New Project: Dragon

[Tirick]

While I am in the middle of juggling a few other projects, I've managed begin to convert a design that I've long desired to make from my head to paper. This will be a long arc (all of mine are, I will admit) as the completed figure will likely be over a 1/2 meter in length.

I intend for the design to be fully poseable, but not articulated. Although I'm sure someone ingenious can come up with a way to make it so, it will not be my intent out of the gate.

I will be designing a 'traditional' western style dragon, with six limbs (4 legs + wings), and a long serpentine neck and tail. Wingspan will likely match the figure's length. Color has not been determined yet, don't let the base green deter you. I suspect I will be going with earthy tones, perhaps the color of the girdled lizard the head was initially designed after (narrowed considerably). It is hard to get a sense of size from the picture; the head from nose to the back of the 'skull' is around 4.5 cm long.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/IMG_0827.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/IMG_0830.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/IMG_0831.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/IMG_0826.jpg

A closeup of the segments (http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/IMG_0818.jpg)

The upper 'jaw' with its array of teeth (http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/IMG_0811.jpg)

The teeth for the lower jaw. There are over 30 altogether upper/lower. (http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/IMG_0810.jpg)

You might recognize the female from my warrior maiden release; she is built to 1:35.

The next task is to fully texture the head and correct some of the fit-up issues that cropped up. The jaw and neck join are fully poseable, and the range of motion is more or less good. There will be a skirt of scales around each join to conceal the seams a little better. Needless to say, the entire thing will be heavily laminar in nature.

Lastly, this will be a .pdo only release, as the sheer volume of pages, parts will prohibit extensive instructions. This will also allow for a user lever rescale.

Enjoy!
Tirick

[ARMORMAN]

Like it so far.

[Tirick]

Three weeks of texturing and I'm finally rid of the Kermit-green.

I still have to fix/texture the neck join, and model the tongue, but essentially the head is complete. I added a few elements, like nostrils and bases for the horns, and changed the throat skirt (which I will test once the full neck is prototyped).

I'm very fond of the base colour scheme, although I will include in the release an alternate texture pack. You can see a sample of an alternate (I'll likely include more than just red) in one of the pics below.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/Jaw-PTex-002.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/Jaw-PTex-005.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/DragonHead--007.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/DragonHead--010.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/DragonHead--011.jpg

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/DragonHead--012.jpg

Enjoy!
Sean

[Vermin_King]

Oh, my! That is fantastic.

[cMags]

That is definitely fantastic! Classic western style dragons are a rare breed in paper, and I don't know of any with detail worth mentioning in digital format. This will be great!

[hawkman67]

Been awhile since I have last commented on your figures.
Wow!! I will say, they are getting better and better with each new one! and this dragon is going to be so very cool, My youngest son will certainly love to see it.. now with a few mods, A Dewback from SW.
How are your pilot figs coming along?
Regards, Jeff

[Nh3ave2009]

Most Awesome! I love the shot from above, the was the horns fan out, AWESOME!!

[Tirick]

Thank you you all for your comments! I just confirmed some elements of Blender that will make the neck (and tail) a lot easier to model/texture, which makes me very happy. I might even get that part of the model started before Skyrim steals all my free time.

Hawkman,
Both the Dewback and the Tauntaun are on the list of 'eventually' figs. I expect to actually finish some more figs before this beast is done, likely to close out some more 'Trooper' freebies (Clone, Scout, maybe make better sand trooper parts) and some plate armour for both the male and female figs.

The WWII RAF pilots are done. I'm sure my wife will pressure me to finish the Luftwaffe pilots eventually, although I probably won't start until I'm ready fill the cockpit of a Bf-109 build. I may have to repaint one the of the stock ones though, as I'm sure she'll want me to build a Mölders schema.

Sean

[legion]

Tauntaun hasbeen done already. There is a link here: Star Wars Papercraft: Tuantuan | Tektonten Papercraft - Free Papercraft, Paper Models, Card Models and Paper Toys (http://www.tektonten.blogspot.com/2011/04/star-wars-papercraft-tuantuan.html)

As for the dragon, it looks cool. You might want to have the jaws shaped more like a crocodile/alligator though.

[Tirick]

I meant a Tauntaun my way and my preferred scaling (1:50 or 1:35). Much like my 1:50 horse (Courser), with completely poseable elements like knees/elbows/hips/neck/head. Also sized for my figs.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm191/Aelfric_Pics/TCF-paper/100_2901.jpg

The jaws are similar to an alligator, the lower set of teeth is inset into the upper jaw slightly. The shape is of the jaw is essentially set and will not be changing now (especially after texturing).

Thank you,
Sean

[Nh3ave2009]

I thought it was a "Dragon" a fantasy creature therefor not real so it can pretty much look the way its creator sees it. Unless I missed a episode of Nat Geo that said they discovered REAL Dragons (not including Komodo Dragons) and that they look a certain way. Joust on Don Quixote. I think your work is brilliant!

[ARMORMAN]

Nice Job on the scales!

[Tirick]

Thank you! They are individually shaded, which was... tedious. I like the result, but ugh. The torso will be worse, that is certain.

[Art Deco]

Outstanding work so far!

I really admire that you not only tackle organic subjects with complex shapes, but then engineer them with poseable joints! That's got to considerably complicate already-challenging design work. Hat's off!