HOME | DD
ZiskaJa — Dragon-Fly
#aquarell #buntstifte #coloured #drache #dragon #dragonfly #fantasy #fineliner #flowers #fly #libelle #libelula #media #mixed #pencils #tier #traditional #watercolours #aquarellstifte #art
Published: 2016-07-24 17:33:47 +0000 UTC; Views: 510; Favourites: 33; Downloads: 1
Redirect to original
Description
Mixed Media:- Coloured Pencils
- Watercolours
- Fineliner
- Acrylic white
- Ink roller
I started drawing this with water soluble pencils and fineliners, but the drawing became all waxy and colourless, so I passed everything over with water and continued with regular watercolours.
The idea of this drawing was inspired by SaphireDragon's amazing drawing: inspiring-creation.deviantart.…
I just loved the idea of cute little dragons, that are attracted by flowers.
Related content
Comments: 25
The idea of cute little dragons being attracted to flowers is a much more pleasant thought than mean bee dragons being drawn in by the flora, so just be careful when you're holding out flowers. 
Yay, you finished it, I was looking forward to how you would create a draconic dragonfly and you're right; he is very cute and sweet looking.
You seem to have put a lot of thought into the composition and lighting in this piece, I particularly like the flames at the end of the tail and the lighting that you have along the dragon's tail looks amazingly done, and accurate, and with that dark shadowing in contrast to the fire-light I think it adds some nice depth to that area. I also like how you have similar colouring again on the head area too, with more well placed lighting and shadowing.
The wings are nicely done with good resemblance to dragonfly wings, I like how with the use of dark red fading to orange and bright and pale yellow you have given the wings a glow to them, with that thought in mind I imagine gatherings of these dragons during a night scene would be like seeing lots of vibrant fireflies...hmm...firefly dragon might be cool...going off track oops. xD
I think the background is very suiting for this scene, and the dark blue makes a great contrast to make the dragon stand out, I also love how you have added in black and uneven layers to the background making it more interesting. I think the flowers look lovely with a nice variety of purple hues with some pink, for improvement I think so fiery hues on the petals would help add more realism to the piece, and would also add some more colour to the flowers. Also some darker shading just beneath the dragon on the centre of the flower might look nice too and add more depth.
Besides those few things to the flowers the only area that I can critique is the anatomy of the dragonfly, although I like the design I think the dragon's head is a little large for the body, and although the shape of the head does help with the cute look I feel like it might looked nicer if it were a bit more slender, other than that I would mention the feet, but feet are always a pain to draw so I won't so much about them. xD
Just my opinion. Overall I think you have a interesting dragon design with very well thought through lighting and shading on this piece, I do love firelight reflecting across the body, great work!
~critique by Inspiring Creation group
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you so much for your feedback!
You are absolutely right about the claws. I eventually just got annoyed by them and hoped, that they wouldn't be the center of attention.
Designing the head was the most difficult part for me. I barely ever do any such thing on my own, so you are probably right, that it should be slimmer. I made it so large on purpose, hoping it would make it seem more like an insect, since they have really large heads.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You are very welcome!
Haha, there's many times where I've done that myself, I think after attempting to draw something so many times you just have to stick with what you end up with. I think feet aren't as bad as human hands, but they sure can be a pain to draw. xD
I look forward to seeing this piece if you draw it again in the future, or something similar.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
They really are a pain... The only reason there is a second flower there is because I got so annoyed with the second pair of legs and decided to draw something that would cover up the place where they would have to be. Didn't quite work out...
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Hi Fran, this is so very cute! and a wonderfully unique and creative piece done from Saphire's drawing.
I like the way you have textured the flowers and the colors you have used for them. the upward curl of the large flower draws the viewers eye right up to the dragon fly. Great lead in to the painting from the left that holds the viewer attention on the main subject.
The dragon fly reminds me of a very tiny fairy dragon. The colors you have used for it are very eye catching and complimentary with the use of warm colors against cool colors. They give it a great fantasy atmosphere.
The details in the wings are so very good.
Love the shape of the head and the eye gives it great personality.
The only thing that I can see is I think the background being so dark against the dragon fly makes the sky look like it is right up against the dragon fly. There does not seem to be a distinction between the horizon line and the sky around the tail of the dragon fly . (Only a composition comment) That may have been very intentional on your part though.
I think you have done a very creative and very well done water color painting that captures the imagination of any one who loves fantasy art.
Critique by Inspiring Creation.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you so much for taking the time to critique me.
Thank you for your feedback on the sky. Can you explain to me, how you think I could have archieved to push the sky further into the background, while still using dark colours? The dark colours are the only thing that are intentional about the background, the rest came as it went.
I imagine the dragon to be fairy size also.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Fran, let me back track here a moment. I just thought of something I didn't take into consideration before.
If your intention was a night time scene, it would actually be that dark and with no sun light the horizon area would not be very visible if at all. The night would surround the dragon fly in the way you did it.
I'm so sorry I should have thought of that before. The dragon fly's wings were so bright. I was thinking there was a light source. Being a fantasy drawing though the dragon fly could have been lite just like a fire fly is a bright light at night.
I goofed on this one big time.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I don't think you were wrong at all about your critique. I just looked at a few photos, and even at night the horizon is brighter than the rest, on most of the photos.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Hi Fran I looked up warm and cool colors.
My books say in general cool colors will recede and warm colors will advance but regardless whether its a warm or cool color a dark color, (highly saturated), against a lighter color, the dark color will seem to advance and the lighter color will recede. . If you put a dark blue against a lighter blue the dark blue will advance and the lighter blue will recede.
In your back ground the blue is a cool color but it will appear to advance instead of recede because it is dark. So you have a dark blue cool color against a warm yellow orange so they both will advance together.
You then lose the look of there being space between the dragon fly and sky of your background. A neutral color mixed into the blue and green color you have at what would be your horizon line around the tail would also help give a separation of land and sky also.
I hope I explained this okay.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I didn't go and look at photos which I probably should have done. But I learned a valuable lesson here. To take into consideration other things than just the first impression before making a critique. Do a little homework and research first. lol
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you for looking these things up for me! I had no idea about that. I will try to pay more attention to that in the future, because I am very fond of dark backgrounds.
I do think, that if we need to start researching every time before we write a critique, it makes this work far to stressful. So it's absolutely ok, if you just go whith your gutfeeling. More often than not, your gutfeeling will turn out to be right (as it did) eventhough you may not have known exactly why.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Your right about the researching, it does make critiquing more stressful and more work. 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Hi, you know what. I understand why you used the dark blue and I had the feeling it was intentional because of the colors you used in the foreground. I have to be honest with you and say I don't know a way to do that. lol
Dark cool colors have a tendency to come to the fore ground unless they are muted by a neutral or have a lighter value. Let me go through some of my art books on; color theory tonight and see what exceptions there are to the dark cool colors next to other colors. I know there are some but not sure what they are right off hand.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
lol i was going to do something similar lol more inspired by a photo of a dragonfly i had though beautifully done maybe put a bit more texture on the centre of the flowers though great detailing on the wing and flame like tail and the back seems to go missing in one segment. beautiful colours look forward to more
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks for your advice! I think you are absolutely right about the flower. I added some texture on the flower with blue and red inkroller, and also added some details on the wings.
The segment without yellow or red colour is on purpose, since I thought, that in its position it would neither be touched by the light of the flames on the head nor the tail.
I'm really looking forward to your version of a dragon fly.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
ah right i see why you left it in shadow now
👍: 0 ⏩: 0