From the Artist
In 2003, I started my professional art journey by purchasing a Wacom Tablet and I painted a Red Dragon. Ten years after that I revised this painting, this time recreating it as an oil painting. The Red Dragon stares out over the chasm, watching, guarding.
More About The Art
Red dragons are iconic figures in fantasy lore, known for their ferocity, intelligence, and insatiable greed. With scales as deep as burning embers, red dragons are often depicted as colossal, fire-breathing beasts with wings large enough to create thunderstorms in flight and claws capable of tearing through stone. Their fiery breath can melt metal and reduce forests to ash in minutes, making them some of the most feared creatures in any fantasy setting.
Red dragons are highly territorial and choose lairs in mountainous or volcanic regions where they feel an affinity for the intense heat and flames. They are especially known for their treasure hoards, amassing immense wealth from conquests, tributes, and adventurers who have fallen victim to their wrath. Gold, gemstones, enchanted artifacts, and ancient relics fill their lairs, each item adding to the dragon’s pride and sense of power. Guarding their hoards fiercely, red dragons are relentless when it comes to punishing anyone who dares to steal even the smallest trinket.
Beyond their physical might, red dragons are intelligent and often cunning, using manipulation and intimidation to maintain control over territories and creatures around them. They view themselves as the rightful rulers of their domains, and many have been known to exact tributes from nearby villages or kingdoms, ruling through fear. This combination of raw power and intellectual acumen makes them formidable opponents in both combat and diplomacy.
In some fantasy worlds, red dragons are also deeply magical, possessing abilities tied to fire, illusion, or mind control. Their magical nature further elevates their status as near-mythical beings, attracting adventurers seeking fame and fortune but often ending in tragedy for those who underestimate the dragon’s might. Red dragons embody both the awe and terror that define classic dragon lore, symbolizing raw, unbridled power and the perilous allure of ancient, legendary creatures.
About Michael Bielaczyc
Michael Bielaczyc has been working professionally in the art field since 2001 when he founded Aradani Studios with his brother Paul. Together they have exhibited across America selling both their artwork and costuming. He works in many mediums from oil paint to latex prosthetics, video to graphite.
In 2012, Michael started Lone Wanderer Entertainment with his long time friend Dane Clark Collins to publish books based in their dark fantasy world – Atheles. Since then he has authored 4 books and created the SagaBorn RPG system.
