Let’s get one thing straight: I’m obsessed with dragons.
Zodiac sign? Dragon.
Favourite Totem animal? Dragon.
If I could be reincarnated into anything... yep, a dragon, a water one (Dragons do exist, we just don’t see them anymore).
My dream crew includes Haku (my fav’), Mushu, Elliott, Toothless, Shenron, Drogon, Norberta…
Basically, if there’s a dragon in a movie, TV show, anime, I’m in; jumping on the couch, screaming "DRAGOOONNN!" like a teenager at a concert.
So yes, dragons run deep.
And as you probably know, I’ve been blessed to illustrate 200 of them for Wyrmspan, one of Stonemaier's very cool board game, plus all the magical world around them with caves and all.
To bring over 200 dragons to life, I had to dream up an entire world—full of magic, backstories, quirks, and powers. Each dragon was imagined from scratch (read the behind the scene story here)
And guess what? The adventure isn’t over… more dragons are soaring in with the upcoming expansion! (Yay!)
Now, let’s talk about Japan.
This trip was basically my pilgrimage to the Land of Dragons; and oh boy, Japan delivered.
They were everywhere:
– In delicate tea cups
– Beautifully handpainted, on a devine umbrella from Tsujikura, the oldest Japanese Umbrella shop in Japan, since 1690.
– Watching over ancient temples as fierce guardians
– Dargon-shaped fountains for purification's ritual.
– Painted on the ceilings of quiet shrines
And—no joke—while walking near Kifune Shrine on a misty, rainy day, I swear I saw one gliding between the pine trees.
A real one :)
No pictures as proof, but I’ll soon paint it for you. Promise.
Have you seen my dragon's illustrations from Wyrmspan?