Be they fire breathing, winged monsters, flightless wyrms, personification of evil, or venomous giant lizards, dragons feature in legends worldwide.
I’m most interested in dragons as animals, whether real or imaginary. Real life reports of dragons sound very similar to the Komodo dragon, or giant snakes, and describe typical reptile traits such as continuing to grow larger throughout their life and often going into hibernation or torpor after a large feed. It’s not surprising that these creatures no longer exist in Europe. Long lived, large, slow reproducing animals don’t cope well living in close proximity to humans. If the dragons of Wales were large lizards, they mightn’t have reached reproductive age until their thirties and increasing human population could have made it impossible for animals to find mates.
Many dragons have the ability to fly, but historic accounts of such creatures show them as very small. Were they a type of flying lizard that’s now extinct? I imagine them as a type of pterosaur that managed to hang on until a few hundred years ago, or might even still exist in isolated regions of the world.
I’m also fascinated by the idea of magic and dragons. There’s something beautiful and terrifying about dragons that makes them a force of nature. That idea inspired me to write about dragons linked with the four elements. In The Mountains of Sorrow, the main character, Rowan, believes that magical dragons sleep in the mountains enclosing her country. She is one of the few who still worships them as the creative force that made her world and relies on them to protect her.
The second elemental dragon adventure, Bete Noire, is the story of an air dragon called Armon, who lives in a castle in the middle of a wood surrounded by monsters. Despite being a dragon he doesn’t consider himself a monster, and he’s lonely. When he helps a woman called Maya, he hopes he’s made a friend, but Maya has her own agenda.
I tried to draw Armon like he was made of smoke, but he looks furry rather than smoky. In this picture he’s excited to meet Maya, but she’s more guarded about the interaction.
Drawn with compressed charcoal and 6B graphite pencil.
Do you like dragons? Have they inspired you to create something?
Iseult Murphy 
Very cool! Flipping the script making Maya the ‘diabolical monster’ is a nice move. Your drawing is wonderful and who doesn’t love a dragon story? 😉
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Thank you! 😁
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I love dragons myself, though I haven’t had much opportunity to include them in my stories. Dragon bats, maybe, but not dragons. BTW, if you like dragons, there’s an anime I love called Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, about a woman who gets a dragon as a maid. It’s hysterical! If you can find it, I recommend it.
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Ah dragon bats. I must draw another picture of those gruesome creatures. Thanks for the recommendation! I must watch it. It sounds great. 😈
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It is. Hope you enjoy it!
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Great drawing! I think you are right about the dragons. Again, it begs the question, how would a person describe a creature they had never seen or heard of before?
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Exactly! Thanks, Herb. 😊
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Dragons have always been an enigma to humans, and this author’s fascination with them is truly captivating. Your detailed research and musings about the possibility of dragons being real animals, as well as the mythical representation of them, are truly remarkable. The idea of dragons being the personification of nature’s elements is truly unique and adds a whole new dimension to your mythical allure. Your stories about dragons are thrilling and imaginative, capturing the essence of these magical creatures in a way that truly leaves the reader in awe. Your drawing of Armon is simply breathtaking. Overall, your passion for dragons is contagious, and your work is truly a work of art. 👍👏👌😊
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Thank you so much, Pankaj! I’m glad you enjoyed this post. 😊
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Love your drawing, I think Armon looks smoky! I’d love to read more about him! Yes, I love dragons too. Who couldn’t? 🙂
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Thank you, Valinora. I’m glad to hear it. You might get to read his story one day. 😊
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Fingers crossed!! 🙂
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Wonderful drawing! I’ve always been fascinated by dragons – and even more by dinosaurs, some of which look like dragons (at least in my head 🙂 )
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Thank you. I LOVE dinosaurs too! I think they look like dragons too!
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It should always be spelled wyrm.
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Agreed.
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I love dragons and admire them. However my love and admiration have never been combined with an interest in reading about them. I don’t know why. I guess it is because they are mythical creatures and I’ve never been able to get into mythical books. “increasing human population could have made it impossible for animals to find mates”–this is very true. If we want to really protect animals and the environment, we should not increase our numbers anymore. The earth is not big enough for so many humans and it is obviously unsustainable.
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I can see why you don’t want to read about dragons if you don’t like mythological books.
I’m sure people and animals can live in harmony together, but it is difficult.
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