.

Great Book of Dragon Patterns, Revised and Expanded Third Edition (ISBN 978-1-4971-0315-3) is an expanded edition of the book Great Book of Dragon Patterns (ISBN 978-1-56523-231-0) published in 2004 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. Revisions include a new featured topic (45), 10 new gallery images (5–8), and 38 new patterns (67, 78–79, 82–83, 106, 108, 112, 123, 133, 154–57, 172–199).

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Print ISBN 978-1-6374-1150-6ISBN 978-1-63741-150-6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022934044

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com, 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with 9781637411506 Great Book of Dragon Patterns, Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition in the subject line.

Dedication

Dedicated to our son, Kent Shay Irish. His enthusiasm, creative ideas, and zest for this project made the winged beasts in “Great Book of Dragon Patterns” come alive.

Contents

Introduction

CHAPTER ONE

Dragon Art or How do I use this book in my artwork?

CHAPTER TWO

Basic Dragon Traits or What does a dragon do when it’s not fighting heroes?

CHAPTER THREE

General Description of the Breeds or Who’s who in the dragon world?

Worm

Sea Serpent

Lindworm

Drake

Hydra

Winged Worm

Wyvern

Dragon or Western Dragon

Fairy Dragon

Fantasy Dragon

CHAPTER FOUR

Oriental Dragons or Why do I need to count toes?

General Mythology

Physical Attributes

Eastern or Western

Species of Eastern Dragon

Eastern Dragon Patterns

CHAPTER FIVE

Basic Anatomy or What’s inside the dragon that lets it move?

Mammal or a Reptile

General Skeletal Structures

Wing Structures

CHAPTER SIX

Scale Work or How do I keep my dragon from looking like a fish?

Scaling

Scale Grid Work

CHAPTER SEVEN

Creating Test Patterns or How many dragons can I make from one design?

Sample Patterns

How To Transfer Your Pattern

CHAPTER EIGHT

Dragon Lore or Who are the most famous dragons of all time?

Virgin Hands

Draco

Hercules and the Hydra

The Lambton Worm

Indian Worms

The Chapel Roof

The Ladon Serpent

Siegfried, Regin and Fafnir

Beowulf and the Fire Dragon

St. George and the Dragon

The Yorkshire Dragon

CHAPTER NINE

Dragon Patterns

Acknowledgments

Special thanks are extended to Gretchen Bacon, Christa Oestreich, and Wendy Reynolds for the excellent work in the editing and design of this manual. The extra touches and attention to the small details are obvious throughout the book. Robert Polett’s fine photography and Sam Wilcox’s beautiful Intarsia work have added the final finishing touches.

INTRODUCTION

From the earliest creation stories to contemporary fantasy tales, dragons fill the sky. They are wonderful, winged beasts that fight the reluctant hero, raid our livestock herds for food, terrorize our villages, and abduct our first born maiden children.

Bright, golden sails block the sun when they take to the heavens, the celestial bodies are eclipsed when they feast upon the stars, and the earth trembles when they return to land. These monstrous animals can be our worst enemies, representing everything evil and vile that we can imagine, or they can become our closest allies, their very lives bounded to ours.

Nothing is certain about dragons, except the fact that they have captured our imaginations since the beginning of time. Greens, reds, blues, blacks, opalescent tones—dragons come in every color under the sun. Two-winged serpents, two-legged worms, four-limbed drakes . . . The variety of the species is large, each animal different than its cousins.

As artists, we are especially enthralled with the idea of the winged beast. We have used their images to decorate the armor our heroes have taken to battle, to accent the pages of our written texts, and to fill our canvases with open sails and curling tails. With today’s resurgence in the popularity of dragons, these beasts have become a favorite theme for both the fine artist and the crafter. Winged Lizards dance across hand-painted T-shirts and Sea Serpents sail oceans created on needlepoint canvases. Dragons are extremely adaptable subjects for any art medium or style.

“Know your subject” is the mantra of artists. Only by understanding and comprehending that which we wish to represent in our art are we able to create images that are both believable and that will have an emotional impact on the viewer. With today’s resurgence of the dragon ideology and imagery, it is especially important for us to take a look at dragonkind through the lens of mythology. In this way, we can come to understand the art and symbolism that has gone before us and put those ideas to use in today’s works.

This book is meant to be a brief synopsis for the dragon artist, a gathering together of the beasts that have appeared in legends and tales throughout the Western world. We will explore some of the species that have been recorded, look at how their bodies may be constructed, and take a fun look at how our writers of past ages have portrayed these monsters.

Throughout the text, you will find patterns for the classic dragon, including free-form beasts, architectural accents, heraldry designs, and of course, playful characters. As you work through the pages, you will learn how to take these patterns and adapt them to create unique dragons of your own.

In conclusion, this book is meant only as a starting point for the dragon artist. My hope is that within these pages you might find some ideas, some imagery that you may then use to create a world full of winged serpents unlike any seen before.

—Lora S. Irish

CHAPTER ONE

DRAGON ART

or How do I use this book in my artwork?

