PNSO : New for 2023

[Eatmycar]

it's amazing how people who want to have a scientifically accurate dinosaur reconstruction demand to give it the color of a parrot! There is nothing scarier than a giganotosaurus painted like a rainbow trout.

Nobody was saying paint it up like a parrot. Also, with the exception of things like Borealopelta and Psittacosaurus, there is plenty of room for creativity outside of brown, yellow, gray, and Green. PNSO barely breaks out of that mold.

[Medzo]

Frankly, I wish they'd be a little more bold like Safari Ltd in terms of color. Dark wash it and make it blend better (especially for the PNSO figure costs!) and find a more exciting middle ground.

This is exactly how I feel. I think PNSO goes for safety too much. I love Safari's Albertosaurus for example, which is too extreme but something like that in the middle would be most welcomed.

Prehistoric Planet kinda got the idea imho.

[CityRaptor]

Reminds me of Andy's review of the BOTM Yutyrannus. Someone posted this gem in the comment section:

My biggest problem with the Beasts of the Mesozoic stuff is the paint jobs.  They just don't strike me as being natural looking.  I know--many paleontologists think that maybe dinosaurs had bird-like patterns--but not every darn bird is as striking to look at as a bird of paradise or other exotic jungle bird.

The Yutyrannus's paint job is based on a Steller's Sea Eagle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steller%27s_sea_eagle

[Sim]

I'm not really sure what you're saying about leopard and tiger coloration -- I wasn't speaking of your personal aesthetic preferences (nor indeed responding to you directly), and I cannot speak for whether you would find those unrealistic. But I'm fairly confident in my statement as a general observation. Those are indeed flamboyant colorations, and I do think they're realistic for large predatory dinosaurs. I'm definitely arguing against those colorations being unrealistic for large predatory dinosaurs.

Oh, I think you're right that those colourations are flamboyant.  It didn't occur to me as I was thinking of more extreme colourations.  Plus, leopard and tiger colourations work to camouflage.  I agree with you that these colourations are plausible for large predatory dinosaurs, and I believe Witton thinks so too given how he used them as examples.

I admit I'm genuinely shocked to see that I came across as accusing Witton of dishonesty. I apologize for that, because it definitely wasn't my intent. I can see how I came off that way.

I don't think that he's at all being dishonest. I'm speaking from having observed him for years, and observed the harassment focused on him, as well as other artists -- but especially focused on him -- and observed how that's altered his blog posts. This is not dishonesty. I should probably clarify that I am, in other areas (definitely not paleoart) a semi-public figure, and I know exactly what it's like to undergo that kind of sustained negative attention. So I'm extra sympathetic to him, and also meant my assessment sympathetically. It would be almost impossible to not change one's approach in the face of such pressure, to increase one's social caution -- speaking from experience. Knowing this, it genuinely didn't occur to me that it sounded like I was questioning his honesty. Hopefully this clarifies a bit.

Witton himself has spoken about this sustained negative response in assorted comments in the past. I don't know that he would agree that it's affected his approach, but nevertheless his approach has indeed changed on balance.

I do certainly trust and admire him, and support all his work whenever I can!

Still, I fear I may have stepped outside the scope of this thread by getting into such detail, especially because I wouldn't have applied it to his recent spinosaurid post at all. Mea culpa.

Thanks for clarifying!

[Antey]

When we talk about the coloration of PNSO dinosaurs, it is worth asking ourselves the question - why do we need bright coloring? To make the figurine look beautiful on the shelf? Because it's boring when all the models on your shelf have a similar range? Now think about what coloring the giant predator needed? An example with the supposedly bright coloration of large cats is incorrectly interpreted. The tiger and leopard have a protective coloration, in the ecosystem where they live these stripes and spots make them invisible to prey. Parrots generally have no such purpose. Their coloring plays a different role, far from the targets of predators. Birds of prey almost always also have a not bright defiant color, they should also be invisible to prey. Therefore, the coloration of the PNSO theropods is ideal. I am glad that PNSO do not go along with some speculations and do scientific reconstructions.

