Kate Ristau's Blog, page 25

Painted necks: Drawing Dragons Day 186

How easy it seems, these dragons with their painted necks.

Google draw dragon easy

Or

Dragon draw simple

There are kids’ directions, child’s play; an understanding that the crayon is alternately forgiving.

But we shall see. The pencil, maybe, and shade the fire into flame.

Keep creating. I did with this reference. You can too!

Kate

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Owl: Drawing Dragons Day 185

I have to tell you, friends, today I saw dragon that was so GOOD, that it felt like something was opening up inside of me.

It’s incredible, right? All fire and fear, but huge. Invincible.

I’m not one for knights slaying dragons. I’m for freedom and possibility and magic.

But this dragon says something more than that, doesn’t it?

It comes from a Dungeons and Dragons book, which almost surprised me, but then didn’t.

That hero is on an adventure, but he needs to make a choice wicked fast; maybe he’ll stop being a hero altogether. Maybe he’ll be a healer instead.

I wanted to draw one small piece of this dragon, and I settled on its heart-shaped nose.

I could pull this out for you, But let’s just say it did not go well. I have a nose, but it was so obviously an owl, that I turned into an owl. You’re welcome.

Keep creating,

Kate

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Pinto Bean: Drawing Dragons Day 184

Wonder says this little one looks like a pinto bean.

Makes you wonder what’s inside.

Keep creating,

Kate

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The Eye was Following the Eye: Drawing Dragons Day 183

I drew this dragon eye from a reference, but it made me think of another reference. Has anyone ever heard of White Winter Hymnal? Until this very moment, I did not realized they were talking about “I.” I thought they meant “Eye.”

I was following the

I was following the

I was following the

I was following the

I was following the

I was following the

I was following the

I was following the

I was following the pack

All swallowed in their coats

With scarves of red tied ’round their throats

To keep their little heads

From fallin’ in the snow

And I turned ’round and there you go

And, Michael, you would fall

And turn the white snow red as strawberries

In the summertime

Either way, still a super creepy song that will worm its way into your head. Check out Pentatonix’s version:

Keep it creepy, kids,

Kate

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This face: Drawing Dragons Day 182

I keep going back to this face. I love the lines of the jaw, but the forehead is always so blank, and the teeth are wrong.

It should burn with fire, a jewel of flame.

Instead, the blank page stares me down, white in the midst of graphite.

Keep creating,

Kate

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Granola bars: Drawing Dragons Day 181

I’m pretty sure that I am incapable of resisting those salty/sweet nature valley granola bars.

And then, at my friend’s alpaca ranch, I found a box that had so many of them. 40? How was that possible?

Given enough time, I’d eat them all.

But they did not help the dragon I drew today.

His face was to be fire, but instead it is joy.

Keep creating,

Kate

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Breaking Clocks: Drawing Dragons Day 180

Worked on Clockbreakers Two today. It’s interesting; the further in you get, the more you love your own language.

My friend Robert called me out on exposition (that’s when, you know, you just talk about stuff instead of doing).

He was right. I knew it.

But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I mean, those words are GOOD, like necessary and smart and super interesting.

That’s the problem with writing a series. I’m super attached to the characters. It’s not easy to cut off Charlie’s ruminating, or Maria’s hair flips.

I get why each of JK’s books got longer and longer.

Well, here’s a dragon that has an end:

She’s from this reference, and she makes me smile.

Keep creating,

Kate

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Red and gold: Drawing Dragons Day 179

It’s late, so just a little sketch. I imagine her red and gold, with that sleepy repose of a cat with one eye locked on you.

She’s comes from this reference, but is headed somewhere else while I head to sleep.

Keep creating,

Kate

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I like the tail: Drawing Dragons Day 177

“I like the tail,” Wonder said, like it was something I should have realized, should have known.

I hadn’t liked the tail. It was too big — I’d added shading. Then I’d added more. That’s how these things go, I guess.

“I like the tail,” he said.

I slowed down. I looked down at the page.

“I like it too,” I said.

Keep creating,

Kate

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Dragonhawk: Drawing Dragons Day 176

My Mom used to love LadyHawk. I remember sitting in our squished in couch, watching these adults exchanging meaningful glances over wings and feathers.

I didn’t understand them why they spent so much time on the blonde haired dude and so little time on the hawks.

Here’s a DragonHawk for you. I swear I’ll spend more time with the hawks, and less with the dudes. Unless those dudes are dragons.

Keep creating,

Kate

I think it’s about time for another viewing.

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