Implying Story

Think about bringing in details that can enhance your piece. Even in a simple portrait, there are things you can add to give the viewer a better idea of the underlying story. Scars might imply an old dragon who’s been around for a while. A flaming maw tells us that perhaps this dragon has laid siege to a town, or roasted an intruder. In this piece I took inspiration from parade elephants: the flags and decorative dressing indicate royalty and some form of alliance with human masters.