Crop from Dino DPS, Line art in Manga Studio, Colour in Photoshop
I was commissioned by BBC Focus magazine to illustrate an article for the December issue on the changing nature of the "truth" about dinosaurs. As the article says, "These days barely a month goes by without a fossil find or new research challenging our assumptions about how dinosaurs lived."
For the opening double page spread the art editor suggested a drawing of the main hall of the Natural History Museum in London with the addition of a giant pair of pterodactyl wings on the large Diplodocus skeleton. Completely in love with this idea, and secretly hoping that one day a fossil is found that supports this, I was more than happy to oblige!
Dino DPS rough sketch, artwork in Manga Studio. Click to enlarge.
Dino DPS final art, line art and colour in Manga Studio with some colour overlays in Photoshop. Click to enlarge.
Accompanying the article I was also asked to create 4 half page illustrations. This image was to illustrate the idea that "until this year palaeontologists had no clear-cut evidence for the colour of dinosaurs. Illustrators made educated guesses, basing their pallets on what they know of colour in modern animals." I decided to show an adventurous illustrator painting "from life".
"True Colours" rough, artwork created in Manga Studio. Click to enlarge.
"True Colours" final art, line art and colour in Manga Studio with some colour overlays in Photoshop.
Click to enlarge.
"Think dinosaurs and you’ll likely conjure images of vast creatures tramping through sweltering swamps or fetid forests. But palaeontologists working in Alaska and Antarctica have shown that dinosaurs survived in far colder conditions than previously thought, with some species able to thrive amidst snow and ice."
"Dinos on Ice" rough, artwork created in Manga Studio.
Click to enlarge.
"Dinos on Ice" final art, line art and colour in Manga Studio with some colour overlays in Photoshop. Click to enlarge.
It also turns out that there's no such thing as a Bronotsaurus. The palaeontologist who discovered it, Othniel Charles Marsh, essentially mixed up the bones of another dinosaur, Apatosaurus ajax, which he also discovered, and thought he'd found a new species. Brontosaurus, being much more fun to pronounce has lived on in the public consciousness.
"Mistaken Identity" rough,
artwork created in Manga Studio.
Click to enlarge.
"
Mistaken Identity
" final art, line art and colour in Manga Studio.
Click to enlarge.
"They look like weapons, but many of the dinosaurs’ most impressive horns, plates and spikes may have been used more for display than destruction."
"Display not destruction" rough,
Click to enlarge. artwork created in Manga Studio.
"
Display not destruction
" final art, line art and colour in Manga Studio. Click to enlarge.
The magazine's in the shops now, so please do go pick up a copy to read the full story and all the other great features.
Thanks for reading and have a great week!
