The Difference a Year Can Make

I was redoing the photos for some of the items in my shop and was struck by the difference between my original January garnet birthstone dragon and the most recent rendition. I'd grown to detest the original photo so much that I was considering changing the design completely. However, after making the dragon again, I realized that the design was not the problem. In fact, it's a pretty cute design! I like making little mohawks!

So I thought it would be fun to post a side-by-side comparison. It's been less than a year and half since I originally designed the birthstone set, and my dragons have changed a lot in that time! It's funny to see that the basic construction is still the same (those legs look pretty much identical), but the faces are completely different, and the wings have become so much more refined with time. Dang, my current dragon faces are so much cuter, I can't even believe it. That shorter snout makes a big difference. xD

I probably sculpt, on average, one or two dragons a day, so this just goes to show how a year of practice can refine your style. I can't see anything changing from one dragon to the next, but I do make tiny changes here and there either consciously or not, and over time, the end result can look substantially different. So if you're just starting out and you're not happy with how your art looks, I encourage you to keep practicing, as skill and personal style come with time and effort. There's really no substitute, no shortcuts or secrets. I would not be able to make what I make today if not for the hundreds of dragons that came before.

Cute little shortsnouts


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