Thank you to everyone who submitted to the Dracopedia Art Contest. I am overwhelmed by the imagination and creativity of the entries, especially the diversity of so many great dragon enthusiasts. I am very excited that we are able to bring together young artists from all over the world to share their ideas.
Below you will find the galleries in each of the two categories. If you have positive comments on which are your favorites, please leave them in the comment space below. Click on the thumbnails for larger versions. If you do not see your entry, or if you have a correction please contact me and I will try to remedy it.
I hope that you enjoy them as much as I have, really great work by everyone! I wish that I could give everyone a prize! I will be conferring with the three guest judges and announcing the winners shortly!
Enjoy!
William O'Connor
*All images are copyright to the respective
artists. Reproduction without consent is prohibited.
YOUTH CATEGORY:
Sarah Baker
Title:
Dragon
Age: 7
New York, USA
"The dragon is based on two different lizards. I
sketched the dragon's head and body then the frill and erased the parts behind the frill. Then I drew it with a pen."
Samantha O'Connor
Title: Dragon-Dooddleo
Age:6
NewYork, USA
*not eligible for winning
"He talks like Johnny Bravo, eats minnows, lives in drago-funland, plays 'duck-duck dragon' with his dragon friends in his cave outside of town."
Kaitlin Smith
Title: Purple Dragon
Age: 5
Australia
"...my 5 year old daughter Kaitlin who was very excited
about the idea. She started working on her entry straight away and came
up with 5 different Dragons, so we picked the best one to enter the
competition. She is already a keen artist and as you can imagine I do my
best to encourage her interest in fantasy art!
Attached is her Purple Dragon who lives near volcanoes and likes to fly
and breathe fire."
Laura Jiang
Title: Lux Draco
Age: 12
OR, USA
"This Lux Draco is a more soft, kind-hearted and young
dragon that oversees everything below him in clear detail. It's not one
to attack others, and is usually quite shy and runs away at the sight
of anything nearing towards him. The darker colors help him blend into
the darker skies where he lives/is settled. They are capable of a long
flight but will need a long rest after that. This dragon has a slim
frame and its claws are only for catching small critters such as mice.
Lux
Draco hate the season of winter has the bitter cold whips against their
thin skin and often will damage their skin and their wings. Wind is
helpful for their flights, but also a setback for them if it manages to
rip through their skin. They love to catch mice, deer, and the
occasional rabbit. They are about the size of an elephant, but weigh
much less. "
Elizabeth Buller
Title: Dust Dragon
Age: 12
West Africa
" I call my dragon the Dust Dragon, on account of where it nests.
They're extremely fast and are excellent hunters. They have small wings,
but they can only sustain short flight when they have no other escape
route from larger predators who might surprise them in their sleep.
Retractable claws and spikes on the forehead also aid in hunting and
defense. Males are black and white, and females are tan and white."
Title: Emerald Venomclaw
Age: 15
CO, USA
"Classification:
K. Animalia / P. Vertebrata / C. Draco / O. Aerodracoforme / F.
Biceptidae / G. Sinepedibus / S. Quarteoptera
Size: 25 ft
Wingspan:
50 ft
Info: Found in Western Europe, the Emerald
Venomclaw is a very rare two-headed dragon that lacks legs. It has one
pair of large, batlike wings and a smaller pair of winglike fins used
for aerodynamic maneuverability. It has a venomous bite and can secrete
a powerful neurotoxin from glands under its wing-claws. Venomclaws
live in dense forests, where they can sometimes be seen sleeping with
their wings folded, hanging from tall trees by their prehensile tails.
They may be aggressive if disturbed, and give a loud shriek when angry
or frightened."
Jackie
Richardson
Title: Fire Dragon
Age: 14
OH, USA
"My dragon is a fire dragon. It lives in
volcanoes and eats plants and trees, which is why it has small teeth.
