Colors Gallery, meet OracleofGelu
A fantasy enjoyer with a passion for all things dragon, @OracleofGelu is a creature artist whose designs not only take inspiration from their favorite franchise such as Monster Hunter, Pokemon, How to train your Dragon, and others but also nature itself. Utilizing their love of the natural world to aid in their artistic process! Let's delay no more, time to learn their origin story!
I predict @OracleofGelu will reveal their mysterious origin story! Jokes aside, who are you? What should we all know about you?
I'm just an artist who has been reading and enjoying fantasy (and perhaps a bit of sci-fi too) for most of my life! I love spending time out in heavy rain and wind during fall, and hiding inside while drawing during the rest of the year. In my spare time I doodle lots of slugs and aliens.
Spiraling, Forever On by OracleofGelu
With all the awesome wyverns, dragons, and other fantastic beast that you draw I guess it's no secret that you're a fan of Monster Hunter and other franchises with plenty of cool creature designs! What would you say are your other inspirations and how did they appeal to you? What got you started on your art journey to begin with?
Monster Hunter, Pokemon, How to Train Your Dragon, Lord of the Rings, Eragon, The Giver, the list goes on and on. Story is a surprisingly big part of how I compose my sketches, and I really like creature designs that use natural abilities that would be considered magic in the real world. Ecosystem studies are a big help in deciding things like color or diet.
Galaxy Patterns by OracleofGelu
How'd did you end up here in our humble little art community? What made you decide to stick around? What do you like most about the Colorful community we have here on Colors Live?
I received a copy of Colors! as a birthday gift along with a sonar pen. Made an account soon after, and have been here ever since! It had been a while since I was able to make digital art, my laptop didn't want to use my Huion.
Stayed here for the amazing art! Joined right before the 3ds shutdown, and was able to see a bunch of og artists before they had to leave, but even now it's great seeing new artists grow and improve here.
Seeing your growth on Colors Live has been awe-inspiring! What would you say led you to improving your artistic skills the most? What's your artistic process in general?
A bunch of my improvement has just come from time, and the tools in digital art help a bunch. (Redo button, of course) The motivation to improve my art stems from my need to get closer to creating what I can see in my head. Might never happen, but every step towards the goal is a victory.
I definitely use a good deal of guidelines and planning, but I actually use a 'false sketch' where I only pretend to draw, keeping track of the invisible ink. It makes me look insane, but it really does help me before I put pen to paper. After that, I block out the drawing, place lines, and have the most fun coloring!
My Entry for StarrfishDTIYS by OracleofGelu
Your gallery is truly a wyvern cavern! Which of your artworks would you say were the most difficult, challenging, and rewarding to work on? Which are your personal favorites?
Rebirth and Rebellion by OracleofGelu
Rebirth and Rebellion has got to be the most difficult one yet. Lineless, rendered art is definitely not something I do often, and it doesn't help that from then on, I've been doing all my art with my finger. Lost my stylus.
Human, Too by PremonitionofWinter
(Pulling from my alternate account)
Human, Too was hard for me to finish, but I'm very happy with the result. I avoid most anything human shaped, so even half of one is an accomplishment.
Edgejumper by OracleofGelu
This is my 'messy favorite'. Sketchy lines, awkward colors, odd shading, I am happy with the whole thing. A reminder to myself that art doesn't need to be perfect.
Two Souls One Mind by OracleofGelu
My profile pic, and hands down what I wanted to make in that piece. The two in this painting have a lot of personal meaning to me that brightens my day whenever I scroll through my gallery.
What would you say are you top 3 favorite Colors Live artworks in the gallery and why? What about them make you feel inspired?
1/22 Evil dragon by Ash_garm
The pose, lighting, and color scheme make this an incredibly thematic painting. You can practically feel the danger of being in the wyrm's lair.
Only in Your Dreams by FadingGlory
Dramatic lighting pulls me to this one. I really enjoy the surreal difference between reality and the reflection of the water.
Ode to Destruction by The_Adjudicator
Monster Hunter!!!!
In all seriousness, this piece is outstanding, the realism is some of the best on Colors!. I believe that strong lighting and evil dragons may be a theme here, lol.
Favorite artist both on and off of Colors Live? How did you discover them and what about them would you say inspires you the most? Is there any aspect of their art that you wish you could borrow?
On Colors! I'd say @The_Adjudicator . Incredible art throughout their entire gallery, with hours of determination and practice shining from each painting. The_Adjudicator also spends time spreading encouragement and advice to so many people on here, including me. A genuinely kind and talented person.
The Dragon-born fighter Vidofnir by The_Adjudicator
Off Colors!... Honestly, at the moment I'd go with Claude Monet. I've learned a lot about lighting and reflection from his paintings.
You're really adept at drawing fantastic beast! What tips and tricks do you have for others when it comes to drawing wyverns and the like? Care to help to tip the scales in their favor?
Start with a good dose of patience, and be prepared to sketch the same head or talon a dozen times. Sometimes a mistake in proportions could lead to a purposeful and unique feature on your creature, so don't be afraid to experiment. Take the time to look at crocodile, jackal, fish, alligator, and iguana heads and bodies; nature is a wonderful way to get inspiration.
Wings by OracleofGelu
More on wyverns and creature design as a whole! How did you get into drawing them and what makes them so awesome to you? When designing one, do you lean more towards "rule of cool" or does it depend more on what your goal for the artwork is?
I started drawing when I was able to hold crayons, and decided at four to focus on dragons over people. Stuck with it ever since. I just like the sheer diversity that dragons can have, while still being distinctly 'dragon'. Fluffy, scaly, leathery, long, stout, strong, agile, dragons can be almost anything!
I usually have a vague purpose in mind, but rarely hold true to it. Whatever piques my interest at the time!
Mountains by OracleofGelu
2025 is close to wrapping up soon! Would you say you've accomplished a lot this year? What goals do you have for the future?
I've made some good progress on life this year, but it still feels too fast. Shouldn't it still be August?
As for goals, hooking up my Huion again, getting into more vendor fairs, and installing a shelf in my room.
What's the origin of your alias "OracleofGelu"? Are you interested in fortunate telling or did the name just sound really cool to you?
Oh, no, long explanation time.
The name actually links to Premonition of Winter, my alt's name. Premonition of Winter is my custom title in Monster Hunter World, and is actually older.
Oracle of Gelu mirrors that. Oracles have premonitions, and gelu is Latin for winter. Separately, I have one D&D Character named Oracle, and one #TKOF character who is Oracle from the Hanging (lantern) city of Gelu.
So I chose my user for a few reasons, but none really prevail over the others.
What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses? When lacking confidence in your skill as an artist, what keeps you motivated?
Human beings.
How do you draw them? How do you talk to them?? What are they really??? I've got to keep motivation up so I can physically portray the craziness going on in my head. The dragons must come out and be admired.
wise hermit (Posting my finished quests) by OracleofGelu
When you're in an artistic rut, what helps you break out of it? What do you do to restore your passion?
I just take a break for a month till I can draw again. Usually I will pick up a book I haven't finished yet or looks cool.
Who deserves a shout-out ? Who should we check out next?
I'd like to shout-out @-Ames- , @DT_and_FB , @Tarnished , and @MahloTheDragon . I love seeing their art pop up in my feed. Unique and amazing art styles from them all!
That wraps up our interview with @OracleofGelu! The Colors Team would like to thank you for your time! I predict more awesome artwork from them in the near future!
Check out all of our previous interviews here:
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Having "The Beast Within" isn't necessarily bad thing. Infact using it specific situations is the most ideal, like in #wc627!
Stay creative!
Zyik & The Colors Team
