The first dragon. . . oh I feel like a proud maker-parent here, I have to say!
I have wanted to make my own dragons for some time now and you may recall I posted the little "Dragon tower" not too long ago but this is the first stand alone creature I have finished. Again, a culmination of ideas, experiments and developing techniques. I loved the form and expression on my tower dragon so I kept that as my look and just expanded in size and detail with this little one.
All the little things like how to add scales to an entire body when you have to hold the piece somewhere to get into all the little places and legs and such without smashing the scales you already imprinted! Finding the right wings, the right coloring techniques and on and on. . . and then there was the oft-forgotten but quite important consideration of planning them so they can be shipped. . . not something I tended to think about in the early days. . . but something I now do regularly. :)
To say it has been a few years of process and trial and error would not be wrong!
I am considering whether or not dragons have a role in my stories/book. If they do, I know that it won't be as fire-breathing destroyers or creatures that instill fear or dread. Nope, it is more likely to be that they are quite docile and, in fact, rather meek.
And mostly, that is because I really have trouble making "creatures" that aren't sweet. :)
So let me introduce you to Aramara
She is 5.75" ear tip to back claw/toe (the longest dimensions) and 2.75" deep. Her head is just about 3" high.
Her eyes are made with faceted Swarovski aurora Borealis elliptical beads and her wings are beautiful, large wing charms painted with gold pigment acrylics.
She is an awesome shelf companion and rather loves to look over my shoulder while I type. . . like right now. . . like, always. lol
I am looking forward to making friends for her to keep her company. Hoping to have a few of them to offer in the shop this summer as well. Once I have enough that is. . .
I hope you enjoyed seeing Aramara and, as always, thank you for dropping in!
XO
nicolas
I love Aramara. I do hope she ends up in a story somewhere, her expression is so multifaceted! In the top photo it seems she is almost perturbed, but yes, gently so.
ReplyDelete(FYI: Your listing is up on my etsy shop...can't wait to see what you think of them)
She is very sweet! I love Aramara!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Stacy!
DeleteAramara is wonderful! Are you using clay to make these amazing creatures Nicolas? Such intricate detail, you must have magnifying irises and nimble fingers...
ReplyDeleteThank you Louise. . . yes, I use Super Sculpey polymer clay to create all of my work and then hand-paint them too. :) And, funny you mention it, I loved the Six Million Dollar Man tv show as a boy. . . always wanted those bionic eyes! :)
DeleteHa! I never heard of that show, or maybe I did but never saw it. I was probably held up watching Aubrey the 5 minute silent cartoon ;) You HAVE bionic eyes! I can see them from here ;)
DeleteOhhhh there was a "Bionic Woman" show too. Then they got married. . . no kidding! lol You know I am going to search for Aubrey now. . . my childhood cartoons were Scooby Doo and the Pink Panther. . . a little Hong Kong Phooey too. Not sure you could get away with that these days. lol
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DeleteI wanted to BE Bionic Woman! I remember it. Amazing. Yes I think we are of the same era ;) Things were simple then! Pink Panther was brilliant. You can find Aubrey on you tube. Oh and I saw this, and thought you would love it! http://www.goodshomedesign.com/awesome-miniature-stone-houses/
DeleteThose scales! She's lovely.
ReplyDeleteFunny how experience forces one to think of things that were once afterthoughts. 'How the heck am I going to ship this safely?' I've prayed to the shipping gods more than once!
Thank you Nichola! Yes, the shipping Gods are usually kind. . . and when they aren't it seems to be on the packages i was never worried about in the first place. So I try not to tempt them with lovely appendages and ill conceived sticky-outies and the such. . . Such cruel fates they are. . . : )
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