It’s sense of smelling is the best, followed by eyesight. It is
dependent on others for survival and likes companionship. Its body is
covered in tiny hard scales invisible to the naked eye, which makes it’s
body armor nearly indestructible. Its wings are very wide and heavy."
Title: Blue Serpent
Age: 15
MA, USA
"My dragon is a four-eyed, lengthy blue serpent.
He has an impressive rack of horns, purple spines, and tends to drool a
lot, the drool of which is flammable... so be careful around him! He
also has rubbery claws and a sort of beak, as well as a pair of webbed
wings."
STUDENT CATEGORY:
Title: Frost Wyrm
Age: 19
Australia
"My dragon is a frost wyrm that lives in a
fantastical world that is becoming more industrial;
the people there build vast flying machines which invade the
dragon's territory, forcing the dragons to become highly aggressive. Inspiration
for the dragon came from dinosaurs, notably the T-Rex and D&D
dragons, mainly the blue dragon."
Lea Schubert
Title: Knightslayer
Age: 19
Germany
"The picture I send you is of a medium-sized (~6'-10')
Wyrm called "Knightslayer" as many brave noblemen have come to its
forest to defy the beast yet have never returned, quite the story of a
dragonslayer in reverse. I imagine it to behave somewhat like an
alligator, burrowing beneath tree trunks and waiting, until unsuspecting
prey passes by to quickly bolt out of it's shelter and grab the victim
with it's sharp fangs, tearing it to pieces by jerking its head left and
right before devouring it bit by bit. Although territorial loners by
nature, it digs its eggs deep into the damp humus and guards the young
until they hatch."
Elizabeth Hornberger
Title: Skybeast
Age: 18
VA, USA
"My dragon species are simply called
Skybeasts. They are bipedal dinosaurian predators with massive wings
that are covered with feathers. They are very social creatures that live
in flocks, they hunt together in packs, and can be quite fierce. But
despite this they are very friendly to humans, and if trained, they can
be ridden. I sketched the drawing with pencil, and then finished it with
photoshop. I hope you like it, and I can't wait to see everyone's
dragons!"
Joshua Cairós
Title: White Dragon
Age: 19
Spain
"my
illustration represents the precise moment where a white dragon with its rider destroy the enemy camp."
Title: Korthak
Age: 20
Canada
"The Korthak is found in waters worldwide and is known
to travel almost anywhere for food, be it deep water or shallow rivers.
During the seasonal eating frenzy, these dragons will consume anything
in their path, which account for their massive size. Like sharks, the
korthak are able to detect the electromagnetic fields produced by living
creatures. However, they are also known to consume structures such as
ships and from time to time. The redder the spots on the Korthak's face
and horns, the fuller they are. When the frenzy dies down, these
creatures can often be seen in the shallows of vacant islands and
soaking in the sun. "
Title: Glass Dragons
Age: 20
Florida, USA
"My dragons are called glass dragons. They're very
small, quiet, and only eat glass, so they make popular pets. They're
born in glass-blowing forges and many glass artists sell them along with
bags of glass marbles as food. Many of them are made of clear glass but
they can also be a variety of different colors, depending on the colors
of glass made in the forge they were born in. I based the design of the dragons off of praying mantises and
dragonflies, along with the obvious lizards."
Title: Feathered Glider Dragon
Age: 21
UK
"This dragon is commonly referred to as the Feathered
Glider Dragon, and is believed to reside solely in the Amazon
rainforest. It is so exceptionally rare and reclusive that only
eye-witness accounts and blurred, hastily taken photographs verify its
existence. Native tribes of the rainforest worship the creatures,
claiming that they hail from the Aztec and Mayan empires, where great
leaders
kept two as personal guardians. With the fall of that civilisation, the
dragons moved south to the dense jungle , where they glide from tree to
tree, hunting small mammals and lizards. The feathered mane that each
dragon has is thought to be purely for aesthetic purposes, serving as a
way of attracting mates. The same goes for the long, thin feathers at
the base of the tail. Sharp talons serve as a tool for climbing tall
trees, where the dragon can watch for prey before swooping in for the
kill. It is now feared that we may never truly understand these beasts,
as deforestation for plantations and farmland pushes them deep into the
remaining rainforest, perhaps never to be seen again."
