Smaugust is a month-long art challenge taking place (as to be expected) during August. Artists follow a prompt list and draw a dragon based on the prompts for each day of the month. Here's my dragons for 2025 following this prompt list:
Day 1 - Shaggy Dragon
When I think of shaggy, I think of Deinocheirus. When I think of a dragon, I think of a dinosaur with some horns and wings slapped on. Deinocherius is a dinosaur. That was the thought process behind Shaggy Dragon.
Day 2 - Death Whistle Dragon
A bit of creative liberty was taken with this one, but for the better I think. The nose is based on the Giant Petrov. The black coloring around the eye is meant to make the face resemble a skull, which is often seen on Aztec death whistles. I imagine this dragon would make a horribly loud shrieking sound.
Day 3 - Bell Dragon
A dragon with an immense body and a very long neck. Yet it has no head. Only a large bell hangs down from where the head should be. Or is that its head..?
Day 4 - Steam Dragon
While this is the one of the more basic looking dragons, I enjoy this design a lot. I'd imagine this dragon has a pretty chill character.
Day 5 - Dancer Dragon
This design was based on birds of paradise, who often feature flashy colors and funky mating dances. I'd imagine this dragon would behave similarly. My biggest issue with this design is that it doesn't feel very "dance-y" and somewhat lacks energy, mostly due to the pose.
Day 6 - Coil Dragon
I'm not one to toot my own horn often but I'm pretty proud of this one. If you ever need someone to explain you how electromagnetic induction works, this is your guy.
Day 7 - Corpse Dragon
I think this guy needs a little more than some deoderant... This dragon is not to be confused with Zombie Dragon, who is actually undead. Corpse dragon is simply a dragon wearing a corpse.
Day 8 - Mineral Dragon
This cheerful guy was inspired by those geodes that look lame on the surface but have a bunch of colorful crystals on the inside. Considering his tough exterior, I imagine he would be right at home in some sulfurous hot springs.
Day 9 - Salt Water Dragon
This design was inspired how objects placed in very salty water get an almost ice-like coating of salt. I'd imagine this dragon wades around salty water, with its long neck allowing the rest of the body to stay submerged.
Day 10 - Rival Dragon
What better a rival than a supervillain to a superhero! This design was influenced by the Superhero Dragon I drew last Smaugust, sharing similar shape language and patterning.
Day 11 - Devonian Dragon
For anyone familiar with Dunkleosteus, this dragon might look a tad uncanny as it is quite literally a Dunkleosteus head stitched onto a dragon-esque body. Does it look radical though? I think so!
Day 12 - Domestic Dragon
Shhh no it's not just an abelisaurid with tiny wings. This is meant to look like some of those silly dog breeds and I think it at least somewhat conveys that. Domestic dragon and mineral dragon are best buds, and they share 1 braincell between themselves.
Day 13 - Tsukumogami Dragon
Tsukumogami is an object in Japanese folklore that has been taken over by a yokai or spirit. This tsukumogami has taken over Clippy and will take down our corporate overlords and their shitty AI-assistants!!
Day 14 - Jester Dragon
Unfortunately for her, this mischievous little dragon struggles at staying unnoticed due to the giant jingle bell on her tail making noise with every step. That won't stop her from trying to sneak around though!
Day 15 - Insect Dragon
A super radical rhinoceros beetle dragon with radical blue stripes made even more radical thanks to the excessive lightning in the background.
Day 16 - Blade Dragon
At category III, this is the biggest dragon yet!! His codename: KNIFEHEAD.