Dracopedia Legends: An Artist’s Guide to Drawing Dragons of Folklore

Learn to draw colossal dragons and legendary heroes

It was a stormy night in Northern Wales when I and my apprentice, Conceil, had to take shelter in an old stalkers cottage along Caernarfon Bay. A peat fire was lit, and our guide, Sir Geoffrey Guest, regaled us with ancient stories of dragons while, outside, the gale battered the coastline....

What follows is a retelling of classical legends, plucked from the folklore of cultures spread across time and around the world, from ancient Greece and China to Medieval England and Norse mythology. You'll discover the epochal dragons who reigned over snow and sea; those with wings and flaming maws; those who thwarted Beowulf in underground lairs; and those slain by Hercules' mighty sword.

Dracopedia Legends presents 13 epic tales of heroes vanquishing dragons, accompanied by lavish dragon illustrations inspired by the myths. Acting as both a storybook and art guide, each chapter also includes in-depth instructions to reveal how to conceptualize, research and design every iconic battle scene, broken down into multiple stages so you can create your own commanding and evocative narrative paintings.

Includes:

- 13 tales of the most legendary dragons from around the world
- Instructions for drawing and painting each climactic clash between hero and beast
- How to design, sketch and develop illustrations into layered and detailed final paintings
The fourth book in the best-selling Dracopedia saga

William O’Connor is a father of two living in New York. He sometimes comes out of his Hobbit hole, where he makes books and paintings, to travel the land and explore. Author and artist of the bestselling Dracopedia book series, as well as illustrator of over five thousand illustrations for the gaming and publishing business, William O’Connor’s 25-year career has allowed him to work with such companies as Wizards of the Coast, IMPACT Books, Blizzard Entertainment, Sterling Publishing, Lucas Films, Activision and many more. In addition, he has won more than 30 industry awards for artistic excellence including 10 contributions to Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantasy Art and 10 Chesley Nominations. William has taught and lectured around the country about his unique and varied artwork as well as being a regular contributor to the popular art blog Muddy Colors and exhibiting his work at such industry shows as Illuxcon, New York Comic Con and Gen Con.

For more information about William O’Connor, his books and art, visit www.wocstudios.com.