Nemegt Sunrise

P.M. entry for #10oclockart - sunrise over the Nemegt River Delta of Cretaceous Mongolia.

Flora from the Maastrichtian era Nemegt Formation is spotty at best, but existing fossil evidence shows that there was some form of forest cover in the form of Pseudolarix conifers, with some hypothetical Baikalophyllum cycads and reedy plants thrown in the mix (known from similar localities in China and Russia).

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References:

Pott, C., McLoughlin, S., Lindström, A., Wu Shunqing, & Friis, E.M., 2012. "Baikalophyllum lobatum and Rehezamites anisolobus: two seed plants with “cycadophyte” foliage from the Early Cretaceous of eastern Asia." International Journal of Plant Sciences 173, 192–208.

Gradzinski, Ryszard. 1969. "SEDIMENTATION OF DINOSAUR-BEARING UPPER CRETACEOUS DEPOSITS OF THE NEMEGT BASIN, GOBI DESERT." Palaeontologia Polonica, No. 21, 148-223.

Okada, H. Cretaceous Environments of Asia (Developments in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy). Mateer, N.J. Elsevier Science, April 2000.

Geminiraptor and IndieGoGo Updates

#10oclockart PM edition - Some quick updates.

Geminiraptor progress...

Geminiraptor: As you may have noticed, I've been taken prisoner by the curly feathers on the neck. I think I used a French curve once or twice, but mostly the curves are all done freehand. I also worked on my proportions. Since Geminiraptor is estimated to be among the largest and oldest of the North American Troodon species, I gave it a more robust body style than some of its more derived cousins. I also added a more realistic moon and tried cambering it to look like the moon in Utah's sky.

...and a mechanical archosaur for the
Indiegogo campaign. Art by Scott Elyard.

Archosaurs & Automata IndieGoGo Campaign - Wow! We're nearly a quarter of the way there, and it's been less than a week. Scott Elyard has been working on a mascot and t-shirt design for the show, called "Clockwork Carnivore". It's a mechanical Euparkeria and it's stone-cold awesome. You can see a rough draft of it on the campaign website.

Dino Zodiac and Other Project Updates

#10oclockart PM edition - Conchoraptor progress.

Getting back to the Dino Zodiac project, as well as getting started on some exciting upcoming stuff, including a First Friday art show for the month of January at Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge in Anchorage, AK with myself and Scott Elyard. More on that soon.

In the meantime, I have changed out some designs and added some new items at my CafePress store (for real this time!), including a queen-size Troodon in the Rushes duvet cover.

Moonlight Huntress (Updated 11 Sept 2012)

#10oclockart PM edition - I finished the tyrannosaurus and triceratops painting for my friend's granddaugter.

The female tyrant in the foreground is based almost entirely off the "sitting t-rex" mount showcased during the 2011 Dinosaur Expo at the Natural Science Museum in Tokyo and was referenced from photographs on Wikipedia. Triceratops was actually recycled from a 2008 pen and pencil drawing, which I updated with a thicker tail and quills.

If you are interested in purchasing prints or other gifts with this design, please visit my DeviantArt and CafePress pages.

Hat tip to Jack Horner - "scavenger-style" tyrants seem to get no love from the paleo-art community, and while I don't agree that rexes were obligate scavengers, I doubt they would turn their nose up at a free meal.

UPDATE: I can't leave well enough alone - I fixed some things that were bugging me about the foreground, added some detail to the moon, and some moonlit details on the 'trike.

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References:

1.  Tomoaki, Inaba. August 28, 2011. Wikipedia - File:Tyrannosaurus resting pose.jpg <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tyrannosaurus_resting_pose.jpg> [July 10, 2012]

2.  Xu, X.; Wang, K.; Zhang, K.; Ma, Q.; Xing, L.; Sullivan, C.; Hu, D.; Cheng, S. et al. (2012). "A gigantic feathered dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China." Nature 484: 92–95.

3. Horner, John R. and Lessem, Don. Simon & Schuster (1993). The Complete T. rex – How Stunning New Discoveries Are Changing Our Understanding of the World’s Most Famous Dinosaur.

Female Tyrant

In the middle of all the other stuff I've made for myself to do, I'm working on a present for a friend of mine's granddaughter, whose favorite dinosaurs happen to be Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops.

