Dragon encounters the knight 2006

Alfred Freddy Krupa’s watercolor "Dragon encounters the knight" is all about letting the ink flow, almost like a conversation. He uses these pale washes for the background, and these thin, scratchy lines to build up the dragon's form. You can see the process, it’s right there on the surface, like the drawing is still thinking itself into being. The textures, colors, and the way the watercolor bleeds into the paper gives it this raw, almost medieval quality. There’s something about the way Krupa renders the dragon’s scaly skin, like a patchwork of pale blue and grey, that makes me think about other artists who are similarly interested in making something a little bit monstrous. See the way the watercolor pools at the base of the drawing? It reminds me a little of late Goya, who wasn't afraid of working in dark washes. Both of them share an understanding that art doesn’t always have to be beautiful, it can be a bit weird, a bit scary, and still be really interesting. It’s all about that exchange of ideas, across time.