💀Spooky Dragon and the Squiggle of Destiny

Salutations everyone!

This week I want to pull back the curtain on how a squiggle transforms into a spooky dragon illustration. The whole humble beginnings origin story.

I doodled some loose, wobbly lines. No plan. Just vibes. Then, like spotting shapes in clouds, I looked for what seemed familiar. For me, dragons are familiar.

Would you look at that? Another dragon!

Normally, I like to tackle this process in stages, starting with penciling first. Today, I chose chaos mode. I inked as I sketched, chasing the energy of those early lines.

Eventually, we uncover a fully inked dragon.

Time for color! I borrowed a moody color palette I found online. I started at the belly of the beast, then worked section by section until the serpent had its fill.

Ta-dah! And yet… Something felt off.

Ah yes, I know just the thing. A brooding black background slapped on with paint markers. Suddenly, this dragon pops!

And there you have it! One accidental spooky dragon, courtesy of the union of a squiggle and my mischievous muse.

Happy May, friends. 

Arielle + Ryan