Initial thought
I’ve always wanted to paint some creatures from ancient mythology. Dragon is a very good one. And as you may know, Chinese dragon doesn’t have wings. Yes they can fly and swim and go wherever they want without wings.
In Chinese culture, dragon is often related to water element. They always come close to water such as lakes, rivers, waterfalls and seas. When I found out a reference photo of a peaceful lake, the thought of creating a dragon in distance oil painting quickly emerged.
Digital concept
The dragon has to be light colored in order to fade in the background sky. Its figure is not crystal clear and should be blurred by some mist or fog. Several boats on the lake and one has a person in it. The dragon just pass by. There could be a vast ocean beyond those hills. It will disappear quickly, make you believe that everything you saw was a mirage.
The size of Chinese dragon varies in folktale. They could be huge that cover the sky, and they could be small that stay around people’s wrist. So, in this case, for a dragon that can be seen from distance, it has to be huge.
Summary
I have to say that AI generated art helped a lot this time. Since dragon is really an imaginary creature, illustrations are all over the place, especially for Chinese dragon. But with the assistance of AI, I can find pretty good references for Chinese dragon, not just some simple line drawing, but more 3D looking figure. These resources are invaluable for crafting a dragon in distance oil painting.