We’ve all heard of dragons at one point or another. Dragons are a cultural icon in many societies, but human fascination with these mythical creatures never seems to end. Today, dragon art is very popular in many forms, from tattoos to sculptures. In mythology most dragons are symbols of evil, but in Chinese culture the dragon is a symbol of the emperor. European dragons are usually portrayed with bat-like wings, while Chinese dragons have the likeness of huge snakes.
It is said that China’s first emperor, Fu Xi had a dragon’s tail and that his successor, Shen Nung, had a dragon for a father. The Imperial Dragon has five claws instead of four so that he can move in five directions simultaneously to issue orders for the Emperor. The fifth direction is the center in which he remains.
Enjoy the beautiful dragon art sculptures that follow, and please leave a comment.
Sources: DragonRC & Dragon Myths
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
For me, Dragons have always had something magical in them, no matter if drawn, illustrated, painted, sculptured of photographed. Scary and attractive at the same time, evil most of the time and turned helpful and kind when one least expects… Fascinating!
Wonderful post and my favorite dragon in here is Dragon Azul by jshapeshifter made of colored clay – what a virtuosity!!
Thank you very much!
Thank you for the kind words, they for sure, inspire me.
Feel free to check out my other pieces ( jshapeshifter@ deviantart.com)
Your words inspire me….thank you so much, feel free to visit my site, I think you may like it. j
I really like the Spiny Fallow Dragon. Cute face and I like the eyes, and the way it has all the curly stuff all over. A lot of work went into these dragons and I really admire what it takes to sculpt one. In my opinion sculpture is the hardest form of art to do. I really have respect for a sculptor.
Amazing! I cant imagine even watching someone make something that detailed, much less doing it myself. And some of them are colored as well! Wow! Great post.
The copper tribal dragon seems so simple at first glance, but the more I look at it, the more it appeals to me. The spiny fallow dragon reminds me of the little pocket dragon sculptures which are cute, but lack the mythical fierceness of the dragons of legend.
I absolutely love the dragon art you show. I have been connected in a roundabout way ever since I adopted my daughter from China…. and she was born in the year of the dragon which is considered great fortune. I was in China and visited a jade museum there and saw the many magnificent carvings of dragons. The ones shown here show a wonderful variation.
I am not typically a fan of dragons, but I am mesmerized by these.. particularly the spiny fallow dragon.. something about it is gorgeous and breath taking. I am an art fan of many sorts… And I think you have an amazing talent. Keep it up. They are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
wow,amazing art
These are amazing! Its hard to believe the amount of detail that is put into each one. You can tell how much hard work it was doing these!
These sculptures are great. They only show how dragons became really fascinating. Great art you got here.
This is a great collection of dragons. I’ve tried my hand at painting watercolors of dragons before, and they are pretty difficult to do well. Dragons are graceful and fluid, and need to be drawn with confidence. I imagine sculpting one is a great deal harder.
I love the highly detailed dragons, but I have a soft spot for Tallydragon’s Blue Eyed Gift Dragon. I love all of her dragons.
My other favorite is the copper tribal dragon. It looks like the whole dragon is made of flames.
A while back, I bought my son a book on how to draw and paint dragons and mythical creatures. I think we’ll get that book out and see what we can do. Thanks for all the dragons, and the inspiration.
I have always loved dragons. They are magical and symbolize power to me. There is a wide variety in these creations, and each is unique and special in its own way. It is fascinating to see the variety of materials used for these awesome creatures!
Dragons are so intricate. I am not a sculptor, but as an artist I love everything about their depiction in art. If I could sculpt one I probably would. This is a fantastic collection you have provided here.
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