This is one of the two that will be in the scene - a brooding female. I'm fascinated by the concept of large feathered theropods, and since the discovery of Yutyrannus, I've been itching to do one of my own. Based loosely off a marabou stork.

Conchoraptor Face Detail

#10oclockart PM entry - details of the folds and wrinkles on Conchoraptor. I think I finally have that weird facial anatomy figured out...

Why I Love Digital Paint

#10oclockart early PM entry - This is why I love doing artwork in the digital age.

Before...

The face of this Conchoraptor looks more like a parrot than an oviraptorid - something I didn't pick up on until I started working in the wrinkles and folds in the skin. Back in my pen and ink days, this would have resulted in much wailing and cursing as I accidentally erased bits I didn't mean to, or the bits I wanted to erase wouldn't completely disappear after several attempts, or I tear the page because I erased one too many times in the same spot.

...and after!

Now, thanks to the power of digital paint (and the internet, which pointed me to delicious oviraptor skeletal reference by Jamie A. Headden), there will be no more hair-pulling or wailing while walking widdershins around my apartment. I just selected the offending "jawline", wrinkles and all, and moved it up for a more proper oviraptor profile. This is still amazing to me.

Dinosaur Zodiac - Cancer

#10oclockart entry - Conchoraptor with a crab. 

Taking a little break from Geminiraptor and getting a jump on Cancer. I'm thinking "budgie-come-seabird" in purples, yellowish-greens, and blues on this one.

Geminiraptor Face Detail

#10oclockart - PM edition. A close-up look at the facial detail of Geminiraptor.

Since it's only known from a partial maxilla, I had to "guess" at some features of its anatomy.

Geminiraptor update - Dinosaur Zodiac Project

#10oclockart PM edition - Progress on my Gemini painting for the Dinosaur Zodiac project.

Since Gemini is an "air sign," I thought about putting two dragonflies in the scene somewhere, but I'm not sure if I should make them being eaten by the 'raptors, or just flying in the background somewhere...

Dinosaur Zodiac Project - Gemini

#10oclockart PM edition (7 hours early) - Geminiraptor. I already pretty much knew what I wanted to do with this one, so I started the layout and general masses of color.

Dinosaur Zodiac Color Sketches

#10oclockart PM edition. First post in awhile - I suffer from "AADD," or "artistic attention deficit disorder." I've decided to start a new project in the middle of all my others involving theropods and the signs of the Zodiac. Here are some preliminary color sketches:

Starting from top left - Aries (represented by Achillobator); Taurus (with Carnotaurus); Gemini (Geminiraptor); Cancer (Conchoraptors and crab); Leo (Tyrannosaurus rex); Virgo (Alectrosaurus or "unmarried lizard"); Libra (Gorgosaurus libratus); Scorpio (Skorpiovenator); Sagittarius (Sinovenator); Capricorn (Ceratosaurus); Aquarius (Pelecanimimus); Pisces (Ichthyovenator).

New Items at my CafePress store!

I've included hoodies, changed out some designs, and added the Pachyrhinosaurus size chart design on some items. Visit and see what's new!

Pachyrhinosaurus Size Chart

#10oclockart - Size comparison between Pachyrhinosaurus, Alces alces, and Homo sapiens. One square to one foot scale.

Troodon Train

#10oclockart pm edition - Troodons with ginger and mushrooms. Inspired by M.P. Verneuil's L'Animal dans la décoration.

New items at my CafePress store!

After many years, I have blown the dust off and cleaned the cobwebs off my CafePress storefront, and added a bunch of new items including iPad and iPhone cases, t-shirts, and more!

I'll be adding even more items in the future with different designs, but I think this is a good start. If you have any suggestions or requests, drop me a line!

Ginger Sketch

#10oclockart for tonight - Ginger (Zingiber officinale) leaf and flower studies.

Hourly Comic Day #1

Scott quoted The Merchant of Venice at me - "Tell me where is fancy bred, in the heart or in the head?" My mind went here.

Late-Night Mesozoic Plants

#10oclockart tonight consists of Zamia furfuracea (in purple) sketches from a live specimen and Zingiber officinale from photographs (in green).

Colored Pachyrhinosaurus

 #10oclockart Trying to move away from the blue and orange color combination. Now I'm into green and purple.