Jurassic Pet Shop: concept art & fossil studies

[Mamasaurus]

Pete's Paleo Petshop is a series of children's books, set in a world where people can go to the pet shop to find a prehistoric friend.  Each book will focus on a different time period, such as the Silurian, Permian, or Oligocene, and the first one I am starting with will take place in the Jurassic.

Here is where I will post the concept art, practice doodles, and fossil studies of the featured critters.  I hope you will enjoy it!

Here is a study of a brachiosaurus girrafatitan skull (I'll be posting a brachiosaurus skull soon) to break the ice.     I'm sorry about the lines.  This started as a quick doodle in my pocket notebook I always carry with me, but I got a bit carried away.  I'll have to get one of those pocket notebooks without lines.   

[image removed until I update image hosting]

[MLMjp]

Good sketch

But that´s not a Brachiosaurus skull. That belongs to Giraffatitan

Let me give you a summary.

Some sauropod fossils were discovered in North america,but there was no skull in that find.
The sauropod was named Brachiosaurus altithorax and some time later other remains were discovered in Africa, and they were given the name Brachiosaurus brancai
Those remains included a skull, which is the one you have drawn. Because of this, the vast majority of Brachiosaurus reconstructions are based on the B. brancai look. this includes the JP Brachiosaurus and almost every toy of Brachiosaurus(the main exception is the 2012 Carnegie)

But a re-study of the B.brancai fossils revealed that those remains were different enough to represent a new genus, so paleontologists renamed B. brancai as Giraffatitan brancai. Thus the skull doesn't belong to Brachiosaurus anymore.

The whole story of course is more extensive than that and involves more finds and studies, but that what´s a summary for better understanding

This is what is believed to be the real Brachiosaurus altithorax skull:





And here is a comparison. From left to right, Camarasaurus, Brachiosaurus, Giraffatitan



This is one of those things that get ignored even by the people who are into dinosaurs or they just don't know because there´s very few information about it.
Making this mistake is very common, so there´s nothing wrong about it.

[Sim]

MLMjp's good summary is correct.  That's a Giraffatitan brancai skull.

But a re-study of the B.brancai fossils revealed that those remains were different enough to represent a new species, so paleontologists renamed B. brancai as Giraffatitan brancai.

I imagine you meant genus, rather than species?  brancai has always been a separate species from altithorax, it was just eventually found the skeletons of those two species are significantly different, so brancai was reclassified in a new genus (Giraffatitan).

[DinoLord]

And to make things more complicated, the original Giraffatitan skull is rather distorted, so different restorations can look quite different.

[Mamasaurus]

Thank you for the clarification! This right here is exactly why I am going to be posting concept art on the forum, so that forum members like you can help me catch stuff like this. 

If the 2012 Carnegie Brachiosaurus has the correct shape head, that is helpful to know. I own that model and will be using it as reference (helps with lighting). Again, thank you very much for the helpful insight 

Thank you MLM, those images are especially helpful.  I recall reading about the skull mixup somewhere here on the forum, but I didn't know where to look as far as reference was concerned.

[MLMjp]

I´m glad to be helpfull Mamasaurus

MLMjp's good summary is correct.  That's a Giraffatitan brancai skull.

But a re-study of the B.brancai fossils revealed that those remains were different enough to represent a new species, so paleontologists renamed B. brancai as Giraffatitan brancai.

I imagine you meant genus, rather than species?  brancai has always been a separate species from altithorax, it was just eventually found the skeletons of those two species are significantly different, so brancai was reclassified in a new genus (Giraffatitan).

Yes I meant genus, sometimes I get confused with the use of genus and species. I already corrected that Sim, thanks

Also, here is an image of how should look with flesh and skin:

[Sim]

A comparison of Brachiosaurus altithorax and Giraffatitan brancai which shows a number of differences between the two can be seen here: http://scotthartman.deviantart.com/art/Brachiosaur-Comparison-169574617

[Mamasaurus]

Study of a brachiosaurus skull, along with a rather conservative reconstruction.  A few things about it I'm not entirely happy with, but ah well, best call it done and stop messing with it.  I plan on experimenting with a few more speculative reconstructions soon, most likely closer to the style I plan to use for the picture book.   

Thank you to all the reference pictures you shared!   

[image removed until I update image hosting]

[Mamasaurus]

Here I am experimenting with style, and camptosaurus, because ornithopods don't get enough love.     The actual illustrations will have the foreground elements in pencil I think, and of course I shall research the environment properly so the plants look like they're supposed to.   

I would like to expand on this little scene, for fun.  Perhaps it's the breeding season, and the little bull is calling his seasonal harem's attention to a particularly good patch of edibles. 

Enjoy! 


Deviantart link:  http://fav.me/d9pwb5d

[AcroSauroTaurus]

They look great!

[Mamasaurus]

Thank you!  I'm glad you like it 

It has come to my attention that not all computers will show the pictures I've posted (they're from photobucket), so I have added links to the corresponding deviantart page beneath the camptosaurus up there. 

[LophoLeeVT]

love the pics!!

[Mamasaurus]

It's been a while since I've posted any new pictures, but I've been really busy behind the scenes.  Pete's Paleo Petshop is now open!  Or the website is anyway, since we can't really have prehistoric critters for pets.   

Click here to meet the critters at the shop!

[Paleona]

Your artwork is so charming! I especially love Copper & Daisy and Skittles!!
Best of luck with your books; they're exactly the type of storybooks (and artwork in particular) I wish there were more of.

[Mamasaurus]

Thank you! That means a lot coming from you Paleona. I love your art and its storybook quality. Thank you so much for stopping by 

[LophoLeeVT]

love the dilo!!!

[Mamasaurus]

Thank you!  Dilophosaurus has always been one of my favorites. 

Here's another one for you to enjoy.    You can see the full color version, and more info, by clicking this text. 

[Mamasaurus]

Today's Critter of the Week is Picasso the dilophosaurus.  

Click here for a quick hello.  He'd love you if you stopped by.


Of course, credit is due to the Sideshow dilophosaurus pair for being a wonderful reference.  I just added soft tissue and cute fluffiness. 

I'm not sure why, but he looks like he's about to fall on his face, and there's too much weight in the front.  Any advice as to why he looks too front heavy would be very helpful.  

Thank you for stopping by!   

[DinoLord]

Nice illustration! I think your observation about him looking front-heavy is primarily an issue of the right leg's positioning. If it were angled further forward it would look like he's actively stepping forward instead of leaning/falling.

[DinoToyForum]

Really nice work.

Just a minor correction for the plesiosaur: the eye should be further forward.

Keep up the great work!