Dracopedia Art Contest-Entries

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."

Aaron Murphy

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."

Alice Langlois

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:

 

Xanthe Unwin

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."

 

Jessica Cheng

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. "

 

 

 Zoe Coughlin

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."

 

Max Davenport

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. "

 

Evan Monteiro

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. "

Allen Morris

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."

John Sidoryk

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.