Is paleontology “going the way of the dinosaur?”
Like many young kids, I was fascinated by dinosaurs. I would spend hours setting up my toy dinosaurs, creating museums using blocks to mimic the halls of my favorite museum, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH); I would categorize by species, lock the sperm whale and giant squid in battle, and, of course, hang the giant blue whale from above. I was in awe my first visit there, when I was no more than two years old. I became a frequent visitor to the AMNH, I still love exploring the fossil halls of the fourth floor, the great stature and imposing presence of its eternally preserved creatures sending my imagination on journeys through time. I can spend hours gazing at the remains of mighty and mystical creatures that have been gone for millions of years.
As Soren Kierkegaard once said, “life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Paleontology is more relevant and important today than it ever has been; in today’s world, we need to learn from the past so as not to make the same mistakes of earlier generations. I believe its global impact on areas from climate and the environment to engineering, sustainable energy, and genetics to medicine will be far reaching. And that’s what's fascinating about it; paleontology instills imagination in a child and fosters a lifetime of love for science. Paleontology teaches people to draw from the mistakes of the past to create a better future.
As Soren Kierkegaard once said, “life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Paleontology is more relevant and important today than it ever has been; in today’s world, we need to learn from the past so as not to make the same mistakes of earlier generations. I believe its global impact on areas from climate and the environment to engineering, sustainable energy, and genetics to medicine will be far reaching. And that’s what's fascinating about it; paleontology instills imagination in a child and fosters a lifetime of love for science. Paleontology teaches people to draw from the mistakes of the past to create a better future.
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Paleoart Portfolio. September 2005 - November 2020
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About Paleoart:Paleoart is the accurate depiction of prehistoric fauna according to current scientific evidence. Since science is always changing, so too does paleoart. This means that older work becomes more inaccurate as newer discoveries are made.
The constant need for revision makes paleoart an exciting field. It demands continual practice of the arts, which helps me to develop not only my skills as a paleoartist, but it also improves my general art talents, such as drawing (pencil, pen & ink, charcoal) and painting (oil, acrylic). Similar to the study of paleoart, this page is set up chronologically, with my most recent work on top, and my oldest drawings on the bottom. This was done intentionally to show my life-long progress. [Note: Some may notice that I have Jurassic Park/fantastical (dragons, monsters, etc.) depictions on this page. I understand that these works do not demonstrate true "paleoart" per se, but I decided to keep them here because they help to show my evolution more as an artist in general.] |
How to Paleoart:What is paleoart? Where do you start? A brief introduction to the study, a little bit about myself, tip and tricks, and more! Plus, learn how to draw a T. Rex!
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Dinosauria, Pencil Study
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Allosaurus Fragilis
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October 2021
Academy of Natural Sciences: Permian Monsters - Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon, a Permian Monster. Procreate for iPad. October 1, 2021
June 2021
Mother's Day Quarry, Bighorn Basin
Midnight Snack. Procreate for iPad. June 7, 2021
May 2021
Dinosaur National Monument
Seasonal Flooding Event at Dinosaur National Monument, 149 mya. Procreate for iPad. May 19, 2021
April 2021
Class Notes and Field Sketches
Bone Bed Class IV: Suuwassea Ridge. Pen & ink. April 28, 2021
Field Sketch of the Boulder Field at Hickory Run State Park. Pen & ink. April 28, 2021
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Bone Bed Class II: Suuwassea Ridge. Pen & ink. April 14, 2021
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March 2021
Western Interior Seaway
Last Sunrise Over the Western Interior Seaway. Procreate for iPad. March 24, 2021
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Detail: Hunting Tylosaurs. Procreate for iPad. March 24, 2021
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February 2021
Academy of Natural Sciences: Dinosaur Hall - Ceratopsians
ANS Ceratopsians. Procreate for iPad. February 24, 2021
Museum of the Earth: Ordovician Nautiloids
Ordovician Nautiloids. Procreate for iPad. Febrauary 23, 2021
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Chambered Nautilus. Procreate for iPad. Febrauary 23, 2021
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Endoceras. Procreate for iPad. Febrauary 23, 2021
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Triceratops horridus
Triceratops horridus. Procreate for IPad. February 16, 2021
Allosaurus fragilis
Allosaurus fragilis: Cervical Vertebrae Study. Pen & ink (brushmarkers). February 4, 2021
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Allosaurus fragilis: Caudal Vertebra Sketch. Pen & ink. February 10, 2021
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January 2021
Allosaurus fragilis
Allosaurus fragilis: Skull Study. Pen & ink (brushmarkers). January 24, 2021
November 2020
Temnodontosaurus platyodon
Temnodontosaurus platyodon. Pen & ink (gels, brushmarkers). November 22, 2020
June 2020
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Skull Study. Pen & ink (gels, brushmarkers). June 30, 2020
May 2020
Barosaurus at Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, AMNH
Barosaurus at Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, AMNH. Pencils. May 25, 2020
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Barosaurus at Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, AMNH Reference Photo. Courtesy of the AMNH
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How to Paleoart
What is paleoart? Where do you start? A brief introduction to the study, a little bit about myself, tip and tricks, and more! Plus, learn how to draw a T. Rex!
