Work in progress: WS Velociraptor!

[Sharptooth]

That's a project started a couple of months ago and i've yet to finish (damn expensive epoxy!)... A WS Velociraptor which will show (sooner or later) a new, more up to date feathered look!








As you can see, i repositioned the hands and almost covered him in fuzzy feathers; after this first phase will be completed, i'll add the pennaceous feathers on the arms (not too long, though... I guess V. Mongoliensis didn't have microraptor-like "wings", but something simpler) and then i'll paint him.

Stay tuned! 

[Himmapaan]

Oh, I'm looking forward to this! 

[Sharptooth]

Eh eh... Surely it won't be as good as your customized Papo Oviraptor (that was a MASTERPIECE, no less) but, hey, if i don't feather this poor fellow, who else will?   

[Patrx]

Oh, I'm looking forward to this! 

As am I! This figure has a lot of potential - I mean, the proportions and basic anatomy are pretty spot-on. It still astounds me that Safari released a scaly raptor with pronated wings in 2005 - glad you've endeavored to fix it!

i'll add the pennaceous feathers on the arms (not too long, though... I guess V. Mongoliensis didn't have microraptor-like "wings", but something simpler) and then i'll paint him.

Hm, where d'you get that? Most modern reconstructions I've seen give Velociraptor some pretty substantial wings. Also, I think the consensus is that its body was covered by pennaceous feathers, rather than some type of "fuzz" or "proto-feathers". Mind, I may have missed some new study or similar, so do correct me if you've heard otherwise lately. Either way, I think the feather coat you've got textured in now could pass for pennaceous integument, just a bit scruffy - which works well for Velociraptor, if you ask me. All in all, it looks like a very promising start

[Himmapaan]

It's tricky. They had pennacious feathers, but they weren't yet the same kind as those on modern birds. I need to find that diagram with all the feather stages...

But I think this looks great and definitely works as scruffy feathers. 

[Sharptooth]

The problem with many restorations of ground-dwelling dromies, IMHO, is that their creators try too much to make 'em look like modern birds, while, if you look at their skeletons, there were some key differences.
They had teeth, (probably) lips, a long, somewhat flexible tail, but the most important feature that makes me guess their "wings" were not as developed as in their twittering and flying successors is their hands.

If i'm not mistaken, Carpenter in 2001 and some other recent studies whose author i've forgotten (my bad!) strongly suggested that raptor's hands and fingers were quite flexible and mobile and that the articulation of the wrist made basically impossible for 'em to fold the arm in true avian fashion... So you have a feathered animal (Velociraptor in thi case) that could not completely fold his arms, has fully functional hands and, at the same time, has pennaceous feathers (as evidenced by those quill knobs); my assumption is that his arm feathers were quite short if compared to modern (or microraptorian) standards, thus preventing contact with ground and allowing mobility of the hands. 

[ZoPteryx]

Oh, I'm looking forward to this! 

Me too! 

[Horridus]

I've read the opposite - that the fingers weren't terribly mobile.

But it doesn't matter, as such feather details aren't known when it comes to Velociraptor - so short feathers are fine (as long as they attach to the right finger...and not the wrist!). In any case, it's already a big improvement over the bafflingly retrograde original!

[Sharptooth]

The studies i read said that their hands and fingers were quite mobile... One was made by Carpenter in 2001 and the other by Sullivan in 2011.

Oh well, either way i'll surely attach the feathers to the second hand finger 

[Sharptooth]

Yoo-oooh, new pics of my customized WS raptor:




As you can see, i feathered all his body, except for the feet and the snout, but... Where are his arms?






There they are! Sadly i've to cut 'em to make the wings, and sadly those wings are not what i had in mind at first... I wanted to make 'em sharper, more refined, but my skills are not good enough to completely match my ideas and their practical outcomes 

Oh well, i'll try to refine 'em when the putty will be solid enough to work on it, stay tuned!!! 

[Himmapaan]

The wings are tricky! But they look good so far! If it helps at all, when I customised my 'Ovinutrix'*, I cut out rough wing shapes from card first and attached them to the arms, then sculpted the feathers onto that. The same method was used for the tail fan. I know it's a little late for your wings now, but perhaps that might be something for future customs.

*Deliberate use.

[Sharptooth]

The wings are tricky! If it helps at all, when I customised my 'Ovinutrix'*, I cut out rough wing shapes from card first and attached them to the arms, then sculpted the feathers onto that. The same method was used for the tail fan. I know it's a little late for your wings now, but perhaps that might be something for future customs.

*Deliberate use.

Wonderful advice, thanks! 

And now that i think about it, maybe it's NOT too late to "save" the wings of my raptor... the putty is still pretty soft, maybe i can try with your method! Again thanks! 

[DinoFan45]

It looks good,can't wait to see more.

[Sharptooth]

Thanks to the glorious advice of Himmapaan i remade the wings and, even if they're still not what i had in mind well, this time i got closer:




Close-up:




another view:




Almost finished... Don't worry buddy, soon you'll sport a new, colorful coat! 





Looks better, mh?

[darylj]

This is brilliant

[Sharptooth]

Well, thank you 

[Himmapaan]

Oh, so excited!!  It's going to look amazing! 

[Sharptooth]

Glad you like it too... If not for your help, it would have not turned out so good 

I only have to add a lil' patch of feathers on the elbows and then it will be ready for the paint.

[DinoFan45]

It looks great, can't wait to see it painted!

[Yutyrannus]

I don't know if it's too late or not, but I think think the velociraptor's wings should be folded up against his side.