Artists are constantly looking for new ideas that can be adapted to their work. The dragon patterns within these pages are designed so that you, the artist, can not only use them directly from the pages but also manipulate the designs to better fulfill your needs. So whether you are a scroll saw artist, needle arts designer, or a fine arts oil painter, you will discover that these patterns can easily be adapted to your specialty.

Because the dragon is created from man’s imagination, his body shape, adornments, skin texture, color, and even his environment are open to the interruption of the crafter. Many of the physical features can be stretched or compressed to meet the size and area limitations of the media in which you are working.

An example of the simple changes an artist can effect is found in the wood burned mirror. This dragon pattern is displayed here. From the original drawing the dragon’s tail has been elongated to encompass the edges on the mirror frame, the wings have been stretched, and the orb has been reduced to fit the working area. With just these few changes the pattern now becomes a mirror dragon design. It is my hope and my intention that these gallery pages will spark many ideas for your creative work.

Intarsia dragon (wood) by Sam Wilcox. Based on “Dragon Portrait,” here.

Woodburned box with lid, based on “Ribbed-Back Sample Dragon,” here.

Airbrushed denim jacket, based on “Entwined Tail Knots,” here.

Pyrography on wood, based on “Leaf Dragon Curl,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Straight Horned Dragon,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Ornamented Dragon Head,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Frilled Dragon Head,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Corner Dragon,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Dragon on Column,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Little Dragon,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Spiral Dragon,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Twist Dragon,” here.

Colored pencil on watercolor paper, based on “Growling Dragon,” here.

Cut paper, based on “Wyvern Mirror,” here.

Cut paper, based on “Ocean Crests,” here.

Hand-painted needlepoint canvas, based on “Sentinel,” here.

Well-Guarded Orb, water color (variation on “Wyvern Mirror,” here).

Oil on canvas, based on “Heart Dragon Mirror Image,” here.

CHAPTER TWO

BASIC DRAGON TRAITS

or What does a dragon do when it’s not fighting heroes?

As artists hoping to make believable renderings of these amazing creatures, it is important to understand the history and lore of the dragon before actually creating our own pictures of the beast. Throughout history the dragon appears in legends, mythologies, and oral traditions as an adversary to mankind. They are more than simple animal characters that appear within the tales. Dragons are used as an element within the myths to symbolize the forces and fears that man must overcome to survive and grow within his world. As mankind grew and developed, his obstacles, fears, and desires changed. So within the myths you will see that the dragon evolves from a simple worm-like creature into the four legged winged beast of today. The dragon comes to be assigned certain physical traits, ecological nooks, and personality characteristics as it changes to meet the needs of the legend.

This chapter explores the basic traits, lifecycle, and characteristics that have been assigned to the dragon. This will help to define the basic environment and setting of your dragon scene.

The Beast’s Lair

The earliest legends, those that explain the creation of the heavens and the earth, tell of dragons that occupied the void of the universe. Their great bodies were destined to become the basis for the stars, their flaming breath created the trails from passing comets. These beasts were considered so large that they ate the Sun and the Moon, causing terrifying eclipses, then regurgitated these celestial bodies because they were indigestible.

Soon the dragon moved from the heavens to become a land-dwelling creature. Heavily forested areas were now the homes for dragons, yet even with this move into the woods, the beast was always noted as living near some body of water. A heavily wooded swamp was considered prime territory.

The next domains are noted as being watery areas. Snake-like beasts often took up residency in a nearby freshwater lake or pond, living much like the modern-day Loch Ness Monster. Lake monsters were seldom seen in their entire form. Long, thin necks, back fins and occasionally a tail tip were all that emerged from their murky homes.

As man began to venture out onto the seas and oceans, dragons began appearing in the legends of the sailors. Many maps created during this period of exploration have notations to warn other sailors of areas that were considered to be infested with Sea Serpents.

It was not until later that dragons took up residence near populated areas, living close enough to man to cause a problem for both species. The Worms of the British Isles are examples of the beasts that made this type of area their home. Curling their massive bodies around small hill mounds or tree groves near the local creek, these great animals settled themselves near human villages and towns.

The Western dragons, the most modern of all dragon species, finally settled in to become cave dwellers. The cave offered excellent protection from their nearby neighbors, man, and allowed the dragons to safely raise their families. Caves that are found along the sides of cliffs are most preferred because the only access to the openings was by wing.

Historically, dragons were solitary creatures, living one to a territory except during the mating season. Western Dragons, however, discovered that safety could be found in large numbers or groups. Family groupings of dragons now become common, with the animals in one cave being the offspring of one Queen. This is the first time that more than one dragon is living within a region or territory.

A Meal Fit for a Dragon

By the time man established his own population with growing towns and cities, the dragons had moved farther and farther away from the deep lakes and heavily forested regions. The beast now discovered that though living close to man could be very dangerous, it also provided an abundance of food. The herds of livestock being raised by these small agricultural populations were ideal sources.

Dragons of later lore made their homes in cliff-side caves, far from the reach of humans.