CollectA-New for 2015

[DC]

What we need is a talented Boki to paint all 3 of this years nasutoceratops in the same color scheme for a fair comparison.

[Tyto_Theropod]

What is it with Collecta and cabooses... err... hips?

DAT BOOTY. Seriously though, (and this is a controversial opinion but obviously if you like CollectA I'm not blaming you), the hips on most of the recent CollectA models really bug me. I suppose it's plausible on a Ceratopsian, but I personally don't like to see it on the Theropods. Believe me, I'm definitely not a fan of shrink wrapping, but to me CollectAs always look likes they're heading in the opposite direction...

[Sim]

I think the hips on some of the CollectA figures are too wide (e.g. Xiongguanlong: http://dinotoyblog.com/2015/04/30/xiongguanlong-collecta/).  The Acrocanthosaurus definitely looks like it has hips that are far too wide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2LDbz2Z5us

When the Acrocanthosaurus faces straight ahead in the video MiniZoo kindly shared, e.g. at around 2:11, it makes me think of the ankylosaur picture in the first post here: http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/4282/picture-euoplocephalus-princeton-field-guide

[suspsy]

The three ceratopsians don't concern me, but the Xiong and the Acro do indeed look overly wide, especially the latter. I suspect part of it has to do with making the toy stand better. Still, poor Acro! Between the hips and the inaccurate vertebrae, it's the weakest of the 2015 lot.

The Feathered T. rex, thankfully, appears to have normal proportions. Perhaps that means the issue won't show up again in any 2016 toys.

I also wonder what the hips on the three Spinosaurus toys are like.

[Arul]

The feathered trex is very cool...but that bright color (red and green) is not very fit for my taste. But thats okay i still love it. Hope it dont have a standing problem just like papo green running trex

[amargasaurus cazaui]

The three ceratopsians don't concern me, but the Xiong and the Acro do indeed look overly wide, especially the latter. I suspect part of it has to do with making the toy stand better. Still, poor Acro! Between the hips and the inaccurate vertebrae, it's the weakest of the 2015 lot.

The Feathered T. rex, thankfully, appears to have normal proportions. Perhaps that means the issue won't show up again in any 2016 toys.

I also wonder what the hips on the three Spinosaurus toys are like.

Just as a point, the Illium area of chasmosaurines varies from that of centrosaurines, and is one difference in the body that is observable, however the Collecta models all utilize the same or quite similar style hips.....

[suspsy]

The three ceratopsians don't concern me, but the Xiong and the Acro do indeed look overly wide, especially the latter. I suspect part of it has to do with making the toy stand better. Still, poor Acro! Between the hips and the inaccurate vertebrae, it's the weakest of the 2015 lot.

The Feathered T. rex, thankfully, appears to have normal proportions. Perhaps that means the issue won't show up again in any 2016 toys.

I also wonder what the hips on the three Spinosaurus toys are like.

Just as a point, the Illium area of chasmosaurines varies from that of centrosaurines, and is one difference in the body that is observable, however the Collecta models all utilize the same or quite similar style hips.....

Quite right. There's also variety in hip width among chasmosaurines themselves. Wide hips are fine for a Triceratops, but not so much a Chasmosaurus.



Again, this issue doesn't bug me as much as say, pronated wrists or lack of feathers, but it would certainly be good if CollectA improved on this aspect.

[Tyto_Theropod]

Woah, I seem to have started a big debate! But I'm glad I'm not alone in this. I first began to think this when I got their deluxe Parasaurolophus and stared down at it thinking "Holy Edmontosaurus! That is FAT!!!"

The three ceratopsians don't concern me, but the Xiong and the Acro do indeed look overly wide, especially the latter. I suspect part of it has to do with making the toy stand better. Still, poor Acro! Between the hips and the inaccurate vertebrae, it's the weakest of the 2015 lot.

The Feathered T. rex, thankfully, appears to have normal proportions. Perhaps that means the issue won't show up again in any 2016 toys.

I also wonder what the hips on the three Spinosaurus toys are like.

Just as a point, the Illium area of chasmosaurines varies from that of centrosaurines, and is one difference in the body that is observable, however the Collecta models all utilize the same or quite similar style hips.....

