Ceratopsian's custom paints and everything else: new 10 May 2024

[ceratopsian]

You are right @Dusty Wren - and I'm sure PNSO would make excellent prehistoric mammals. After all, they have a good line of extant animals. That's very clever S @SidB - you made me smile and I'll think Bronze Age when I look at them in future!

[TooOldForDinosaurs]

Congrats! I'm happy to have helped    What a beautiful and special addition that is! The color looks very different to the other 2 bronzes. Do you know why that is?

[ceratopsian]

The finish or patina is completely different. My dinosaurs look almost antiqued: very dark and matt. The bull is a paler colour altogether and very polished. But I have no idea how the different finishes are achieved. Different acid treatment??  Slightly different alloy? It's very effective for the bull, as it suggests tawny fur. The Thalassodromeus is more similar to the dinosaurs, dark and quite matt. Though textured, however, it is far less "shaggy".

Congrats! I'm happy to have helped    What a beautiful and special addition that is! The color looks very different to the other 2 bronzes. Do you know why that is?

[Thialfi]

Fantastic acquisition, @ceratopsian! Yes, colour me a little jealous, but more than that delighted and happy for you. Enjoy its beautiful presence to its fullest, but I reckon that won't be hard!

[Halichoeres]

That's a very majestic aurochs, congrats!

How would Stonehenge function for aurochs hunting? I guess if you have some people up top on the horizontal stones they have a safe vantage to hurl spears or shoot arrows.

[ceratopsian]

Not hunting from Stonehenge itself @Halichoeres. The suggestion was made with reference to the landscape itself before Stonehenge was constructed, when the area was more wooded than the open plain we now see. Some archaeologists interpret a geographical feature near what would one day be the henge as being conducive to funnelling the aurochs herd to make it easier to attack.

There are so many more Neolithic monuments packed round Stonehenge that it has always cried out for a narrative as to why the area was so important and clearly of great ritual significance from early on. It's not just Stonehenge, that is simply one element in an extensive ritual complex. Even in the Mesolithic it was clearly a special landscape. The water at nearby Blick Mead is very unusual because it is always a bit warm. It doesn't freeze. And it boasts some special property whereby stones put in the water come out bright pink. It must have seemed magical to Mesolithic people.

So part of the argument is that if the area was especially good for hunting, perhaps with groups of people combining to hunt cooperatively at specific times when the aurochs herds were known to pass through, that coming together of separate groups to hunt would likely also involve communal activities such as feasting etc. which might lead to the area acquiring its status as a place where groups gathered, feasted, strengthened their social cohesion and practised rituals.

That's a very majestic aurochs, congrats!

How would Stonehenge function for aurochs hunting? I guess if you have some people up top on the horizontal stones they have a safe vantage to hurl spears or shoot arrows.

[Halichoeres]

Thank you for the explanation, that's fascinating! I was definitely thinking a bit too literally.

[DinoFan2010]

Could you repaint a Papo Ceratosaurus with the Carnivores Dinosaur Hunt design, because I think that color would pair well with the sculpt.

[ceratopsian]

I can't paint for toffee. I hire an artist if I want a model or toy painted @DinoFan2010.

Could you repaint a Papo Ceratosaurus with the Carnivores Dinosaur Hunt design, because I think that color would pair well with the sculpt.

[DinoFan2010]

Ok, I could try and sculpt one myself

[ceratopsian]

Yesterday I had a parcel from AliExpress arrive.  I was interested to be informed earlier that at some point while still at a distribution centre in China, two boxes from different shops were going to be combined into a single delivery - which made a lot of sense.  They were sealed into a big plastic bag and arrived in good condition.

One of the boxes was the delayed Huang He Stegodon by TNG.  This firm was recently the topic of much discussion here on the Forum.  In the end I decided to order the Stegodon.  Whatever the cause of the delay, the model is fine, especially for the price.  It will display well with my other prehistoric elephants.  (I don't buy prehistoric mammals in the normal course of things, but I have a few elephants.)

While I like to take shots with black backgrounds, that involves a lot more editing work.  So I'm settling for outdoors shots for the moment, to help minimise my computer time. 

In the golden light of spring:



And a few minutes later, while the sun was behind a cloud:



And stepping over a gorge!

[SidB]

Excellent little setting, @ceratopsian . WhenI showed it to my Stegodon, he immediately asked why I hadn't taken him out for a stroll as well.

[ceratopsian]

I thought he deserved a bit of fresh air after being cooped up for the long journey from China without any natural light, S @SidB!

Excellent little setting, @ceratopsian . WhenI showed it to my Stegodon, he immediately asked why I hadn't taken him out for a stroll as well.

[Halichoeres]

It's a good looking model! I suppose the stroll outside, besides giving you good light and letting you reduce screen time, also helps some of the plastic and paint fumes dissipate.

[ceratopsian]

Now there's a good thought @Halichoeres!  Seriously though, there is no untoward odour of chemicals.

[Halichoeres]

Oh yes, I'm not singling out TNG, just the general fumy-ness that new toys often have.

[ceratopsian]

I'm trying to catch up with things that have turned up over the last few months.  Next up - the Wild Safari Zuul, given a fresh coat of paint and a base by Martin Garratt.  I was excited to see this model was being released, as I have a soft spot for ankylosaurs and their nodosaur relatives and was very much looking forward to a company finally getting round to Zuul. But I found the solidly green paint unappealing - not the colour itself, just its flatness and simplicity.  I know it's a toy and I realise that adding complex layers of paint has a significant impact on price point, so I'm not criticising Safari for their business plan.  They know their market.  But I enjoy seizing the opportunity sometimes of seeing what one of their usually excellent sculpts looks like with a custom paint job.

On this occasion I let Martin choose what he wanted to do in terms of colour. He strongly favours sober schemes for tanks!  My only stipulation was that the base should have some vertical "lift", to offset the inherently flat, horizontal nature of the animal; and look reasonably lush. The elevation was achieved by having a raised, ramp-like platform rising above the baseline rocky surface.

Here's what he came up with:











I'm still expecting to have a green Zuul to bring to life the images in the Arbour & Evans monograph Zuul: Life of an Armoured Dinosaur, as I have an order with Brett to obtain one from the Japanese Expo set.

If you want to see hi-res images (though these are taken with an iPad rather than my DSLR), here's a link to my Flickr Zuul album:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/69501171@N03/albums/72177720307270806

[postsaurischian]

  Wonderful paintjob, I love the base - having the animal going upwards is a great idea.
  We're lucky to know Martin Congratulations!

[ceratopsian]

Thank you - and yes, we're lucky.

Wonderful paintjob, I love the base - having the animal going upwards is a great idea.
  We're lucky to know Martin Congratulations!

[Halichoeres]

Ooh, the new paint really does justice to the very nice underlying sculpt. The base is a great idea, gets it out of a somewhat shrinking posture.