Blade-of-the-Moon's Art

[Tylosaurus]

Hay that's going on great there mate! It's really beginning to take shape, yeah I think you are well on the right track now
It's just that little boost you need to get the ball rolling so it takes shape as you work along with it, I had this particular thing when I wrote a role script for an Open Source game once, the start is the hardest part of everything.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Hay that's going on great there mate! It's really beginning to take shape, yeah I think you are well on the right track now
It's just that little boost you need to get the ball rolling so it takes shape as you work along with it, I had this particular thing when I wrote a role script for an Open Source game once, the start is the hardest part of everything.

It's a good thing for sure. I love seeing progress..if I don't make any noticeable progress I start getting off a bit.

I'll get a better today..it was getting dark so hard to see..and my flash sucks. lol

[Weaver]

Blade you are a wizard. Man, I am always impressed and the Juv. Brachio will look fantastic!

I have to ask. Have any of the outdoor pieces been stolen or damaged by kids/n'er-do-wells? It seems as if they'd be sitting ducks for cruel pranks.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Blade you are a wizard. Man, I am always impressed and the Juv. Brachio will look fantastic!

I have to ask. Have any of the outdoor pieces been stolen or damaged by kids/n'er-do-wells? It seems as if they'd be sitting ducks for cruel pranks.

Thanks !

Not as of yet. I have large lights and it's locate right near the house..would take a bit to try to steal them base and all...probably a truck. I'm also up almost all night... heh  The kids have asked to ride on them which I have declined..I have a strict look no touch policy..but I do have several durable, cheap dino toys they can play with while here.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

One of non-dino related projects , if you are afraid of klowns you night want to click :

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2979966214740

[stoneage]

One of non-dino related projects , if you are afraid of klowns you night want to click :

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2979966214740

Are you using that in your haunted house?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

One of non-dino related projects , if you are afraid of klowns you night want to click :

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2979966214740

Are you using that in your haunted house?

Yep. It's a piece built for The Funhouse haunted attraction . : http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Funhouse-Haunted-Attraction/131000347019788

So the rain slacked up and a bit and so I pulled on a coat and went to work anyway.  I managed to get the wire cut for the tail and body and I got the neck support built..it now holds up the wire neck on it's own.  My buddy showed up and we were able to get the fiberglass base added as well..so it wasn't a waste of time today at afterall.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Wood framing is done :




Started bending the wire musculature today..man my arms are sore..uggh. 

I noticed my turtles are stirring  :



I've been asking around and it seems the argument of how high the neck could be isn't as settled as I had thought.  I've been told the " S " shape like in the older WS figure is considered right and the neck down like in the new WS figure and new Carnegie is incorrect ..anyone know which is right ? I'm close to the point of no return.

[Himmapaan]

I'm not sure even palaeontologists are wholly agreed on that one yet.    I seem to recall reading that a (roughly) 45 degree angle is suggested as a comfortable, natural position for diplodocids and similarly shaped sauropods (meaning that they needn't always be depicted as having their necks held terribly low above the ground). Thinking comparatively for macronarians, I don't think the WS figure seems implausible.

You could of course play it safe and do something in between. That's what I do.  I think the neck as you have it now looks perfectly fine.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I'm not sure even palaeontologists are wholly agreed on that one yet.    I seem to recall reading that a (roughly) 45 degree angle is suggested as a comfortable, natural position for diplodocids and similarly shaped sauropods (meaning that they needn't always be depicted as having their necks held terribly low above the ground). Thinking comparatively for macronarians, I don't think the WS figure seems implausible.

You could of course play it safe and do something in between. That's what I do.  I think the neck as you have it now looks perfectly fine.

Thanks, that is what I was I attempting to do by using the newer WS model. The new Carnegie has an ever lower neck. I had been discussing this with DA member Paleo-King : http://paleo-king.deviantart.com/

..and there is  a good argument for doing the neck like his illustrations :


He says the neck could lower..but it would be in extreme circumstances and to go so low as the new Canegie piece would be painful even for Brachiosaurs which were only high-mid range browsers.

I might be able to change mine..but I need to decide pretty quick..I have some papers I was directed to  : http://svpow.com/papers-by-sv-powsketeers/taylor-et-al-2009-on-neck-posture/

..but so much of it is technical and a bit over my head.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Wire framing :




I believe my neck is too short and not thick enough..so I may have to extend it a couple feet and thicken it up...what do you guys think ?

[stoneage]

Wire framing :




I believe my neck is too short and not thick enough..so I may have to extend it a couple feet and thicken it up...what do you guys think ?

With the sun light it is kind of hard to see the neck, but I think your right it probably needs to be longer.  Is the head ready?

[Tylosaurus]

So far so good I'm think'n

Since you don't want the neck to be too long, because it's a juvenile right?
You could make it 10 inches longer,  but it is hard to tell due to the sunlight in image 2, like Stoneage also pointed out

[brontodocus]

From the basic shape it looks really good so far, Blade! I guess the hardest thing will be fleshing it out and molding skin texture. I can't wait to see the further steps of the building process!

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Thanks guys ! Yeah the neck is hard to see..it's just a steel frame and blends in a lot.

I should have the head itself coated tonight and will start making teeth for it.

Here are pics for today :




I raised the neck up a bit steeper angle and it looks good so might go with that. I didn't increase the neck size afterall though I believe it will need the girth at the base expanded.  I believe the neck is around 9-10' long already anyway..and I've ball parked the whole piece at 22' feet so far.  I started laying chicken wire this after noon..next pics will show that.

[Weaver]

Wow. Oh man, that's going to look so good! Can't wait to see the skin-texturing.

[Tylosaurus]

Yeah way better Blade! nice curved neck too Can't wait for the skin texturing too   *orthocone*

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Here's some more pics from today :

Still adding chicken wire




Head progress :

[Tylosaurus]

Hay that's look'n great Blade-of-the-Moon!
Hah this one's gonna be awesome man! Any idea's for it's color scheme?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Hay that's look'n great Blade-of-the-Moon!
Hah this one's gonna be awesome man! Any idea's for it's color scheme?

I'm kinda leaning toward this one :



This one is pretty cool too..and I do love my Todd Marshall designs :