Years back, when I tried drawing different dragons I saw on the internet on a whim. Now that my old sketch book is nearly full and I am getting ready to move onto the next, I went through the whole thing and rediscovered this.
Been some time since I touched the pencil. It wasn't easy to get back to drawing, since I was also distracted by the internet for some time. Lots of things went through my head, while I was out on a trip. Just drew whatever I felt like drawing, and this came alongside some reflections:
I have been stuck on fixing this character concept for a very long time, trying to box it within a classification. Bird, wyvern, dragon, shadow, whatever- I came to a point today, where I felt that it really doesn't matter anymore. This is that sort of character who can be everything.
I spent the entire afternoon trying to arrange all the little ideas and features, following true to creative intuition. Smashing together many of my previous character designs, this appeared. A masked and unnamed figure (???) with traits from many of my previous works.
An avian / draconic / spiritual shapeshifter has always been something with me all this time, even when I tried to create a sona years back (finding it meaningless). True to its nature, it has few lively features except its eyes and requires a mask to display additional signs of life.
Its clear that this character is basically a symbolic self-expression. It wasn't easy to seperate myself from my introjective tendencies, which easily distorts my concept of this figure (took weeks to untangle). Once the confusions loosen, it reappears with noticeably familiar features.
The scribble above still has some room for rearrangement, just limited by the irreversible nature of pencil drawing. The grey markings were too dark, and the feet might look better staying white. The pale golden underbody markings, were actually a surprise.
An illustration from my sketchbook. I used it as a header for a blog post I wrote here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-177688791 It's a warning about the mark of the beast. I recommend you to take a look!
#Golgaaryol
Injured into symbols
The wounded Shadow
The ink flows and carries nonverbal oddities
[April, 2023]
Danielle East - Broken Butterfly
https://youtu.be/4WiMDebAnzo?si=k2yO1ALrmwyysOt4
I wanted a picture of a sad dragon - finally I turned ordinary doodles [from 2023] with brushes into something like this, blur and softening effects were also added.
This is another dragon. They're the Bringer of Great Destiny, and basically tell you you're destined for good things. It was designed by my sibling, and this is a redesign I made. Sorry that it's hard to see. My camera is bad and my house is dark.
A colorful assortment of various fruits, including a dragon fruit, pineapple, and apple. The vibrant colors and unique textures create an eye-catching display.
Who hasn't, at least once in their lifetime, fly towards something that seemed reachable?
“With the background, being unity, contrast. Like Venus in the morning”
~Golgaaryol, 2025
KO-FI https://ko-fi.com/tinebress