Have you ever stopped and wondered who it is that makes the dragons you breed, collect and fight in Dragon City?

Have you ever asked yourself who this person is? Where they come from? What they like are like? Or where they get their inspiration from?

Meet Julian del Rey.

Julian is Social Point’s Art Director. He heads up the mega-talented team of men and women that create the characters for Social Point games. In his time here at Social Point, Julian has doodled, drawn, designed and delivered more than one hundred dragons.

We sat down with Julian to delve into the mind of a Chief Dragon Master and find out what lies behind Dragon City, the game.

Julian, where are you from and how did you end up at Social Point?

I’m from the Spanish city of Guadalajara, in the center of Spain. I’ve been working in the world of graphic design for the last 10 years and in Social Point for almost two now. I have also worked as a 2D artist at Pyro Studios artist performing 2D functions, as a graphic designer. So I have been around the block a bit in the worlds of design, layout, marketing, illustration.

How did you get into design?

I think it’s a vocation. I’ve always loved drawing and creating stuff. I started out studying art history and slowly got interested in animation and special effects which led me to a Masters in Animation and Post-Production. And then I studied comics at the Escuela Superior de Dibujo Profesional, where we really got to grips with story-boarding, plot development, and characterization. So I guess my choices led me fairly inevitably to the world of gaming.

So what do you do at Social Point, Julian? 

In an nutshell, it’s my job to create the strategic, graphic identity of each of our games, ensuring that each one has its own personality and life.

Enter the Dragon… Julian breathing life into one of his creations.

You’ve been at Social Point for two years, how many dragons have you created?

I have lost count of the total number of dragons. But I’d say at least 100. And each one is different – with its own style, its own identity and something unique that defines it. When I started out in games, I had no idea I would end up making dragons! But it’s amazingly rewarding and fun.

Creating dragons out of thin air must be a challenge, right? Where do you get the inspiration from?

Anywhere and everywhere. You can find inspiration in the simplest things, all around you and often when you least expect it. If I am looking for inspiration deliberately I usually find it in books or films. But you never know when a new dragon will suddenly come to life in your imagination.

You never know when an idea for a new dragon will just pop up!

You’ve worked in Dragon City since its launch. What do you love most about the game?

What’s not to love? Dragon City is exactly as the name suggests – a city absolutely full of dragons. I love the variety of the dragons and the fact that there are so many of them to breed and collect. And although there are hundreds, and new ones being created all the time, each dragon has its own personality, its own life and its own unique character. It’s a dragon universe!

So do you have a favorite dragon? 

Ah it’s so hard to choose. I love many of them for many different reasons. I’ve got a real soft spot for the Vampire Dragon. But I’d have to opt for the Star Dragon. For me, he is probably the cutest. And he is one of the most affectionate.

Star Dragon – “this little guy is the cutest dragon in Dragon City. ” Would you like to hug the Star Dragon?

Julian, you’re an old-school Social Pointer. What’s life like in Social Point HQ? 

Well, obviously it’s fun because that’s what we do. But what makes my job so rewarding is the company of my team and colleagues. The creativity in this company is amazing and endlessly surprising. You take an idea and present it to your work mates and within minutes you have something infinitely richer, more interesting, more fun. I learn from the people I work with all the time.

Our Art Team is growing all the time and we are always looking for talented people to join us at Social Point. Be sure to take a look at our current job offers and see if you find an interesting fit for you.