Battat - New for 2015

[terrorchicken]

are those figures in these last photos freshly painted prototypes? the paint applications looks so thick. I do like Battat's colorations though, I think they look better than say the fist issue Wild Safris where the colors were all a little too bright neon and cartoony.

[joossa]

What? Bright colors dont do it for you?    I like to see it as a Warning to predators to stay away.

It's not necessarily the bright colors. As described in the previous posts, there's lots of contemporary animals with lots of bright colors and I'm sure dinosaurs were no exception. It's more the application that results in the color scheme not looking realistic and not matching the caliber of the sculpt, which is the turn off for me. I think I have said it before, but it looks like they use brushing during production to apply the paint rather than airbrushing for most of the Battat figures and repaints, which results in no color gradation or softening of the margins between colors. I understand these are lower budget, but when compared to something like Carnegie or WS models which may be a dollar or two more expensive, the difference in the paint application result is disproportionate to the cost difference. Granted, not all of the new Battat models and repaints suffer from this and not all Carnegie/WS models have an appealing paint app.

[Gwangi]

My biggest complaint about the Battat line (old and new) it the paint application. Not the colors or patterns, just the application. Joossa nailed it on the head.

[suspsy]

My biggest complaint about the Battat line (old and new) it the paint application. Not the colors or patterns, just the application. Joossa nailed it on the head.

Same here. Some of the BTs I came across in stores honestly looked as though they'd been painted by middle schoolers.

[Sim]

It's more the application that results in the color scheme not looking realistic and not matching the caliber of the sculpt, which is the turn off for me. I think I have said it before, but it looks like they use brushing during production to apply the paint rather than airbrushing for most of the Battat figures and repaints, which results in no color gradation or softening of the margins between colors. I understand these are lower budget, but when compared to something like Carnegie or WS models which may be a dollar or two more expensive, the difference in the paint application result is disproportionate to the cost difference. Granted, not all of the new Battat models and repaints suffer from this and not all Carnegie/WS models have an appealing paint app.

I've just had a look at my Battat Cryolophosaurus, Nanshiungosaurus, Dacentrurus and Pachyrhinosaurus and they all have colour gradation/softening of the margins between colours on some or most of their paintjob.  I prefer this to what I find excessive colour gradation on some other figures, like some WS and Carnegie figures.

In your photo of the two Cryo figures you can see colour gradation/softened margins on the Battat Cryo where the dark green meets the light green on its wrist and around its eye, as well as on the cream at the back of the lower jaw.  The Carnegie Cryo has more colour gradation and I actually happen to really like both of these Cryo figures and their paintjobs.  The Carnegie Amargasaurus I personally feel has excessive colour gradation and I find it quite off-putting.  I still think it's a good figure, the green's gradation onto its paler lower body is too much for me though.

Not all animals have soft margins or gradation in their colouration to the extent I'm understanding you think is realistic.  Also, these figures are roughly 40 times smaller than the animal they represent, I think some colour gradation (as well as other details) would not be visible at this scale.  The animals in the photos I posted on the previous page for example, have very little colour gradation in their colouration.

[Halichoeres]

That's a good point about lots of animals having pretty abrupt color changes. To my eye, the subtlety of shading is less of a problem than the fact that, like many Carnegies for example, the paint on some Battats is so thick that it obscures how good the sculpts are (as terrorchicken alluded to). Probably makes them great for playing, though--you'd have to really beat them up to wear off that much paint. I'll be very interested in seeing what these sculpts look like in the hands of the many talented re-painters on here.

But as has also been pointed out several times, this is still arguably the best Tyrannosaurus out there, and the others in the line are no slouches either. I'll end up buying most of them and being quite happy to have them.

[Sim]

Could a moderator update the first post with the photos Takama posted, please?

[tyrantqueen]

but it looks like they use brushing during production to apply the paint rather than airbrushing for most of the Battat figures and repaints, which results in no color gradation or softening of the margins between colors.

Actually you can achieve airbrush-like blending with a brush if you're skilled and patient enough. When you thin paint down, you increase its transparency. Out of the bottle, paint is very thick and opaque. To get gradiation you only need to add thinner (in the case of acrylics, that would be water) 

The paint on the Battat dinosaurs does look to me like it hasn't been thinned. But I didn't paint them so I don't know. It could also be a conscious decision on the part of the artist because that is their personal style.