T. Rex Tutorial Sketch. Pencils. May 5, 2020
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Behind-the-Scenes Study of Todd Marshall's Rugops Primus. Pencils. April 4, 2020
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January 2020
The Panthalassic Ocean
The Panthalassic Ocean. Oil on white canvas. January 24, 2020
August 2019
Main Street, Jurassic World
Concept I. Mixed media (pen & ink and brush markers). August 25, 2019
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Main Street, Jurassic World. Oil on white canvas. Augsut 27, 2019
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1) Underpainting Layer. August 17, 2019
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2) First Color Layer. August 20, 2019
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3) "Overpainting" Layer. August 27, 2019
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June 2019
AMNH 5027
AMNH 5027. Pencils. June 30, 2019
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AMNH 5027 Reference Photo. Photography. March 31, 2019
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The Tethys Ocean
The Tethys Ocean. Oil on white canvas. June 14, 2019
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Concept I. Pen & ink. June 3, 2019
Concept II. Pen & ink. June 3, 2019
Concept III. Pen & ink. June 3, 2019
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January 2019
River Ecosystem of North Africa, Late Cretaceous Period
Concept I. Pencils. January 5, 2019
Concept II. Pencils. January 5, 2019
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River Ecosystem of North Africa, Late Cretaceous Period. Pencils. January 16, 2019
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July 2018
Indoraptor. Pencils. July 2, 2018
May 2018
Tyrannosaurus rex. Colored pencils. May 19, 2018
April 2018
Dilophosaurus wetherilli. Colored pencils. April 7, 2018
March 2018
Diabloceratops eatoni. Pencils. March 18, 2018
Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis. Pencils. March 4, 2018
February 2018
Edmontosaurus regalis. Pencils. February 24, 2018
Gigantoraptor erllianensis. Pencils. February 19, 2018
Supersaurus vivianae. Pencils. February 10, 2018
Rugops primus. Pencils. February 4, 2018
February 2017
Indominus v. T. Rex. Colored pencils. February 25, 2017
Terror of the Skies. Colored pencils. February 18, 2017
May 2016
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Skeleton. Pen & ink. May 25, 2016
Indominus Rex Iteration IV. Pencils. May 12, 2016
July 2015
Indominus Rex Iteration III. Pencils. July 2, 2015
Stegoceratops. Pencils. July 7, 2015
Neotyrannus. Pencils. July 21, 2015
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Dilophosaurus wetherilli. Pencils. July 8, 2015
Allosaurus fragilis. Pencils. July 8, 2015
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April 2015
Indominus Rex Iteration II. Colored pencils. April 25, 2015
Indominus Rex Iteration I. Pencils. April 15, 2015
November 2013*
Predator DNA: Out for Blood. Pen & ink. November 23, 2013
Storm Breaker. Pen & ink. November 20, 2013
June 2013
Predator DNA. Colored pencils. June 24, 2013
June 2012
Extreme Green Dragon EX. Colored pencils. June 21, 2012
Gigantoraptor erlianensis. Pencils. June 15, 2012
March 2012
Green Dragon 101. Colored pencils. March 23, 2012
Green Dragon III. Colored pencils. March 23, 2012
May 2010
Dinosaurs. Crayon. May 2010