Haley Harrison
Title: Halvard
Age: 17
Texas, USA
"Halvard is an ancient Norse dragon who is a guardian
of the Scandinavian lands of the Vikings. "
Title: Hellkite Monarch
Age: 21
Florida, USA
"My dragon, the Hellkite Monarch, is not an elegant
beast. It is rough and jagged, akin to the deserts it calls home. There
is no place for luxurious hoards. No lush enchanted forests. This
Monarch's kingdom is savage, and they abide by no weak ruler. "
Title: Gaurdian
Age: 20
Minnesotta, USA
"Wassalaighe is a dragon born out of sacrifice.
one hundred thousand men died in a last stand against an empire seeking
to conquer, in a time now lost. their cries and pain, hope and glory,
sadness and determination, seeped into the very ground they stood upon
and reawakened and ancient wyrm. Fueled by their madness, he is a hawk
to any who approach the shrine of the guardians.
His neck is bulky rather than long and despite
legend, does not breath fire. He is all claw and teeth, grappling onto
any structure that he can to reach his prey. A long whisky tail flings
out behind him like an eel, pointed at it's end, and, though he may have
wings, they cannot carry his heavily armored body far. He prefers to
glide and and
leap and run rather than take to the skies, his massive deltoids
carrying him along."
Oksana
Title: Two Blue Dragons in the Forest
Age: 21
Russia
"This two blue dragons are not exotic or very original,
but I just like to keep them simple. Almost all of my dragons has
little amount of details, but I think this is better, than give them
unnecessary things. Just four legs, two wings, tail, and horns on top of
the head and here it come! "
Karis Youngman
Title: Norfolk Cinaris
Age 18
Tasburgh, England
"The Norfolk Cinaris lives in reed beds and water logged areas,
mostly in Norfolk, England.
To catch its prey it turns statue like until enough prey has gathered
round it before springing into action.
feeds mostly on otters,bittern , fish and other river wildlife - but
won't turn down the odd lost human that comes too close to their
territory.
They nest in the tops of willow trees using the springly branches to
weave them into a nest for itself .
The Cinaris has a loud booming call that can be heard across vast
distances, when flying they resemble a Heron or other species of long
legged wading birds which can confuse an unfortunate bird spotter."
Title: Frostbreather
Age: 17
Belarus
"I created a Scandinavian dragon or 'Frostbreather'."
Samantha Greene
Title:
Draco Sanguinum
Age: 16
NC, USA
"This Dragon is notorious for it's strange feeding
patterns. It will first inject venom into it's prey from the storage
sac placed on it's throat, which will cause the blood of the animal to
rise to the wound. The dragon will drink this, and later convert it
into new venom. In a few hours the insides of the dragon's victim will
be a freshly liquified meal. This dragon has a rather weak digestive
system so this prior breakdown is necessary for it to gain any energy
from it's catch.
The locals are not very fond of them
because of their repulsive nature, and hunting trips are often sent out
despite the little success that they
have.
This Knight here hasn't had
much luck himself."
Lance Ridenoure
Title:
Swamp Drake
Age: 19
CA, USA
"My dragon resides in swampy wetlands, hunting large
reptiles and fish that live there. It hunts very much like a hawk,
circling above in the air using its keen eyesight to spot prey and then
dive-bombing to gracefully snatch unlucky creatures from the swamp. It
nests on high ground that isn't submerged in water and lays broods of
2-3 eggs every 5 years or so."
Tina Bayne
Title: Foodog Dragon
Age: 21
MI, USA
"My Dragon is based on the Foodog statues, with a very
bulky upper body,
and makes its home in Thailand."
