How to build a dragon

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Here's a bare-bones look at how the Chinatown International District dragon sculptures were made:

In the early stages, lead designer Martin Brunt made different dragon designs using special computer software, which allowed him to create three-dimensional images that could be molded to his liking. In his workshop, he experimented with different materials to come up with something strong to form the internal frame for each dragon.

Renton artist Heather Presler, who's also an animator, drew sketches of the dragon claws and heads and devised the color schemes. For the heads, she used Brunt's computer-designed metal templates to sculpt full-scale models out of a claylike material. The sculpted heads were then "baked" in a special oven, to harden them.

Chinese artist Meng Huang acted as an adviser throughout the design process to help refine Presler's models so that the horns, claws, tongues and other details would be more culturally authentic. "He made them a lot more spectacular," Brunt said. Huang, a veteran designer who worked in the film industry in Hong Kong, died in October.

Brunt, with the help of boat builder Jerry Caldwell, covered the dragon frames with a woven fiberglass material, which had been soaked in a resin to make it harden, forming a shell-like "skin" that's thin (3/16 of an inch) but durable. Brunt said the dragons will have the wind and rain resistance of a boat.

Shan Tung Hsu, an expert in feng shui, the art of creating harmonious, balanced spaces, was brought in to advise on the design and positioning of many of the dragons so they acknowledge and fit into their surroundings. Some will face Puget Sound, some will face the neighborhood and mountains and some, at Brunt's insistence, will peer at pedestrians. The two dragons on either side of Jackson Street at 5th Avenue will be locked in a stare-down.

Seattle artist Kevin Lorentzen painted the dragons in a workshop in Des Moines. None of the dragons will look alike. "Each one of these is a custom-made Corvette, in a way," Lorentzen said.

The heads, which weigh about 50 pounds each, were attached to the bodies and then trucked to the Chinatown International District to be hung with special steel braces.