My favorite artworks of Deinonychus

[HD-man]

I originally posted the following (which was originally several posts, starting w/this one: https://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=10177.msg316852#msg316852 ) at deviantART ( https://www.deviantart.com/jd-man/journal/SD-My-favorite-artworks-of-Deinonychus-948529444 ).

This journal entry is in honor of Deinonychus Day ( https://www.reddit.com/r/Dinosaurs/comments/t3h11q/february_25th_was_deinonychus_day_to_celebrate/ ). Writing "SD: Saurian Dakotaraptor follow-up" made me think a lot about what my favorite artworks are for certain fossil species & why ( https://www.deviantart.com/jd-man/journal/SD-Saurian-Dakotaraptor-follow-up-931708639 ). 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" ( https://www.deviantart.com/ewilloughby/art/Deinonychus-Prey-Restraint-275810840 ) & Bonadonna's 10/2020 NatGeo cover ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JTRWH3C ). They go so well together that I feel like they could represent a hawk-like family group w/the smaller, more agile male hunting & the larger, stronger female brooding. I especially love how well their colors/patterns go together despite being by 2 different artists: 1st, the female has the same basic pattern as the male (I.e. Solid-colored back, barred wings), but "darker plumaged and more heavily barred" (which reminds me of goshawks & shikras: https://earthlife.net/grey-goshawks/ ); 2nd, the chick is similarly colored to the male (I.e. Dark brown & white), but w/"vertical[...]stippling and spotting down" its breast (which, again, reminds me of goshawks & shikras: https://roundglasssustain.com/species/hawks ). The more I look at them together, the more I love them together ❤️


Honorable mention #1) Tie btwn Bonadonna's 10/2020 NatGeo interior ( https://twitter.com/jasontreat/status/1305871995494596608 ) & "Retro vs Modern #21: Deinonychus antirrhopus" ( https://nixillustration.com/science-illustration/2022/retro-vs-modern-21-deinonychus/ ): For the former, the cover won out for being easier to compare to DPR, but I still love the interior. In fact, it's basically my Happy Place whenever I'm reminded of how bad Blue & Beta look, especially in the snow 😉 Meanwhile, the latter 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 ).


Honorable mention #2) Tie btwn Willoughby's 2 "small watercolor & ink paintings[...]for Xane. Deinonychus antirrhopus, in a tree and fathering chicks" ( https://archive.ph/v6Vll ), 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 is similarly colored/patterned to Xane's chicks).


Honorable mention #3) Tie btwn Jed Taylor's "Evolution of my #Deinonychus art" ( https://twitter.com/JedTaylorArtist/status/1419675152640585736 ) & CoolioArt's "Jurassic Park With Scientifically Accurate Raptors" ( https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lRQPYa ) for reasons discussed in LITC's "Podcast Show Notes: Episode 8" (which I think apply equally well to both, despite being very different styles: https://chasmosaurs.com/2021/07/30/podcast-show-notes-episode-8/ ).


Honorable mention #4) Tie btwn Skrepnick's "Deinonychus attacking!" ( https://www.pinterest.com/pin/834151162204788326/ ) & Brougham's "Antlers Formationwtmk" ( https://softdinosaurs.net/posts/ecosystem-reconstructions/antlers-formationwtmk/ ): For 1, they're from 2 of my favorite non-NHD dino books (Bakker's book & 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 ).


*In reference to "my favorite non-NHD dino books": https://www.deviantart.com/jd-man/journal/SD-My-favorite-non-NHD-dino-books-940115599

[HD-man]

I belated happy 95th birthday to John Ostrom!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ostrom

[HD-man]

Happy Deinonychus Day!: https://twitter.com/skeletaldrawing/status/1497356642719092742