Quite right. There's also variety in hip width among chasmosaurines themselves. Wide hips are fine for a Triceratops, but not so much a Chasmosaurus.



Again, this issue doesn't bug me as much as say, pronated wrists or lack of feathers, but it would certainly be good if CollectA improved on this aspect.

Yup, I dug up the same image in researching this reply - you beat me to it in posting it! Even with this as reference, I'd still say the Medusaceratops was a bit too wide, but that might just be me. I'm no expert when it comes to Ceratopsians. Most of the time I'm just going to bow to your superior knowledge of dinosaurs in general.

Frankly, I avoid most CollectA theropods - the earlier ones had zombie heads, and now they're obese. Some even have ridiculously little flesh on their heads and ridiculous amounts of it on their hips. This lovely Giganotosaurus restoration by Jim Robins that I rustled up with a quick Google search shows something more plausible:

https://archosaurmusings.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/giganotosaurus-aw-200.jpg

Having said all that, maybe living, breathing non-avian dinosaurs did have enormous hips in life. There's so much that you can never know about an animal when all you have is bones. I'd like to finish this off by saying that in no way is this intended as CollectA-bashing. I think they've come on in leaps and bounds in terms of both quality and accuracy, and I have several of their models on my insanely long wishlist...

[suspsy]

Frankly, I avoid most CollectA theropods - the earlier ones had zombie heads, and now they're obese. Some even have ridiculously little flesh on their heads and ridiculous amounts of it on their hips.

Yeah, I've refrained from purchasing any CollectA toy that was made prior to 2012, and even some of the ones from that year aren't exactly stellar. The T. rex w/Struthiomimus is one of my personal favourites, but it has a ton of issues. And if it was the original I owned instead of the one with the base, I'd probably like it way less.

Having said all that, maybe living, breathing non-avian dinosaurs did have enormous hips in life. There's so much that you can never know about an animal when all you have is bones. I'd like to finish this off by saying that in no way is this intended as CollectA-bashing. I think they've come on in leaps and bounds in terms of both quality and accuracy, and I have several of their models on my insanely long wishlist...

I think one of the main issues for any dinosaur toy company is that there's a lot of great paleoartists out there with wildly different styles and intepretations. Some, like Robins, have done away with shrink wrapping almost completely. Others, like Robert Walters and Luis V. Rey, have not. So it's probably difficult for a sculptor to determine which style is best to go with. Not to mention that a lot of sculptors probably prefer coming up with their own unique styles. I figure that's why CollectA ceratopsids all have those funky quills now.

And yes, when you're dealing strictly with fossilised remains, it's hardly fair to fault any artist too much. I'm sharply reminded of the depictions of dinosaurs and modern animals from All Yesterdays. Who's to say hadrosaurs weren't super chunky?

[Tyto_Theropod]

All very true - personally, I have to say that Luis Rey is probably my least favourite of the well-known palaeoartists. I like some of Walters's stuff, but by no means all of it. Then there are the people who do the opposite and draw Sauropods with ginormous neck wattles.

I personally prefer moderation, because in my opinion going the 'in between' way produces things that you might see in the park or on a wildlife documentary without doing a complete double take. My favourite artist from that point of view is Emily Willoughby, as some of her maniraptors look like they could walk off your compute screen. Just as you've pointed out, every artist has their own individual take on reconstructing long-dead animals, and that's one of the things that makes dinosaurs such fun, but also such a controversy.

As for All Yesterdays, I personally love the art and the whole message it conveys (I don't have the book yet, but I definitely intend to get it). However, I personally think some of it does go a bit far...

[Shonisaurus]

I understand the paintings of Luis Rey are quite cartoonish and poorly finished, and in fact should not have been based toy companies their dinosaurs in his paintings.

On the other hand I do not like claws and excess pronation of the horned dinosaurs Collecta. And as already noted in the drawings of dinosaurs hips make them very wide. Which is another mistake and unnatural.

Nor do I agree with the excess paint on their heads or feathers on the back.

[suspsy]

I understand the paintings of Luis Rey are quite cartoonish and poorly finished, and in fact should not have been based toy companies their dinosaurs in his paintings.

