i likes his scale design and his spines and tail awesomeness

Very very good and well designed, I have only a few problems with this picture: 1) the curvature of the neck could be made much smoother and rounder, as befits a graceful water dragon. 2) The forelimb is, again, bent at a rather awkward angle. 3) The connection of the base of the tail to the hindquarters could be thicker and smoother. The design, detail, and now background-all stupendous.

Thanks you guys...he was a pretty quick critter to draw...especially the scales. I agree. The neck could've been done better...

Not so much. I have known you for quite a while, Tweaked, and I realize that these creatures grow from your fingertips in a matter of minutes. If I were to draw like that, you would get little more than a series of scribbles. I do believe a 'Well Done!' is in order.

Oreo you're spoiling me! LOL...I appreciate the compliments

Well, I gotta say sumthin' nice. Besides, I could never be as spontaneous as you are when I draw.

*feels bad now* ...I said it was good!!

Aw, don't feel bad, Rana. You did say it was good. I really appreciate it. *huggles Rana* @ Oreo: Yeah. Which is why I don't draw extremely often. I lose creativity pretty quick cuz of how fast I draw...I can draw a lot in three days, then be a complete zombie creativity-wise the next week.

Ah, see, I can draw a lot in three weeks, but then go through a drawing funk lasting several months.

Oh...that sucks! I've never had a drawing funk that long...I think I'd go crazy!

Oh, this looks nice, especially the head and back membrany crest. And I like your original legs style

Thanks...the front legs I made so he could lay against the warm rock underneath him...he's a cold-blooded beauty! lol

@tweaked: Yes, but I'm not as artistically oriented as you. What drives ME crazy is when I have a writers block for that long.

I have to force myself past my writer's block, and if I want to draw, I'm forever bound to making sure it's 'perfect', although many can attest to the un-perfectness of by drawings. @ Rana: Sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean like that.

No, you didn't offend me. It's just I sometimes feel kinda mean when I critique people's work, cuz I know that everyone tried their best with the time they were given and the materials they used.

@ Rana: Oh yeah...so if I was more into writing, a writing funk lasting an entire year would probably make me rather bug-eyed and frizzy-haired with craziness. Scary...

I've looked through all of your work, and this one is my favorite. My only problem with this and most of your art is the optical illusion of depth that they lack. I can't really tell where everything is and the pictures look very 2-D. To counteract this, shading parts farther in the background works. You'd have to look at other interpretations of 3-D figures to understand how to really gradate shadows. I noticed you also like to use pen to, which can be harder to gradate with, especially gels. two alternatives I can think of are stippling, which is making shadows composed of dots. The closer the dots are together, the darker the figure apears. If that doesn't work, which often it doesn't because stippling is a pain XP, then, for ball-point ink at least, I recommend using an eraser on wet ink. The eraser, particularly soft red ones, will cause a nice smudge which will offer neat effects. I've never tested this with gels though so I'm not sure how it would work. Aside, you're critters look very unique. I like the grotesque style, which makes them look kind of unnatural and more interesting to look at. very imaginative. You're also really good at extensive detailing, which is cool.

Thanks for the advice, Kelsey. I need to work on my shading, but I have to admit to something. This guy took me about thirty minutes to draw. I didn't add much detail or shading because I...well, let's just say that I hate spending more than an hour on something. My patience is something I need to work on. But thanks for the compliments on my style...I'm planning on uploading my self-portrait. She took me about five hours, so she's considerably more detailed than anything I've recently put up. But once again, thanks for the advice on shading and the background. I will most definitely work on those two points.

@Tweaked: (about the writers block) That's right, that's why I often write poetry or journals or short bits on various parts of my stories, because even if I'm not exploding with ideas, I still need to write. It's just how I am.

I can understand that one. I have the same issues with drawing.

Hmmm...*ponders* I wonder if there are any musically inclined people on this site?

The only thing I can do is sing...and most of the time not very well.

Same here. I don't play any instrument at all. Still, it would be interesting if their were musicians on here as well as writers and artists.

Very true. I wanna meet a violin-player. A good violin player...

lol i play the violin im okay, but i hate it

Oh oh oh! I know an awesome violin player! Well...I don't know her personally, but she plays in one of my favorite bands EVAH! The violinist of the Celtic Women group is so amazing! Not only can she play amazing fast beat tunes on the violin, but she can DANCE at the same time! Now that takes SKILLZ! @Serenity: Aww...that's too bad. I've never played the violin, but I love listening to it. ^-^ Iz so pretty!!

I LOVE CELTIC WOMEN! AND VIOLINS! Probably cuz I've never played a violin...but violins and chellos are my absolute favorite instruments. And french horns too...hehehe.

My favorite instruments are a violin, a harp, and a flute. Unfortunately, I've never played either. I guess what I really like in music is a kind of ethereal, floating feeling, like you could close your eyes and just listen to the music and it will take you to some distant and beautiful land.

Dude, I love that kind of music! Enya is a good one...have you ever listened to her stuff? That kind of music gives me inspiration.

i like the band Breaking Benjamin :3 helps me connect with one of my awesomely psycotic characters xD

Very nice...LOL. I listen to stuff like Evanescence if I'm really angry...it helps me focus more on what I'm doing than what I'm angry at.

