This Fire Collection is the first of five collections from 18 Create For The Throne artists. Below, wood carver Simon O’Rourke details how he created a case for dragon eggs worthy of a Dothraki wedding, and painter Jeff Soto explains the inspiration behind his colorful dragon skull.
Dragon Eggs
Artist: Simon O’Rourke | Wood Carving | Wrexham, North Wales
THE PROCESS
“Once the concept was decided, I needed the right piece of wood. I had a large stem of Yew in my yard, which had been waiting eight years for the right project. It’s a beautiful color inside, and this particular piece had such a gorgeous looking outer skin. I had to change my design to include some of the amazing texture.”
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
“Getting a lid mechanism to cover the eggs when closed, sit nicely on the edges of the wings, and not touch the eggs when opening and closing.”
THE DETAILS
“Starting from the interior, the teeth inside serve the main purpose of holding the eggs upright, and also give it a dangerous edge. The scaly lid is reminiscent of dragon scales, as is the exterior fixed section. I chose to go with an organic feel, a feel of a mutated dragon.
“The random teeth add to this mutated feel and give a really edgy and uncertain aspect — which ties in with the whole idea of a dragon's egg. The feeling of danger is heightened by the thought of the lid snapping shut.
“Around this organic casing is the shroud formed as abstract dragon wings. This gives the feel of protection over the eggs and shows off the grain of the wood. The smooth finish on this aspect also has a good contrast to the scales of the inner shell, and the rippled texture of the outer wood.
“The ash wood carrying poles were a functional and useful addition, as well as giving an impression of a very valuable cargo. I chose stainless steel rings to thread the poles through as the shiny steel is a real compliment to the natural material of the wood.”
Dragon Skull
Artist: Jeff Soto | Painter | New York, New York
THE PROCESS
“I went through several design ideas about what to include — whether or not to put a dragon’s eye in the design, or a representation of a head. First I used a photo of the prop and digitally drew over it. I created a few different ideas, but what resonated with me most was bringing the dead skull to life through vibrant colors.
“This represents the dragons in a positive light as a good force of nature. When I got the prop I started by spray painting the entire thing to give it an underpainting base. Then I started painting on it, following the shapes and forms of the skull.”
THE DETAILS
“I used acrylic spray paint and brush paints. I focused on rich, saturated colors that were the opposite of dusty old bones. Mainly, I was thinking about Viserion.”
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