Who is Draco Stellaris?
Born in 1978 as a child of science-fiction obsessed parents, I grew up in the natural knowledge that spaceships are awesome and you just can’t trust a cylon. So it’s no surprise that I’m addicted to creating alien worlds since early childhood. Be it in visual art, sculpture or in literature.
The screen name Draco Stellaris combines two artistic obsessions: dragons and journeys among the stars, discovering new worlds.
Influences and inspiration
From early age on, the work of the amazing Disney animators fueled my imagination, especially the older works such as Robin Hood (anthropomorphic animals for the win!) or The Jungle Book. The stories of Michael Ende and Terry Pratchett in all their whimsical glory still are some of my go-to comfort books. Visual artists that inspire me are Ciruelo Cabral, Don Rosa and Alan Lee. I like to listen to music or podcasts while drawing.
A literally life-changing event for me was watching the movie Stargate by Roland Emmerich in 1995. It completely blew my mind back then and Stargate and its franchises coninue to be my greatest fandom obsession till this day. “Life-changing” may seem like a strong word but it’s true: Without Stargate my life would have become different, beginning with all the amazing people I met because of fandom to the very real event of being hired for art because somebody loved my fan works. The characters of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis are dear to my heart and never cease to inspire me.
My best known work in Stargate fandom, the webcomic Hive 53 was published from 2008 all the way through 2019. The humorous homage to Stargate: Atlantis has attracted a growing fan community over the years and has already been translated to Russian and Czech by loyal fans. The comic itself went into hiatus while accompanying pieces like Hiveship Holidays are still being published.
Skill set
After vocational diploma and internship to become a digital media designer, I worked in advertising and printing companies for over 25 years. During that time I had the opportunity to design all kinds of stuff, ranging in size from a tramway branding down to business cards. This also gave me a deep insight in all kinds of production processes, therefore enabling me to provide my customers with professional printing data.
I also worked for the Verlag in Farbe und Bunt publishing company as an illustrator for many years and still do so. My work includes
- book covers in various styles and for various topics
- caricatures
- childrens’ books illustrations
- black and white vignettes as well as coloured.
Currently, I’m working as head digital media designer for web and print for an international franchising company. Among diverse other tasks, I’m responsible for the layout of educational books and childrens’ story books.
Tools of the trade
I’m fluent in Photoshop and InDesign on both Windows and Apple platforms. Watercolours and coloured pencils are my weapon of choice for all things traditional. But above all else, the good old pencil and paper are my best friends for creating art.
If you are interested in commissioning me, you can find all relevant information here.
Building awareness for neurodiversity
In late 2023, I realised that I’m on the ADHD spectrum (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). I lived 45 years without any clue that I had what is called a disorder. Sure, there were always struggles but doesn’t everybody struggle? Yes, they do but not in this quality nor quantity. The realisation that there is a tangible reason for my struggles was a true game-changer. It would have spared me years of suffering if I had known it earlier.
I cordially encourage you to read about ADHD and all related neurodivergent topics including Autism. My intention is to shed some light on what it means to live with an ND disorder.
