Forging Dragons
Category: Books,Comics & Graphic Novels,How To Create Comics & Manga
Forging Dragons Details
Reviews
In Forging Dragons John leads the reader out of the worlds of narrative and history and onto the illustrated page. The book is divided into broad chapters (`Cosmic Dragons', `Monsters & Heroes' and `Dragons of Other Worlds'); these divisions are not simply based on aesthetic categories (as these sorts of books might be) but on geographical, narratological and historical traditions. It is as if one is peering into other worlds, into a hidden bestiary of impossible beasts, and for this reason this is not just a book about drawing and painting dragons but a book about dragons themselves. In addition to being an illustrator John is also a writer of both fiction and non-fiction and there is a lot to read here, from the story of the 11th century manuscript of Beowulf which survived the fire at the Cotton library in 1731 to the cosmic serpent Apep in Egypt who tried to swallow the sun. His introductions to the dragons, serpents and wyrms of legend, story and fantasy are fascinating, erudite and very readable indeed.From a technical perspective the book is helpful, but don't think it's a colour-by-numbers book with those `sphere plus cone equals dragon's head' diagrams. Rather it is a rambling repository of facts and images and the book is filled with little notes and pieces of advice, often including a `behind-the-scenes' look at some specific paintings. More often than not John will divulge both how his imagination and his pencil have moved to create a scene or sketch, offering important insight into the whole creation process. The book provides many of John's own sketches and drafts (his composite image of the Norse cosmos keeps surfacing in my mind in new forms).John's lucid prose and beautiful illustrations make you want to start scribbling dragons in the margins straightaway, so keep some paper next to you and get to it!