Painting in Progress...
A behind-the-scenes look at my newest creations as they come to life. This page offers a sneak peek into works still in progress — the final reveal is yet to come!
Draco ignis
Draco Ignis — Fire Dragon
Draco Ignis (Latin for Fire Dragon) is an original oil painting in progress — a hyperrealistic dragon portrait created outside the boundaries of traditional fantasy.
This 24 × 36 inch work is being developed as a lifelike close-up study, rendered with the same realism typically reserved for wildlife or portraiture. Now midway through completion, the painting has already required months of unwavering focus, discipline, and refinement — every layer earned.
Across human history, in cultures around the world, dragons were not merely imagined. They were believed in, revered, feared, and respected as symbols of power, protection, and transformation. Fire Dragons in particular embody fierce loyalty, intensity, and leadership — a force capable of destruction, but guided by purpose rather than cruelty.
Draco Ignis is the first work in an emerging elemental dragon series — and he is deeply personal. I was born a Fire Dragon in Chinese astrology, long before I understood what that meant. Dragons were part of my inner world from childhood — drawn, imagined, and felt instinctively — years before I ever knew they were written into my own symbolism.
This painting is not an interpretation of a myth. It is the first time I feel I am giving form to my true inner dragon — the protector, the survivor, the force shaped by adversity rather than defined by it. Fire does not exist to destroy indiscriminately. It exists to defend, to transform, and to endure.
He does not demand belief.
He simply asks:
What if they were real?
Completion estimated: Early 2026
Pre-reservations: Available by request
Collector Edition:
200 Limited Edition
Fine Art Collector Prints — $1,000 USD
Image size: 24 × 36 inches
Border: 1.5" white border
Giclee Collector Print:
Archival Cotton Rag, 310gsm
STAGES OF A PAINTING
Underpainting
in Acrylics
This is the first layer of the painting, where I sketch out the main shapes and tones using fast-drying acrylics. It’s like creating the foundation or blueprint before adding all the fine details.
Completed
Underpainting
Here, the full base layer is finished — the composition, light, and shadows are all mapped out. It gives me a clear guide for where the oil paint layers will go next.
Final Layers
in Oils
This is where the magic happens! I build up rich color, depth, and texture with oil paints to bring the piece to life, adding all the fine details and realism you see
in the finished work.