Thus begins the second full week of the A to Z Challenge!

Today we have:

I is for Icelandic White Dragon

Meet the Icelandic White Dragon as illustrated by William O’Connor, author of the Dracopedia: A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World, as well as two companion books, Dracopedia The Great Dragons: An Artist’s Field Guide and Drawing Journal, and Dracopedia The Bestiary: An Artist’s Guide to Creating Mythical Creatures.

I came across O’Connor’s work when I was looking for a dragon for the letter “I” that wasn’t just “ice”-something… although I suppose I only half-succeeded with “Ice”landic, heh.  But this is so much more than a picture of a dragon — O’Connor writes field entries for each dragon species in his book and on his blog as if they were real creatures in the world today.  For instance:

Icelandic White Dragon:

Size: 50′
Wingspan: 75′
Recognition: Quadrapedal body, with long tail and broad wings. Markings vary by season.
Habitat: Maritime cliffs of Iceland
Classification: Draco/Aerodraciforme/Dracorexidae
/Dracorexus/D. rekjavikus

He goes on to talk about the history, territory, and diet of these dragons and accompanies each entry with beautiful illustrations.

For this dragon, O’Connor concludes:

Today there are very few specimens of [Icelandic] White Dragons still alive. Like all of the Great Dragons, they are an endangered and protected animal, with their native habitats on the shores of Iceland kept as preserves. Visitors to Rekjavik [sic] Iceland often enjoy Dragon spotting cruises to try to catch a glimpse of this powerful and majestic animal in its natural environment.

I wish I had the artistic ability to accompany a writing talent such as O’Connors to pull together a compendium like this, and I can’t wait to explore more of his dragons.  I highly recommend checking him out at the links above — and be sure to let me know if you come across any more great specimens, since I have to move on with the AtoZ Challenge and might not get the chance until May!

Stay creative!

Image credits