Your Favorite Artwork(s) of Your Favorite Fossil Species

[HD-man]

For those who don't know, my favorite non-bird dinos are eudromaeosaurs in general b/c they're basically "terrestrial hawks" in terms of ecology/behavior (& thus, both the most awesome & the easiest to imagine as living animals: https://qilong.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/dromaeosaurs-are-terrestrial-hawks/ ) & Deinonychus in particular b/c of how much we know about it. Furthermore, my favorite reconstructions of Deinonychus ecology/behavior are Willoughby's "Deinonychus Prey Restraint" & Bonadonna's 10/2020 NatGeo cover.

The following reconstructions of Deinonychus ecology/behavior by Skrepnick & Brougham, respectively, deserve honorable mention: For 1, they're from 2 of my favorite non-NHD dino books (Bakker's Raptor Pack & Abramson et al.'s Inside Dinosaurs, respectively); For another, while shrink-wrapped by today's standards, I love Skrepnick's art style ( http://linesandcolors.com/2006/03/22/michael-skrepnick/ ); For yet another, while not as "clear, sharp and detailed" as Skrepnick's art style, I love how Audubon-esque Brougham's is (See "Good": https://www.deviantart.com/jd-man/journal/SD-Good-semi-good-and-bad-dino-sources-3-632615112 ).

2 more honorable mentions, this 1 from the same issue of NatGeo (The cover won out for being easier to compare to Willoughby's reconstruction, but I still love this 1; In fact, this is basically my Happy Place whenever I'm reminded of how bad Blue & Beta look, especially in the snow )...:


...& this 1 from "Retro vs Modern #21: Deinonychus antirrhopus" ( https://nixillustration.com/science-illustration/2022/retro-vs-modern-21-deinonychus/ ), which reminds me of Bonadonna's Deinonychus panel, but even more informative & w/an even hawkier reconstruction ( http://www.davidebonadonna.it/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/09-Deinonychus-panel.jpg ):

[Sim]

@Sim

Here's my number ten, Deinonychus antirrhopus!  Some artwork of it that I like a lot has already been posted in this thread,

Anything in particular?

BTW, of those you listed, I especially like DuskyVel's. There aren't enough artworks of allo-preening eudromaeosaurs IMO.

Sorry for my late reply.  I particularly like the first two Deinonychus artworks in @Concavenator's post:

Here's some of my favorite art of my favorite dromaeosaurid and 2nd favorite dinosaur, Deinonychus.

First, some depictions by Emily Willoughy. She's one of my favorite paleoartists and certainly my favorite when it comes to illustrations of maniraptorans.

Also, while looking for Concavenator's Deinonychus post I passed another one of their posts and I have to say I really like this Suchomimus Concavenator shared:

Art by Ictonyx

Captures its look very good. I really like this paleoartist's style.

I used to think spinosaurids didn't have lips, but I'm becoming convinced that they did.  Natural-looking illustrations like the one above help with regards to this.  David Silva said he isn't yet sure if spinosaurids by him will have lips but that he's leaning towards no.  I hope he'll change his mind and give them lips!

[HD-man]

2 more honorable mentions, this 1 from the same issue of NatGeo (The cover won out for being easier to compare to Willoughby's reconstruction, but I still love this 1; In fact, this is basically my Happy Place whenever I'm reminded of how bad Blue & Beta look, especially in the snow )...:

...& this 1 from "Retro vs Modern #21: Deinonychus antirrhopus" ( https://nixillustration.com/science-illustration/2022/retro-vs-modern-21-deinonychus/ ), which reminds me of Bonadonna's Deinonychus panel, but even more informative & w/an even hawkier reconstruction ( http://www.davidebonadonna.it/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/09-Deinonychus-panel.jpg ):

2 more honorable mentions (which I just found out about: https://ewilloughby.tumblr.com/post/69998589600/two-small-watercolor-ink-paintings-around-4-x ), partly b/c I like seeing Deinonychus climb/rest in trees thanks to Bakker's Raptor Pack ( https://image.yes24.com/momo/TopCate42/MidCate10/4193785.jpg ), but especially b/c Xane & his chicks conform so well to my personal head-canon (I.e. The DPR Deinonychus looks just like the definitely-adult male Xane; Also, the chick in Bonadonna's 10/2020 NatGeo illustrations has almost the same exact color/pattern as Xane's chicks: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=10177.msg316852#msg316852 ):

[Sim]

I'm liking how popular Deinonychus has turned out to be in this thread.  Deservedly so.


Here's my number eleven, Linheraptor exquisitus!

By Smokeybjb.  I've liked this artwork for a long time, it's pleasant.
  (Image source)

By Julio-Lacerda, it's a nice piece.
  (Image source)

By cisiopurple.  This Linheraptor has a simple colouration but it's still awesome!
  (image source)

By Guindagear, it's striking!  Pun not intended but appreciated!
  (Image source)

[HD-man]

@Gwangi I've been meaning to ask: What do you think of Deinocheirus as they appear in Chuang/Yang's Age of Dinosaurs ( https://flic.kr/p/2e3cV4W )? I know you prefer seeing them in their natural environment, but I thought the extra detail & realism might make up for that

Oh, wow! This is my first time seeing it. Honestly, I wouldn't rank it as high as the others I posted. I'm not a fan of the sparse feathering and the hump looks more sail-like than I would prefer. Aside from that it is of course a fantastic piece. If PNSO made a Deinocheirus like this I would likely buy it.

You probably already know about the new PNSO Deinocheirus, but just in case, what do you think?: https://stores.dansdinosaurs.com/deinocheirus-by-pnso/

Here it is in its natural environment ( https://mobile.twitter.com/pnso_official/status/1573824605969469440 ):

[Gwangi]

I think that's the best Deinocheirus on the market, and one of PNSO's best dinosaurs. I plan to get it eventually.

[Concavenator]

Chasmosaurus by Reiimon

[Halichoeres]

That's a cool composition that includes some angles we don't normally get on ceratopsians. Do you know the medium? It kind of looks like colored pencil.

[Concavenator]

That's a cool composition that includes some angles we don't normally get on ceratopsians. Do you know the medium? It kind of looks like colored pencil.

I'd say it looks like so, though the artist didn't specify.
I really like their art, their DeviantArt page is worth checking out!

[Concavenator]

Geosternbergia by Julio Lacerda

[Concavenator]

Tylosaurus by DuskyVel

[Halichoeres]

I really like Lacerda's work. These two look like they have maybe a bit of avocet influence.

[Sim]

I think that piece by Julio Lacerda is inspired by a gannet.

[Concavenator]

Allosaurus by DuskyVel

[Concavenator]

Deinonychus by DELIRIO88.

[Gwangi]

That Tylosaurus is excellent. I really prefer marine reptiles with a cetacean flavor, it just makes more biological sense than what we're used to seeing.

[Concavenator]

Yutyrannus by Gustavo Monroy

[Sim]

Here's my number twelve, Scaphognathus crassirostris!

By paleopeter, it's awesome!
  (Image source)

And that's it for Scaphognathus.  As a unique-looking pterosaur and the first one to be found with pycnofibers preserved it deserves more attention.

[Halichoeres]

I agree there should be more art of Scaphognathus, it's often just background for some dinosaur. How do you feel about this plate?

https://www.deviantart.com/batworker/art/Solenhofen-Rhamphorhynchoids-155164495

[Sim]

@Halichoeres, it's nice but I don't like the bare face on the adult Scaphognathus.  It's nice to see Scaphognathus represented though!