The theme of the last post was on Iceland Dragons. The ezine themes post has been updated, too.
Dragon Quote of the Month:
“Beware the darkness of dragons,
Beware the stalker of dreams,
Beware the talons of power and fire,
Beware one who is not what she seems.”
~ The Moon Rising by Tui T. Sutherland
Quick Updates
What better than a spooky-themed ezine for the month of October?
I’ve included witches, demonic dragons, skulls, and ghosts…including one on an unusual and vintage Japanese postcard.
Let me know of your Halloween plans! 🎃
P.S. I’ve been wanting to watch The Witch (2015) for a while, which I thought about after I wrote about the Salem Witch Trials on my personal blog.
Shop (relaunched)
Check out our refreshed shop for stickers, journals, and more!
Spooky and Halloween Dragons
Bone Dragon
One of the first images I selected for this post was a bone dragon artwork by Jason Engle. I love the anatomy in this.
Jason Engle says that this was one of his “all time favorites” that he’s done for Magic the Gathering.
Other brands he’s worked with include Game of Thrones, Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft, and Dungeons & Dragons.
Dragon and Ghost in Japanese Postcard
This mysterious old postcard shows a monk on a mountain perusing a scroll. A dragon and a ghostly woman hover over to the left of the image, while other monks are seemingly struck with fear.
The Japanese text from the back of the postcard was translated by one of Papergreat’s visitors:
“[This postcard shows] the Manifestation of Shichi-Menten.
For nine years, the great priest had been preaching to his acolytes. During that time, a lone woman would always sit quietly and listen. The woman was, in actuality, the Daija-Snake who had lived for ages in the great mountain. The great priest, knowing of this, preached to this woman regarding enlightenment, and just then, the woman appeared in her snake form and vowed to act as a protector goddess of the mountain. ‘Lady Shichi Menten’ is that woman.”
You can learn a little bit more about the explanation on the original comment.
As for Japanese dragons and the name orochi (大蛇), the kanji, 大蛇, are commonly pronounced daija, meaning “big snake; large serpent.”
Thanks to the learned Chris Otto for letting me share this postcard and commentary over here!
Check out his gem of a research blog at Papergreat.
Dragon Witch
Here’s a sweet artwork by Kevin Hong from a graphic novel concept that follows a trainee witch named Anais, and her dragon familiar. The kitty cats in the illustration are a lovely addition.
Kevin Hong is a Korean-American illustrator with publishing, games and animation experience. He has illustrated for Tor.com and worked as a paint artist for Cartoon Network.
Halloween Dragons
Here’s a grand array of Halloween-themed dragon heads by Polish artist, Małgorzata Lachowska (also known as LiLaiRa). The acid ghost dragon is a cool fantasy/horror mashup.
LiLaiRa mostly focuses on themes of fantasy, sci-fi and gory horror.
You can follow them on deviantArt or support through Ko-Fi.
Dragon of Spirits
Artist Ruth Taylor from the Netherlands says that she sketched this dragon for about a year.
These dragons “bring the dead to the Underworld,” she says. These dragons work for death and allow graves to rest peacefully. The dragon has no weight, thus making it “just like a ghost.”
Check out Ruth’s dragon illustrations and her website.
Ghost Dragon
Antonio José Manzanedo is a concept designer from Spain. He says in an interview that he admires “the work of the great classical masters like Goya, Velázquez, Rembrandt, and Sorolla.”
He describes his art as being a “melting pot” of artists, movies, and comics that characterized his childhood.
Demon Dragon Rider
Feel the heat from the fiery depths of hell in this demon dragon rider painting, also by Antonio José Manzanedo.
See You Next Time
I’m possible doing a Singapore-themed post in future.
It’s my birth country and I’ve had a half-done post sitting around in my drafts somewhere. I know I selected some photographs of a cute exhibition I wish I’d gone to see in person.
I may be working on some sketches to make them available as art prints. I’d have to practice A LOT on my dragon sketches…I’m a lot more familiar with birds and landscapes.
I had a relaxing birthday this past September. If you love astrology, let me know. ♍