DRAGONS.

“Where you go, you leave half the world overturned behind you. You are more dangerous than Bonaparte in your own way, you and that beast of yours.”

-

Shoutout to @cozy-fish-crow for reminding me of this amazing quote.

Western Skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus), juvenile, family Scincidae, California, USA

A regal copper is close to a Boeing 737 Classic (102-120ft length, weight 32-35 tons)

oh, we are fully aware of how unrealistic the weights are. dragon biology is very clearly not novik's strength. this fandom is full of nerds, we know. i was just trying to figure out their sizes so i would know how to draw them. i am also a bit of a paleontology nerd, so i do know about the biggest pterosaurs and that they weighed waaaaayyy less. we weren't even talking about the weight, but the length in this post.

i hope you didn't mean to come off as rude/annoying, because this comes off as if you think we don't know anything about the subject. i'm a know-it-all in recovery myself, and now it's time for me to be a bit of an annoying know-it-all;

Prefatory Note from the Author on the Measure of Dragon Weights

INCREDULITY IS THE likely response of most of my readers to the figures which appear hereinafter to describe the weight of various dragon breeds, as being wholly disproportionate to those which have hitherto been reported. The estimate of 10 tonnes for a full-grown Regal Copper is commonly known, and such prodigious bulk must already strain the imagination; what then must the reader think, when I report this a vast understatement and claim a figure closer to 30 tonnes, indeed reaching so high as 50 for the largest of this breed?

For explanation I must direct the reader to the recent work of M. Cuvier. In his latest anatomical studies of the air-sacs which enable draconic flight, M. Cuvier has drawn in turn upon the work of Mr. Cavendish and his successful isolation of those peculiar gases, lighter than the general composition of the air, which fill the sacs, and has correspondingly proposed a new system of measurement, which by compensating for the weight displaced by the air-sacs provides a better degree of comparison between the weight of dragons and that of other large land animals, lacking in these organs.

Those who have never seen a dragon in the flesh, and most particularly never one of the very largest breeds, in whom this discrepancy shall appear the most pronounced, may be sceptical; those who have had the opportunity, as I have, of seeing a Regal Copper side by side with the very largest of the Indian elephants, who have been measured at some 6 tonnes themselves, will I hope join me in greatly preferring a scheme of measurement which does not ridiculously suggest that the one, who could devour the other nearly in a bite, should weigh less than twice as much.

My dears, the epic comes to a conclusion today because I have successfully snuck fanart into homework! yay!  

So, as you may or may not know, I’ve been super lucky and was able to do Temeraire art for an assignment for one of my art classes. We had are critique last week and I finished my final adjustments today! I had to draw three characters and then do a turnaround sheet for one of them. I also threw in some head shots of Iskierka to take up some empty space on her turnaround sheet ^^

 This assignment was super cool because I got to experience trying to take what a book says and adapt it for an animated show. So I had to change and tweak some of the designs for things like animation, visual clarity, and continuity ect. So yeah, no whiskers for the celestials and Iski can’t be an absolute pin cushion.

Thank you to everyone who helped me out at the start and cheered me on along the way!

nooooo, don’t put your Temeraire content in one post because you’re anxious about taking up too much space in the tag, you’re so sexy aha

incan dragons, but they have killer head feathers. personally I like to think that they are mostly covered in elongated scales but have breathtaking feather head plumage. In the past I’ve drawn them with little decorative horns, but why have small horns when you could have 18 birds of paradise, 10 pheasants, plus a peacock on your head  

Granby with the expression sheet by soupery. I love relistening to hmd because I can kick back and watch Granby just, hate Laurence and just be like, “yeah they just don’t love each other yet” and it’s fun to know stuff they don’t. 

sometimes you gotta draw a spooky Iskierka. I love the vibes and I’ve tried to draw the other dragons warped like her but I just can’t capture it. 

Jane Roland, my beloved. also made with soupery’s sheet. Roland has to put up with so much bullshit and idiocracy from all angles, mad respect. 

oh boy, all I wanted was a modern au where when Granby was in collage or highschool he was in a gymnastics teams or somethin’ and Portland was their coach and their mascot was literally a furry Laetificat. The team was called The Flying Laetificats and this may or may not be an elaborate scheme to make Granby and Dayes boyfriends but you’ll never know. 

Tharkay! from an outfit meme comprised of Jackie Chan’s breathtaking style, so that’s why Tharkay’s got jeans. and yes, I am aware that the eagle looks like an upset seagull XD

Shading for a Longwing head

I saw a little video on youtube about making a repeating image in clip studio, so of course I tried it out with Temeraire, the best boy.

I have no idea how I want Regal Coppers to look at it makes me sad. At least I’ve come up with designs that I know I don’t want. 

it is a very small window that Temeraire could just, sit on Laurence's lap, very small indeed. but that thought is very precious to me

slowly and somewhat surly I am making my way towards a Regal Copper head design that I like

Augustine Little, my beloved <3

Sometimes I just have to paint Temeraire and sometimes I have to make him friend shaped

If I a piece of media I'll make a dragon au for it. anyway, Sea Dragon!Laurence! He is very very large and tiny tiny human!Temeraire often sits in his head.