Yeah, I like Evanescance too, but I don't think I've ever listened to Emya. @Serenity: Who is you psycotic character, and how does Breaking Benjamin help?

Enya is a celtic singer...it's hard to explain her music unless you've listened to it...try going to playlist.com and type in 'Orinoco Flow' by Enya

@rana: well pretty much all my characters are psycotic in some way. Breaking Benjamin...er...some of their songs help my visualize and understand more of the characters' thoughts and perspectives

Like...how? Is it the lyrics, or the music...I'm kinda confused. @Zephyr: Hey...that's a song played by Celtic Women!! It's really pretty though...^-^ Is there any other song that she does?

mainly the lyrics...i dunno...music influences my thoughts in weird ways 8D

As it does mine. Sometimes, I find it is simply much easier to write when I have music playing in my ears, especially music with little to no lyrics.

Urg...I'm not too familiar with the songs Celtic Women have done, but I know she's done a few songs by the names of "Marble Halls" and "Boadicea." I have no clue if Celtic Women have done those or not...

Nvm, I found a whole playlist of her songs...My word she is such an amazing singer!!! Thank you so much Zephyr!

Yups! Glad I can be of assistance! Oh, and if you like celtic harps, check out the harp player Kim Robertson. She's so good!

Hmmm, never heard of her. Perhaps I shall check her out next!

You should, you should! *starts spiraling in the air*

Celtic, techno, classical, instrumental, and deep lyrical...perhaps I have finally found my niche in music!

Dude...I have freaking awesome speakers that'll plug into an mp3 if you wanna listen...*chuckles* I like all that stuff!!!

<.< >.> *doesn't really know how to work an mp3...* What I do for music mainly is I have various playlists on my youtube account with all my favorite songs/music videos.

It's not too hard to figure out...I'm sure you're technologically savvy enough for an mp3

Love the water dragon!

@Zephyr: You'd be surprised at how much I'm not technologically savvy enough for, lol!

LOL...aw, I'm sure pushing buttons wouldn't be too hard...right? LOL

Yeah...but you never know which one will make the whole thing go PLOOEY!

LOL...the big red button.

yes, but if it ISN'T equipped with a big red buton, then the exploding YOU FAIL button is left a mystery...

I've decided that pushing every single button all at once will result in an inevitable explosion.

*pushes every button slowly and in order*

LOL...*beep, beep, boop, bup*

No! STOOOOP!

*laughs evilly* The world shall be mine!!!

Nyuuuuuuuuuuuu!!! Oh the horrors of button-pressing!

*laughs and gives the mp3 back to Rana* aw, I was just kidding...I wouldn't destroy the world...or would I...

*steps back very warily*

LOL...naw. Just kidding. Here. I'll just stick it in this chest and lock it, that way no one will ever get to it. *locks mp3 in chest and locks it*...there.

YAY! *dances* No more taking over the world!

*dances with Rana* This is so randomly awesome!

*does the egyptian dance*

LOL *copies Rana and struts around the room* Nuthin like this! Woohoooo!

*bonks comically into Zephyr* Whoop! LOL!

Whoa! *falls over* I think I'm tipsy from laughing too much!

*grabs Zephyr* No kidding! I'm feeling kinda wobbly myself...*flops over*

*lays on ground, laughing hysterically* Whew...I'm tired. And my sides hurt really bad...

Mine too. That's enough dancing I think...*pulls herself up* who wants chocolate?

*raises claw* OOOOH! MEEE! I'll have the milk chocolate, por favor!

Yay! that means more dark chocolate for me! *doles out the goodies accordingly*

Wheeee! Sugar high time! 8] Hahahaha!!! *begins pigging out on chocolate*

*lets the first piece melt slowly in mouth...then starts stuffing self on the rest of the chocolate*

*snarfglobbleglompmunch* Yummy! nomnomnomnom

...you just...glomped your chocolate...LOL!

I did? Oh yeah! I did! XD I love it so much!

Way to get chocolate all over your shirt XD

I'm saving it for dessert.

...and the chocolate on your face? Is that for tomorrows dessert too?

Nope...that's for dessert after today's dessert *licks face* Yurm

So...what? No proper meal in between? XD

Nopes XDDD

You're funny. But dragon's can't live solely on chocolate. Somewhere there has to be bloodshed and hunting amd maiming of furry herbivores.

LOL...true, true. But it's fun to dream though, right?

Hey guys lol i need to start to becoming a regular on here lol

LOL...hi. I don't believe we've ever formally met, but I'm Zephyr...kinda new here. It's nice to see a new face. Well, new to me anyway...But yeah, the more the merrier!

Hey firedrake! Tis good to see you back, and YES you should become a regular on here! That would be awesome!!

=] @Zephyr well now we have lol, and is good to see everyone else too!!

Yup lol

I remember when firedrake first popped up...*pinches firedrake's cheek like a grandma* You were just the little shy one weren'cha? XD *glomps firedrake*