[Lynx]

When we talk about the coloration of PNSO dinosaurs, it is worth asking ourselves the question - why do we need bright coloring? To make the figurine look beautiful on the shelf? Because it's boring when all the models on your shelf have a similar range? Now think about what coloring the giant predator needed? An example with the supposedly bright coloration of large cats is incorrectly interpreted. The tiger and leopard have a protective coloration, in the ecosystem where they live these stripes and spots make them invisible to prey. Parrots generally have no such purpose. Their coloring plays a different role, far from the targets of predators. Birds of prey almost always also have a not bright defiant color, they should also be invisible to prey. Therefore, the coloration of the PNSO theropods is ideal. I am glad that PNSO do not go along with some speculations and do scientific reconstructions.

Because it's just generally enjoyable to look at. As I have said way too many times, you can have an interesting design without bright colors. Many BOTM, yes, BOTM, figures use dull colors but are still interesting to look at. Most 'scientific reconstructions' of dinosaurs that we actually have proof of feature quite vibrant colors, but then again most dinosaurs with vibrant colors are small.

PNSOs dull colors and patterns are just as speculative as any other design.

I simply want something more interesting, and bright colors aren't needed for that. The whole 'well dull colors are more natural' thing that gets brought up whenever someone wants 'diversity' in a figure line is genuinely annoying.

[Eatmycar]

People are very quick to point at things like the BoTM Torosaur and say it's unrealistic.

Nobody is asking for that. Even some of PNSO's own art is more exciting looking than these things. Nobody has said paint the T. rex like it's a Mandarin Duck or a Wood Duck.

As it is, most of these figures look the same from a glance and are simply not eye catching at all. They take the, usually most simplistic option, for paint and create a forgettable figure that is pleasing when compared to a skeletal.

Not every dinosaur should be or can be flamboyant. A purple psittacosaurus would be out of line... because we actually know what color it was.

This is not true for most dinosaurs. There's no reason to dare to think outside of the box within scientific possibility, but PNSO dares to not even make their figures as striking as their artwork.

[Eatmycar]

Hell, if we're so afraid of color schemes, at least when it comes to poses they can try something new. Andrea was a beautiful figure and memorable because it did something different. The overwhelming majority of PNSOs theropods are mid-stride... again and again and again... And again.

The conservative attitude towards these creatures is just so baffling and dull. They feel lifeless.

[Sim]

As it is, most of these figures look the same from a glance and are simply not eye catching at all. They take the, usually most simplistic option, for paint and create a forgettable figure that is pleasing when compared to a skeletal.

That's just your opinion.  You respond better to more striking colourations, but PNSO's style of colour schemes is not inherently bad or inferior because of that.  It's a style and PNSO's colourations do look realistic and some people including myself find them appealing.  I like more striking colourations too, like the Safari 2022 Albertosaurus, and also can find some colourations overly dull, like the newer PNSO Triceratops.
That PNSO usually takes the "most simplistic option" is definitely not true.  Their paintjobs have a pleasing complexity.  And their figures being forgettable really is just your opinion.  I find PNSO's figures tend to be excellent and very enjoyable.  That people keep buying their figures shows that others like them too.

Not every dinosaur should be or can be flamboyant. A purple psittacosaurus would be out of line... because we actually know what color it was.

This is not true for most dinosaurs. There's no reason to dare to think outside of the box within scientific possibility, but PNSO dares to not even make their figures as striking as their artwork.

Only one species of Psittacosaurus has known colouration.  I think it's possible other species were differently coloured.  And this seems like it will be an unpopular opinion: I find PNSO's figures more pleasing than their 2D artwork.

Hell, if we're so afraid of color schemes, at least when it comes to poses they can try something new. Andrea was a beautiful figure and memorable because it did something different. The overwhelming majority of PNSOs theropods are mid-stride... again and again and again... And again.