Rey's art has been featured in dozens of magazines, books, and museums, and he's a recipient of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize. If you don't like his style, fine, but to label it "cartoonish and poorly finished" is preposterous.

[Concavenator]

Is the Tyrannosaurus released this month?

I understand the paintings of Luis Rey are quite cartoonish and poorly finished, and in fact should not have been based toy companies their dinosaurs in his paintings.

On the other hand I do not like claws and excess pronation of the horned dinosaurs Collecta. And as already noted in the drawings of dinosaurs hips make them very wide. Which is another mistake and unnatural.

Nor do I agree with the excess paint on their heads or feathers on the back.

They're not feathers,they're quills (well,something similar to quills).

[Shonisaurus]

I understand the paintings of Luis Rey are quite cartoonish and poorly finished, and in fact should not have been based toy companies their dinosaurs in his paintings.

Rey's art has been featured in dozens of magazines, books, and museums, and he's a recipient of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Lanzendorf PaleoArt Prize. If you don't like his style, fine, but to label it "cartoonish and poorly finished" is preposterous.

First of all I apologize and apologize if I have offended anyone, I understand that I spent as the art of Luis Rey, I admit that I prefer the paintings of John Sibbick for example. That does not mean it is the best and renowned artists Luis Rey, I acknowledge that I have been rude in my statements.

Forgive my rude tone, I know I've been through. Luis Rey is a great artist and best but like other artists who paint or perform more detailed recreations paleoartísticas but is simply an opinion

[Shonisaurus]

Is the Tyrannosaurus released this month?

I understand the paintings of Luis Rey are quite cartoonish and poorly finished, and in fact should not have been based toy companies their dinosaurs in his paintings.

On the other hand I do not like claws and excess pronation of the horned dinosaurs Collecta. And as already noted in the drawings of dinosaurs hips make them very wide. Which is another mistake and unnatural.

Nor do I agree with the excess paint on their heads or feathers on the back.
Moreover regarding the ceratopsianos and some animals Collecta seems the paint as if they were circus figures as if they would struggle against an imaginary enemy. Moreover I admit my complete ignorance to the barbed protrusion out of the body of the horned dinosaurs Collecta, I like the realism of Safari or Battat to give two examples, but it is a simple and humble opinion.

I primarily do not want anyone to be offended with me above all is not my intention, but rather, speak of a civilized people.

They're not feathers,they're quills (well,something similar to quills).

[stargatedalek]

I think Luis Rey's art is amazing, I think Luis Rey's paleoart is often overly conservative and seems to only be willing to speculate when it makes the animal appear more stereotypically reptilian.

[tyrantqueen]

I think Luis Rey's art is amazing, I think Luis Rey's paleoart is often overly conservative and seems to only be willing to speculate when it makes the animal appear more stereotypically reptilian.

That's got to be the first time I've heard anyone call Luis Rey's art conservative. This is the same guy who created this :



Now, Sibbick, on the other hand, is conservative (often overly so). I like Rey's work, but as a matter of taste, prefer Sibbick.

[Tyto_Theropod]

Oh God help me, I've started a flame war about palaeoartists. Sorry, this wasn't my intention at all. Can't anything on the internet just be a friendly discussion? *Hides*

[sauroid]

LOL Luis Rey is anything but conservative, check out his painting of feeding Deinonychus with turkey/vulture wattles on my sig.

[suspsy]

I think Luis Rey's art is amazing, I think Luis Rey's paleoart is often overly conservative and seems to only be willing to speculate when it makes the animal appear more stereotypically reptilian.

That's got to be the first time I've heard anyone call Luis Rey's art conservative. This is the same guy who created this :

Yes, that's the first time I've heard Rey's work described that way too. Can you elaborate on that, stargate?

Now, Sibbick, on the other hand, is conservative (often overly so). I like Rey's work, but as a matter of taste, prefer Sibbick.

I've long enjoyed Sibbick's art, but I really like Rey and John Conway and other paleoartists who push the envelope and challenge people to view dinosaurs in radically different ways. Staying within the realm of possibility while using bright colours and excess skin/fat and exotic plumage. I'd love to see some company do a "turkey raptor" like that one.

Julius Csotonyi is probably the all-around best paleoartist right now though.