The Dragon Kings: A Enamel Pin Collection

The seasons are ever evolving and changing, shifting into one and another. Between the transitions lies the last Dragon King: Huánglóng, the Yellow Dragon of the Center.

Huánglóng is the stability of the Dragon Kings. He serves as the spiritual hub that connects all four cardinal directions. He also represents the center of the universe! In some Chinese lore, some believe he is the incarnation of the Yellow Emperor who brought civilization to China. Because he embodies the warm golden days of late summer, I made sure to weave in motifs of sunflowers, ,butterflies, and dragonflies into his background pattern.

A Crown of Horns
Wehn designing him, I wanted to evoke a deep sense of ancient royalty. I leaned heavily into the traditional long dragon look to give him an elegant and sweeping flow. To bring out his majesty, I combined the busy, regal mane of a lion with  the a crown of horns pieced together from inspiration from various mountain goats found across China, such as Markhors and Ibex




Because Huánglóng is the anchor of the group, we wanted to put him exactly where he belongs. In the middle!



Collect all 5 Dragon Kings during the campaign and their designs physically puzzle together around Huánglóng to create one massive, unified centerpiece!

See You Tomorrow!
Tomorrow at 12 PM PDT , Dragon Kings officially begins with PinQuest!

When you back 3+ Campaigns with PinQuest, recieve the freebie, Bixi: The Strongest Son with your pledge!
 
Thank you for sticking with us, sharing your excitement, and supporting Dream Vale Studios. With your help we can bring these royal Dragon Kings to reality. We've put our whole hearts into this collection, and we couldn't do it without you.

See you tomorrow!
Arielle & Ryan

Hello everyone!

Today, I’d like to introduce the white dragon, Ao Run. 

As you may know, each dragon rules over a massive, boundless ocean. But the western region does not have a sea of it’s own. Legend has it that the Jade Emperor took pity on him and had carved out by the lightning, thunder, and storms to give him a rightful place. It is now known as Qinghai Lake or “The Blue Sea”.

 It seemed very fitting to incorporate the tiger’s features into the design of Ao Run after Baihu, Mythical beast of the West. Ao Run's powerful head and stripes match the fading colors of autumn.

When building Ao Run's design, I really wanted to lean into his metal element. Some of the early sketches have him as a dragon with bladelike features. Ultimately, I decided to try a more organic form with animal inspiration. Have you seen a seal’s teeth before? 

I thought their hard organic shapes as Ao Run’s spines and represent his element of metal.

Dragon Campaign Collaborators!
For this campaign, we are thrilled to be working with Royarch! They are launching Dragonology: Garden Dragons right alongside ours. We've been longtime fans of the work and absolutely jumped at the chance to be able to work alongside them.

In pledging for both campaigns, you will receive each of our Collaboration Pins. Our half features a yellow dragon holding a peach for longevity. Their half holds a pomegranate, representing abundance.

Be sure to check out their campaign here!

We've got perhaps time for one more reveal!

Until next time,
Arielle & Ryan

Hello everyone!

Today let’s take a look at our next Dragon King: Ao Guang.

Ruling over the East, Ao Guang is the Azure Dragon and a distinguished leader among the group. He embodies the gentle and nourishing energy of Spring. While the first two dragon’s we looked at bring the intense heat of summer or the freezing quiet of winter, Ao Guang brings life giving rains that bring the world into bloom.

This dragon was featured in Journey to the West, making him the most famous of the Dragon Kings. Because of this, I wanted to give him the camel-like facial features eastern dragons are known best for. 

To tie him directly to his element of wood, his belly is formed from bark, and his horns stretch out into tree branches. His body is a vibrant, rich azure blue. To help him embody growth, I weaved flowers into his leafy mane.

Join the Adventure

Our BackerKit campaign launch is June 16th! If you haven't already, please make sure you are signed up on our pre-launch page so you don't miss the moment we go live. Returning backers will receive a free gift, a Golden Prince enamel pin, with their order as thank you for your continued support!

Next time we expect to discuss the Dragon King of the West: Ao Run

Until next time,
Arielle + Ryan