The conservative attitude towards these creatures is just so baffling and dull. They feel lifeless.

Again, this is just your opinion.  I found Andrea flawed (they gave it an articulated jaw which can't be opened unless there's empty space below it) and forgettable.  I genuinely forget Andrea exists. Andrea is also one of the worst-selling PNSO figures, so I'm not sure we'll see something similar to it again.  I like the poses PNSO has been giving their theropods since I like walking and standing poses most for dinosaur figures.

[Dusty Wren]

Andrea is also one of the worst-selling PNSO figures, so I'm not sure we'll see something similar to it again.

Wait, what? How do we know that? Did PNSO release their sales figures somewhere?

[Sim]

Go on Everything Dinosaur's PNSO section, select to order the figures by popularity, and see the results.

[Shane]

I don't think you can accurately judge a figure's sales based on a single retailer.

That said, any figure in an "extreme" pose, ie. sitting, laying down, etc. is generally not going to be as broadly appealing as one that is in a more neutral standing or walking pose.

[ceratopsian]

I'm generally in agreement with @Sim on the importance of personal taste in what we individuals find appealing in model decoration. Different aesthetics appeal to different people. I personally find the depth and complexity of PNSO's schemes intensely appealing - mostly. I find their latest Triceratops a bit on the plain side. But by and large I value the appearance of their models so much that they inhabit the front of bookshelves in my study rather than my model room. I find each one completely individual and they don't blend into an amorphous mass for me. What E @Eatmycar finds "lifeless" I find full of life so vibrant I half expect them to move. For me, they are like a snapshot of a living animal frozen into immobility. But the key words here are "for me". It's all a matter of personal preference. One firm's aesthetic stamp won't appeal to all buyers.

However, I do enjoy unusual poses (provided they are not extreme). Despite her anatomical flaws, I'm fond of Andrea. I value the attempt even if she could have been better.

[TaranUlas]

From my perspective, the coloring issue facing the PNSO is less duller colors and much more overusing vertical stripes on their dinosaurs. I looked through last year's dino figures from PNSO and I found only two to have 0 vertical stripes on the figures: The Therizinosaurus and the Torosaurus. I'm not saying that vertical stripes are unnatural, but that PNSO does seem to be overusing them on recent figures. It not only makes figures feel a bit samey, but it does genuinely ignore the diversity of patterns in the modern day. Where's my spotted theropod like a Jaguar or a leopard? Where's my lion like Theropod with no patterns on it? Why are nearly all of the stripes vertical on recent figures? The more subdued colors are fine since I use Safari figures for more color anyway, but they really should diversify their patterns beyond how much of a dino is striped or not. After all, they did it before.

[stargatedalek]

When we talk about the coloration of PNSO dinosaurs, it is worth asking ourselves the question - why do we need bright coloring? To make the figurine look beautiful on the shelf? Because it's boring when all the models on your shelf have a similar range? Now think about what coloring the giant predator needed? An example with the supposedly bright coloration of large cats is incorrectly interpreted. The tiger and leopard have a protective coloration, in the ecosystem where they live these stripes and spots make them invisible to prey. Parrots generally have no such purpose. Their coloring plays a different role, far from the targets of predators. Birds of prey almost always also have a not bright defiant color, they should also be invisible to prey. Therefore, the coloration of the PNSO theropods is ideal. I am glad that PNSO do not go along with some speculations and do scientific reconstructions.

None of these look like birds of prey or big cats though, they look like iguanas, crocodiles, sharks, or komodo dragons.

[thedeadlymoose]

When we talk about the coloration of PNSO dinosaurs, it is worth asking ourselves the question - why do we need bright coloring? To make the figurine look beautiful on the shelf? Because it's boring when all the models on your shelf have a similar range? Now think about what coloring the giant predator needed? An example with the supposedly bright coloration of large cats is incorrectly interpreted. The tiger and leopard have a protective coloration, in the ecosystem where they live these stripes and spots make them invisible to prey. Parrots generally have no such purpose. Their coloring plays a different role, far from the targets of predators. Birds of prey almost always also have a not bright defiant color, they should also be invisible to prey. Therefore, the coloration of the PNSO theropods is ideal. I am glad that PNSO do not go along with some speculations and do scientific reconstructions.

