Dragons!

My daughter got me interested in dragons. She was totally into the whole dragon and mythology scene and really wanted one of the ceramic dragons from our local gift shop. These were far too expensive at the time and one day at the ceramic shop, I discovered dragons that I could paint. This evolved into a hobby for me. I just love the color combinations and working with the metallic and irridescent paints. Now my granddaughter is into the Dragonology series and loves these ceramic dragons.

This dragon stands about 16 inches tall. He is finished with brilliant metallics and gold leafing. His wings have a small amount of glitter added for extra dramatic effect. The rocks and castle have matte varnish for a more realistic effect.

This dragon also stands about 16 inches tall. He is finished with brilliant metallics and gold leafing. His wings have a small amount of glitter added for extra dramatic effect. The rocks and tree trunk are finished with a matte varnish for a more natural effect.

This dragon also stands about 16 inches tall. He is finished with brilliant metallics and gold leafing. His wings have a small amount of glitter added for extra dramatic effect. The rocks and tree trunk are finished with a matte varnish for a more natural effect. This dragon is currently for sale in my etsy shop for $175.00

This is the close up of the face of the blue open winged dragon and the turquoise one has this same face. Here you can see the attention to detail.

I buy the ceramic forms usually as greenware and sand down the rough edges and prepare them for firing in the kiln. Lately, due to the distance from the ceramic stores, I have been buying the white bisque forms which have already been sanded and fired. I generally start with a dark gray or black undercoat and then layer acrylic paint on top, building the color gradually until I am satisfied. Then I go over the colors with a metallic paint or an irridescent paint for dramtic effects and I apply a layer or two of leafing, usually gold but occasionally silver for a different look. Finally, I varnish the entire piece; a gloss finish for the dragon and a matte finish for the castles, rocks and other details. As a final touch, I glue felt to the bottom of the pieces so they won't scratch furniture.

I currently have 4 pieces ready for sale and 2 pieces in progress. There is a wizard almost finished. He stands about 12 inches tall and will have a crystal ball on the top of his staff. There is also a dragon with a sword in a stone in progress.

If you are interested in one of these, you can check out my Etsy shop and request a custom item and I will get back to you as soon as possible.