Melissa Steinkamp
Title:
Abyssal Smoking Dragon
Age: 21
WA, USA
"The Abyssal Smoking Dragon is a recently discovered
creature that lives around the hydrothermal vents on the deep ocean
floor. Thriving in a harsh environment of extreme temperatures, high
pressure and total darkness, this dragon exercises a large appetite for
the variety of Abyssal Zone organisms that congregate around the vents,
including shrimp, crab, octopus and various fish. The luminescent bulb
on the tip of its tail can be used to attract prey, allowing the dragon
to conserve energy. The Smoking Dragon's eyesight is weak but capable of
sensing light from the vents and other bioluminescent creatures. Its
movements are generally slow, although the dragon tends to show more
energetic activity around particularly active hydrothermal sites. The
exact relationship between this observation and the chemical output of
the vents remains unknown at this time."
Nico Mack
Title:
Dragon
Age: 19
Germany
"This dragon lives in the clouds
and it's pretty good in flying. It's too fast for most birds and other
flying dragon and large birds are its favorite food. The size
varies very much of this race. Some are only 4 meters long and others
are up to 20 and 30 meters.
Even though he has no legs, you should not underestimate his
strong tail with which he's able to to strike very hard."
Andrew Somanas
Title:
Dragon
Age: 18
Thailand
"The dragon itself is the result of breeding and
enhanced genetic engineering. The purpose of the experiment is to
measure the intelligence of the dragon (hence the gadget in the hands of
the dragon) and see exactly how much smarter the enlarged cranium has
made it. The dragon also has hook-like spikes on its feet designed for
fatally wounding its foes when striking with the foot. The dragon also
has enhanced strength from genetic engineering."
Cassandra Dunzik
Title: Deep Sea Dragon
Age: 20
NJ, USA
"This dragon (similar to the anglerfish) has a
bioluminescent lure which is positioned in front of the mouth to lure in
its prey. The eyes of this dragon are similar to those of many deep sea
fish, which are large and reflective to detect the small amount of
light that exists in the lowest levels of the ocean. I figured the
dragon would be around 10 meters long to make most of it's counterparts
become it's prey. It's also uncommon for large animals to exist at such
deep oceanic levels. The scales of this creature would be either black,
dark red, or a silvery reflective color, which help the dragon become
undetectable in the dark waters."
Kyle Simmers
Title:
Dragon
Age:
USA
"I really wanted to create a unique looking dragon
(thus the extra pair of wings) and wanted it to reflect a
cold environment with its crystalline influenced spines and mountaintop
setting. "
Mariateresa
Vallellanes
Title:
Purple
Iris fairy-dragon
Age:
18
FL, USA
"This
species love the color purple. They will eat anything, even poisonous
plants, as long as it has the color purple. These fairy-dragons are
about 6 inches
in length and display vibrant colors, warning predators that they are
highly poisonous. The spines that run the length of their back to the
middle of their tail carry toxins. They live in humid and mountainous
areas, and can even hide among wild irises and other
purple flowers."
Ksenia Silence
Title:
Sprout
Age: 20
Russia
"It is a Sprout, long
dragon-tree, who has 12 paws and grows up from parts
of branches and seeds from older dragons` flowers. This one is almost
grown-up,
has many branches along his body with small leaves and roots, but still
has no
flowers to make seeds. Feeds with sun and earth as a plant and with
small
critters too. Young sprout is a small dragon, which climbs up from a
hole more
and more while growing up and getting long and massive. Unfortunately,
by the
time it grows up to a huge tree with 12 paws, it dies because of age and
becomes a strange curly tree, which only reminds a dragon. So it never
leaves
its "hole-home". "
Wladimir Matos Reyes
Title:
Ice Dragon
Age: 20
Dominican Republic
"The concept of my entry is an Ice dragon surrounded by
some sort of misty/cold environment, standing on a peak."
Cole Jordan
Title: Dragon Sprite
Age: 21
Canada
"This is a dragon I designed about a year ago. I like
the idea of little dragon 'sprites', with elemental powers, that
probably could be like pets and that's where I wanted to go with this
one, at least this time haha. A fairly shy creature, but opens
up once you've earned their trust, but don't let the cuteness fool you,
this one knows very well how to use its powers!"