[ItsTwentyBelow]

I really like the way the Battat dinosaurs are painted, myself. This is how they were painted in the 90's too, and it lets my old and new Battat figures blend together so well on the shelf. They all share a similar style, which is definitely distinct.

For me, the color gradation on airbrushed figures can be pretty unattractive. This makes it so obvious that a figure has been airbrushed, due to the sort of "shadowing" effect that will result on especially scaly dino sculpts, like some of the recent Safari ceratopsians (Diabloceratops). You can tell which direction the airbrush was pointed by looking at which side of the scales actually has paint.

[Patrx]

In general, I've really liked the colors and patterns on the Battat figures - but, as has been mentioned, the application has issues, so I've taken to re-painting all of mine.
TQ is correct in saying that patient brushwork can lead to some very nice blends, but all mass-produced dinos are painted in a hurry. With Safari, the problems end up being the airbrushing issues noted above, in addition to things like unnaturally even stripes and gradients. With Batatt, you get dense, sharply delineated colors that can look sort of blobby. It's generally going to be one set of issues or another, I'm afraid.

[amanda]

I just got the re-released T-Rex and Acrocanthosaurus from Target, 10.99 each

[dutchdinolover]

I envy you Some times I wished I was born in North America

[Dinomike]

Me too! The only chance of getting the Acrocanthosaurus is to pay 30 $ plus shipping on eBay. Hopefully Dan at Dan's Dinosaurs will be selling it for a little bit cheaper in the future.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Me too! The only chance of getting the Acrocanthosaurus is to pay 30 $ plus shipping on eBay. Hopefully Dan at Dan's Dinosaurs will be selling it for a little bit cheaper in the future.

If I am able to find more of them than I need I am willing to send them at the same as it costs me guys...provided you keep the money right and all

[suspsy]

FRont page is missing images

Could someone please edit the original post so that these images are shown?

_{MOD EDIT: Please avoid quoting groups of images}

[DinoLord]

Sorry about the op (now fixed); I thought I had attended to it some time ago.

With Dan's passing, I really look forward to seeing these. I'll cherish the Battat and Terra figures as Dan's legacy - it's so inspiring that even with all his health struggles he still worked so hard on behalf of our community to put out new sculpts and reissues.

[suspsy]

Indeed. I sure hope Battat does right by Dan and releases these beauties. I can only assume that the Plateosaurus and Yutyrannus were not completed, sadly.

And thanks, Dinolord!

[tyrantqueen]

I hope it's okay to ask this, but do you think the Terra line will end once it's published Dan's remaining sculpts? Or is there a possibility that they would hire another artist?

I can't imagine that they would do that to be honest. Dan LoRusso's sculpting style was kind of the signature of the series. It just wouldn't be the same without him, unless maybe they hired Gregory Wenzel again.

[Gwangi]

I hope it's okay to ask this, but do you think the Terra line will end once it's published Dan's remaining sculpts? Or is there a possibility that they would hire another artist?

I can't imagine that they would do that to be honest. Dan LoRusso's sculpting style was kind of the signature of the series. It just wouldn't be the same without him, unless maybe they hired Gregory Wenzel again.

I assume they'll release the rest of the older Battat models, as well as the ones he recently sculpted. Maybe they'll use that time while they're being released to find a new sculptor? I honestly wouldn't mind if they just released what they had and ended it. I cannot imagine a Battat dinosaur sculpted by anyone but LoRusso and Wenzel. Then again, there is a lot of talent out there. Someone with a similar style perhaps?

[DinoLord]

I wonder what Greg Wenzel is up to these days - he's the only one who could possibly match the style of the old figures. I really hope they release the rest of the figures out of respect for Dan - maybe as a community we should make it known to Battat corporate that there's still a desire to see them released? I figure Dan was a really big proponent for the whole reissue concept, so hopefully Battat will not now be content to rest on their laurels. It still amazes me how even with all his struggles he was still able to be such a big advocate for us - it speaks to the nature of both Dan and the dinosaur collector community.