Dracopedia - by William O'Connor (Hardcover)

About the Book

Showing the process of making dragon images from start to finish, this collection is filled with sketches, drawings, brief natural histories, and step-by-step color art demonstrations for each of the 13 creatures.

Book Synopsis

Everything you ever wanted to know about dragons, but were afraid to find out!

Fantasy artists can now breathe easier thanks to this less perilous alternative to drawing dragons from life. Dracopedia offers you safe, easy access to the world's most prominent dragon species, from tiny, innocuous feydragons to the ferocious wyvern.

For years, artist William O'Connor has traveled the globe, studying dragons in their natural environments. His findings, field notes and sketches have been compiled for the first time into this single, beautifully illustrated compendium--a natural and cultural history of the beasts as well as a step-by-step drawing workshop.

- Details of the anatomy, behavior, habitats and legends of 13 major dragon families
- Heavily illustrated with field sketches, anatomical studies and gesture drawings
- Shows the start-to-finish creation of 13 striking paintings, illustrating key concepts that apply to every medium
- Dragon demonstrations include: amphiptere, Arctic dragon, Asian dragon, basilisk, coatyl, dragon, dragonette, drake, feydragon, hydra, sea orc, wyrm, wyvern
Dragons have terrorized and delighted humans for centuries--continue the tradition with Dracopedia. It's packed with inspiration for putting "fierce" into your fantasy art, as well as the facts to keep your dragons true to life.

About the Author

Illustrator, concept artist, fine artist and teacher, William O'Connor graduated from Alfred University and also attended The School of Visual Arts and Parsons School of Design. He has freelanced for Harper Collins, Lucasfilm, Doubleday, Wizards of the Coast, Bookspan, Hasbro, History Channel and more. He's executed thousands of illustrations for gaming and publishing, as well as production designs, concepts, posters and advertisements. He has won over thirty awards and has been published in the showcase books Spectrum 12 and Spectrum 13: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art. O'Connor is a member of the Graphic Artist's Guild, New York; Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists; American Showcase of Illustration; and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. He resides in Pearl River, NY. Visit his website, wocstudios.com, and blog, williamoconnorstudios.blogspot.com.