The Dragon  

Dragons are symbols of power—sometimes for good, sometimes for ill. Regardless of which, they are an elemental power; an embodiment of strengths and forces beyond human control. Their appearance is a fantastical combination of creatures of all sorts—the manes of lions, the horns of a stag, the shape of a lizard, the wings of a bat and the tail of a snake, to name a few.

In Eastern mythologies, dragons are representations of the divine. They are benevolent beings and incarnations of earth, sea, and sky. They are sovereigns of their realms, intelligent beings and symbolic of imperial might.

In most Western mythologies, dragons are representations of evil. More animalistic in nature than their Eastern brethren, they are fierce, fire-breathing creatures capable of creating swaths of destruction. Often, they are cast as the great nemeses of brave knights who must march to battle in order to prove themselves.

Modern fantasy dragons have taken on aspects from all of these sources, granting them color, intellect or physical traits to mold the concepts of dragons to our own tales. How then to capture these brilliant beasts within the confines of paper, pencil and brush? The possibilities are limitless…

—excerpt from Dreamscapes Myth & Magic by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

See more of Stephanie’s and nearly 50 other incredible artists’ renditions of dragons in the soon to be released DRAGONWORLD! Here’s a sneak peek at the art of DragonWorld

Just for fun, here’s some awesome art from Dreamscapes Myth & Magic:

Lackadaisy’s author Tracy Butler talks about how she draws cute characters with consistency. It’s a good lesson, so check it out.And check out the story, which has been nominated for a 2011 Eisner for Best Digital Comic. Historical fiction with cute anthro characters.

For more in-depth instruction, you can check out our book, Draw Furries. Talk about cute characters! And for storytelling, you can’t beat Buddy Scalera’s Creating Comics From Start to Finish. Get tips from the best in the business.

This weekend I saw Midnight in Paris, a movie about a writer who is vacationing in Paris when he accidentally travels back to the ‘20s and meets writers and artists of the time. Although the movie only included Picasso and Matisse, it got me wondering about the other artists and art that was around back then. What did people draw dragons like? Did comics have the same form?  I did some Google research and learned about Henri Iselin, who drew many comics in the ‘20s. Here are a few.

It is cool to think about how art has changed and progressed over the decades. And how much changing it is still doing!

Although manga started in the east and didn’t hit it big in America until almost two decades ago, it has still has come a long way in that time. Right now, I am working on Shojo Fashion Manga Art School, Year Two.  It seems to me that the manga and details in this book compared to the first seem like they have already progressed a little in this short time.

Here are some great IMPACT instructionals to help you keep up with art’s constant evolution.

It’s National Fairy Day! Impact Books wants to help you celebrate all weekend with 50% off plus FREE shipping on two of our most popular Fairy books, DREAMSCAPES by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and ENCHANTING FAIRIES by Barbara Lanza!

Use coupon code FAERIE11 at NorthLightShop.com to save today!

Also, check out the awesome fairy art in our Fantasy Art Gallery.

Noon Fairy by Barbara Lanza

Hi everyone! My name’s Kirstie and I’m the intern for the summer at IMPACT books. During my time here, I’m going to update you on what’s going on behind the scenes, what I’ve been working on and other cool stuff that we’re all interested in. So far this summer, I have been very busy with Shojo Fashion Manga Art School, Year Two. The first Shojo Fashion Manga Art School taught us how to draw fabulous shojo manga clothing and characters. The second is just as promising, including steps on how to draw formal wear, school uniforms, sports uniforms, etc.

I have also been working on our new Fun to Draw Books. These books teach young, beginning artists how to draw funny characters, mangamon, and mini mangas. They will get released this fall. They aren’t available for pre-sale yet, but I will give you a peek of the covers! I will be back on Monday with another update!

I’m bummed that Brooklyn Museum has had to cancel their Art in the Streets exhibit due to funding. It’s a shame for all involved.

On the other hand, street art is by its very nature, not something you have to visit a museum to see. I’ve always been envious of the Banksy and Phlegm and other sightings around the world, but sometimes it’s a pleasure to see what’s in our own backyards.

Shout out to our rockin’ former intern Joie de Bostock for sending these photographs in to us! These were taken in Cincinnati, and one of the writers asks the title question. I want to know your answers! Art: what is it good for?

Want to learn more about the art of graffiti? Check out these books, available from IMPACT. Click on the cover to be taken to our store.

With help from a friend, a came across this article about a collection of old romance comics. While searching through a store in New York, Michael Barson found these late ’40s, early ’50s comics and combined them to make his anthology, Agonizing Love: The Golden Era of Romance Comics. Although these comics were originally written for women, men can love them too–just ask Michael!

Try drawing your own comics with these titles from IMPACT books!

Check out this sneak peek into the soon to be released DragonWorld, featuring some of the world’s most popular deviants! IMPACT Books editorial director, Pam Wissman and editor Sarah Laichas scoured the pages of deviantART to find and contact some of the best dragon artists out there and assemble some of their best work into this beautiful collection.

Click here for the digital preview on the F+W Media Scribd page! Stay tuned for more!

Spectrum 18, the latest in the heavily lauded fantasy art showcase series, is due out this coming November. This year the tome will feature among its contributors Lisa Cyr, author of North Light Books’ Art Revolution: Alternative Approaches in Art and the upcoming Experimental Painting (due out this fall).

Click here to check out the promotional video posted on the Spectrum website.

Learn how to draw an alien sketch card step-by-step with this demonstration from Sketch Card Mania by IMPACT authors Denise Vasquez and Randy Martinez..

Aliens make great science-fiction sidekicks; they make a nice contrast to the stoic hero. Aliens have very specialized skills that help the hero survive. Even though they look intimidating, aliens can offer comic relief and show compassion for life.

Zed Lepplin is a Galactic Federation warrior from the planet Kashfleer. Zed is also the best friend of Cosmo Starfire and first lieutenant of Alpha Squadron. A master of weapons and engineering, Zed’s skills have saved Cosmo from many lethal situations. His love of rock music and his humorous demeanor are the perfect contrast to Cosmo’s stoic persona. Zed is funny and cocky, so be sure to draw him with attitude and spunk

1. Sketch the Initial Figure
Start by drawing a quick gesture drawing of the alien—a basic stick figure with an egg shape for the head, circles for the joints and a rectangle for the hand. Draw guidelines on the head so you’ll know where his facial features go.

2. Add the Main Shapes
Draw the rib cage and head tails that hang down like pieces of ribbon. Draw cylinders for the arms (three are visible) and neck. Draw a cylinder for the forearm. Form the body of the gun with some rectangles.

 
3. Add the Small Shapes and Details
Add the smaller details including the fingers, facial features and shoulder pads. Use the guidelines from step 1 to place the eyes and mouth. Continue drawing the facial features like the eyes and facial growths. Add the lower torso by drawing a line from his rib cage to the bottom of the card. Continue drawing details to make your alien even more funky.

 
4. Ink the Drawing
Add smaller details like textures on his skin, gun details and facial characteristics. Use a black pen or marker to fill in the solid dark areas. Erase the lines you no longer need and ink your drawing.

5. Color the Sketch Card
If you used a permanent ink marker or pen, you should be OK to use almost any coloring medium. If you use colored markers, be sure the black ink is nice and dry first. The great thing about science fiction is that there are no rules—so go crazy. Make your alien any color you want!

Visit the NL Shop to order your copy of Sketch Card Mania and check out other great IMPACT titles.