Let Drawing: Dragons  and your imagination guide you as you learn to draw dragons, step by easy step.   Drawing: Dragons invites you into the fantastic world of artist Michael Dobrzycki and teaches you how to draw imaginative fire-breathing creatures from start to finish, no matter your drawing skill level. Featuring step-by-step lessons on drawing legendary dragons from around the world , as well as a wide variety of shading techniques in ink and graphite pencil, Drawing: Dragons covers everything you need to know to draw these fantastic beasts.  Many  different types of dragons are included in this book, which have been categorized using the more common terms and definitions from role-playing games, fantasy books, video games, and mythological tales. Each dragon subject is introduced with a brief history of the creature and summary of its characteristics . "Did you know?" sections throughout offer  fascinating dragon facts . The step-by-step drawing projects included in this book are: Fire Dragon - Hatchling - Drake - Hydra - Amphitere - Lindworm - Wyvern - Eastern Dragon - Drachenstein Designed for beginners, the How to Draw & Paint series offers an easy-to-follow guide that introduces artists to basic tools and materials and includes simple step-by-step lessons for a variety of projects suitable for the aspiring artist. Drawing: Dragons allows artists to develop their drawing skills, demonstrating how to start with basic shapes and use pencil and ink techniques to create varied textures and characteristics, such as scales, feathers, wings, claws, and more. Michael Dobrzycki is an accomplished painter, carpenter, puppet maker, and sketch artist whose work has been featured in more than a dozen children’s books and small press publications over the last few years. In 2001, Michael was inducted into the Disneyland Entertainment Hall of Fame. He received a master’s degree in illustration from California State University, Fullerton, and holds bachelor’s degrees in both art and history from Whittier College. He is currently a visiting professor at Whittier College. Michael lives in Whittier, California. Drawing Dragons Learn to Draw Step by Step By Michael Dobrzycki The Quarto Group Copyright © 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-63322-785-9 Contents Tools & Materials, 2, Shading Techniques, 4, Creating Textures, 8, Constructing Creatures, 9, Fire Dragon, 10, Hatchling, 14, Drake, 16, Hydra, 20, Amphitere, 24, Lindworm, 26, Wyvern, 30, Eastern Dragon, 34, Drachenstein, 38, CHAPTER 1 TOOLS & MATERIALS One of the great joys of drawing is that you can do it just about anywhere. There is a wide array of time-tested materials available for the amateur and professional artist alike, from pencils and papers to erasers and sharpeners. Choose professional materials, rather than student-grade; they will last longer and ensure a higher-quality presentation. Pencils Pencils are labeled based on their lead texture. Hard leads (H) are light in value and great for fine, detailed work, but they are more difficult to erase. Soft leads (B) are darker and wonderful for blending and shading, but they smudge easily. Medium leads, such as HB and F, are somewhere in the middle. Select a range of pencils between HB and 6B for variety. You can purchase wood-encased pencils or mechanical pencils with lead refills. Wooden Pencil The most common type of pencil is wood-encased graphite. These thin rods — most often round or hexagonal when cut crosswise — are inexpensive, easy to control and sharpen, and readily available to artists. Flat Carpenter's Pencil Some artists prefer using a flat carpenter's pencil, which has a rectangular body and lead. The thick lead allows you to easily customize its shape to create both thick and thin lines. Mechanical Pencil Mechanical pencils are plastic or metal barrels that hold individual leads. Some artists prefer the consistent feel of mechanical pencils to that of wooden pencils; the weight and length do not change, unlike wooden pencils that wear down with use. Woodless Graphite Pencil These tools are shaped like wooden pencils but are made up entirely of graphite lead. The large cone of graphite allows artists to use either the broad side for shading large areas or the tip for finer strokes and details. Graphite Stick Available in a full range of hardnesses, these long, rectangular bars of graphite are great tools for sketching (using the end) and blocking in large areas of tone (using the broad side). Paper Paper has a tooth, or texture, that holds graphite. Papers with more tooth have a rougher texture and hold more graphite, which allows you to create darker values. Smoother paper has less tooth and holds less graphite, but it allows you to create much finer detail. Plan ahead when beginning a new piece, and select paper that lends itself to the textures in your drawing subject.