Everything you ever wanted to know about dragons but were afraid to find out Fantasy artists will breathe easier to discover a less perilous alternative to drawing dragons from life. Dracopedia grants you safe easy access to the world's most prominent dragon species from tiny innocuous feydragons to the ferocious wyvern. For years artist William O' Connor has traveled the globe studying dragons in their natural environments. His findings field notes & sketches have been compiled for the first time into this single beautifully illustrated compendium-a natural & cultural history of the beasts as well as a step-by-step drawing workshop. Details of the anatomy behavior habitats & legends of 13 major dragon families Heavily illustrated with field sketches anatomical studies & gesture drawings Shows the start-to-finish creation of 13 striking paintings illustrating key concepts that apply to every medium Dragons have terrorized & delighted humans for centuries-continue the tradition with Dracopedia. It's packed with inspiration for putting fierce" into your fantasy art as well as the facts to keep your dragons true to life." ...

Unleash the Beasts! For millennia historians artists & scientists have chronicled their ideas & discoveries of mythological & magical monsters in encyclopedias known as bestiaries. From Asia to America Japan to the jungles of South Africa the vast menagerie of exotic & legendary creatures has populated the imaginations of all cultures for centuries. Beautifully illustrated & fantastically detailed Dracopedia: The Bestiary is a modern but no less unsettling reimagining of the ancient version. It is an A-to-Z artist's guide to animals of the legendary world. Some like the griffin & yeti may be familiar to you. Others--like the enigmatic questing beast & ferocious manticore--may seem new & strange. Some may even haunt your dreams. Inside the bestiary you will find: Secrets of each animal's evolution--origins habitat anatomy diet & more. Fantastic illustrations created using pencil sketches & digital coloring. Four-stage demonstrations taking you from concept & design to under-painting & finishing details. By drawing on the forms & features of more pedestrian animals you'll learn how to give shape to the bizarre creatures that roam the depths of your imagination adding to the bestiary of the ages. ...

An Artist's Field Guide to the World's Great Dragons! Creatures of great beauty & terrible ferocity dragons have been featured & revered for centuries. Of the thous&-plus species still in existence none have inspired more folklore & artistic awe than the eight species of Great Dragons. Within these pages these fire-breathing monsters of legend
- the rock stars of the dragon world
- come to life through the work of artist & adventurer William O' Connor. Not since the original Dracopedia has there been such a beautifully illustrated & meticulously researched guide on the subject with special focus on the distinctive features of each species
- from the broad horns of the Icelandic white dragon to the elaborate neck frills of the Ligurian gray. Based on the author's expeditions to sanctuaries around the globe & consults with prominent regional experts Dracopedia The Great Dragons presents never-before assembled facts & instruction to help you capture the heart-beating grandeur of these magnificent monsters. Inside find everything you need to know to capture the essence of your favorite dragons through your artwork: Learn about the habits anatomy & natural history of 8 fierce & fantastic dragons Each profile features sketches drawings & start-to-finish creation of a stunning artwork illustrating key concepts that apply to any medium Discover special techniques for achieving dramatic lighting effects powerful compositions & the incredible sculptural forms & textures of dragons

Includes:: a gallery of dragons & a foldout comparison poster




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There he lay looking as if youth had been half-renewed for the white hair & moustache were changed to dark iron-grey the cheeks were fuller & the white skin seemed ruby-red underneath; the mouth was redder than ever for on the lips were gouts of fresh blood which trickled from the corners of the mouth & ran over the chin & neck. Even the deep burning eyes seemed set amongst the swollen flesh for the lids & pouches underneath were bloated. It seemed as if the whole awful creature were simply gorged with blood; he lay like a filthy leech exhausted with his repletion.' Thus Bram Stoker one of the greatest exponents of the supernatural narrative describes the demonic subject of his chilling masterpiece Dracula a truly iconic & unsettling tale of vampirism. ...

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house he makes horrifying discoveries about his client & his castle. Soon afterwards a number of disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked at Whitby; strange puncture marks appear on a young womans neck; & the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the imminent arrival of his Master. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count Dracula & a determined group of adversaries Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre. ...

Count Dracula as youve never seen him before! The novel that made vampire a household word Bram Stokers Dracula" has been delighting
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Even in our vampire-obsessed age Dracula remains the first the best & the most hypnotic bloodsucker of all. Jonathan Harker a young solicitor journeys to Transylvania to complete a property deal with the mysterious Count Dracula. But the naive Harker does not know who & what he is dealing with--and this simple business transaction ends up unleashing a terrible evil on his countrymen. All that stands between the innocent citizens of London & the Counts reign of terror are the vampire hunter Dr Van Helsing & his team of slayers. Stokers classic & oft-dramatized novel captured the fears of his age. Irresistibly attractive & unfailingly murderous Dracula represented everything the Victorians feared: the irrational the pagan the erotic & the foreign. It is as exciting today as when first published in 1897. The worlds greatest works of literature are now available in these beautiful keepsake volumes. Bound in real cloth & featuring gilt edges & ribbon markers these beautifully produced books are a wonderful way to build a handsome library of classic literature. These are the essential novels that belong in every home. Theyll transport readers to imaginary worlds & provide excitement entertainment & enlightenment for years to come. All of these novels feature attractive illustrations & have an unequalled period feel that will grace the library the bedside table or bureau. ...

Composed as a series of diary entries & letters Bram Stokers Dracula is an enduring tale of suspense & horror. The most famous vampire story of all time Dracula centres around Count Dracula & his meeting with the young Jonathan Harker who barely escapes the clutches of the Brides of Dracula & their eerie castle. With the recent resurge & popularity of vampires in popular culture many readers are keen to discover where these foreboding stories began. The novels themes characters & plot set a precedent for vampire stories for all time. Relive the classic tale that delves into human identity sanity & the dark corners of Victorian sexuality & desire. ...

Arriving at Castle Dracula the vast ruined home of a Transylvanian nobleman a young English visitor finds himself thrust into a realm of sensation & horror beyond his most nightmarish dreams. His experiences give rise to an urgent campaign to destroy the vampire count to eliminate Draculas cult of the living dead & to triumph over a centuries-old evil. Bram Stokers masterpiece is a thriller of such hypnotic intensity that it has captured millions of readers around the world & inspired its own literature & mythology of the supernatural. This beautiful new edition

Includes:: a foreword by Elizabeth Kostova the internationally bestselling author of THE HISTORIAN.

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Collected inside this book are diary entries letters & newspaper clippings that piece together the depraved story of the ultimate predator. A young lawyer on an assignment finds himself imprisoned in a Transylvanian castle by his mysterious host. Back at home his fiancee & friends are menaced by a malevolent force which seems intent on imposing suffering & destruction. Can the devil really have arrived on Englands shores? & what is it that he hungers for so desperately? ...