Chelsea Webb
Title: Digging Dragon
Age: 21
IN, USA
"This is one of my several dragon species that I have
been developing. "
Ellen Johnstone
Age: 15
Title: Earth
Dragon
Northamptonshire, United
Kingdom
"The Earth Dragon lives in Aftrica.
It is arond the size of a hippo and hinds on large game like buffalo or
young elephants."
Irina Orangee
Title:
Grey Dragon
Age: 21
Moscow, Russia
"The dragon is creation of Grey Magic, which is about silent death, decline and ashes."
Kate Becker
Title: Spotted lance Drake
Age: 20
OR, USA
"Named after it's scale pattern and unique
"lance-like" horns the Spotted Lance Drake can be found in salt waters.
It is known to consume corals and dwell near the reefs where it feeds.
The Drake avoids human contact due to several decades of being hunted
for their valuable throat sacs which are known to contain pearl-like
growths."
Betty Jiang
Title: Dragon
Age: 19
Canada
"My dragon is based off the
the horned devil lizard that can be found in the desert areas of North
America ...and theres a hint of Pterodactyl somewhere in there."
Victor Maury
Title: The Slumbering Tyrant
Age: 18
"A
knight riding his hound steed chances upon the fabled Slumbering Tyrant
as he emerges from his thousand-year dormant state."
Desirée Rühl
Title: Albagaris
Age: 21
Germany
"The dragon species I want to tell you about is
called Albagaris (in latin: 'alba' = white ;
'fulgaris' = lightning; "White lightning"). They got their name because
of their white skin and the high velocity when they're flying.
Albagaris are proud, majestic dragons. They're
strong, agile, very large but slight and very tough in any kind of
situation. They're able to cause storms and have the ability to attack
with strokes of lightning. It's not easy to handle them, as they're
known to be intelligent and able to understand the human language as
well."
Ian Joswick
Title: Dragon
Age: 18
WV, USA
"My
piece show cases a classic looking dragon with a close up in his lair."
Amanda Graham
Title: Nightmare
Age: 19
TX, USA
"My dragon is called Nightmare this is and antedate species
of dragon and the most feared. It is feared because it eats other
dragons and of its massive size growing as long as 1000 feet! Nightmare
is one of the longest living dragons on Hillys some living as long as
500,000 years and because of this it is also the slowest growing dragon
taking as long as 100 years to reach full sexual maturity. These dragons
can be found in the crushing depths of Hillys' oceans, coming up to the
surface only once every 100 years to find a mate. Nightmare dragons
mate for life so only young or widowed dragons will come to the surface
after which they will descend back into the darkness."
Andrew Sonea
Title: Gharial Dragon
Age: 19
Ottawa,
Canada
"I was thinking a lot about birds as I
painted this dragon--I wanted an elegant feel to it in addition to
strength and terror. The long neck and head, reminiscent of cormorants
and egrets was a lot of fun to paint; the design of the head itself was
based on crocodilian features (specifically the gharial). In the end I
do like how it turned out, but feel that it could have strayed more from
the typical dragon that people paint."
Grayden
Greaves.
Title: Green Dragon
Age: 17
AB, Canada
"This concept is a middle aged adult green dragon. Lives in a
mediterranean type area. Diet consisting mostly of fish and this is the
reason for the shape of the mouth. Spikes on the back and head for
defense and at the end of the tale. I kind of imagined those spines on
the end of the tale working almost like a rudder."
©2012 William O'Connor Studios
*All images are copyright to the respective
artists. Reproduction without consent is prohibited. Dracopedia™ is a trademark of William O'Connor Studios.
Greetings everyone! After much hand-wringing and debate the judges have decided on the four winners of the Dracopedia Art Contest. We all loved the entries and it was a shame to narrow it down to only four. I've actually added an "Editor's Choice Award". 