Re tigers and leopards: It's perfectly correctly interpreted! Their coloration is flamboyant, and looks really flashy... on a shelf, and also works as camouflage in their environment.

We saw a direct example of this, with intent, by Safari with their Albertosaurus last year.

There's literally zero reason to not apply this logic to dinosaurs except personal aesthetic preference.

Which is fine, but there's no justification to claim that it's less speculative or accurate.

Nor to mock opposing preferences which are just as scientific and valid.

So there you go, we are considering the kind of coloration that a giant predator would need.

I always find the focus on camouflage very confusing regardless. Plenty of jungle birds, like the parrots you reference, are indeed camouflaged in their home environments. Just like the jungle cats I mentioned. All camouflage is circumstantial.

But even aside from that: are you looking at this mega-predator, bigger than anything we can imagine living, and assuming that it needed to be drab or else it couldn't hide from its prey...? Like, a dull-colored Giganotosaurus is now stealthy enough to sneak around? Do you imagine these to be stealth predators? Invisible to prey? I'm genuinely confused. Either way this is off-base. Dinosaur visual systems were not like that.

Plus, birds of prey -- which can actually be silent because they're, you know, flying -- often look flashy as heck from a human perspective. As cited elsewhere in this thread.

Of course, it is just as realistic to use color schemes that are drab. But it is the same level of appropriately speculative.

So, if you mean to imply that reconstructions that are more colorful on the shelf are not scientific reconstructions, that is simply false. Even though your preference is still valid.

[postsaurischian]

Again: If you want to discuss PNSO themes that aren' about 2023 figures, please go here:
https://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4503.3440

It's annoying how forum rule #5 is constantly being ignored .

[suspsy]

I can't help but laugh at the notion that bland coloration somehow makes a giant theropod less conspicuous. And since when did birds of prey rely on camouflage for hunting? Sure, snowy owls have white plumage, but that's more for nesting purposes. They don't need camouflage to swoop down on lemmings.

It also needs to be pointed out again that the reason modern mammals are coloured the way they are is in large part due to the fact that most of them have dichromatic vision. They can't see a vast range of colours, so there's no evolutionary impetus for bright coloration in elephants or rhinos or bovids or antelope and so on. Primates are the only mammals with trichromatic vision.

[Antey]

Want my opinion on the perfect color - here it is with examples. First, comparing giant theropods to any of the much smaller modern animals is inappropriate. Below is an example with a photo - a predatory owl against the background of a tree is almost invisible. But the tyrannosaurus rex, which wanted to disguise itself, did not nestle against a tree branch, because its camouflage was supposed to work against the background of the forest, not the branch! Below is a perfectly perfect coloration of a Tyrannosaurus rex against the background of the surrounding landscape from Raul Martin, one of my favorite paleillustrators. Stripes and spots of characteristic color depict the play of shadows on tree trunks. Place this dinosaur in the shadow of a forest and it will become invisible like an owl until it starts attacking.

[Antey]

Again: If you want to discuss PNSO themes that aren' about 2023 figures, please go here:
https://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4503.3440

It's annoying how forum rule #5 is constantly being ignored .

We simply discuss whether the coloration of the new Gitganotosaurus is correct and give arguments. Without breaking the rules. Or do you think that in the new model there is no such aspect as coloring? A forum where there will be only touching mutual approvals does not make sense. Because smiles and friendly pats on the shoulder do not carry any new information. Or are we in a psychiatric hospital for neurotics? It seems to me that as long as we do not have personal and mutual insults, everything is in order. And don't call psychiatrists in straitjackets.