A while back I was in the bookstore flipping through a book called Sacred Symbols and I came across this beautiful image of a blue dragon floating in a field of red. So beautiful! I knew I would draw it.. or something inspired by it anyway. I studied the lines, gestures and posture. Then I put the book down and walked away. I didn’t even want to learn the artists name or to see that picture again until my version was finished. I like to get an idea, walk away, and let it roll around inside my mind and imagination for a while. But those colors and lines… I like a lot of old Chinese painting and prints, and liked this one in particular.
I finished my Dragon, and you can click the image at the top of this post to see a larger version. I also went back to learn who did the picture that inspired my piece. I couldn’t find the specific picture of the dragon online, so I went back and bought the book. It turns out the artist is anonymous and the original piece was painted on silk sometime in the 16th or 17th century. I took a picture of the pages with my phone (not the best quality) and you can see that below:
