(This image is 7500 pixels wide. It's strongly recommended to click for the larger DA version with more info)

It was generally considered a fact that the only things that could really hurt a Greater Grey Dragon were mounted knights with lances or heavy siege machinery. Considering the monster's penance for feasting on human battlefields, the latter weapons could be tested more often than one might have expected.

-- Encylopaedia Dracologica

This is a sibling image to my old Out of its Element http://griatch-art.deviantart.com/gallery/#/dx4ru5 which depicts the dragon in a more unfamiliar circumstance. By comparison, this shows the dragon much more in its right element.

MyPaint + GIMP + Google Sketchup. Used Sketchup for layout and perspective of catapults and dragon to scale. GIMP and MyPaint interchangeably to add layers of complexity. This has been coming on and off for more than a year I think, never managed to build up enough momentum to add all details. The main problem with the image is its busy-ness - focusing the eye with so many things going on is not easy - many of my first versions saw the dragon "disappearing". I tried with blurring and various such effects but in the end I used shading and selective colouring to try to aid the eye to what's going on. As such, this was a very difficult painting to get right, especially since I as the artist quickly goes blind to what "jumps out" and which doesn't to the viewer. So comments and critique is as always appreciated.
.
Griatch

I really enjoy your renditions Griatch, especially your dragon ones. You really have mastered chiaroscuro and are among the top artist I've seen that have. Thanks again for sharing your beautiful art with us Griatch.

Griatch,
This is the kind of painting I like best of yours. Your landscapes are so beautiful. This one has a great story to tell on how this dragon is going to be able to take on a whole army.
My only critique or comment is that there is something bothering me about where the sky meets the foreground. When I sit back to look at it, it seems to me that the division between the two should be softened or blurred a bit, maybe a bit of the the clouds spilling over the rocky foreground? I dunno, but other than that, to me it is fantastic.

WOW that's amazing griatch mind if I use it as a phone background?

Thanks! I don't think I really knew this was a chiaroscuro style until you (I think?) first pointed it out to me some years back. I guess I just like stark contrasts.
Glad you like it and thanks for the feedback! As far as I know there is no horizon visible at all in this image though, could you maybe elaborate on which part of the image you are referring to?
Thanks for asking first. Sure, go ahead.
.
Griatch

Very powerful image here. You've captured the mood of a great battle very nicely with this one. I've watched your Christmas card timelapse a few times over as well, which is also incredible.

Amazing panorama, i love this!

Thanks for the comments! I might make a slightly more cropped version of this to help "focus" it more.

@Grant_M: glad you like the Christmas card timelapse, it's quite fun for me to watch too, to remember in what order I did things.
.
Griatch

I always enjoy looking at such talented work. As a dragon lover, I get thrown right on to the field of battle with this one. I don't think I have ever sen a dragon quite like this one though. The head sort of reminds me of a prehistoric Pteradactyl. That bad boy is all teeth!

Awesome and inspiring work, Griatch.