Q & A: Andy Frazer
How has being based in Wales influenced your perspective and your artistic work?
I’m fortunate to live in a part of Wales which is surrounded by wild landscapes and the nature that thrives there. This is by far the greatest influence on my work. Even the imaginary creatures of my “Dragons of Wales’’ project are intimately rooted in, and connected to, their environments.
The way in which a landscape can shape a creature’s appearance and behaviour has always been a source of fascination to me and is something that I like to explore in my work.
These influences also apply to my palaeoart pieces, which often portray some kind of interaction or connection between the animal and its environment. Whenever I’m looking for inspiration for these illustrations, I turn to my observations of the natural world here in Wales, with the local buzzards and red kites being especially useful analogues of course. I believe that using extant species as reference ( both in terms of appearance and behaviour) really helps to reinforce the perception of dinosaurs as creatures that were as varied, beautiful, complex ( and sometimes weird!) as the wildlife of today.
Thank you for sharing a range of your paleoart pieces. What prehistoric creature has been more challenging to produce?
The illustrations shared here show the range of subjects that I have worked on. The portrait pieces have proved especially popular, perhaps because they best capture something of the animal’s character and ‘ soul’. This is something that I am always striving for in my work – to depict the living, breathing essence of a species; something beyond just its physical appearance.
I’m also interested in depicting behaviours which are a little outside the usual palaeoart tropes of hunting and killing, such as the Spinosaurus splashing playfully in the water, or a Tarbosaurus briefly captivated by its own
reflection. Sometimes extant animals do things with no apparent purpose, seemingly just for fun. I see no reason to think that extinct species wouldn’t have done the same. Hopefully these scenes help to reinforce the idea of dinosaurs as real, complex creatures, rather than monsters.
I’ve recently begun working with hominin subjects, such as Sahelanthropus. These are especially challenging because they are simultaneously very familiar yet also very strange. It’s easy to fall into the trap of making them either too human, or too animalistic. I’m not sure I’ve found the perfect balance yet, but I’m enjoying the challenge!
Please tell us about the books you have published, particularly the latest and the ninth release due in 2023.
I published my first Dragons of Wales book in 2017, followed by five more in the series. My Dragons of Wales project explores the idea of tiny dragons, descended from ancient pterosaurs, living mostly unnoticed, in our modern world. I wanted to create a new kind of Welsh dragon which would be plausible for a modern audience. Making them very small, with an evolutionary backstory, seemed like a logical way to achieve this.
I have also published three dinosaur- themed art books: Novosaurs, inspired by Jack Horner’s “Chickenosaurus” project explores the idea of small domesticated dinosaurs, reverse- engineered from modern birds; Project: Tepui is a Conan Doyleinspired exploration of a lost world in the South American jungle; and OLD ONE is a collection of my palaeoart works.
I’m currently working on a new dragon- themed book, Dragons of Deep Time, portraying the most ancient of dragons - dragons so old that they have become a part of the landscape; creatures of rock and earth. This book, like several of my previous ones, has been crowd- funded, with many of the dragons being commissioned by contributors to the Kickstarter campaign.
How can others find out more about your art, whether it be for getting hold of your books or requesting a commission?
I’m very active on social media - especially Twitter and Instagram where I can be found as
@ dragonsofwales and I regularly post new work there. I also have a Patreon page, where I offer exclusive content and sketches in return for a small monthly subscription. All my books, along with a selection of prints, are available to buy in my Etsy shop. Links to my Patreon page and shop are included below.
I take private commissions and commercial contracts for palaeoart work, and offer a range of options, from simple pencil sketches all the way through to fully rendered digital paintings. I have produced illustrations for several palaeontology papers due to be published in 2023 as well as numerous commercial projects.
I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting opportunities, and anyone who would like to enquire about a commission can contact me via the email address below.